Have you ever had a serious illness that required special medical attention? If not may be you have heard of someone who has had a serious illness and required special medical attention. It’s not a surprise that many of the patients that have severe illnesses made several trips to the doctor without knowing what was the main problem and what was happening to their bodies that they were not getting better.
It’s so sad that when one gets to visit a public hospital and is directed to a consultation room only to find they are attended by a clinical officer or a nurse. If only you had a choice or enough money to get a specialized doctor based on your illness.
Sometimes the hospital you might visit may be lucky to have specialists but not until your condition gets worse you don’t stand a chance of world class health care.
It’s not until your condition runs out of hand of the clinical officers that they refer you to a specialist.
Luck to those who got the amount of money needed to book appointments with private doctors. What far could be too far when it comes to "joking with a human life". Sometimes you may be forced to think that trial and error method replaced treatment in our hospitals.
I think no one could explain how hard it can get when seeking medical attention than patients under regular management of diseases like kidney failure and cancer. Thanks to NHIF and all other governmental and non- governmental organisations that join hands to help patients who cannot afford medication. But there is still more to do comparing to what the patient is required to pay and the contribution he/she makes.
Even with knowing how hard it could get when one is trying to reach a specialist, there is still a lot of hope. It is necessary for every patient to push and get specialists based on the kind of illness. Knowing of the increased number of quacks in the field of medicine it is necessary to try and find out the qualifications of the doctor who is attending to you.
Government health organizations provide permanent specialists although some are few in low level hospitals. It might not be as easy but trying and making it better could be an option too. If they could have specialists to serve low level hospitals for several days in a week rather than once their efforts could be felt.
If only each medical personnel could stick to his or her lane of duty. There is no harm in telling a patient you aren’t specialized in that area. It is also nice to handle each disease seriously. Latest studies by SPBMCC have shown that many serious illnesses are discovered late due to delayed diagnosis. Why not give a shot to allowing patients see the right specialists?
Prevention is better than cure. It is wise to get check- ups regularly. It’s good to get diagnosed so that you could find out early if you have a disease. A little more care and concern is all we need to improve our health.
By NELLY WANGECHI, Second Year Student pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication at Chuka University
MWINGI TIMES for timely and authoritative news.
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