Trust and Healing

 Trust.....

My first born when he was handed to me for the first time.....he was very tiny.I was inexperienced and emotional.
It's not first time,I had held a newborn. I am a Doctor and Anaesthesiologist. Handled newborns even smaller than my baby...premature,underweight,preterm.....
But Maternal emotions made my hands tremble.
My newborn maybe felt scared...." Will this person hold me well?"
Distrust and fear made the little one grab my finger with his little finger.
TRUST.....
A very important factor between 2 individuals....
Especially if one is dependent on the other.
I have been in medical field for decades now.
Anaesthesia and Emmergency medicine brings to me individuals in their most vulnerable situations.
So ,when most precious " LIFE" / " Existence " of an individual depends upon my efficiency......
TRUST of patient on me needs to be more than 💯 %
Nowadays, TRUST is missing.
Awareness, Information ..... mostly inadequate, most times false ......gets circulated in Society via hearsay,gossip,or social media platforms.
A pregnant lady went to ultrasound scan for Fetal development. She was informed that Fetal position is Breech.
She got worried.
Somebody informed that about a traditional Midwife who by external forcible rotation corrected Fetal position in womb.Many had approached her for safe deliveries at home.
What Qualified Medical professionals couldn't do, this Traditional midwife had healing hands.
The pregnant lady landed up in Emmergency Csection in my Operation theatre. The external rotation had led to abruption of placenta,massive bleeding and Fetal Distress.
Many many times,people consult Trained Specialist for their medical issues....Diabetes, Hypertension, Epilepsy,Asthma.....or some conditions like Cancer ....where procedures advised.....
Many more medical issues.
But Currently.....People doubt Specialist advise.
Not all.
But majority.
They get influenced by equally ignorant friends,relatives and " Well wishers" .They seek help of unqualified persons......" Quacks"," Babaji", " Mata" ....self proclaimed Healers of the masses.
Such people win hearts and " Trust" of public by creating Stories.
We see videos, read in news....social media platforms where a " Healing Hand"," Miracle Water or Powder",Rings,Lockets,Threada cured people of major illnesses.
Miracle......
Stories ,Incidents....where Miracle cures all illnesses and problems......physical, mental, financial....

Always one aspect nags me.....
I always ask myself....
" Why do I fail ,at times, to win Trust and Confidence " of my patients on my skills and efficiency?"
In my Pain Clinic,a last stage Cancer patient is brought for Palliative care. She refused treatment from Specialist Oncosurgeon. Instead,seeked some herbs from some famous Healer.
Lack of proper treatment in due course of times ,spread the cancer all over body.She came to me with metastasis in lungs, liver, abdomen. It became impossible for me to even give her a pain-free end.Tragic.

Communication .
Communication in language understood by the ignorant and vulnerable society. We learn Medicine in English and our medium of instruction and understanding becomes English.
We, specialists,  don't make efforts in communicating with public in local languages.
The Godman,Quack....unqualified persons use Communication skills to gain TRUST and Confidence of public.

Awareness,Education Publicity

Awareness and Education through social media and print,we Doctors make efforts to create awareness and educate the society about Medical care.But the reach is limited to cities and educated public. Grassroots and ignorant uneducated public even today are influenced by unqualified scrupulous people.
Medicine doesn't permit Doctors to propagate about their work through Publicity.
Though Corporate hospitals are using Publicity a lot.
The glitch is misinformation and fake Publicity to promote expensive investigations and procedures.

Superstitions,False Beliefs, Age Old Traditions.
In 21st century, society is influenced by such practices which make Doctors reach out,and at times even get across persons mentalities  to make understand the importance of timely Medical investigation and treatment. Life Emmergencies like Heart attack,Stroke,Epileptic or Asthma attacks, Cancer....many such incidents go untreated and ignored Results in morbidity and mortality.

In today's scenario,  Family Physicians and qualified MBBS practitioners, the people who were bridge between Specialist and Public are becoming extinct.Medical students don't stop their education at MBBS. Everyone aspires to be a Specialist of one part of Human Body.....overlooking other parts .
Hence,the vision and perspective towards treatment of a disease is more than Healing of the patient .

Medical Field ,and outcome of an illness depends  totally on Trust of the patient towards Doctor.
With our skills and expertise, Experience and Knowledge....we Doctors may succeed in treating the Disease.
But Complete Healing of the Patient- The Human Being approaching us....is eventual....only if Trust exists.Faith in Healing and the Healer.

- Dr Tripti Milind Galgali
Anaesthesiologist. Hubli.