SRINAGAR: Alleging that doctors in Kashmir lack training in medical ethics, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) said it is an essential component of patient care.
“Doctors are not taught medical ethics during their training. Medical ethics are moral principles in the practice of medicine to which a physician has an obligation,” President DAK Dr Nisar ul Hassan said.
He said kind words, compassion and empathy have an equal hand in cure as much as medical competence does.
But this need is often not met, he added.
He said patients leave hospitals dissatisfied as doctors do not spend time in talking, listening and more importantly hearing them.
“They (patients) are irritated by the non-committal attitude and professional distance they encounter. You might have healed their physical illness, but hurt their feelings by the interpersonal treatment they receive. A medical student only learns how to diagnose diseases, but never learns moral principles,” he said.
The DAK president said any treatment can be undone in just a few moments by the physician’s wrong attitude.
“Teachers have to be role models to shape the ethics of medical trainees, but students often observe them treating patients with shocking contempt. Patients recover their health simply through their contentment with the goodness of a physician,” Dr Hassan said.
He said no matter how competent a doctor is, a person cannot be a good doctor unless he or she is a caring person.
“While the subject of medical ethics is given prime importance in all medical schools of the world, but in Kashmir it is completely ignored,” he said.
As a result, he said there is deteriorating doctor-patient relationship and increasing conflicts between doctors and patients relatives. “Inclusion of formal ethics training in medical schools has been identified as an important step by which the need for ethical behavior can be reinforced and faith in medical profession can be revived,” he added. (UNI)
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