Auntie Agony

The people in India have a predilection to address others as Brother, Mother, Uncle, Aunt, Grandfather, Grandmother, when they are not related in any way. Perhaps it is for want of better words. Perhaps they feel that if they address others with words indicating a close relationship, their work will be done faster/better. Perhaps they watch others do it and do so without thinking. We get addressed so by vendors when we go to buy things in the market. When they call you as Uncle or Aunt, you may get irritated or downright angry, if you don't think you are old enough to be their Uncle or Aunt, or if you do not like to be reminded of your actual age. I cannot see why a patient should have to call a doctor by any other name. 'Doctor' is a good enough word. But it is difficult to correct them. It is easier to ignore what they call you, treat them and move on to the next patient. We had a patient who had had a three children in the past, and was now pregnant with a baby with multiple congenital anomalies. I sent her in to the examination room where a senior Associate Professor was seeing patients. "Go to that room" I said "where a senior lady doctor will see you." Then I continued to write patients' histories on their case papers. After I finished that, I went to that room and asked if such a patient had been seen by that Associate Professor. "No. I have not examined any such woman. But there was one who said 'I have been sent to see Doctor Auntie.' So I sent her to the next room, saying there were a lot of doctor aunties there." I knew the next room had all very young doctors, probably younger than the patient. Our staff member had got irritated by being called 'Auntie', and had sent the woman away. I went to the next room and asked 'where is the woman who had gone looking for doctor auntie?" "Here I am" said the woman, drawing my attention to her. "Doctor Auntie sent me to this room." I gave appropriate advice to that woman, sent her on her way for further treatment, and went back to the previous room. "I found the patient who had irritated you by calling you auntie" I said. "She said doctor auntie sent her to the other room." Being called 'auntie' so many times in such a short span of time was probably too much for her. She made a face.