When the same person who is trying to save you at the cost of his family, time and sometimes life too is beaten up...sounds amiss, right? But that is exactly what some doctors have had to go through in the past few days. The media was abuzz with news of doctors beaten up by angry patients, stigmatized because they choose to fight the COVID 19 pandemic, and left helpless and hapless. Is that the occupational hazard they signed for? Is it fair to reward long-working hours with public fury?

We emphasize with all stakeholders during the crisis—the homemaker who has to manage everything from scratch, the entrepreneur who is losing his monthly gains, the professional who is at the risk of losing his bonus if not his jobs, the individual who is susceptible to the virus, but clearly we have made a choice to take for granted the doctor. It is his job to cure us, after all, we believe out of a warped sense of entitlement.

Which makes us wonder why are people reacting in an abrupt way with the healthcare workers, who are the field warriors in this pandemic?

We are new to this virus and are aware that it causes respiratory infection and can lead to serious or fatal health complications in some individuals. This limited knowledge and the deaths that are caused has led to a shared experience of health anxiety amongst the people.

To put it in simple words, when someone gets infected, their worries keep on hitting the vast spectrum of the void. And as the experts are still trying to decode COVID all over the world, until they know everything about the virus in order to find a cure for it or safeguard people from it, the doctors though desperate to get a clear picture about it themselves are not able to fully answer their patient's query.  

But while the onus to support the patient is on the doctor, the medical professional is also burdened with the task of alleviating his patients’ anxiety and fear. 

For starters, doctors could

1. Empathize with the patient's anxiety. While giving all the answers concerning the patients’ queries may not be possible yet the doctor can assure the patients of the best care he will be able to give
2. the doctor can share insights about their fast recovery through citing examples of successful cases 
3. It is imperative that the doctor rationalizes with the patient about his condition. While sharing all the medical details of the patient’s condition may not be possible, telling the patient to accept

 clear communication may help

1. The doctor should ask for a patient’s cooperation towards the treatment. He should assure the patient that though he will give his best to cure  the patient, the times are tough and he will require patience and cooperation as tools on his side
2. Doctors can communicate to the patient to stop worrying about the bigger or end picture and do as much as they can to support him in his treatment
3. Besides being the lead medical support, being a confidante to the patient also plays an important role in this latitude. The doctor can have meaningful conversations with them to put them at ease and make them believe in him

 The current crisis has put healthcare professionals under unprecedented stress which is aggravated by un-supportive patients. To create a conducive environment for treatment, it is ideal that the channels of communication between the health giver and the individual are kept open and healthy.