Real Talk with Duenna

I think she had a point. I recently fell ill and needed to see a doctor.

When I could not get an appointment with my regular doctor, I called the next available doctor whom I was told I could see at 11.30am.

I arrived for that appointment at 11.15am and was only able to see the doctor at 12pm.

I was ready to walk out of the rooms 30 minutes into the wait, but because my condition needed a doctor’s intervention, I had no choice but to stay.

When I eventually went into the consulting room, the doctor apologised.

Doctors often blame patients who arrive late for appointments. It’s true that when the person before me arrives late, the good doctor will eventually be late for my appointment.

However, what is the point of making appointments when a patient has to wait an hour to see a doctor?

Dear doctors, kindly understand that when we come to your rooms, we are there for you to provide a service, which you so “rightly” charge us good money for.

We would appreciate an effort from your side to show us, your patients, that we matter. Show us that you understand we could be elsewhere but we chose you.

My younger sister is at university studying to be doctor; she wants to specialise in neurology.

I always tell her to remember that without her patients, she would only be a neurologist in name and that she needs her patients as much as they need her, to which she always laughs.

My point? Some doctors have a sense of superiority.

One cannot help but feel like the doctor believes he or she is doing us a favour by treating us. That has to stop.

The amounts charged by doctors, especially specialising doctors, is scary. Even the so-called medical aid rates don’t help, in my view, but that’s a story for another day.

I commend all the doctors who, at all times, put their patients’ needs first. Yes, they do have to make money, which is also why they spent six years (or more) of their lives studying. But they understand that the profession is about restoring people’s heath and making people feel better. The big bank balance that comes with it is just part of the job.

I could be wrong, but I find that baby clinics tend to be more attentive of their patients than our doctors are.

With that said, dear doctors, I trust that going forward you will understand that if you insist on us making appointments to see you, we expect you to honour the time we have booked with you.

On a side note, I hope no doctors turn me away after this piece. It was penned in the spirit of good citizenry.