Should we not have a specialized Post Graduate course in VIPATRICS

July 20, 2019

healthysoch

New Delhi, July 20, 2019 :

Pediatrics  and  Geriatrics  are  two  specialisations  which  were  started  to  cater   to  two  sub  groups  of  the population  which  required  doctors  to  be  trained  separately  to deal  with  them. It  is  not  to  say  that  an  MBBS  or  MD  Medicine  cannot  treat  a  child  or  a 80  year  old  man. However  those  who  train  in  these  specialties  can  provide  the  extra  edge  to  the  medical  care  given  to  these  subgroups focusing  on  their  special  needs. These  specialisations  have  entrenched  themselves  in  medical  education system  and  proved  their  utility  across  the  globe. In  India  we  however  also  have  one  more   special  group  which  require  careful  handling;  The  V.I.P.s. Not  treated  with special   care  and  caution  this  group  can  lead  to  lot  of  stress  for  the  treating  physicians  and create  havoc  for    the healthcare  establishment. Unfortunately  we  are  not  taught  in  our  curriculum  the  special “care and caution” needed  to deal  with  this  subgroup.

Who  are  these  VIPs ? The  term  encompasses  a  large  number  of  pompous  individuals with  a  exaggerated sense  of  self  importance and  they  may  be  found  among  politicians,  judiciary,  police  personnel, advocates,  journalists, trade  unionists,  and  even  doctors  specially  those  on  whose  referrals  the  super-specialists  survive. It  is  not  to  say  that  all  the  professions  mentioned  are  uniformly  VIPish. I  for  one  have  number  of  politicians  who  despite  today  being  a  member  parliament  or  a MLA  wait  patiently  in  reception area  after paying  the  consultation  fee  without  creating  a  fuss. The  grace  with  which  they  conduct  themselves  and the  respect  I  have  received  from  many  who  would  otherwise  be  classified  as  VIPs also  sometimes  amazes  me. However  there  are  those  who  want  to  be  treated  by  a  specialist  in  VIPATRICS.

To  treat  them  you  require  to  be  well  endowed  both  metaphorically  and  figuratively. Most  of  us  lesser  mortals  simply refer  such VIPs  to  our  competitors  or to  the  PGI. But  unfortunately  my  competition  has  also caught  on  and  a  reverse  referral  of  such  individuals  can  now be  seen  in  my  own  OPD. To  treat  them  you  should  be  well  financed  because  expecting  them  to  pay  for  services  would  be  a  an  oxymoronic  idea.   You  also  need  to  be prepared  to  receive  multiple  oddly  timed  phone calls  and  whatsapp  messages  including  pictures  of  their stools  to  assess  and  treat  them  telephonically. Existence  of  other  patients is  a  nuisance and  an  irritant for  them  and  waiting  for  their  turn  is  something  outlandish. An  unwary  untrained  unsuspecting  medical  professional  could  easily  end  his  career  at  its  very  beginning. Even  though you  may  not  have  charged  them  they  remain  your  consumers  in  Indian  Law, so  you  should be   prepared  to  shell  out  astronomical  compensations, God forbid if something  goes  wrong.

A  specialized  branch  of  medicine urgently  needs  to  be  introduced by  MCI / NMC  which  teaches  doctors  how  to  deal  with  VIPs.  I  am  sure the  next  NEET  PG  Counselling  will  see these  seats  in  various  medical  colleges  question  only  is  how  attracted  will  graduates  be  to  these  seats.

Author :

Dr  Neeraj  Nagpal

Convenor,Medicos  Legal  Action  Group,   Managing Director MLAG  Indemnity,

Ex  President  IMA  Chandigarh

Director Hope Gastrointestinal Diagnostic Clinic

 

 

 

 

 

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