Original Source: The Imphal Free Press
Sir, Through your highly esteemed daily, “The Imphal Free Press”, I am highly compelled to write that my father approached the RIMS Surgical OPD on 3 May, 2011, Tuesday for a surgical treatment. The doctor advised him for operation. As a preliminary measure, he was advised for ECG and X-ray (CxR-PAV) and to attend the medicine doctors (MOPD) with those results, after which to report back to the SOPD on next Tuesday. The medicine doctor referred my father to the surgery OPD with the test reports as normal. But when my father reported to the surgery OPD on Tuesday, 10 May, 2011, a doctor re-examined him and claimed that his B.P. was 150/100 high.
My father was again, referred to the medicine OPD to take another advice. After a thorough investigation, the medicine doctor referred him back to the SOPD with his advice stating that my father was fully fit to undergo operation and his present BP is 120/80 with cardiopulmonary status as normal. However, it is shocked to learn that the surgery OPD was reluctant to accept that advice and could not believe that the patient’s BP drastically came down to such a normal condition. One doctor checked his BP once again and reported that it was 140/90! Still, various improbabilities were made up and my father was denied admission on the day, turning all our hope of getting admitted for operation to dust.
My father had been advised two investigations and admission for the next Tuesday on 3 May, 2011, after every necessary checked up were done to him. The investigation reports were normal but the SOPD examined him again on his report to the extent of asking his son what his father’s present health condition is all about. By finding fault, he was referred to the medicine OPD but strangely the medical advice of the OPD doctors whom it had referred to were not accepted. So, another checked up was taken for the third time and the final advice is to come back the following week. When we insisted that the patient is fit enough to undergo operation according to the medical advice and sought admission, we were sent to the Head in Charge of the Department but he was not there to meet him.
The OPD timing having been over, the Assist. Professor whom we had met asked us to meet her at the Casulty Department. The Asst. Register who had been meddling with us brought us to a private room and murmured endlessly. At last, we were told to see chance for next week and advised some investigations/tests which result should be brought to him. My query is—is it not such investigations were undertaken after the patient had been admitted and not in advance? If those tests are also necessary, why was the advice not given along with ECG and X-ray on the first day? For what purposes these tests are necessary if the patient is not admitted then?
Why the advice of the Medicine OPD not accepted after the patient was referred to there or their advice being sought? How could there be different BP status/results taken by different doctors? If any one of the machines go wrong, why is there not any concern to find out the defect and replace the same? The fact is that we are expected to bribe them for timely admission and operation. We had been brought from one room to another by a doctor. But it must be crystal clear that we are not such a person who bribe others to earn one’s favour.
Though we were aware of such motive, it was far from bending our mind to give bride to obtain admission. And as far as i know, my father is always fit and healthy though he age is 55 or above. And the operation he has to undergo is only a minor one-inguinal hernia.
Yours faithfully,
Thang Hangshing,
Lamka, Churachandpur.