L- G: DOCTOR- PATIENT RELATIONS CRUCIAL FOR GOOD HEALTHCARE

New Delhi, May 26: Lt Governor Anil Baijal today said doctor- patient understanding was must for providing better healthcare and the doctors should empathise with the patients and their families.

Speaking at a national seminar organised by the Indian Medical Association, Baijal said with changing times there is a paradigm shift in the doctor- patient relationship and better understanding will only lead to an improved doctor patient relationship along with empathy from the doctors. “Aggression and impatience along with anger and agitation, among the young generation is solely responsible for the declining doctorpatient relationship,” he said. Mr Baijal further said the basic trust on doctors needs to be restored and consent plays a pivotal role in doctor patient relationship.

“More proactive compliance to a strong code of ethics will ensure that justice is done. To state emphatically, violence too has no place and no reason can justify any sort of threat or intimidation to the medical professionals by the patients and their families,” he said.

“According to a recent Global study, Doctors consultation in India on an average is less than two minutes for diagnosis and prescription. Such a short duration cannot establish any meaningful relation between the doctor and patient, which is one of the biggest problems that need to be resolved.” an IMA statement quoted Mr Baijal. IMA organised the seminar in the wake of increasing cases of attacks on doctors.