First of all, I am truly sorry for my outburst: Dr Azam Ali.
KARACHI: This is with reference to Natasha Shammul Khan’s letter of December 31, 2011 titled “A most belligerent doctor”.
Though the said letter did not mention the doctor by name nor the hospital where the appointment took place, the many comments that were placed on it when it appeared online did have both details. Hence, it is only fair that I, the doctor in question, also gave a reply.
First of all, I am truly sorry for my outburst. I was unwell and had informed the clinic that I was going to be late and that they were to let the patients know. I could not take a day off as there were far too many patients already booked including post-operative ones like the aggrieved letter-writer’s mother.
I’m afraid my patience or lack of it got the better of me. Whatever the circumstances might have been, my outburst was admittedly unprofessional. I was sorry the day it happened and in fact had made several phone calls to apologise but there was no reply. The hospital logs will bear testament to this. Subsequently I did manage to get through and cleared the air. However, please allow me to clarify. Neither The Express Tribune nor the Aga Khan University Hospital had any hand in my apology. I did get a reprimand from them regarding punctuality in response to the complaint that Ms Khan lodged with them.
Secondly, I would like people reading this to understand how the clinic proceeds. As is the case with most healthcare institutions in Pakistan, the number of patients demanding treatment far outweighs the number of caregivers. On average, I see 50-60 patients in one clinic, and at times the number goes up to 70-80. The average time it takes for the preliminary assessment and dilation (since I am an eye doctor) to be complete is 90 minutes. Therefore, if the clinic starts at nine am, even if the patients have started arriving on time — which doesn’t always happen — I cannot physically start seeing the patients before ten thirty. Apart from that, the sheer number of patients means that I cannot spend more time than absolutely necessary with them which does not leave time for pleasantries creating a perception of abruptness.
In this, unfortunately, I cannot do much, unless, of course, the AKUH limits the number of patients. However, this would mean that some patients would have to wait weeks for an appointment.
While I may not have the time to display the desired social skills, there is one thing I will never compromise on — my duty as a caregiver and the welfare of my patients. Of that you may be assured.
Dr Azam Ali
Ibn-e-Haitham Associate Professor and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
The Aga Khan University Hospital
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2012.
