Dear Editor,
It has become a sad truism that our interactions with each other, whether on public roads or in private institutions, reflects our depreciating respect for humanity and declining civility. In recent times, this sad reality has infiltrated our social institutions, with the latest being hospitals.
Now, it is an undisputed fact that our health care system is under stress; this has been the case for at least the last decade. It goes without saying that both health-care seekers and health-care workers find themselves interacting in an atmosphere of not merely crumbling infrastructure but also one with a paucity of key resources and personnel.
These challenges, notwithstanding, the recent behaviour of some patient(s) to be abusive physically, and no doubt verbally abusive, towards a physician is most unacceptable and inexcusable. The truth of the matter is that even though patients have to undergo lengthy waiting periods, health care workers also have to endure long periods as well; work schedules, waiting for resources and finances and they perform miracles on thread budgets. One can easily understand that the health facilities may in fact leave a lot to be desired, and the service at times is wanting; however, hurling abuse, whether from patient to worker or from physician to patient, will in no way aid in remedying the situation. For, after the abuse, patients will still have long waits, relatives will still have anxious moments, space will still be limited and medication will remain inadequate. So let's end the abuse and channel energies into solutions.
Noel Matherson
noelmatherson@gmail.com
Attacks on health workers not a solution
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It has become a sad truism that our interactions with each other, whether on public roads or in private institutions, reflects our depreciating respect for humanity and declining civility. In recent times, this sad reality has infiltrated our social institutions, with the latest being hospitals.
Now, it is an undisputed fact that our health care system is under stress; this has been the case for at least the last decade. It goes without saying that both health-care seekers and health-care workers find themselves interacting in an atmosphere of not merely crumbling infrastructure but also one with a paucity of key resources and personnel.
These challenges, notwithstanding, the recent behaviour of some patient(s) to be abusive physically, and no doubt verbally abusive, towards a physician is most unacceptable and inexcusable. The truth of the matter is that even though patients have to undergo lengthy waiting periods, health care workers also have to endure long periods as well; work schedules, waiting for resources and finances and they perform miracles on thread budgets. One can easily understand that the health facilities may in fact leave a lot to be desired, and the service at times is wanting; however, hurling abuse, whether from patient to worker or from physician to patient, will in no way aid in remedying the situation. For, after the abuse, patients will still have long waits, relatives will still have anxious moments, space will still be limited and medication will remain inadequate. So let's end the abuse and channel energies into solutions.
Noel Matherson
noelmatherson@gmail.com
Attacks on health workers not a solution
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