Beware the doctor harming you

Author: Locke, translated by Yueqing
Publisher: China International Radio and Audiovisual Publishing House
Publication Date: 2006-08-01
Features: We often say "seeking medical advice and medicine," and now it seems perfectly true—that patients seek doctors and find medications. This illustrates the imbalance in status between patients and doctors. In reality, the true doctor-patient relationship should be one where patients "choose doctors and medicines." Patients have always been cautious and respectful toward doctors, fearing they might be impatient or mishandle their illnesses. As for doctors, they are often domineering and rarely show a friendly face. When there is no direct conflict of interest, this state is relatively balanced, but this balance has a strong element of illusion. The reason is simple: most patients' "respect" for doctors is based on: first, that they are doctors; second, that they have limited choices. Additionally, with high medical costs and the prevalence of "red envelopes" (bribes), patients' trust in hospitals has significantly declined. From the hospital's perspective, doctors have always been burdened with heavy responsibilities. To some extent, compared to the social responsibilities they bear, the economic rewards and social status doctors receive are unequal.
One reason is the technical shortcomings of doctors. For example, traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes "observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation," but now, due to the development of medical science, medical equipment has become doctors' left arms and right arms in diagnosing conditions. It seems that without these devices, doctors would be helpless. This has also led to an increase in unnecessary tests, placing a heavier burden on patients. In reality, talking with patients—listening to their complaints—is an important means of gathering information and is often more direct and accurate. However, cold medical instruments have the flaw of overlooking differences between people. They act as a wall, separating doctors and patients. Worse still, some doctors are completely unfamiliar with certain equipment. A wrong diagnosis inevitably leads to incorrect treatment. Moreover, many medical methods or medications that have been used for years have never undergone safety testing but are widely accepted and applied by doctors, making medical harm unavoidable.
Another significant reason is the increasing commercialization of the medical model, leaving the interests of vulnerable patients unprotected. When many pharmaceutical companies target patients as their source of profit in the fierce business world, medical institutions become intermediaries, and some doctors even act as pioneers for pharmaceutical companies. The pursuit of profit inevitably breeds a desire for more profit, and although it may only involve a small portion of the population, it can "spoil the entire pot of soup." The lack of a sound legal system leaves the interests of vulnerable patients unprotected. We often see that when medical accidents occur, doctors rarely bear responsibility. Although people's legal awareness is gradually improving, their understanding of relevant laws is still limited. More importantly, many do not know how to use legal tools to protect their rights, and this issue has become increasingly prominent.