Visiting patients – Ethics

Visiting a patient is not for marking attendance but to wish for their speedy recovery !

Sometimes I feel visiting patients at hospital has become a JAC..Just a ceremony. With the stamp of ‘dears & nears’ people try visiting an ailing or recovering patients. They see to that that they visited the patient and mark their attendance for name sake. Why this fake mask? I always feel.

Some ethics needs to be followed while visiting an ailing patient. First rule of thumb is a crowd should never be made. Related people should talk to each other in this whatsapp age and plan their visit. Like a bunch of lemons, everyone should not assemble and roll over on the patient. Never try to use this opportunity as a family get together event.

It has become a pattern that if one hears about someone is ill, it is very much needed to immediately call on them and show their concern. Actually its not necessary in this skype , whatsapp or internet age. Its a curt to call on the patient’s attender rather than calling the patient itself. No one follows this rule. They call the patient directly and hit on them, and drag the call by saying ‘you should not be talking and need to take rest’, they suck out all the information starting from hospital expenses to the type of ailment. People wants information. Information is power. Agree. But not in certain specific junctures in life.

A patient once reached home is not allowed with proper rest. In the name of  ‘concern’ people call on them and disturb by keep saying they dont want to disturb at all. If its a sunday , the crowd doubles up since they cannot come on other days. If there is a real concern patient’s attender should they discuss with before coming. Ask about the comfort of the patient and before buying something for the patient, they should be aware of what the patient can take and what not from the attender.

Yes. Visiting a patient is not for marking attendance but to wish for their speedy recovery !

Do you agree?