“My doctor says my baby has X condition. What is it and will he be okay?” If you’re asking your friends or Dr Google this after a doctor’s visit, you’re doing it wrong. Here are more doctors’ quibbles, straight from the horse’s mouth.
BE ACCOMMODATING
South Africa has too few doctors: 2006 research shows we have 7.7 doctors per 10 000 people, while high income countries have 28. Our prevailing culture of entitlement doesn’t support this opinion, but you are lucky to be able to access private healthcare at all, given how few doctors serve a huge patient base. Doctors are extremely pressed for time. It doesn’t always make them nicer people, but you can help get the most out of your doctor’s visit by not wasting their time by first complaining about the waiting room conditions or the waiting time. Your wait in state healthcare will be even longer, and your complaint about waiting there is unlikely to be entertained.
“I wish patients would think about what they wanted to ask or discuss before coming to an appointment. It would make the time far more productive,” says gynaecologist and Your Baby expert Dr Bronwyn Moore. “And please understand that I can only treat the person in front of me, I can’t treat husbands or older siblings on your or your baby’s appointment.”
This story is from the Januarie - Februarie 2017 edition of Your Baby.
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This story is from the Januarie - Februarie 2017 edition of Your Baby.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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