February 21, 2017 at 11:48 pm

Generally who does not go to a hospital and meet a doctor or need treatment for a medical emergency. Here are the ten facts which are known but often ignored due to the situation one is in.

1) The most important thing we are asked when we go to a hospital or a doctor is the payment. See to it that you carry your credit or debit cards or medical insurance papers and check before hand if that particular hospital accepts the same as some hospitals do not.

2) See that if you stay with the patient and have to take care of his or her needs you keep your neighbors or your relatives informed and request at least one among them who is willing to reach you to the hospital as there will be running around to do and nuclear families do not have people. The trend generally now is a father, mother and a single child.

3) Check if the hospital where you are going to get the patient admitted allows the husband or any male relative to stay with the patient if the patient happens to be a female. I personally faced this situation and when I told the situation that I have no one the hospital said that as per their rules it is not allowed and only a female attendant has to stay. I faced lot of problems.

4) See that the place where the patient is going to be admitted has all the facilities for the required emergency as some hospitals and nursing homes specialize only in particular cases and their will be no specialist there to attend the patient when you reach. Some RMP will be sitting there and the specialist who will be a consultant will come only once a day. This may prove problematic for the patient.

5) Take all the medical history and medicines of the patient. Take the whole box as the patient may need to stay there for a long duration and all medicines are not available at all the places.

6) Avoid buying medicines from the pharmacy in the hospital unless you have no choice as generally in India you get a fifteen to twenty percent discount if you buy online or at a medical store outside. This money may prove useful to pay the hospital bills as things have become very costly.

7) If you happen to have a small child or a toddler with you make sure that you leave the child at a place of a friend or a neighbor who is trustworthy and whom you know well. As children generally become anxious too and get worried and having someone known will prove to be a great help. It is also possible that you may end up staying in a hospital for longer duration and cannot tend to the child’s needs there.

8) See that as far as possible you are there with the patient as there are cases of wrong medicines being administered or procedures followed and no one observing or being their can prove a risk to the life of the patient. There are cases where the wrong leg has been operated, something like cotton or scissors left in the patients stomach, wrong medicines administered by nurse. These are only a few examples.

9) See that you stay calm and alert and know what you are speaking and telling the doctors and show the medical reports and records too as many technical details will be present alongwith the prescription. Which all of us cannot explain clearly.

10) See to it that you choose a place nearby your house within a few kilometers. This you can do especially if you know the patient’s health condition and where the best medical facilities as available nearby. By this you will be ready as you know where to go and will not be guessing and checking and guessing the best place for the treatment. As time is a crucial factor in any medical emergency.

Dear readers hope you find the above information useful. You can add your own list to this too and share with friends.

• This topic was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by  Krishna Kumar.

February 23, 2017 at 3:39 pm

The above are only a few important of the facts which are often ignored or not taken care of by the patients themselves or their family members. There are many other reasons like. Ignoring a message which the body gives repeatedly in the form of aches, cramps, joint pains and many other symptoms. In the case of people who are middle aged or those who have crossed forty years an annual checkup is very essential this is ignored by majority of the families as it inflates the expenses and the medical bills. The fear of incurring costs and the fear of the unknown itself drive people especially elders away from the doctors and hospitals. Till things become complicated and reach a point of no return.

In the case of people who are having some health issues since childhood or since many years the medicines need to be changed or tinkered with every few years as our body tends to become immune to the effects of the medicines after some years. The medicines lose their effect so fresh medicine or alteration in the dosage has to be done by the doctors. Patients and their families avoid going to the doctors or hospitals saying that they are fine and do not need to visit them. This proves costly as the medicines taken without changing dosage over a period of time tend to have a reverse effect on the body and damage the parts or systems for the well being of which they are being consumed by the patients. Taking care of the health is a continuous and ongoing process. As we eat, drink and sleep so should we take good care of our health. Which many of us tend to neglect for one reason or the other either genuine or otherwise. But excuses will not help as they do not act as a medicine and do the necessary healing. Remember health is wealth.

March 15, 2017 at 11:47 am

One more case of someone not being prepared and paying the price with his life has taken place and this incident made me revisit the post to highlight the issue again. People tend to forget things very easily if things are normal and smooth. When problem comes as a bolt from the blue which often happens this fashion in emergencies they start panicking and run in different directions for help. In this case what I found is certain small preparations would could have saved a life. We humans never seem to learn.