Not so good experience of a patient
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Muhammad Quamrul Islam
SOME of my friends who visited me at hospital recently asked me to write about my experience to share it with the readers and the authorities concerned. I was hesitant to write about it because the doctors, for their wrong treatment might mind. So, at the outset I would like to thank the doctors who attended me after I suddenly fell down on the floor at home due to a wrong treatment by a professor. With injuries I was bedridden and had to be in a hospital from August 26 to 30. I have no grudge against the professor and, therefore, hope he would not mind for pointing out the wrong treatment and take the woes of a patient in good grace. It could be done due to an error of judgement due to his busy schedule.
A friend, who had been a school-college and Dhaka University mate, and later retired as a secretary to government reacted, to the episode and the lack of accountability of doctors in our country. In other countries it is not so. Unlike in other countries, no doctor gives evidence in a case against another doctor. Those who have the means to go abroad for treatment need not bother about.
To ensure the avoidance of wrong treatment it should not be suppressed but expressed. When I was feeling unwell, I received different opinions from doctors including those who were involved in a medical check-up. Ranada, who reins a Pharmacy in my neighbourhood, though not a doctor understands medicine. He adviced me to ignore all that happened as writing about it will not solve the problem. Many other friends knew that I cannot control my reaction the same way. After all we have no alternative to depending on consultant physicians of standing, while faced with medical problems.
As I have crossed 67, I often need specialised treatments. Once I had to go to a reputed medical services centre where after some tests, cardiology professor Dr. Md. Nur Hossain checked me and prescribed some medicines for the first time on March 5, 2008 for one month. When I met him on April 16, he prescribed a fresh set of medicines as I reported that there was no improvement. This time he prescribed medicine for two months. As I did not feel well, I reduced or stopped some of the medicines prescribed towards the end of the period and consulted another professor, who is our friend. I did it on advice from political leader Giasuddin Hyder. This time the professor checked me. He gave me time and said, in a friendly tone, after tests you are being made cardiac patient, which you aren't. But also said as per doctor's practice he cannot say 'no' to the prescriptions of another specialist doctor, who had been treating me. As a patient I was in a fix what decision to take in such a situation. However, I gradually stopped taking the medicines that were doing me no good.
As the holy month of Ramadan was approaching, I consulted Professor Dr. Md. Nur Hossain about my condition. I told him that as I was not feeling well, what I should do in the month of fasting.
On that evening of August 13, 2008, I had to wait for long to get his time, in spite of the fact that an appointment was set earlier. He virtually took no time and wrote the prescription of medicine for two months. He took the fee. I felt he did not listen to me at all. What can I do? He was so busy. Had he spared some seconds, he might understand the problem. He advised me to take the medicines after iftar and sehri, not in the usual time of morning and night. As I started taking the medicines, I felt weak again. But before I could discontinue with the medicines I suddenly fell on the floor on August 26 as I was coming out of the bedroom, called my wife, in the evening.
As I fell down three of my front teeth were broken. I had a bleeding face. I fainted and had no senses for half an hour. My wife started reciting from the Holy Quran. Someone felt my pulse beat, I was rushed to the Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital and Research Institute. The doctor at the emergency unit, who checked me thoroughly opined that I am not a cardiac patient. He asked why I was taken there. When told about previous prescriptions there was nothing he could say.
After persuasions I was admitted and given a cabin, where I got excellent care, check up and medicine. I was under the treatment of Lt Col (retd) Dr Md Rezaul Karim, who was sympathetic and responsive to me for which I convey thanks to him and other attending doctors and nurses. After due check up, it was found I had no cardiac problem. I was discharged on August 30. The prescribed medications and gave some advice. As per their advice, I consulted neurologist Dr Bikash Bhowmik, and dentist Prof Dr Arup Ratan Choudhury. They deserve thanks for care they took and the consideration the showed.
Meanwhile, I consulted the wife of my nephew, at her clinic. I got dental treatment at Banani Dental Clinic, where the dentists took adequate care. Dr DS Zaman (Khokan), Dr. M.A.Khan (Azam) and Dr Afsana Yasmin, of the Banani clinic deserve thanks.
My sufferings were caused by weakness, less intake of salt, and electrolytes imbalance. Eating salted diet the hospital gave I recovered, I followed it at home. As the prices are unaffordable, the government needs to keep them within the reach of the patients. Why also Bangladesh achieved independence after huge sacrifices! I had to spend more than Tk one lakh. It was a burden on me. But nobody is there to check the servicing costs. I am thankful to doctors who did not take their fees.
When brilliant students become doctors in this country, I do not understand why the neo-elite of this least developed country go abroad for treatment.
Surely the infrastructure in health sector of this country are excellent but the maintenance is very poor. The concerned authorities do not take interest to improve the maintenance as they go abroad for treatments.
This cannot be logical for public representatives. We have seen instances of leaders who sought permission from courts for treatment at home and abroad. They have recently been busy in election campaign. Has election made them medically fit?
Such instances of leaders have created bad precedence. So, whoever can afford, go, at least, to neighbouring countries for treatment. It is damaging the reputation of doctors in Bangladesh. We have doctors with foreign training and qualifications.
Can they not provide services equivalent to the doctors in the neighbouring countries? What would happen to the poor and the middle class people, who cannot afford treatment abroad? There is none to answer to these questions as the leaders, oblivious of the people, give lip service to them during elections. The caretaker governments proved to be equally ineffective. 0
The VC, the Pro-VC and Treasurer, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) were removed for allegedly for issuing fake medical certificates to the accused politicians in jail custody there.
Lack of accountability and non-medernisation trouble the health services of the country. The doctors, nurses and technicians are not responsible for this. Unless rectification steps are taken by the health ministry at the political and administrative level, no change can be expected. If a doctor wants to engage in partisan politics, he has to resign from the health service and join politics, instead of running medical front organisations of political parties. It will be good for the doctors, as well as the medical treatment public of this country.
There is no drive against spurious, adulterated, sub-standard, or even date-expired drugs sold by companies, and drug stores. It leaves the patients at their mercy.
Due to the lapses of the drug administration and the pharmaceutical companies, the patients lose money and suffer more. For example, over the last four months, a national daily wrote on drug standards, and identified 26 adulterated sub-standard medicines of eight companies sold in the market. According to the reports more than 11 life saving drugs were found, on test, to contain flour and low quality inputs.
Lack of skilled and trained nurses deprive the patients of good service. The sale of adulterated and sub-standard medicines calls for action. Licences of four hospitals and more than one hundred diagnostic centers were cancelled for cut throat business in the name of medical treatment.
The next government needs to update the health policy to ensure the people's right to health.
Why the drug administration's posts remain vacant is difficult to understand. Nursing training would provide better nurses to hospitals and many would get jobs abroad.
The writer is a senior politician and economist
SOME of my friends who visited me at hospital recently asked me to write about my experience to share it with the readers and the authorities concerned. I was hesitant to write about it because the doctors, for their wrong treatment might mind. So, at the outset I would like to thank the doctors who attended me after I suddenly fell down on the floor at home due to a wrong treatment by a professor. With injuries I was bedridden and had to be in a hospital from August 26 to 30. I have no grudge against the professor and, therefore, hope he would not mind for pointing out the wrong treatment and take the woes of a patient in good grace. It could be done due to an error of judgement due to his busy schedule.
A friend, who had been a school-college and Dhaka University mate, and later retired as a secretary to government reacted, to the episode and the lack of accountability of doctors in our country. In other countries it is not so. Unlike in other countries, no doctor gives evidence in a case against another doctor. Those who have the means to go abroad for treatment need not bother about.
To ensure the avoidance of wrong treatment it should not be suppressed but expressed. When I was feeling unwell, I received different opinions from doctors including those who were involved in a medical check-up. Ranada, who reins a Pharmacy in my neighbourhood, though not a doctor understands medicine. He adviced me to ignore all that happened as writing about it will not solve the problem. Many other friends knew that I cannot control my reaction the same way. After all we have no alternative to depending on consultant physicians of standing, while faced with medical problems.
As I have crossed 67, I often need specialised treatments. Once I had to go to a reputed medical services centre where after some tests, cardiology professor Dr. Md. Nur Hossain checked me and prescribed some medicines for the first time on March 5, 2008 for one month. When I met him on April 16, he prescribed a fresh set of medicines as I reported that there was no improvement. This time he prescribed medicine for two months. As I did not feel well, I reduced or stopped some of the medicines prescribed towards the end of the period and consulted another professor, who is our friend. I did it on advice from political leader Giasuddin Hyder. This time the professor checked me. He gave me time and said, in a friendly tone, after tests you are being made cardiac patient, which you aren't. But also said as per doctor's practice he cannot say 'no' to the prescriptions of another specialist doctor, who had been treating me. As a patient I was in a fix what decision to take in such a situation. However, I gradually stopped taking the medicines that were doing me no good.
As the holy month of Ramadan was approaching, I consulted Professor Dr. Md. Nur Hossain about my condition. I told him that as I was not feeling well, what I should do in the month of fasting.
On that evening of August 13, 2008, I had to wait for long to get his time, in spite of the fact that an appointment was set earlier. He virtually took no time and wrote the prescription of medicine for two months. He took the fee. I felt he did not listen to me at all. What can I do? He was so busy. Had he spared some seconds, he might understand the problem. He advised me to take the medicines after iftar and sehri, not in the usual time of morning and night. As I started taking the medicines, I felt weak again. But before I could discontinue with the medicines I suddenly fell on the floor on August 26 as I was coming out of the bedroom, called my wife, in the evening.
As I fell down three of my front teeth were broken. I had a bleeding face. I fainted and had no senses for half an hour. My wife started reciting from the Holy Quran. Someone felt my pulse beat, I was rushed to the Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital and Research Institute. The doctor at the emergency unit, who checked me thoroughly opined that I am not a cardiac patient. He asked why I was taken there. When told about previous prescriptions there was nothing he could say.
After persuasions I was admitted and given a cabin, where I got excellent care, check up and medicine. I was under the treatment of Lt Col (retd) Dr Md Rezaul Karim, who was sympathetic and responsive to me for which I convey thanks to him and other attending doctors and nurses. After due check up, it was found I had no cardiac problem. I was discharged on August 30. The prescribed medications and gave some advice. As per their advice, I consulted neurologist Dr Bikash Bhowmik, and dentist Prof Dr Arup Ratan Choudhury. They deserve thanks for care they took and the consideration the showed.
Meanwhile, I consulted the wife of my nephew, at her clinic. I got dental treatment at Banani Dental Clinic, where the dentists took adequate care. Dr DS Zaman (Khokan), Dr. M.A.Khan (Azam) and Dr Afsana Yasmin, of the Banani clinic deserve thanks.
My sufferings were caused by weakness, less intake of salt, and electrolytes imbalance. Eating salted diet the hospital gave I recovered, I followed it at home. As the prices are unaffordable, the government needs to keep them within the reach of the patients. Why also Bangladesh achieved independence after huge sacrifices! I had to spend more than Tk one lakh. It was a burden on me. But nobody is there to check the servicing costs. I am thankful to doctors who did not take their fees.
When brilliant students become doctors in this country, I do not understand why the neo-elite of this least developed country go abroad for treatment.
Surely the infrastructure in health sector of this country are excellent but the maintenance is very poor. The concerned authorities do not take interest to improve the maintenance as they go abroad for treatments.
This cannot be logical for public representatives. We have seen instances of leaders who sought permission from courts for treatment at home and abroad. They have recently been busy in election campaign. Has election made them medically fit?
Such instances of leaders have created bad precedence. So, whoever can afford, go, at least, to neighbouring countries for treatment. It is damaging the reputation of doctors in Bangladesh. We have doctors with foreign training and qualifications.
Can they not provide services equivalent to the doctors in the neighbouring countries? What would happen to the poor and the middle class people, who cannot afford treatment abroad? There is none to answer to these questions as the leaders, oblivious of the people, give lip service to them during elections. The caretaker governments proved to be equally ineffective. 0
The VC, the Pro-VC and Treasurer, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) were removed for allegedly for issuing fake medical certificates to the accused politicians in jail custody there.
Lack of accountability and non-medernisation trouble the health services of the country. The doctors, nurses and technicians are not responsible for this. Unless rectification steps are taken by the health ministry at the political and administrative level, no change can be expected. If a doctor wants to engage in partisan politics, he has to resign from the health service and join politics, instead of running medical front organisations of political parties. It will be good for the doctors, as well as the medical treatment public of this country.
There is no drive against spurious, adulterated, sub-standard, or even date-expired drugs sold by companies, and drug stores. It leaves the patients at their mercy.
Due to the lapses of the drug administration and the pharmaceutical companies, the patients lose money and suffer more. For example, over the last four months, a national daily wrote on drug standards, and identified 26 adulterated sub-standard medicines of eight companies sold in the market. According to the reports more than 11 life saving drugs were found, on test, to contain flour and low quality inputs.
Lack of skilled and trained nurses deprive the patients of good service. The sale of adulterated and sub-standard medicines calls for action. Licences of four hospitals and more than one hundred diagnostic centers were cancelled for cut throat business in the name of medical treatment.
The next government needs to update the health policy to ensure the people's right to health.
Why the drug administration's posts remain vacant is difficult to understand. Nursing training would provide better nurses to hospitals and many would get jobs abroad.
The writer is a senior politician and economist