The Elevator Sign

My friend, Dr. Dev (fictional name) told me about his experience while waiting for elevators (lifts) at AIIMS, New Delhi. 

During his MBBS and junior residency he noted even when the elevators were less in number and the waiting crowd was large, the general public used to give way to doctors and medical students (wearing white coats and carrying stethoscope around their neck) and allow them to board the elevators even out of turn. 

During his senior residency he noted the numbers of functioning elevators have increased, the waiting period has decreased, but the general public has started resenting if a doctor breaks the queue and try to board a lift out of turn. They expect the doctor to stand in queue as everyone else and wait his turn.

Now, few months ago, he went as patient’s attendant and observed the crowd around the elevators. A young doctor, wearing his badge of identification of white coat and steth, came and stood in queue near the elevator and patiently waited for his turn, along with the general public, to get in the elevator (lift).

When the elevator came, the crowd pushed the doctor to one side, rushed inside the elevator, leaving the doctor standing near the gate to wait for the next elevator.

This ‘Elevator Sign’ shows the loss of feeling of awe towards the doctors over the time by the general public. 

A similar phenomenon is that earlier, people used to automatically give way to doctors walking in the hospital corridors and maintain a respectful distance. Now, the public resents if a hurrying doctors excuses and try to pass them in the corridors. They are also more likely to push the doctor to side if he is walking or standing in their way.

What can be the reason for this?

One of the reason people say that doctors are greedy and charge too much. But the ‘Elevator Sign’ is happening in AIIMS, New Delhi, which has negligible charges and doctors are not indulging in private practice.

Another reason people say that doctors are not competent and well read. Again, the doctors in AIIMS are most competent and knowledgeable doctors comparable to any international standard.

Another reason people say that are doctors are negligent and do not take proper care of their patients. But again, the AIIMS doctors are very conscientious in their duties, with excellent preoperative and postoperative care. There is availability of junior and senior residents round the clock in wards, with on-call senior faculty.

So the loss of respect and awe towards the medical community is just not due to perceived greed, incompetence or lackadaisical attitude of the doctors but is due to something else.

What is that something else is question for deep contemplation for each of us, whether doctor or layman.

(Based on true incident)
— NKD


© Author. All rights reserved. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost. 

N.B.: You need to Log-in/ Sign-in to Gmail / Google id before leaving comments.
You can share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, etc, using the Buttons above 'Labels' and below 'Posted by:'.
You can receive notification on latest post by subscribing via clicking on the bottom of the page on the Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)