That woman was inconsolable. The nurse, doctor and relatives around her did not know what to do.
"What has happened?" I asked. "Has she lost a near and dear one? A stillbirth may be?"
"Um ... no" the Resident said.
"Then what?"
"She has come with placental abruption and intrauterine fetal death."
"Ah! That is why she is so distraught" I said.
"Um ... no. It was something someone said to her."
"Where? In our hospital?" I asked. I could not believe it.
"No, Sir. She went to another civic hospital at XXXX. She was in pain and a bit uncooperative. Some doctor said something which has hurt her."
"What could one say to upset a patient so?" I asked. I knew that the said hospital had a high delivery rate and the doctors were overworked. I knew they kept asking for more doctors, including ours. But that would not justify someone saying something that would have upset a patient so.
"...." there was no answer.
"What?" I said.
"...." there was till no answer.
"Tell me. I have heard everything in 34 years of practice in a civic hospital. Nothing can shock me" I said.
'You have not heard everything' the Resident's facial expression said. He looked at his feet and said, "that doctor allegedly said - 'you did not have pain when you slept with your husband. Now what is the problem in sleeping in front of a lady doctor?'"
I was stunned. I had indeed not heard everything in 34 years, as that Resident had thought. She was not my patient, and I thought it incorrect to talk to her.
"If she will lodge a complaint, I will see that she gets justice. Please tell her so" I said and left. I was told later on that the woman and her husband did not want to complain, because they did not care to suffer more, could not afford to skip work to keep visiting the hospital for inquiries, and that nothing would come of the complaint anyway. I knew nothing came of most of the complaints unless someone put pressure to move the machinery concerned. I knew she and her husband had no influence to exert such pressure. I also knew my influence had failed to get justice for such people in the past and would have failed this time too. But I was willing to try.
"Such shame" I said after I related the story to a friend.
"Who was shamed?" the friend asked. "The woman?"
"No" I said. "I was shamed because a doctor, a person of our fraternity, said this to a patient."
"What has happened?" I asked. "Has she lost a near and dear one? A stillbirth may be?"
"Um ... no" the Resident said.
"Then what?"
"She has come with placental abruption and intrauterine fetal death."
"Ah! That is why she is so distraught" I said.
"Um ... no. It was something someone said to her."
"Where? In our hospital?" I asked. I could not believe it.
"No, Sir. She went to another civic hospital at XXXX. She was in pain and a bit uncooperative. Some doctor said something which has hurt her."
"What could one say to upset a patient so?" I asked. I knew that the said hospital had a high delivery rate and the doctors were overworked. I knew they kept asking for more doctors, including ours. But that would not justify someone saying something that would have upset a patient so.
"...." there was no answer.
"What?" I said.
"...." there was till no answer.
"Tell me. I have heard everything in 34 years of practice in a civic hospital. Nothing can shock me" I said.
'You have not heard everything' the Resident's facial expression said. He looked at his feet and said, "that doctor allegedly said - 'you did not have pain when you slept with your husband. Now what is the problem in sleeping in front of a lady doctor?'"
I was stunned. I had indeed not heard everything in 34 years, as that Resident had thought. She was not my patient, and I thought it incorrect to talk to her.
"If she will lodge a complaint, I will see that she gets justice. Please tell her so" I said and left. I was told later on that the woman and her husband did not want to complain, because they did not care to suffer more, could not afford to skip work to keep visiting the hospital for inquiries, and that nothing would come of the complaint anyway. I knew nothing came of most of the complaints unless someone put pressure to move the machinery concerned. I knew she and her husband had no influence to exert such pressure. I also knew my influence had failed to get justice for such people in the past and would have failed this time too. But I was willing to try.
"Such shame" I said after I related the story to a friend.
"Who was shamed?" the friend asked. "The woman?"
"No" I said. "I was shamed because a doctor, a person of our fraternity, said this to a patient."
