Union Budget 2021 : Advantage Healthcare

Dr. Wasim Ghori is the Medical Director & Consultant Diabetologist, Heart & Diabetes Clinics, Mumbai.

As an expert in the field of Healthcare, Dr. Wasim Ghori, shares the key takeaways from the Union Budget 2021 presented by Honourable Minister of Finance, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament.  With his vast experience, he is able to see the advantages in the building & strengthening of the healthcare infrastructure and benefits to the public accessing government healthcare facilities and services.  It will also lead to massive employment generation, there contributing to the country's economic growth.

Healthcare has received a huge fillip in India's Union Budget 2021 - it has recognized the importance of health in India's growth story! 

This year the focus of the world was squarely centered on the healthcare industry. Moreover, India’s efforts in managing the Covid-19 Pandemic has been exemplary - the country’s frontline workers and scientists have been working tirelessly to save lives and develop indigenous vaccines. 

The Union Budget 2021 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was all about prioritizing key issues like creating more jobs, ramping up healthcare spending and boosting economic growth.

Here are the top key takeaways on healthcare industry: 

Government of India’s holistic approach to healthcare with the proposed Rs.2,23,846 crores budget outlay for health and well-being for 2021-22, compared to Rs.94,452 crores in the current fiscal, registering a staggering increase of 137% over the previous outlay.

• The government’s increased allocation for the healthcare sector is a welcome move as it will provide access to medical care for all in the country, fuel job creation and boost economic momentum. 
• The increased healthcare spending indicates the realization of how a healthcare crisis like the current Covid-19 pandemic can quickly spiral into an economic crisis for the nation. 
• The increase in budget outlay for health and welfare by 137% as compared to the previous year will boost the public health and pharmaceuticals sector too.

Increased spending on COVID-19 measures and vaccines. 

• The government’s commitment for the COVID-19 vaccination program will accelerate the vaccination across the population. 
• The allocation of Rs.35,000 crores for COVID-19 vaccines and more if required will bring the much-needed stability to the public healthcare setup. 
• Increased focus on spending on COVID-19 measures and vaccines makes India stand tall as a model for the world. 

Prime Minister’s Aatmanirbhar Swasthya Bharat Yojana with a total outlay of Rs.64,180 crore over a period of next 6 years will boost the healthcare ecosystem. 

• The announcement of PM’s Aatmanirbhar Swasthya Bharat Yojana is the most overwhelming addition in the aftermath of the pandemic and shows that healthcare capacity building is now a key priority for the government. 
• The centrally funded scheme is the first step to boost rural health and keep the country ready for emergency handling of pandemic situations. 
• This in addition to the National Health Mission (NHM), will support and strengthen the primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities even in the last miles of our nation. 
• The investment will aid in developing capacities of healthcare systems, develop institutions for detection and cure of new and emerging diseases. 
• It will also help in establishing critical care blocks in hospitals which is essential from our learning from the recent pandemic. 

Substantially increased allocation on Social Determinants of Healthcare with a special focus on Mission Poshan 2.0 to improve nutritional outcomes for children. 

• The announcement of an all-inclusive approach through the launch of Mission Poshan 2.0 to improve nutritional outcomes for children across 112 aspirational districts is a praiseworthy move. 
• Along with this, the increased focus on cleanliness, solid and waste water treatment, source segregation of garbage, reduction in single-use plastic, reduction in air pollution through Urban Swachh Bharat Mission  & universal drinking water supply through Urban Jal Jeevan Mission will subsequently bolster public health. 
• This increased allocation would not only improve the health outcomes, but also go a long way in the achievement of 5 out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (Zero Hunger, Good Health & Well-being, Clean Water & Sanitation, Sustainable cities & Communities & Climate Action). 

Increasing access to Pneumococcal Vaccine.

• The pneumococcal vaccine is effective against potentially fatal pneumococcal infections like pneumonia, septicemia and meningitis and the decision to include it in the budget is a welcome decision. 
• The Pneumococcal vaccines, a Made in India product, is presently limited to just five states.
• However, it will now be rolled out across the country and will avert over 50,000 deaths annually in the country. 

Strengthening existing National Institutions and creating New Institutions. 

4 National Institutes of Biology to be established and will provide a thrust for the improvement of the healthcare sector in India, which is commendable. These include: 

• Strengthening of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and make India future ready for any further health crises
• Setting up of a National Institution for One Health 
• Bio-Safety Level III Laboratories, and 
• Regional National Institutes for Virology 

Setting up additional Rural &Urban Health and Wellness Centers along with Integrated Public Health Labs. 

• Incorporation of 17,788 rural and 11,024 urban health and wellness centers is a supportive move for better patient care and will pave way for more Public-Private Partnerships. 
• The decision to set up integrated public health labs in all districts and 3382 block public health units in 11 states along with critical care hospital blocks in 602 districts and 12 central institutions is creditable and rightly addresses the need to reach the last mile population. However, more might be required in a country where the patient-doctor ratio is abysmally poor. 
• Expansion of the Integrated Health Information Portal to all States/UTs to connect all public health labs is a step ahead towards digitalization and is a positive move. 

In Conclusion: 

Overall, the proposals made in the Budget 21-22, would make quality healthcare accessible and affordable, besides standardizing healthcare infrastructure across the country. Given the host of announcements made by the Finance Minister, it shows the commitment by the government to address not only the healthcare’s immediate and urgent needs but, fundamentally develop a program to strengthen Indian healthcare system. 

It is appreciable that the government has been very thoughtful regarding healthcare thereby focusing on curative and preventive health and well-being. The enhanced allocation along with the plan to look at healthcare holistically, including nutrition, sanitation, clean drinking water and pollution control, certainly augurs well for the country. 

Lastly, Union Budget 2021 will set the precedent for future budgets which will use this year's allocation as a baseline for future initiatives. 

I hope the government partners with private healthcare to hasten this process and strengthen health services across the country. On-ground implementation of the announcements made are now eagerly awaited.

#healthcare #health #medicine #covid19 #coronavirus #corona #vaccine #healthinfrastructure #doctor #patients #deaths #pandemic #budget2021 #budgetaryallocation #ministryoffinance #governmentofindia #wellbeing

Not All Santa's Wear Red - Some Wear White!

Season's Greetings - A Special Message from Dr. Wasim Ghori

Dr. Waim Ghori, M.D.

Dr. Wasim Ghori is the Medical Director & Consultant Diabetologist, Heart & Diabetes Clinics, Mumbai.

In this article, he takes stock of the current COVID19 situation and how healthcare workers have gone the extra-lengths to highlight the work and efforts to provide care and relief, saving lives at the risk of their own.

 

Nine months may as well be a lifetime!

The COVID-19 pandemic has left its mark on the entire world and will continue to do so well into 2021.

2020 has been a tough year. It will always be remembered as the year a virus brought the world to its knees - locked down, shut away and isolated.

But more than that, it will be remembered as the year the medical community and health workers across different countries, cities and villages stood bravely on the frontlines of a war against COVID-19, in the face of a highly infectious and unknown virus, to save lives – often at the cost of their own.

One of the groups most affected by the outbreak has been those in the hospitals taking care of people infected by the virus. There were doctors, nurses, ward boys, janitors, pharmacists, ambulance drivers, morgue attendants, bio-waste sanitation staff, medical officers, community health workers, ASHA workers, inoculators – too many to count, in hospitals, clinics, isolation facilities, clinical wards, ICUs, health centres, nursing homes across India and across the globe - their valiant effort keeping us safe, looking after infected patients, providing them not only medical aid, but also the emotional support & care they needed in isolation.

The conditions were supremely tough – stigma to begin with, long hours in suffocating hot PPE kits, dehydration, hunger, separation from their own families, the constant threat from the virus. They didn’t back down. They fought valiantly.

In a year defined by what will likely be the biggest health care crisis of our lifetimes, tens of millions of doctors, nurses and caregivers have demonstrated courage, compassion, stamina and selflessness unlike anything we have seen.

These medical bravehearts have bravely gone above and beyond in looking after those affected by the Pandemic. As the COVID-19 virus spreads across the globe and researchers mobilized to develop a safe and effective vaccine, healthcare workers adapted and innovated to serve their communities.

A mere thank you does not begin to convey the gratitude we feel for health care workers. Neither it does bring back the lives we have lost to this virus, nor does it make up for the unrelenting stress caused by isolation from friends and loved ones.

Furthermore, the pandemic has exposed many of healthcare industry’s shortcomings, but it has also highlighted many opportunities to re-imagine the future of care.

Opportunities to simplify access to data-driven insights, to improve the interoperable exchange of critical health data and to address the crisis of healthcare workers' burnout.

As we enter the New Year, I’m optimistic and confident that together we can advance the pace of improvement. We all know health care is too important to stay the same.

As we near the end of a demanding and tumultuous 2020, with the next bringing the promise of a vaccine, I want to express sincere gratitude and appreciation to all my friends, colleagues and frontline health workers around the world who have sacrificed so much in the fight against COVID-19 and helped the world back on its feet.



I take this opportunity once again to let you'll know that I greatly value our friendship and association and wish all of you and your loved ones - Happy Holidays and a Sparkling New Year 2021 - one that's built on Prosperity, Happiness and Strong Foundations.

Here's to Sweet New Beginnings....

Dr. Wasim Ghori
Consultant Diabetologist
Brand Ambassador - Education UK, British Council
Brand Ambassador - Association of Healthcare Management Professionals, AHMP, India
Director - Indian Economic Trade Organization, IETO

#virus #covid19 #coronavirus #Doctor #Pandemic #treatment #patients #healthcare #medicine #hospitals #gratitude #frontlineworkers #christmas #happynewyear2021 #messageofpeace #happiess #festival #festivities #SaulteOurSaviours

Role of Policy Makers for Prevention of Diabetes – Dr. Wasim. M. Ghori

On the occasion of World Diabetes Day being observed on 14th November, 2020, Dr. Wasim Ghori, Medical Director & Consultant Diabetologist, Heart & Diabetes Clinics, Mumbai offers some key policy recommendations for a National Policy that focuses on early detection and prevention of Diabetes.

India has a very large population which is stricken by poverty. Maternal malnutrition is rampant and the adverse effects of malnutrition in utero are evident by the appearance of metabolic disorders at a very young age in these groups. There is an urgent need for the government to address these issues and provide adequate healthcare facilities, particularly for the lower economic status of the society. An integrated national system for early detection and prevention of diabetes must be developed in order to minimize an individual’s risk of Type 2 diabetes and its complications.

Three key goals for Healthcare Policymakers:

1) Improve disease management for people with diabetes to reduce complication rates.

2) Establish effective surveillance to identify and support those at risk of Type 2 diabetes.

3) Introduce a range of interventions that help to create an environment focused on prevention.

These goals are ordered by the degree to which they are in the control of healthcare policymakers. Nevertheless, it is crucial that policymakers put a significant effort into all three goals. 

Policy Goal 1: Improve disease management for people with diabetes to reduce complication rates.

The starting point for policymakers is to ensure continual improvements in disease management for their population with diabetes. Such improvements will enhance the quality of life for those with the disease and reduce complication rates. In turn, this will ease the pressure on the health system and reduce overall spend. Improving diabetes care lies firmly in the control of health ministries. These types of interventions, rather than initiatives aimed at prevention, have the potential to produce a fast return on investment.

The basic means to achieve improvements are well-evidenced in global and national clinical guidelines. These include:

• Access for people with diabetes to medicines and medical treatment.
• Deliver comprehensive screening for people with diabetes.
• Provide comprehensive patient education and self-management programs.

In addition, there are standards for low-resource environments, research into the cost-effectiveness of interventions and policymaker guides and tool-kits. To get diabetes care right, it may be necessary to make adjustments to traditional healthcare systems. This could involve:

• Creating incentives for healthcare providers to achieve improved outcomes.
• Improving the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of self-management.
• Delivering interventions to hard-to-reach patients by exploring innovative low-cost models of delivery.

Policy Goal 2: Establish effective surveillance to identify and support those at risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Intuitively, screening for diabetes makes sense. Up to 80% of cases of Type 2 diabetes can be prevented through lifestyle or drug treatments, creating a clear opportunity to reduce the number of people with diabetes and the cost burden that diabetes imposes. Screening for diabetes has been proven to be cost-effective.

However, some communities are hard to reach and even where the screening is readily available and convenient, the take-up rate is often low. There are a range of tools and approaches that can support policymakers in their efforts to increase screening. The key for policymakers is to make screening more accessible and appealing for people and at a sustainable cost. Some of the innovative ways to achieve this aim can include:

• Providing incentives for people to be screened.
• Targeting healthcare providers to encourage take-up.
• Tailoring screening to cultural circumstances.
• Sharing the cost and inconvenience by screening for other diseases at the same time.
• Targeting high-risk populations.

Offering incentives to healthcare providers can succeed in increasing screening rates. Clinicians tend to be in contact with high-risk patients through the normal course of their work and are therefore in a strong position to influence them. Patients too will respond positively to incentives, if the incentives outweigh the time, effort, discomfort and perhaps money that the patients must put into being screened.

Policy Goal 3: Introduce a range of interventions to create an environment focused on prevention.

A critical contribution to slowing or even reversing the tide of Type 2 diabetes comes from achieving population-level behavior change aimed at encouraging societies to attend more conscientiously to their health, be less sedentary and have better nutrition. To influence the population and bring about the desired behavior change, policymakers need to commit to creating an environment focused on prevention – one that supports healthy choices and encourages healthy behaviors. The benefits extend beyond diabetes to other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers and dementia. The core-steps and innovative action steps for policymakers may include: 

• Articulating a clear case of change – including both health and economic consequences.
• Committing to ambitious targets and timescales.
• Assigning responsibility for leading and coordinating initiatives to create an environment focused on prevention.
• Exploring the full range of preventive interventions- from information to nudges and legislation.
• Building a cross-disease coalition to support a preventive health and well-being approach.

Creating an improved prevention-focused environment is not an easy task. People have hundreds of opportunities to make less healthy choices every day at home, work, school and while travelling, shopping or engaging in leisure pursuits. Each decision is shaped by a wide range of factors viz., the information available, incentives, peer pressure and social norms.

In Conclusion:

The growing epidemic of Type 2 diabetes demands urgent and coordinated attention. Primary prevention of Type 2 diabetes is a logical strategy considering the scale and the cost of ongoing medical treatment for the diabetes epidemic and the inevitable increase in diabetes incidence together with obesity.

Given the size of the diabetes epidemic and the number of people at high risk, approaches aimed exclusively at individual behavior changes in clinical settings will likely prove inadequate for diabetes control at the population level. On the other hand, improvements in policy and the environmental factors would predispose, enable and reinforce more healthy diets and more active lifestyles for widespread and sustained behavior changes.

These will require development of infrastructure, environment and policy changes and ongoing funding of a multilevel, multidisciplinary approach and an experimental attitude at the state and local levels to allow public health researchers to evaluate the ingredients of successful innovations that constitute natural experiments in diabetes prevention.

 

 

Author : Dr. M. Wasim Ghori, Medical Director & Consultant Diabetologist, Heart & Diabetes Clinics.  He ha been featured as the most Distinguished Alumnus from India by London South Bank University (LSBU), UK during COVID19 Pandemic.  He is also the recipient of the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2018, Recipient of Literary Excellence Award 2017 at the 3rd Asiad Literature Festival and Bharat Nirman Foundation, New Delhi amongst his other accomplishments

How to Light up Diwali Celebrations During Corona Virus Pandemic

Dr. Wasim Ghori, Medical Director & Consultant Diabetologist, Heart & Diabetes Clinics, Mumbai discusses and gives simple yet useful tips to celebrate and enjoy Diwali amidst the prevailing COVID19 pandemic. 

 

 

Diwali 2020 is around the corner, but the global coronavirus pandemic has subdued the vibe and energy of the festival. Furthermore, due to negligence and air pollution, corona infections will continue to rise and attention should be paid to this situation too.

Nevertheless, here are a few tips on how to have safe Diwali celebrations this year keeping in mind the physical distancing and hygiene amidst COVID-19 outbreak.

Festivity is all about togetherness and strengthening bonds

While the pandemic can change a lot of things, we must not let it change our spirit. Therefore;

• Find innovative ways to send greetings and gifts to your loved ones. Watch movies or play virtual games with your friends and family online.
• Having home-cooked food is the most suitable option during such a pandemic situation. It adds a traditional feel of the festival to the celebrations. Refrain from outside food - this might create stomach infections and affect immunity levels.
• Do not go shopping right before/after the festival as stores are likely to be crowded. Instead, consider Do-it-Yourself decorations during this Diwali.

Don’t use sanitizer before lighting diyas /candles

• Refrain from using hand sanitizers which are alcohol based before lighting diya's, candles or any such thing.  This is because sanitizers are inflamable and can cause fire hazards.
  
• It is recommended that you wash your hands with soap and water before doing anything which involves lighting fire.

Keep sanitizer away from fire

• Sanitizer bottles have become an everyday necessity. People keep it handy, in fact, multiple sanitizers are kept at different places for easy access.
• But, since maximum sanitizers are alcohol based, they can easily catch fire. Therefore, keep your sanitizer bottles on a safe place and away from diya's or candles.

Wash hands rather than sanitize

• Instead of carrying sanitizers everywhere you can consider carrying water and paper soap.
• These are a safer option and you can easily wash your hands anywhere without causing an injury.

Maintain physical distancing

• Although Diwali is all about togetherness and strengthening bonds. This festive season, try and adjust to the new normal and avoid meeting people physically.
• It is recommended that you celebrate Diwali this year staying indoors mostly. However, if you are meeting someone, try and maintain physical distance and ensure the space is well ventilated.

Don’t forget your mask

• It is important to be responsible and take mandatory precautions. Wearing a mask is a necessity.
• Therefore, every time you step out, don’t forget to cover your nose and mouth to save yourself from getting infected.
• 
  

 Wishing you all once again

Follow these precautions and enjoy a wonderful festive season.

Dr. Wasim Ghori

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. M. Wasim Ghori, Medical Director & Consultant Diabetologist, Heart & Diabetes Clinics, Mumbai discusses give simple and yet useful tips to celebrate and enjoy the Diwali amidst the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Importance of building rapport with Patient Party Author Dr. Indu Arneja

Doctor-Patient Communication

 

Building quick rapport with the patient is one of the initial prerequisites of any professional relationship.  It lays the foundation stone of the therapeutic alliance.

Incidentally, studies suggest that we don’t make much effort to build rapport with the patients and their families as we believe that the patient is here for treatment and our primary responsibility is to only treat the patient.

This is true to an extent but let us remember that building rapport with them makes our task easy.  Building rapport creates much needed familiarity and comfort between the two parties.  It helps win patient’s trust and confidence.  It facilitates and fosters our treatment by aligning the patient with us.  Patients start listening and agreeing more with us.

The primary objective of building rapport is to earn patient’s cooperation and compliance for our treatment to work.  For e.g. many of the procedures like inserting I/V cannula, passing Ryle’s tube etc., are very painful and uncomfortable but if we have good rapport with the patient, it becomes easy to do the procedure as the patient would listen to you and cooperate.  Studies also suggest that building rapport improves treatment adherence.

Contrary to our misperception, building rapport does not require time, it requires INTENTION.  Simple gestures like making eye contact, greeting the patient, smiling when appropriate and speaking in a non-aggressive tone are some of the good ways to build rapport with the patient.  These small gestures go a long way in facilitating your job and earn patient’s cooperation.

Building rapport also reduces aggressive reactions and prevents violence in healthcare.  Studies suggest that the doctors and treating team are less likely to experience aggression when they are able to create familiarity and build rapport with the patient party.


Some simple and quick ways to build rapport with the patients-

1.    Making eye contact as soon as the patient enters
2.    Greeting the patient / responding to the patient’s greetings
3.    Attending to patient’s comfort by showing the place to sit
4.    Obtaining/confirming the patient’s name and the attendant
5.    Introducing self (if meeting for the first time)
6.    Starting with small talk before the big talk (e.g. who is this with you or where are you from)
7.    Demonstrate attention and interest in attending the patient by limiting interruptions and distractions.
8.    Accepting the legitimacy of a patient’s views and feelings, without being judgemental.
9.    Using empathy to communicate understanding and appreciating the patient’s feelings or predicament
10.   Expressing concern, understanding,  and willingness to help the patient
11.   Dealing sensitively with embarrassing and disturbing topics.
12.   Respecting patient’s privacy and confidentiality.

Building rapport may seem a waste of time and unnecessary to some of us but it is also a great safety tool for the rainy days.  Creating familiarity and building rapport goes a long way in controlling aggressive reactions and violence.  Most importantly, you win the confidence of the patient for a life-time.  It facilitates and fosters treatment by creating a good work environment for everyone. It does not require time, it requires intention.  My question to you is – Do you have it?

 

About: Dr. Indu Arneja is Founder-Director of Indian Institute of Healthcare Communication, A pioneer in the field of Healthcare Communication in India
She has conducted around 1500 Clinical Communication programs for doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals in more than 100 hospitals and medical colleges across the country.

She is an external assessor for NQAS, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and NABH (IRCA), QCI, India.

She is a core group member of Advisory Board on Health and Mental Health for Nation Human Rights Commission.

She is also a visiting faculty to some of the very prestigious organization like IIM Ahmedabad, Delhi Judicial Academy, Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi University, IGNOU and PHFI.  She has over 30 years of experience in the field of health and training.

She is a regular invitee at National and International Conferences.  Recently, she was invited to attend Annual Summit on "Patient Experience and Empathy" by Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA, 2019.  She has been awarded scholarship to attend a prestigious communication course ‘ENRICH’ organized by Academy of Healthcare Communication at Pittsburgh, USA in 2019.

She regularly conducts webinars for national and international audiences. She has conducted multiple webinars for Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado, US.
She has a YouTube channel in her name Dr. Indu Arneja and has an on-going series under the titles - "Heart to Heart talk with Dr. Indu Arneja" and "Master Stroke with Dr. Indu Arneja".

#hospital #hospitals #accreditation #nabh #jci #treatment #medicine #medicationerros #patient #patientengagement #patientsafety #patientsrights #communication #patientcommunication  #effective #right #doctors #family #relatives #technology #medicalpractitioners #nursing #nursingcare #healthcareworkers
 

Communication in Healthcare is not just about niceties! By Dr. Indu Arneja

Friends,

Patient Communication

According to a report by Joint Commission International (JCI) (2013), communication failure is the lead cause of medical errors.  The Report reveals that 70-80% of errors in patient care are the result of communication failure.  It is because all interactions in patient care are based on communication.  It could be with the patient, their family members or with other healthcare professionals.  Communication has become a cornerstone of quality healthcare and patient satisfaction.  Still communication is not considered an essential skill in patient care.  

The biggest hurdle in accepting communication skills as an integral part and parcel of patient management is the thought process that considers communication as just simple niceties and basic courtesies in handling patients.  There is no doubt that we need to be courteous and well behaved with the patient and their family but that is not the end of it.  Communication in healthcare is a lot more than that.  Communication in healthcare is not just about niceties, it is about the serious communication that happens between the healthcare professionals and the patients, where the patient has a set of information about his health and disease that needs to be collected in a systematic manner and a set of information that the healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses and other caretakers that they need to share with the patient in a manner that the patient understands it and is able to apply it to recover from the illness and regain health.  

Patient care is teamwork.  

Sharing the Treatment Plan

A lot of information about the patient’s medical condition is shared amongst the team members managing the patient.  The team includes consultants, residents, nurses, technicians and other paramedics.  This exchange of information is also a part of the clinical communication.  A major chunk of the errors in patient care are the result of communication failure amongst the healthcare professionals.  Careful, accurate, systematic, and timely exchange of information is the basis of quality healthcare.  So, in nutshell, clinical communication is an exchange of health related information either with the patients and their family or with the fellow healthcare professionals and is not just about niceties.

Communication with a patient is not the regular communication between two healthy individuals.  This is the communication between a trained and qualified healthcare professional and a person (patient), who is not feeling well, who is in need of help, and who is seeking your attention, care and advice.  In such a situation, communication can not be a simple exchange of conversation.  It has to be a mindful effort from the healthcare professional to proactively connect with the patient, understand his/her health needs and meet them in the best possible manner.

There are a lot of communication opportunities with the patients and their families like collecting patient history, informing and explaining about the diagnosis, discussing about the options available to treat an illness and the pros and cons of each treatment modalities.  Each of this communication requires understanding of quick ways of building rapport, getting all important health related information in the shortest span of available time, winning patients’ trust to reach a mutually acceptable treatment plan and answering patient’s queries in a manner to create patient satisfaction.  There is a huge knowledge differential between the treating doctor and the patient.  The treating doctor is expected to acknowledge this gap and make sure to design the communication in a manner that is understandable to the patient.  This requires the knowledge and understanding of principles of communication and effective tools to communication.  Clinical communication is learning and practicing all about it.

Patients may have unrealistic expectations from the treating doctor or the treatment modality.  It is helpful to be aware of these expectations and how to help them accept realistic expectations.  All this needs understanding of the fact, how the human mind does not accept anything less than the best and how to fine tune it to match with the reality.  This is the negotiation and persuasion aspect of communication and is required in everyday handling of patients.

At multiple times the communication with the patient is very sensitive in nature and requires real experience in terms of handling challenging situations like asking personal sensitive information, taking sexual history, communicating with suicidal patients, communicating with rape and abuse victims, informing about treatment failure or medical error, handling aggressive patient, or breaking bad news like serious diagnosis, or announcing death.  Managing these communications require training and experience and these are part and parcel of healthcare communication.  Understanding, learning, practicing and demonstrating these skills need training.

In an average stay of 3 to 4 days, a patient’s information exchanges 50 to 60 hands.  A lot of errors in patient care are the result of internal communication failure.  When two or multiple healthcare professionals with different educational, professional, and experience backgrounds work together, there is a risk of miscommunication or missed communication.  Unless you have standardized ways of communicating to bring uniformity and minimize the impact of individual difference in communicating, lapses are bound to happen.  Most of these lapses in the care of patients, leading to fatal consequences are the result of communication failure amongst the healthcare professionals.  Clinical communication is all about learning and practicing communication protocols to prevent these errors, and ensure continuity of care, patients’ safety and quality health outcomes.

Communication needs of patients have changed drastically over the last couple of decades.   Today, they wish to know their disease and actively participate in choosing treatment options considering their suitability as well.  They don’t want to be a mute spectator of their treatment planning and management.   It is time that we respect patients’ autonomy and give it due importance without compromising the clinical goals.  Involving the patient in decision making, answering their queries, addressing their concerns and acknowledging their experiences is the basis of modern medicine practices.  Now the patient is an important team member in healthcare delivery.  Engaging them in planning and management of their health condition is a definite way to create patient satisfaction and would also enhance professional satisfaction of the care providers.  After all, the purpose of all our actions is creating happiness and satisfaction.

Considering these facts in the background, it is time we realize the importance of clinical communication in providing quality healthcare including continuity of care, patient safety and patient satisfaction and take these skills seriously!

Dr. Indu Arneja is Founder Director of Indian Institute of Healthcare Communication, A pioneer in the field of Healthcare Communication in India
She has conducted around 1500 Clinical Communication programs for doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals in more than 100 hospitals and medical colleges across the country.

She is an external assessor for NQAS, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and NABH (IRCA), QCI, India.  Is a core group member of Advisory Board on Health and Mental Health for Nation Human Rights Commission.

She is also a visiting faculty to some of the very prestigious organization like IIM Ahmedabad, Delhi Judicial Academy, Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi University, IGNOU and PHFI.  She has over 30 years of experience in the field of health and training.

She is a regular invitee at National and International Conferences.  Recently, she was invited to attend Annual Summit on "Patient Experience and Empathy" by Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA, 2019.  She has been awarded scholarship to attend a prestigious communication course ‘ENRICH’ organized by Academy of Healthcare Communication at Pittsburgh, USA in 2019.

She regularly conducts webinars for national and international audiences. She has conducted multiple webinars for Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado, US.  She has a YouTube channel in her name Dr. Indu Arneja and has an on-going series under the titles - "Heart to Heart talk with Dr. Indu Arneja" and "Master Stroke with Dr. Indu Arneja".

arnejaindu@gmail.com
www.iihcglobal.com

#hospital #hospitals #treatment #medicine #patient #communication #effective #right #patientsrights #doctors #relatives #family #accreditation #technology nabh #jci #technology #patientcommunication  #patientengagement #medicalpractitioners #nursing #nursingcare

 

 

Wait Your Turn - Stay Positive by Annonymous

​It is a mistake to think time is going. Time is not going. Time is here until the world ​​ends. It is you that is going. You don’t waste time. Time is infinite. You waste yourself. You are finite. It is you that grows old and dies. Time doesn’t. So make better use of yourself before you expire. And one of the worst things to do with time is comparing yourself to others. 

A cow eats grass and gets fat but if a dog eats grass, it will die. Never compare yourself with others. Run your race. What works for one person may be that which will kill you. Focus on the gifts and talents God gave you and don’t be envious of the blessings He gave others_ .

Noah's Ark - Illustration by Chris Neville

Both Lion and Shark are professional hunters, BUT:

A Lion cannot hunt in the Ocean and a Shark cannot hunt in the jungle

That a Lion cannot hunt in the ocean doesn't make him useless and that a Shark cannot hunt in the jungle doesn't also make him useless both have their own territory where they can do well

If a rose smells better than tomatoes, It doesn't mean the rose can make a better stew. Don't try to compare yourself to others.  You also have your own strength, look for it and build on it.  All animals that exist, were in Noah's ark. A snail is one of those animals. If God could wait long enough for snails to enter Noah's ark; His door of grace won't close till you reach your expected position in life. Never look down on yourself, keep looking up.  Remember that Broken crayons still color.

Keep on pushing, you never can tell how close you are to your goal...!

Author: Anonymous

Sufian Ahmed's Success in Indian Civil Services Examination by Dr. M. Wasim Ghori

Sufian Ahmed's Success in Indian Civil Services Examination by Dr. M. Wasim Ghori

Sufian Ahmed

The Covid-19 pandemic delayed the results of the coveted Indian Civil Services Exam 2019 conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Nonetheless, it has thrown up several stories of grit, motivation and inspiration with candidates from diverse backgrounds making it to India's elite administrative service. 

One such candidate is Sufiyan Ahmed whose success has been hailed as an inspiring story for youngsters in Nimbahera, Chittorgarh District, Rajasthan. He is an architecture graduate from Aligarh Muslim University with a Master’s degree from IIT Kanpur and hails from a well-educated family with two elder academically bright sisters and an equally brilliant elder brother too.  Father Imtiyaz Ahmed - a Retired School Principal of repute and Mother Shama Nasreen - a Retired School Teacher have always supported and encouraged him to do better in life.  Elder brother, Bilal Arshad, a QA/QC Pharmaceutical professional himself backed Sufiyan too all along his journey.

From zero knowledge and background in Civil Services to All India Rank 303, it has been one hell of a roller coaster ride for Sufiyan Ahmed.  Grandson of an Imam, it was at Aligarh that he first learnt that there was a career in Civil Services. “I used to participate in group discussions revolving between Power and Money and which of the two has the greatest impact on the communities.  Thus, I began nursing my dream of joining Civil Services,” said Sufiyan on phone from his hometown.  He joined Zakat Foundation of India-funded coaching and later the Residential Coaching Academy (RCA) at Jamia Millia Islamia and cracked the Civil Services Exam in third attempt.

 

Sufian Ahmed with his family

He first sat for the Civil Services Exams in 2017 and cleared both Prelims and Mains but couldn’t make it to the final list.  Surprisingly, he didn’t qualify even the prelims in 2018 and felt dejected. “I was devastated after two successive failures, but I analysed my mistakes and told myself that I can bounce back. Sometimes it doesn’t happen alone. You need someone to chip in with you in tougher times and for this no better than my uncle (mother’s brother) Dr. Wasim Ghori, a UK Alumni and Consultant Diabetologist in Mumbai who motivated me to attempt again,” said Sufiyan.

“Since Sufiyan was frustrated at the failure in second attempt in 2018, I invited him over to Punjab Bhavan, New Delhi with the sole purpose to re-instil self-belief and confidence so that he could start his exam preparations with a fresh perspective and a positive frame of mind.  Furthermore, I took him to an iftar invitation at the Parliament House Annexe so that he could meet and interact with Bureaucrats, Consul Generals and Ambassadors from different countries. The intention was to silently remind him of his vision for which he had opted for Civil Services in the first place,” recalled Dr. Ghori whose father Abdul Salim Ghori (Sufiyan’s grandfather) had a great influence in charting out the family’s course. 

“The biggest contribution of my Uncle (Dr. Ghori) in my life is that he motivated me to aim high in life.  For him being satisfied with small things when bigger things can be achieved is an injustice to one’s own talents and gifts,” said Sufiyan. “I am sure Sufiyan will attempt again and improve his rank next year.  He is a role model and the Roger Barrister of his hometown, Nimbahera.  He will certainly motivate and inspire many more students to take India's prestigious civil services examination in the years to come.” said Dr. Ghori.

Sufiyan also reflected that being a full-time resident at the RCA for two years has helped him meet students from diverse backgrounds and interacting with them has shaped his personality.  “I come from a small town in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh district and understand the problems rural India face. But living with students from Manipur, Kerala and Kashmir, I understood the diversity of the problems and challenges the country faces and how issues are unique to a region,” he said.

Sufiyan added that the RCA is different from other coaching centres as it has an entrance examination and only those who are serious about the examination are admitted here.  “At a private coaching institute, anybody who can pay the fee is in your class and not everybody has the required dedication. I graduated from IIT – Kanpur after studying design and was the only person from my class that did not sit for placements and gave up on a job. This is how serious I was about serving the nation,” said Sufiyan.

On exam preparations, Sufiyan says, “The number of hours you have to study per day depends on the goal of your studies. If you decide a time of ten days to complete a book, then you will have to study daily according to it. I cannot study ten or twelve hours continuously. So, I had a schedule of five-five or six-six hours for myself”.

Speaking about his achievements, Sufiyan said “when the chips are down, talk to someone who will lend their ears to you. Keep your ego out and discuss with peers and seniors. Share knowledge and be inquisitive to gain knowledge and the more you do, the more it comes back to you. Surround yourself with people who are optimistic and are ready to have a healthy discussion with you”.

Sufian Ahmed - Third from left with Dr. Wasim Ghori, his Uncle on his left side

 

Sufiyan adds that the entire town and family are ecstatic with these developments and understandably so. His father Imtiyaz Ahmed says “I want my son to work with utmost honesty and integrity in whichever services he opts for”. The same sentiments were echoed by mother Shama Nasreen who is delighted at the success of her younger son and understandably so. 

Grand-father Abdul Salim Ghori had encouraging words to add too “Sufiyan has become a source of inspiration to many youngsters; I am sure that he will discharge his duties towards Nation-building with utmost dedication, commitment and sincerity and serve the under-privileged sections of our great country India to the best of his abilities”.

Grand-mother Zainab Ghori – an accomplished Mumbai-based Retired School Administrator extended her blessings to grandson Sufiyan as he looks forward to serving the nation in the coming years. She has urged students to have faith in hard work and to put consistent efforts for achieving their goals.

I give Sufiyan my blessings and wish to see him as a top ranking bureaucrat in the Government of India and a career full of success and achievements and that he may some day bring Glory to India and make us all proud.

Contributed by Dr. Wasim Ghori

 

Dr. M. Wasim Ghori, Medical Director & Consultant Diabetologist, Heart & Diabetes Clinics, Mumbai discusses the need to follow certain protocols that can help overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and not to stigmatise an individual, locality or a community.