There has been a special focus on doctors and healthcare professionals this year as they battle an unprecedented health crisis in the form of Covid-19, in the most resource-strained circumstances. There have also been incidents of doctors as well as nurses, who have faced stigma and discrimination as people fear being infected.
In India, with a lower doctor-to-patient ratio compared to developed countries, doctors work in difficult circumstances attending to a large number of patients everyday.
On National Doctor’s day, Femoai readers share stories of how doctors helped them through dark times in their lives.
Zoya, 34, New Delhi
— On her therapist, who she was reluctant to see at first.
It was a difficult decision for me to seek therapy. I wasn’t sure if this situation I was facing was difficult enough for me to seek help for. I still remember sitting in the hospital lounge area wondering if I should just go back. But my therapist made it extremely easy for me to share, right from the beginning and I remember walking out of the first session thinking I had made the right decision. Over the next eight weeks she was extremely patient as I talked non-stop. She really helped me see these invisible barriers (of how other people think), I had created for myself and helped me finally break free, and think for myself.
Meera, 41, Chandigarh
— On her gynaecologist, who helped her through the time she was trying to get pregnant.
We were quickly losing hope that we might ever be able to have a baby. But my gynaecologist never said it, never believed it. It was her constant counselling and support that helped us ride through the tough times.
We were quickly losing hope that we might ever be able to have a baby. But my gynaecologist never said it, never believed it. It was her constant counselling and support that helped us ride through the tough times.
Divya Puri Mahendra, 34, Bengaluru
— On finding a good gynaecologist who helped her through her pregnancy.
Every mother has a different experience with pregnancy, for some it is a cakewalk, while others can find it quite daunting. Seeing a good gynecologist is most important. Being new in the city, I found my doctor through online recommendations via a healthcare website and it was a good decision that I made. Not only did I get all the comfort and support from my doctor, but she also helped me make an informed decision about the method of delivery. It’s important to have that kind of trust and relationship to know that you are in safe hands. She urged me to attend childbirth and yoga classes at the hospital to prepare for labor and birth, where I learnt different kinds of relaxation and breathing techniques, and about healthy eating and exercise.
It is also important to note that there is still a vast number of women who don’t have access to healthcare, doctors, or hospitals in India. According to a study which used outpatient data from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), for every 1.69 male hospital visits, there was only 1 female visit. Out of the total visits, only 37% were by female patients. Additionally, a report by the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP) in the U.S., said that India has a shortage of about 600,000 doctors and 2 million nurses.
Saba, 34, Delhi
— On her therapist, who helped her move on after a relationship ended and a lot more.
I started going to therapy regularly in 2017 after a hard breakup of sorts. It began as a place to lay all the blame on the guy, but quickly turned into a deep dive into my own whys and hows. My therapist held me accountable for the ways I hurt the guy I was involved with and helped me understand myself. Over the years, my conversations with her evolved from coping with the end of a years-long relationship to navigating new friendships, a move to a new country and so many other things.
Many sessions have given me great “aha moments” that helped me make sense of my behaviour, but I still have sessions where I come out thinking – that was just a catch up and I gained nothing from it.
The act of going to therapy regularly is an act of self-care that i’d ask all my friends to try. I find being open about being in therapy is a great conversation maker as well, if people are willing to be a little vulnerable.
The act of going to therapy regularly is an act of self-care that i’d ask all my friends to try. I find being open about being in therapy is a great conversation maker as well, if people are willing to be a little vulnerable.
(Some names have been changed on our sources’ request)
Source:
Missing female patients: an observational analysis of sex ratio among outpatients in a referral tertiary care public hospital in India. Mudit Kapoor, Deepak Agrawal, Shamika Ravi, Ambuj Roy, S V Subramanian, Randeep Guleria
Disclaimer
Information on this website is provided for general informational purposes only, even when it features the advice of a physician or healthcare professional. It is not intended to be and should not be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare professional. As always, you should consult your physician.
The views represented in the articles are the views of the experts featured and do not necessarily represent the views of Femoai.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Leave a Reply