Santhosh's ramblings

The man had some mild chest pain. He was accompanied by about 15 people, all walking around trying to show their importance and prominence. The Junior Doctor got the ECG done which was inconclusive. She send the ECG to me and I over phone asked her to shift the man to ICU and then get a repeat ECG and some blood tests. It was about 12 mid AM at night when all this was going on. Since a repeat ECG would any way come to me, I thought instead of it being sent, I could go to ICU and be there, see the ECG settle in the patient and come back. Which was not what the JD wanted, I did not know that the relatives had been pushing her to call the consultant and was trying to make life tough for her. She was not too keen to disturb me. Walking into ICU, a group followed me in. Questions followed. What about repeat ECG. What about blood test? Then dropping some names of prominent people and places where he has been treated etc. ECG, Blood tests all being inconclusive, morning itself they were off,...

The context in which we are living now, every day multiple issues come up related to "Shame" and "honor" which affects clinical management of patients. A girl admitted with suicide attempt on a ventilator tried communicating to us, writing on a paper - first note - please save my life, second note - please adopt me. The father seemed to be keen for her to be treated and looking forward to her recovery, but was not taking any efforts to pay the bills, or support in decision making, though they seemed to have the resources to support her treatment. The shame of having a daughter (though she is doing her BA) who has tried to commit suicide, was that why the father was aloof? Did the girl know that the honor of her family was at stake and that is why she did not want to go home? Parents (both mother and father) when asked about the number of children they have - would blissfully say - 2 "bacha" and when asked again, how many girls you have, they will say ...