BOOK REVIEWS
Insiders'
stories
Sunil
Pandya
Doctors do cry...
Editor: Ashish Goel, Hyderabad: Paras Medical Publisher. 2005. 170 pages.
Paperback. Rs. 150.00 ISBN:81-8191-086-9
Dr Goel is a senior registrar in the department of
emergency medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New
Delhi. He conceived this book during discussions with the late Mr Arvind Kothari
of Paras publishing house. The book is therefore dedicated to Mr Kothari.
In
his prefatory note Dr Goel explains that the goal was to show doctors as human
beings who laugh and cry. Pondering tears, Dr Goel is reminded of lines from an
Indian movie song: 'Mere water are tears when shed/ Eventually become pearls
only if held...'
Dr Goel stretched his hands out and obtained contributory
essays and tales from authors in India, Israel, Canada and the United States. He
hopes to continue this series and invites contributions for subsequent
editions.
The list of contributors features postal and email addresses of
each author, enabling the reader to make direct contact if desired. Physicians,
surgeons (including cardiac surgeon Dr Ratna Magotra), a pathologist, a
haematologist, a medical historian and a neurologist are included. It is
especially fortunate that Dr Goel was able to persuade Dr Himmat Bawaskar to
write of his unique experiences in rural and semi-rural settings.
The essay
'On physician crying' by Dr Paul Rousseau, a palliative care expert, sets the
tone by expanding on the theme of the volume. Commenting on the traditional
tendency of the physician to maintain a professional attitude, hiding emotion or
grieving in secret, he shows us the other side of the coin. Expressions of
empathy, compassion, caring benefit both patient and physician. Under certain
circumstances, crying may be an appropriate manner of confronting the mayhem and
sadness of disease and death.
Subsequent chapters elaborate on variations on
the theme, providing real-life accounts, personal experiences and dramatic
happenings in settings such as those of the intensive care unit. The documented
feelings of patients provide much food for thought.
I referred to Dr Bawaskar
above. His essay provides a first-hand account of a sensitive and intelligent
physician studying the ill-understood medical complications following scorpion
stings only to encounter neglect by supercilious colleagues. Those aware of his
tribulations know of the grudging acceptance of his findings by Indian
contemporaries only after they were recognised and applauded by senior British
and other foreign cardiologists and medical journals.
There is much to learn
from these essays, uneven though they are. Without exception, they are full of
humanity, sincerity and feeling for the plight of the patient and his family.
What can such a book achieve? I feel the cover provides an answer. The falling
drop not only causes a rebound off the surface on which it has fallen but also
sets off a series of widening ripples.
Note
Whilst I failed to notice
this, a respected colleague pointed out to me that Howard Fillit's essay,
entitled 'Sara and George and justice', placed at the end of this book, was
published earlier in the Annals of Internal Medicine. When I looked for
acknowledgement of this earlier publication, I found none and also realised that
Fillit's name and affiliations are not included under 'Contributors'.
On the
face of it, it appears that Dr Goel has reprinted this essay from the Annals
without acknowledging the source. If this be so, this is far from
ethical.
Dr Pandya's comments were forwarded to Dr Goel with a request
for a clarification on how the contributions were obtained, whether permission
was sought and obtained to publish the above-mentioned article (as well as any
others that may have been reprinted from journals or books), and why such
acknowledgement has not been included in the text. Dr Goel's response is below:
There are a total of three essays in the book which have been published
as reprints. One is 'On physician crying'. A letter of permission for reprinting
this is in my possession. The essay was a last-minute addition and permission
arrived the day the book was being printed. Hence acknowledgements could not be
made in the book. The second reprint is 'Sara and George and justice'. All
attempts to contact the author, Dr Fillit, in person have come to naught. The
third reprint is the story by van Jign Hersenen, 'A teenager who wanted to die'.
I have electronic permission on my mail from the author for this story. All
three were to be duly acknowledged in the second edition.
SUNIL K PANDYA, Consultant neurosurgeon, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Dr
G V Deshmukh Marg, Mumbai 400 026 INDIA. e-mail:shunil@vsnl.com
