Save the Saviour...

Public relations and communication skills are the need of the hour for doctors today. The incidence and intensity of violence against medical professionals in India is on the rise. Angry, disrespectful, rude and violent patients, their relatives and friends need to be handled by a special training of all the medical professionals. Unfortunately, communication skills are rarely taught in the career of medical students. Incidentally, when the doctors are attacked, public support and empathy is lacking these days. Frankly, public expectations of healthcare systems have risen sharply in recent decades, due to impressive advertising campaigns of India’s private hospitals touting their high-tech treatments.To avoid future problems, doctors should try to clearly and accurately convey to the patients and their relatives their thoughts, intentions and objectives before they undertake to treat or operate on patients. Being able to communicate effectively may stop needless ugly violence against the actual saviour...let's save the saviour....Col Pendyala Pradeep, Anaesthesiologist.