Healing a Wound

The fallout of eroded trust is real and alarming. Patients delay seeking treatment, worsening their conditions. Hospitals see rising violence as frustrated patients lash out at caregivers. Doctors, under immense pressure and fear of legal scrutiny, face burnout, making it harder for them to show empathy. This deepens patient dissatisfaction, fueling distrust and pushing many toward unverified treatments and risky 'miracle cures'. Unless this divide is fixed, both healthcare professionals and patients will continue to suffer

- SS SAXENA The writer is a retired Air Commodore, VSM, of the Indian Air Force

When an ailing person is cured and given a new lease on life, the doctor becomes nothing short of a divine figure in the eyes of the patient and the family. A simple reassuring touch, an encouraging smile, or a kind word from the doctor can work wonders in instilling hope. Most doctors acknowledge such admiration with humility, understanding the profound responsibility that comes with their profession.

Yet, this perception can shift dramatically when medical intervention fails. The same doctor who was once revered as a savior suddenly becomes the target of resentment and fury. Grief overtakes reason, trust turns into doubt, and admiration dissolves into anger.

The "angel in the white coat" becomes the subject of accusations, sometimes even physical assault. Emotional pain, compounded by fear and uncertainty, often spills over into resentment and in some cases the anger escalates to damaging legal battles.

In earlier days, the "family doctor" was an institution. This physician was intimately familiar with a patient's entire history, had insight into family dynamics, and invested time into truly understanding the person behind the illness. Such involvement fostered an environment where patients felt secure, their fears acknowledged and their questions answered with genuine care.

There are several factors that have hurt the sacred doctor-patient relationship and trust. Modern medicine's shift toward hyper-specialization has diminished the role of the family doctor where personal touch, once taken for granted, is fading. Appointments are frequently rushed, sometimes leaving little time for a thorough dialogue.