Every neighbourhood had a common doctor who would be summoned anytime sickness visited a household. The neighbours would rally round and someone from he neighbourhood would go to the doctor’s clinic with a request that he visit the patient. With bag in hand and stethoscope round his neck he would arrive. It was like God making a visit to that house.
There would be pin drop silence. The bag would be taken away from him and kept near the patient. The doctor would then examine the patient and prescribe whatever was required and console the family that nothing was serious and that the patient would recover soon.
The fact of the matter is the doctor’s visit half cured the patient. The doctor would spend some time with the family over a cup of tea which made the family believe that here was a person who made them feel that he belonged. The doctor would then be reached to the door with his bag carried for him.
Most doctors who visited homes would be general practitioners. They would suggest another doctor who was specialised if a specialist was required to be consulted.
That is history now. For every part of our body there is a doctor who sits in a posh cabin with a computer in front of him. He would then request for some xray, ultrasound or a sonogram as the case may be. The patient will not be touched. That caring hand is nowhere to be seen. General physicians have disappeared from the scene as such a profession is not lucrative any more. That Hippocratic Oath has lost its meaning. That oath speaks of concern for a patient which is sadly missing. How can a doctor show concern as he is involved with just one part of the patient’s body? There are very few exceptions and my heart doctor is one of them. He is available on phone and I can talk to him about any health issues. But in general it is a mechanical world
Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physician
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Well here in the US there are a few doctors who have started making house calls, but it is a service that few can afford. I am afraid that the old time doctor who made house calls is gone for good. At least there are some affordable clinics around though.
I have managed to get a doctor who though is a heart specialist listens to me, attends to my phone calls and prescribes for whatever complaints I may report but not all can do it and it is frightening to think that for every part of our body we have to go to a specialist.
Actually, I just recently saw a documentary on TV about healthcare specialists who were making house calls. They are not doctors but they are trained professional medical caretakers who do know how to treat patients who have an illness that must be managed, like diabetes. I watched the program. Sounds like a very good idea. What really impressed me was the specialists were visiting low income people who had difficulty getting to a doctor or a clinic, and they were taking care of their medical needs. Some cities are thinking about implementing such programs because it frees up doctors to devote their energy to persons with more serious ailments and provides medical care to the financially disadvantaged. Two thumbs up if they can get the program to work! :)
You are right in your thinking. Such type of great doctors are rarely found around us but still there are some doctors who care and give proper attention to the patients. These great doctors do not charge high fee and try their level best to improve the health of their patient.
As I have written in my post I have a doctor who I can contact although he is a specialist.
Thinking back, one of the best doctors I knew was a GP. She set up her practice in a neighborhood where she could provide healthcare services to those who could pay and those who could not. She did not make house calls. But she was a really good doctor! These days it's rare to find medical practitioners like her. I do miss that.
Hope old times get revived. That approach is so necessary to get back our health without having to run from pillar to post.