Medical students 'need humanising'

A new curriculum to "humanise" medical students is needed as a way to prevent conflicts between doctors and patients, according to social science academics, victims of medical errors and doctors who attended a "harmonious dialogue" seminar yesterday.

A lack of communication skills on the part of doctors is seen as one of the key factors in confrontations between doctors and patients.

Organised by the National Health Commission and the Human Resources for Health Research and Development Office, the dialogue aimed to analyse causes of the problem and to allow all stake-holders a say in finding long-term solutions to prevent further conflict, said Dr Amphon Jinda-watthana, acting secretary-general of the National Health Commission.

"It's a complicated problem that cannot be solved without emotion, feeling or opinion. The problem is a result of the complicated health system in this country," said Amphon.

"Medical professionals are living in their own world, where only diseases and pathology exist. They do not see human beings and do not know how to communicate with their patients," Leuchai Sringer-nyuang, a medical anthropologist at Mahidol University, said in a paper distributed to participants. He was not present at yesterday's session.

According to social activist Dr Prawes Wasi, medical schools throughout the country will meet to discuss how to "humanise" medical students and doctors.

Participants at yesterday's dialogue also discussed other mechanisms to prevent further conflicts and to solve existing problems between doctors and patients.

Among the ideas raised was the possibility of reducing commercialism in health systems, and a protection mechanism for doctors who practise in district hospitals that have limited technology and human resources.

The work overload of rural doctors was mentioned as one of the factors that made them the group most vulnerable to legal cases, said Dr Ithiporn Kanachareon of the Medical Council of Thailand.

Ithiporn said 26 doctors from district hospitals were currently facing lawsuits filed against them by patients.

Conflict between health professionals and patients has become a major problem, with the number of legal cases filed against doctors increasing every year since 1998, when the first civil case was filed against a doctor.

Currently there are 75 cases - 66 civil and nine criminal - filed against doctors working in hospitals under the supervision of the Public Health Ministry.

This problem reached a peak late last year when a female doctor from Ronphibul Hospital was sentenced to a three-year prison term without probation for recklessness that led to the death of a patient.

Amphon said the relationship between health professionals and patients was a priority for the National Health Commission. He will consult with all commissioners to set up a special working group to deal with the issue in the long term.

"The conflicts are now critical, but I believe we still can find ways to solve them," he said.

Pennapa Hongthong

The Nation