Prescription unfilled: Searching for an honest physician

It's hard to find an honest person these days. But when he or she can play God with your body, it's a whole different ball game. I am sure you have heard enough horror stories about irresponsible, money-hungry physicians to make you cringe. I will gladly share some more to add to the collection.

A man had a heart attack not long after his bypass operation. He was taken to another surgeon, who had to tell the grief- stricken wife that his husband never had a bypass operation after all. The previous surgeon had apparently cut him open, sewed him back up but charged for the whole operation. The man died several days later of pneumonia.

A friend felt sharp pangs in her abdomen. The doctor said she had cysts in her uterus, and if not operated on soon, she might never have children. When they cut her open, it turned out that there were no cysts. She had appendicitis. That needed a different surgeon, so they sewed her up and appointed another date for the surgery.

A week ago, I woke up with an intense throbbing pain in my left ear. It felt like it was going to explode into teeny tiny bits and I had a mental picture of myself walking around with one ear like dear old Vincent Van Gogh, only less talented.

So I went to the nearest ear, nose and throat specialist. I was not impressed! The so-called specialist was counting a stack of cash when I came in and did not wash his hands or wear gloves when he inspected my infected ear.

"How did this happen?" he asked. Tell me, good doctor, what do you mean by "this"? And after you tell me what "this" is, shouldn't you be telling me what usually causes it?

But he was eager to make me another appointment, which would mean a guaranteed Rp 100,000 for the doctor's fee alone. He prescribed me some painkillers and antibiotics. All this set me back a cool Rp 300,000. Ka-ching!

Two days later, my body broke out in rash. In a matter of hours, it turned into something not unlike whiteheads. Because it was late at night, I went to the nearest emergency room. The on- duty physician looked aloof, and she suggested that it was an allergic reaction to the antibiotics. Since this was the second time I developed this kind of misfortune (the first time, after blood tests and numerous visits to different doctors, no doctor had the same opinion on what it was), I asked the doctor if she was sure it was what she said it was and whether I should stop taking the antibiotics.

She shrugged and told me that she was not sure, but to keep taking the antibiotics anyway. And if the rashes did not go away in three days, I should "come back for another check up". Oh, and she prescribed four other medications for the rashes. Lovely.

Without mentioning the dirty word "malpractice" (oops! I just did!), is it any wonder that the current death toll for dengue fever is so high? When did saving another person's life become secondary to a gleaming new SUV or a European shopping spree for the wife?

If this continues, physicians will become what lawyers and ad execs are in society's view. Already more and more people, even affluent, educated ones who can pay their prices, have become skeptical and forsaken doctors for alternative medicine practitioners. Not that the latter are necessarily better. They are unregulated and some of them have bogus claims that end up endangering more lives.

If only real doctors would offer real solutions instead of finding ways to manipulate their patient's cash into their own wallets. If.

-- Lia Lenggogeni