There is a huge problem that uneducated people are facing in private hospitals due to untrained doctors. Firstly, most people from the rural areas of Sindh and Balochistan are not educated and face language barriers. They are often misguided during doctor’s visits as they are unable to comprehend the doctor’s or medical staff’s instructions properly. When doctors prescribe them tests, they are further misguided by the staff meant to answer their questions. And when they do ask questions, the staff tends to misbehave.
This even occurs at counters established for receiving test reports where the counter staff, agitated due to a rift in communication, misguide patients about the details of their tests. This leads to a myriad of problems when patients revisit their doctors for follow-ups. Not only that, but the environment is so hostile that patients often get into verbal fights with each other while standing in lines.
I urge health departments and the provincial governments to encourage hiring translators at hospitals tending to patients from rural areas. Hospitals must also encourage a code of conduct and establish professional ethics.
M Ashraf
Hub
