Healthy Immune System Outline
 | Dr Ramesh Aggarwal, MBBS MD |
We doctors see pts and try to treat them as per our qualifications and experience (Expertise ). Their illness may range from trivial requiring no medicines and just reassurance to grievous requiring hospitalisation needing armament of many medicines , interventions with uncertain or even fatal outcome .
Medicines are our major tools and play major role but how we interact with patient may altogether change the outcome . A good doctor is a patient listener and may even get important clues to diagnosis . Gaining patient’s confidence does half the work . Writing medicines ( prescription) is only minor work .but allaying his fears, removing his doubts and misunderstandings and giving him hope that he will be alright soon -does the wonder .It has been well documented in scientific studies that positivity and faith of patient is most important in curing patients specially serious and prolonged illnesses . Positive attitude in pts benefits from release of good hormones. That is why it is said that practice of Medicine is an ART that comes with experience
This compassionate behaviour is most important in current Pandemic of Covid -19 Disease. There is so much bombardment of negative news of nos of people infected and deaths , lack of medical facilities, hospital beds etc etc that patient who gets this disease takes it as a death warrant. On the top of it is compulsory Isolation from near and dear ones which totally breaks his confidence and leads to hopelessness.
But There is always hope . Every dark night brings a new shining day . If Covid patient is dealt with compassion and facts , we can bring positivity in him . Look at the facts- 85-90 % pts of covid are mild or asymptomatic and require only monitoring and immunity boosters vitamins and anti pyretics. Only 10-15 % may require hospitalisation and with less than 5% ICU care with over all mortality of less than 1.5 % . More people die of TB , Malaria and loose motions and so on about which we don’t bother .
To keep the morale of patient high is a big challenge as the enormity of problem is too big . Following examples will make my point Clear . We are practising on tele consultation these days. Recently a young patient of about 35 yrs contacted me for consultation . IT professional working from home . Got positive for Covid-19 . Had fever , disproportionate weakness cough for 3-4 days. Very much worried and depressed. Got isolated from his wife who was expecting a baby . That multiplied his worries and restlessness . I reassured him that his disease is in mild category and all we need a close monitoring and some tests so that we can know in advance if he can deteriorate. Luckily he eventually improved in ten days time . And after further seven days isolation, his quarantine was over .
After that I received a whatsapp message from his wife telling me that they were very much frightened before consulting me and felt positive after my reassurance. This type of feedback makes a Dr happy and satisfied as it is the biggest reward for him. This exactly will be story of 85-90 pts I didn’t do any magic .
I just want to highlight the effect of positivity in patient . Similarly Another patient -a 73 yrs lady in our appt. having HT and DM as Co morbidity was hopeless though she was mild to moderate in severity and managed to come out successfully with her positive mindset as well as of her daughter and son in law and reassurance plus monitoring by me as a doctor . There are many case stories of children and adults with me and of course with all doctors .
Therefore we have to remain positive and avoid negative thoughts without neglecting medical advice. Old saying-
We (Dr) treat and HE cures (The GOD)