A Vadodara gynaecologist denied treatment to a 30-year-old pregnant woman because she refused to undergo essential tests. Dr Rajesh Parikh took to X to share his experience and assert his rights as a doctor. His tweet has led people to discuss the complexities of the medical world.
On his X account, Dr Rajesh Parikh said, "Just as patients have a right to choose their doctors, doctors have the right to refuse treatment, except in emergencies."
He further explained his experience and wrote, "I turned away a pregnant patient in her 30s who, ignoring medical advice, refused an NT scan and double marker test (crucial to rule out common chromosomal defects) based on advice from non-medical friends. After futile attempts to reason with her, I advised her to seek a doctor who would indulge her misconceptions."
He also talked about the legal consequences that doctors have to face if patients fall sick. He wrote, "As a doctor and especially as an obstetrician, never ever let the patient dictate the treatment/management. You'll be the one facing the consequences in court, not them,."
He concluded by saying, "Just say a blunt no and ask to seek another caregiver."
Social media reactions
Posted on April 22, 2024, the tweet has garnered more than 48,000 views with lots of comments and reactions. Some people support Dr Parikh while others blame the dark reality of the medical world.
One of the X users said, "I think you should have told her that you don't get commissions from the clinics doing these tests ! Many times patients feel doctors only prescribe tests as they get kickbacks."
Another remarked, "Double marker test is quite expensive and public perception is that medicos enforce this to earn hefty commissions. I won't blame the patient entirely. She is not the one responsible for deplored trust from medical industry."
While those who supported Dr Parikh's stance said, "You were brave to do this. Suppose the patient refuses this test and gives birth to a Down syndrome child, the clowns in our legal system may hold you responsible. The financial penalty could easily have bankrupted you."
Another user wrote, "I agree this should be the norm. Also one should document everything that happens, especially the fact that the particular patient refused any said investigation/treatment or even hospital admission. It'll help to protect you from any future issues."
The trend of Dr Google
The case reminds me of the current trend of referring to Dr Google for diagnosis. As per a survey which was based on the American crowd, 35 per cent of adults resorted to Google for the diagnosis of an illness they or anyone in the family is suffering from. Even though, half of these adults sought professional help even after online diagnosis, nearly a third of them felt they never needed a doctor.
Another survey which included physicians revealed that around 95 per cent of the patients reporting to them had come with misconceptions about their illness and were likely to question the doctor's treatment and diagnosis.
If people start believing in non-medical sources for the treatment of their conditions, what is the need of the doctors? Are people educated and experienced enough to decide which treatment, medicine and tests will cure them? There is a reason why doctors toil for years to earn a degree that can win the trust of people and improve their lives.
The problem of commissions that doctors earn
Dr Nitali, an intern at KPC Medical College said, "A doctor has a better knowledge than the non-medical people patients pay heed to. Only a doctor can diagnose the problem behind a minor pain in the abdomen of a pregnant woman. As far as commissions are concerned, it is unethical. But in this world of capitalism, who goes by the ethics? No matter how much money a doctor makes by writing a plethora of tests, each test will benefit the patient."
Then comes the issue of patients who cannot pay for the tests that doctors prescribe. For example, a June, 2023, study conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States revealed that women tend to delay, skip or take less than the prescribed medicines than men. 9.1 per cent of women said that high costs of medicines made them skip the doses. However, the government has now opened gates for those people so that they can get treatment for free.
So the conclusion is that we need to trust our doctors. Yes, many doctors malpractice and indulge in corruption. But life is not about black and white. It is grey. If some doctors are corrupt, we cannot homogenise all the doctors as not trustworthy.
Views expressed are the author's own.
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