THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At 12.20 pm, the casualty ward of the Medical College hospital teemed with patients and bystanders. Several among them were unable to distinguish doctors from the rest. “I couldn’t find any doctor. None had their identity tags or overcoats. It is difficult to distinguish between a doctor, nurse or a bystander,” said an elderly woman who accompanied her husband.
Sabeer Kadakkal, a bystander, resonated the same. “Doctors and nurses were easily identifiable about 10 years ago when I was admitted in the hospital to treat my leg. Now the situation has changed. We must second-guess doctors and confirm twice,” he said.
At the X-Ray Department, over five people on wheelchairs accompanied by the bystanders await their turn. Maya K is unable to walk by herself. “It’s my eighth time at the hospital after I met with an accident. I didn’t have trouble distinguishing doctors but doctors must wear coats so that patients, especially the elderly, can identify them easily,” she said.
Sheeja U did not see doctors without coats but said she had seen such a situation in private hospitals. “A doctor’s coat is important as it lets the patients easily identify them. Further, the coat has a psychological advantage as it makes a patient more comfortable when they speak their private issues,” she said.