Doctors and Patients
Times have really changed from the early days of my childhood. In those days the family doctor used to mean everything. He used to treat the medical as well as mental symptoms – he used to be more of a family friend than a physician. He used to talk about medicines and also participate in family discussions, he used to be more of a friend, philosopher and guide to the family. With the passage of time, the medical profession started becoming more and more specialized and commercial, in the bargain quite a few doctors have forgotten the Hippocratic Oath which they take at the time of passing out as young doctors. In the West, because of the threat of being legally penalized, doctors do not take even a small decision without running the patient through a gamut of tests. In India, earlier a doctor used to physically examine the patient by hand and stethoscope, listen to the symptoms described by the patient and arrive at a pretty accurate clinical decision and start to treat the patient. I...