Doctor, first heal thyself: ‘Ek doctor ki maut’ - physicians must introspect
Hyderabad: The death of Dr A.K. Meena, a consultant neurologist and additional professor at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (Nims), Hyderabad, who breathed her last while undergoing treatment after suffering a cardiac arrest after she collapsed at an international medical conference in London, has brought into public glare a seeming black swan – health of doctors.
Dr Meena Kumar, who hails from Tamil Nadu, completed her MBBS and MD at the Gandhi medical college in Hyderabad. She was a well known medico, known for her services in a career of over 25 years.
The 58-year-old doctor was suffering from hypertension. Her case marks the fifth sudden death in the doctors community in the city in recent times.
Her death brings to the fore that even doctors lead risky lifestyles and a hard life, as a study by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) conducted on doctors said.
Doctors, who help patients stay fit, are themselves dying young, as they themselves do not follow their own prescriptions for a healthy life.
While an average person is living up to 72 years of age, the life expectancy of doctors is only about 59 years, the shocking IMA study concluded.
Dr Sukumar, retired professor, said, “because of busy schedules, most doctors neglect their own health. They do not have fixed and timely meals. They often eat very late. Sadly, they don’t go for regular health check-ups. Most doctors are diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hypertension, among others.”
Most doctors die of three main causes
Dr Pratap Reddy, president, Telangana state IMA, said, “the lives of doctors are filled with stress and strain. I am now 77 years old. I have been practicing for over four decades. When you are a medical practitioner, expectations from society are very high. Doctors have to attend to many emergencies, and cannot give much time to the family. Our own regime has changed. We are not at all careful about our own health. Moreover, there is no system of proper work or security for doctors.”
“The mismatch between personal and professional life is extremely high. There is lot of professional pressure and stress because society expects that the doctor should be available all the time. They don’t realise or think about how important personal life is for doctors. There are three major causes for early deaths amongst doctors – heart attacks, cancers and suicides,” said Dr Asish Chauhan, consultant, internal medicine, Apollo Hospitals, Secunderabad.
“One doctor, H.T. Anil, head of department, ENT, at KIMS died today morning in Delhi of MI while playing badminton. He had come to Hyderabad to attend a conference and suffered a cardiac arrest. He had just turned 50 years old. A mismatch of professional life and personal life is causing worsening of stress, which directly causes heart attacks. Overall, doctors themselves are bad patients. And they do not take care of their own health properly,” Dr Chauhan said. “This marks it as the fifth sudden death in a week.”
Most experts feel that doctors should take care of themselves. They should not be more ambitious, involving themselves with social activities and take family time out. Even society should realise that doctors have their own lives and they owe it to themselves.
