Sunday, November 24, 2013

Messy Clinic

This is a very old blog lying unpublished since 2009. I thought of posting it unedited.

Yesterday Mr. Thakur ,a very senior Medical Representative from Duphar Interfran Co with his Manager visited my clinic on their usual round. After detailing about their products , they presented me with a table calendar for the New Year saying " With best compliments for the New Year ! Please put this on your desk as it also has a daily planner on the reverse ". Every year at this time I look forward to these representatives who lovingly give wall calendars , diaries and table calendars.

I looked at them in an embarrassed way and said " Thank you very much but I am truly ashamed at the sight of my desk and surroundings . It is so messy that even if I plan to come and clear it up it is impossible in the time that I spend in the clinic and have to plan to come on a Sunday to clear things up .No such Sunday has arrived to this day and it is as usual messy.

They both looked at each other , smiled and asked for my permission to say a few words . I never realised at that time that listening to them made me proud of myself . Mr.Thakur said " In our company we always have meetings to update on the sales and gear up to promote some new things to the doctors .This has been going on for a long time and as the top marketing people have realised that there is nothing new that the company has to offer , they have taken up various other programmes . In one of such events they showed us how to judge a person's nature , particularly doctors , by observing their clinics and surroundings ".

I was listening to them intently and awaiting in anticipation what they had to say about me . He continued " Your clinic is clean but disorganised with papers and books lying around . You are not meticulous but shows your warm nature. You are a peoples doctor as compared to those doctors who have a spic and span clinics . They are good administrators but not warm doctors".

He further gave an example of a patient who would complain to the doctor that the medicine he gave was very bitter . A meticulous doctor would say " Take the same medicine as it is bound to be bitter , it is good for you ". You being a peoples doctor will say " Is it so ? Wait a sec ! I will prescribe something that you will like and then you will not have any problem .Try this one --- "

Well I was quite thrilled with this analysis coming from the other side of the table and then when I reflected on what I had heard I realised that it is indeed what happens when interacting with my patients .i am always with them and do feel for them . I think that planning to visit my clinic on a Sunday or finding time in my work time to clear up the trash lying on my table and surroundings is going to be a distant dream

Cheers !!! Long live my clean but messy clinic !!!

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