New Delhi: The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has redefined the relationship between a doctor and a patient. Yes, there have been many instances of doctor abuse and insults, but above all there are many instances that portray the loving bond between the two. Stories about the challenges of being a doctor and the trials and tribulations of treating patients facing death is at the centre of a new book. The book titled, ‘At the Horizon of Life & Death’ talks about a doctor’s thoughts while treating a critical patient.
The book has been written by Dr Pankaj Kumar, the director of critical care at Fortis Shalimar Bagh here.
The hospital released a statement on the book Tuesday. It said the book is aimed at providing an insight into the dilemmas and predicaments facing doctors in critical situations. The book also guides aspiring doctors to make well-informed career decisions. It also captures the sensitivities of dealing with critical patients facing significant moments in their treatment trajectories, and in several cases death.
“The book, through its protagonist Dr Anand, aims to create awareness regarding pertinent issues faced by the medical professionals – demoralisation, expensive medical education, the extreme pressure and suicidal ideation, the plight of the nurses and support staff, assaults and violence and the medico-legal intricacies involved in day-to-day practice,” the statement said.
Kumar has dedicated the book to all the healthcare and other frontline workers who spent the last-year-and-a-half fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 300-page book has been divided into three parts chronicling the difficult journey of becoming and being a doctor. The first is ‘Larva Pupa Syndrome: Medical Education and the Disillusionment’\; ‘Hopes and Fears: The Paradox Co-exist’; and ‘Blame and Medical Lawsuits: To Treat the Human Fragility, a Mistake?’.
“The stories span from Anand’s initial days in the emergency room and capture his struggles in complex medico-legal scenarios over the next four decades,” the statement said
“This book has been based on fictional narratives with an intention to bring to the forefront the real issues and hardships that doctors in the country have faced,” Kumar added.
One of the stories, titled, ‘Doctors are not God’s: From Divine and Godliness to just so Humble Human’ demystifies the God-like stature that is given to doctors, asserting that while they can save lives, they are in fact human with limitations.
The book hit the stands July 15.