Sanctity of places to care for the sick : Sacred relationship
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: November 20, 2014 -

Disturbing news it is. Hospital vandalised after a patient passes away.

All the major newspapers published in Imphal carried the story on November 19 and important to note that it was not the death of the patient which made it news worthy but the act of vandalism.

Our deepest condolence to the bereaved family members and to all the colleagues and friends of the late man, but important to note that behind every attack on health centres and professionals who are there to care for the sick and ailing, is the diminishing values attached to the ties between a patient and the doctor and health care providers.

Finger pointing will not help but it is important to keep in mind that what happened on November 19 at a private hospital in Imphal was not the first and if no lessons are learnt it will not be the last either.

There is something sacrosanct in the relationship between a doctor and the patient.

Something very different from the ties shared between say an architect and his/her client or between a lawyer and his/her client.

And it goes without saying that it is the responsibility of all, particularly the patient and the doctor, to ensure that the sanctity of the relationship is not muddied.

However as the past has taught us, this sanctity is not always respected and it has become increasingly clear that there are elements out there who will go all out to defile this.

Will defy logic to point fingers at anyone but it should be admitted that the relationship has been defiled to a great extent.

Would do well for all to admit that such a state cannot be healthy for anyone. Not for the doctors and certainly not for the public.

Important for doctors to keep in mind that the patients they are treating are not inanimate objects.

Important too for the patients to register in mind that the doctors they go to for treatment are not miracle workers.

No price can be too high to maintain the sanctity between a doctor and the patient and this is a point that all would do well in Manipur to keep in mind.

A point which is not to be used at one’s own convenience but which should be the foundation of patient-doctor relationship.

That there is something profound in the relationship between a doctor and the patient is known to all but more importantly this is a point which no one is ready to respect.

Doctors too should seriously study why they end up at the receiving end whenever something undesirable happens in the course of their duty.

Time for doctors to respect their profession and for patients and the people as a whole to demonstrate that they too respect the profession of doctors.

No better option than for the patient and the doctor to realise the sanctity of their relationship.