Mangaluru: For the very first time perhaps, an interaction between media and doctors was held by Mangaluru Press Club in association with Centre for Health and Development (CHD) and Association of Medical Consultants (AMC) at Pathrika Bhavan on July 7. Serious and understanding talk brings hope to citizens particularly in emergency and disaster situations which are encountered day to day and facing up to them needs professional and human empathy all around.
CHD-Centre for Health and Development CEO?Dr. Edmond Fernandes briefed on the purpose of the interaction in the wake of growing incidents of miscommunication or communication gaps between doctors, media personnel, officials and so on. Appealing media to bridge and strengthen doctor-patient relationship, he said that plans were on the anvil to have draft guidelines for peak exchange of social and scientific details in a systematic manner with the media and people for optimum satisfaction.
Present on the dais were Dr. Edmond Fernandes, senior journalist N T Guruvappa Balepuni, Association of Medical Consultants Convenor and Trauma and Plastic Surgeon Dr. Sathish Bhat and KSHEMA Paediatrics Surgery Department Head Dr. Sandeep Rai and Press Club President Dr. Ronald Fernandes who gave the lead in the consultations and discussions. A good attendance of doctors, a cross section of journalists and students of colleges made a great impact on the meet. Active consultations and good results are expected.
Dr. Sandeep Rai said the total focus and responsibility of a doctor in any emergency/disaster situation is to save the lives of people. In circumstances beyond control, the doctors need to consult with the next of kin and seek best medical options as well. “This is a divine and impossible task often due to the stress, strain and limited knowledge of kith and kin along with limited time frames. This leads to communication gaps and room for unnecessary force and fights which extends the negative causes, outcomes and trust deficits escalate in rapid force. Very prime information was shared and constructively discussed. Yes, God does the healing and the doctor takes the fees,” he said. In the modern perspectives, professionalism is set to be high in every profession and doctors and scribes are no exception, because expectation level is very high, he opined.
Students present enthused by the facts pointed out that in large hospitals it was impossible for the stressed and tensed kith, kin and attendants of patients in ICU and operation theatre to get information often for hours together and have no option but to hang around bunched at the entrances, beyond reasonable time frames, left in the cold, high and dry. Doctors are too involved and lack time, nurses not very kindly refuse to explain and co-ordination is poor, causing avoidable unpleasantness and trouble, they noted. “Minute by minute, they are eager and clamour for information as to what is happening to their patients inside the ICUs/ surgical theatre, a natural situation more especially in emergency/accident cases. In the present scenario, they are unable to get credible or responsible information. One visible solution is to provide a suitable display board (wherever feasible an electronic screen/monitor) explaining the condition of the patients undergoing surgery or in ICU can be briefly projected from one stage to another, time to time, which will keep the kith and kin informed and at ease. Lack of proper information causes anxiety, uncertainty and anger due to rise in BP and fatigue as all are well aware. Hospitals could study the best possibilities and duly support the cause. Consideration of these points and addressing them will help all concerned”, they opined.
Association of Medical Consultants (AMC) Convenor & Trauma and Plastic Surgeon Dr. Sathish Bhat said that the AMC would take steps to start something like a WhatsApp group of doctors and media so that the scribes get correct news quickly in a fixed system. Also possibilities would be explored for suitable and dedicated PRO type officials sufficiently equipped to convey regularly authorised information to media persons, relatives and public.
In the earlier part, senior journalist N T Guruvappa Balepuni raised the issue that there was a need to improvise the communication between doctors with patients. There should be a proper framework by the medical institutions to share authentic information with journalists as well, so that there is no scope for inaccurate news appearing in media. “Many times scribes fail to get authentic news before the deadline giving scope for inaccurate news. Also there is no system or set up frequently which deals with this. Management is out of bounds, doctors have responsibility to patients – who is to bell the cat?”, he questioned.
The key themes for discussion were :
1. Do doctors have a responsibility in communicating with the media?
2. Role of journalists while reporting medical negligence, medico-legal matters and other public health issues.
3. How public health issues like road traffic injuries, disasters, hospital fires must be addressed?
4. How the media can bridge and strengthen the doctor – patient relationship?
5. Medical advertisement and where to draw the line?
