Image credits: Hindustan Times.
Whenever we feel sick, we feel concerned about ourselves and goes to consult a doctor. But did anyone ever thought about how healthy our doctors are? Or what all kind of troubles do they face? Being a doctor is not as easy as it sounds. It takes years of hard work and utmost dedication to become a doctor. Doctors often suffer from both physical and psychological ailments. Such ailments include some professional hazards like radiation exposure, vertigo in surgeons, vitamin D deficiency, sleep disorder and so on. Apart from that, doctors who deal with medico-legal cases, such as anesthetists and forensic doctors can have Excessive stress and anxiety at a high level.
Stressed; Physically and mentally.
One of the specialties of Indian doctors is that they have to work extra hours compared to that of doctors in other countries due to the low doctor-patient ratio. A study conducted on the faculty of Andhra Medical College (AMC) by its department of medicine and King George Hospital (KGH) a couple of years ago reveals that, although the doctors are aware of the importance of physical exercise, more than 50% of the doctors do not workout regularly, primarily because of lack of time. The study also found out that 50% of the doctors to whom which the study conducted have vitamin D3 deficiency. But the fact that need to be highlighted is that there are a lot of ailments which stands associated with the torpid lifestyle lack of exercise and vitamin deficiency. All these can associate with cardiac problems, diabetes, and hypertension. Besides under exposure to light can pave the way to bone disorders.
Another research conducted by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) medically proved that the lifespan anesthetists is shorter when compared to the fellow peers from other specialties due to the stress and exposure to the anesthetic gases. The lifespan of other doctors ranges from 67 to 71. But in the case of anesthetists, the lifespan ranges an average of 63-64. Also, most of the of them have been found suffering from hypertension, diabetes cardiac ailments, and sleep disturbances.
Doctors have their opinions regarding this issue. The principal of Andhra Medical College (AMC), Dr. P V Sudhakar’s opinion is that “Quite a few cases of doctors suffering from cardiac arrest while performing surgery and subsequently dying has been being reported. Every surgery is stressful for a doctor as it concerns the patient’s life. Varicose veins or painfully enlarged veins affect surgeons that stand for long hours. Also, violence against doctors by relatives of patients, mob attacks have increased and it is also adding to their stress and anxiety.
Another veteran doctor and a Padma Shri awardee, general physician Dr. Kutikuppala Surya Rao says, “Doctors are not robots but humans as well. Due to irregular meal timings and sleep deprivation, long working hours and unhealthy environment, around 60% of the doctors suffer from one of the lifestyle disorders such as diabetes, hypertension gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Community-acquired pneumonia and infections are also quite high. Besides, around 10-15% of them are addicted to drugs and an alcohol as per studies and medical literature .”
Even medical studies prove that life of a doctor is full of hurdles. Whenever one feels fury to the doctors, remember, they too are humans and they too have a life to live!!
Source: Times of India