During
the BC (BEFORE COVID) era, Neurology OPD in our hospital was a busy place with
patients flocking every nook and corner of the OPD .The doctor, on the other
hand possessed only his table and chair as his own. As a first year resident I
was usually the first among the doctors starting the OPD. At around 6 months
into my residency, I started to notice an old man among the first patients
sitting right in front of the doctors table. He looked cunningly cheerful and
always flaunted a bright smile exposing his artificial dentures. As soon as I
took my seat, he would give his opening statement, “why are you late doctor, we
were waiting for a long time.” This was appreciated well by the audience
around, by their smiles and giggles, elevating him to the status of the common
man’s hero who had the steel nerves to question the authority. I would find
myself in a pickle- without a comeback that’s strong enough to win the argument
and soft enough not to ruffle his feathers. During history taking and
examination, he would go about telling his experiences here. After I diagnose
and prescribe, he would yield his killing blow,” doctor, have you prescribed
costly medicines that are not available here?” this would again be rewarded with
giggles and positive head nods. This was a common practice during his monthly
visits. I would always reply his taunts with a helpless smile but the cauldron
was boiling inside. When the first patient of the day destroyed you, it was
usually difficult to continue the day on high note and this ended up spoiling
my day.
After the floods, when the OPD was slowing
regaining its old strength, I kept searching for this old man among the
patients, I wondered what had happened to him and whether he had relocated. I
started looking for the man who had teased and irritated me but deep inside I
missed his smile. I understood a doctor patient relationship had given birth
during the chaos. It was about two months later when I gain saw him, a sight
which filled in me with so much joy that his teases were actually like old
friends pulling each other’s legs. He was keeping well but had to miss the
appointments due to personal reasons. After his routine medications were
written and before he could speak, I answered with a grin, “yes, all these
medicines are available here.”
The
unforgettable day came soon after when during our usual chit chat. He said,”
Doctor, I come early because I want to see you and not any senior doctor. I am
satisfied only after I see you and talk to you.” The same audience heard it,
was astonished and their head nods had less vigour. That day was an eye opener
for me. A patient whom I disliked, whom I considered as an irritable patient
actually loved me a lot as a doctor. I understood that doctor patient relation
is a sophisticated slow growing love which cannot be matched by money or
rewards. Such relations have become sparse in this time due to unnecessary
tangles of greed, legality and consumer mentality. I now understand that even
though his dentures were artificial, his smiles were truly from the heart with
an icing of warmth and love. Even though I frantically search for his face in
the OPD during these Covid times, I am sure he will survive this pandemic and
once again greet me with his smile and dentures
