A Village Doctor

 

There are various types of professions in the world. Among them, the profession of doctors is perhaps most respected for rendering service to the society. A doctor dedicates his life to the service of the patients.

A village doctor is generally a quack. He is not a qualified doctor. He has neither proper education nor big certificates on medical science. He relies upon traditional methods of treatment which his father and forefather followed. The villagers have implicit faith in him and they entrust themselves to his care and treatment when they fall a victim to some disease.

The dispensary of a village doctor is very simple. He keeps a medical box which contains some common medicines. He sits on a piece of matting or a carpet. His customers squat in front of him on the bare floor. He feels their pulses, sometimes examines their tongues and sometimes their urine.

A village doctor does not charge heavy fees. He accepts what the villagers pay him cordially He visits serious cases several times a day for a single fee. In case of serious accidents, he proves of great help to the villagers.

A village doctor is not expert in giving the services like a qualified doctor. He can bandage a fracture; he can set a broken limb. He knows how to stop bleeding. He can apply disinfectants to wounds and cuts. He keeps a few purgatives, patent medicines and common drugs also to give a modern touch to his treatment. He uses both ayurvedic and allopathic drugs and sometimes homeopathic medicines too. His patients never find fault with him and hold him in great esteem.

A village doctor’s life is hard. Often, he has to visit the patient at off hours foregoing his rest, sleep and even food. Sometimes the doctor has to work throughout the day and night attending to serious patients or victims of war, epidemic or major accident. He has to always treat his patients with a smile and cheer. He motivates and encourages sick person. He is a source of hope and strength of the village people. Even in distress, his duty is first towards his patient.

There is a great dearth of qualified doctors in our country. In towns, there is no dearth of doctors but in villages, there are no qualified doctors for miles. The dispensaries are also few and far apart. Villagers, in many cases, die for want of a proper medical aid. In this respect, the village society is indebted to the village doctors.

Village doctors play a vital role in the rural health care of our country. So we should not abhor him. The government should train them to boost up their quality.