The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said there needs to be a refocus on the art of medicine in the health system.

Dr Darville said he believed that some physicians now have become so “disease orientated” in their treatment that they do not look at the individual holistically, and prescribe medication that affects “their ability to function in other aspects of their life”.

The minister spoke on Friday at the Senior Nurse Leaders’ Symposium. Addressing the nurses, Dr Darville spoke about the standard he had for treating patients.

“I know as a physician I always challenge myself when I practise medicine in a clinical setting, that every patient in front of me I would treat them as if it was my mother. That’s the kind of standards that I committed to when I decided to be a physician,” the Tall Pines MP said.

“So I learned the art of being patient, being committed, and the necessity to follow up not only as a clinician but to demonstrate the essential components of care. And to transform a broken soldier, a person who is internalising their illness and to create an atmosphere of wellness after treating the medical condition. I believe that that’s where we need to go.

“We need to refocus and look very carefully at the way we’re practising the art of medicine and care and to be able to address not only sickness but also illness. You see, many of our patients who come to us with medical conditions have a clinical diagnosis but because of the challenges we face and the demand on us, we never really get the opportunity to treat all of the other factors associated with how they internalise their illness.

“That is what we call the art of healthcare and I believe somewhere along the line, we have lost him and we need to come back and get the art of healthcare to treat the entire man, the whole man and not just the clinical or medical condition in front of us.”

He also said doctors have to find new ways to ensure patients comply with medical advice, saying many people do not reveal when they have stopped taking prescribed medication.

“I practised medicine for many years. Let me tell you something, when you give a male a medication and he takes the medication, his pressure goes down, and then he is unable to function effectively with his... duties.

“So what he does is he stopped taking the medication and he feels better to perform... So he’s going to treat himself. So you could go to the clinic as much as you want and prescribe the medication, he is not going to take it. So as we begin to look at new ways and techniques to treat our patients to ensure that we improve compliance, it is not only at the nursing level, it is also for the physician as well.”

He added: “I believe that some of our physicians now have become so disease orientated in their treatment, that they don’t look at the individual holistically, and prescribe medication that affects their ability to function in other aspects of their life. As a direct result, the blood pressure is not controlled and they come back with symptoms. When the patients sit with the doctor, the doctor (say) ‘you taking the medication,’ he says yes. But he’s not taking the medication and so the doctor adds additional medication.

“So sometimes when we have people, particularly in our Family Islands who die as a result of complications of chronic non-communicable diseases, the family will come to you with a suitcase of medication, say, ‘could you use these?’ So the reality is we need to get back to the basics to ensure that our patients are compliant with the medication. Do not assume that they are taking the medication. You have to run your checks, and sometimes even have to speak to other family members to say listen, ‘do you see any medication around the house?’”

The remarks come after the news of Kenise Darville’s death. Days before her passing, the mother-of-three went live on Facebook about the alleged negligence she experienced at Princess Margaret Hospital.

Her death has stirred anger in the public and caused people to share their alleged bad experiences at the hospital. Moreover, fingers are being pointed by observers at the apparent lack of care some PMH nurses and doctors show.

Dr Darville told reporters that he instructed the hospital and the Public Hospitals Authority to investigate the negligence allegations.