The obstetrics department of the hospital is a major disaster area for medical disputes, unlike any other department. Issues like todayâs are very common in the obstetrics department, much rarer in others.
Dr. Lee took a sip of water from her thermos cup while waiting for the patient to finish venting her emotions, then offered medical advice: "You could try a tubal flushing. The previous doctor should have mentioned this procedure to you." Thatâs all doctors can do.
"Can you guarantee that this operation wonât leave me with other complications like the abortion did?" the female patient asked.
The doctor canât guarantee that. All surgeries may have complications, doctors can only strive to reduce the occurrence rate as much as possible. Each patient is different, thereâs no way to predict absolute outcomes.
The female patient shouted angrily: "Youâve said it all, so is it my responsibility as the patient to bear everything?"
Donât say such things lightly. If a doctor violates operating procedures, there are established rules in medicine for everything a doctor does. If the doctor broke these rules, itâs a medical incident, and the doctor is responsible.
"The abortion made it so I canât get pregnant anymore, is it the doctorâs fault or mine?"
Abortion has various risks that canât be completely avoided with current medical methods, let alone unforeseen complications with unexplained causes. The doctor had informed beforehand, hence any doctor strongly advising against a procedure should give patients more reason to think carefully.
Dr. Lee now had to consider the patientâs disruption which prolonged the consultation time indefinitely, leaving other patients waiting endlessly, and advised this patient: "Why donât you sit next door and have a glass of water, think clearly whether or not you want this operation, then talk to me."
"No, today you explain it to me clearly, otherwise I wonât leave," the female patient said aggressively.
This person didnât come for treatment, she came seeking to absolve herself of responsibility. She doesnât care about specialists or other patients, only about not losing face.
Even a gentle doctor like Dr. Lee who is as patient as a mother could not bear it anymore, and was forced to ask her to leave: "If you want to make a complaint, do so with the relevant department, go file a lawsuit."
The boss isnât afraid of your lawsuit. Because youâre the one causing unreasonable trouble in the first place. The doctor wanted to help you by giving you a chance to reconsider your decision, but with such an attitude, forget it, letâs part ways.
The female patient stood up and kicked the table: "Do you believe I could strangle you?"
Hiss. This soft sound came from Student Gengâs shrunk mouth. As a male medical student, he probably found it hard to imagine. Student Panâs previous experience led him to think the female patientâs aggressions were directed only toward male doctors.
How wrong he was.
Clinically, itâs common for female doctors to sympathize with female patients, but female patients donât necessarily empathize with female doctors. Itâs similar to the frequent disputes between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, both of whom are women.
Actually, Student Geng shouldnât feel surprised. Departments dominated by male patients are in similar situations, expecting male patients to empathize with male doctors is impossible. In such cases, patients donât see you as male or female, only as a doctor and resent you. What the counselor said has truly occurred in front of medical students.
The outpatient door opened, and two family members listening outside came in, seemingly afraid of being implicated when dragged into the detention center, and pulled the female patient saying: "Alright, stop causing trouble."
"What trouble? It was clearly her fault, why blame me?"