Tony, I have always been quite annoyed at the culture in Goa of not informing the patient of the prognosis of his illness especially if terminal or that he can expect impending death. Both physicians and relatives are to blame although doctors play the major role in this.
Everybody should have the right to be told if he is dying, especially since it gives him the time to put his temporal affairs in order and make his peace with God and his neighbors. Do his relatives presume he is a coward and not able to handle the news of his own fate? I gnash my teeth and clench my fists every time I have come across such incidents in Goa and India. They simply do not happen in a civilized society where the doctor could be sued by the estate for withholding such crucial information as in the case of the story you have related, where the person concerned could have taken a decision to abort the chemo and other treatment to save his family the money and himself much needless pain and suffering. That is the sole decision of the patient and not his kin or his doctor. Roland Toronto. This has reference to the ongoing discussion on doctors and corruption. In this connection I would like to share the agony of a victim of these vultures. Now, the real trouble starts. The victim consulted a doctor specializing in cancer treatment and was made to undergo chemo at Rs. 100000 (USD 2200) per session. The sessions were preceded by visits to a pathological lab. The lab is run by the doctors wife. She charges 5K per visit and the same amount or more for each test. Hence each session would cost around 40 -50K, chemo sessions extra. After finishing the course, the victim is back in Goa. The doctors have told the relations that there is 'no hope' and only palliatives can be administered. It is only a matter of time. The agony of the family is increased by visits of other relatives who have been warned not to discuss the condition of the victim who does not know his fate. These people kept on shelling out for the chemo, the tests, the injections all with the hope that the victim whom they know is going to die anyway in the hope of keeping that person alive. "Tony de Sa" < tonydesa at gmail dot com>
