The concept of ‘General Physician’ is almost gone
By DoctorDidi
@DoctorDidi (7018)
India
November 21, 2011 11:15am CST
In our child age and even in our school or college days when we fell ill, we used to be treated by our family physician who used to be a ‘General Physician’ of the locality. If he thought the ailment to be beyond the reach of his knowledge, he referred the case to a specialist. He always felt a moral responsibility for the patient. He always thought for the welfare of the patient. Unfortunately, the picture is now changed altogether. It is now a common trend among us to visit a consultant at the first instance or after a wait for a certain period of time with self medication or using over the counter medications or going without any treatment until the ailment gets worse. There is no mental bondage between the doctor and the patient. It pains me too much. What is your feeling about it?
6 responses
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
23 Nov 11
I think that medical care is changing just as technology and people in general are changing. Family values no longer seems to be of great importance. Multi-generational family units no longer seem to exist. Normal people can't afford good medical attention and technology is in such a hurry doctors may be taken over by robots and computerization before long. Except in certain situations.
@andy4pinoy (298)
• Philippines
22 Nov 11
General Physicians are the primary care physician. They are the first line in medical care. They will do first hand investigations and if they will find you have simple medical case they will treat it right there and then.
However, If find out following investigation that you suffer a complicated medical condition,GP will refer you to a specialists concerned on your medical problem.
Until now this is still a practice. In most cases. GP's are assigned in destrict hospital, towns and in some remote town.
GP's are still very instrumental nowadays in healthcare delivery sytem.
@savypat (20216)
• United States
21 Nov 11
We have here what is called a primary Doctor, that person is the one who points you toward and specialost needed. The main problem is my primary Doctor is so busy and he only sees me once a year, my specialist sees me every 4 months and gets to know me a little as a person.
@blue65packer (11826)
• United States
22 Nov 11
Nowadays the doctors are all specialists. It is not what it used to be! The general physician is dying out! It is hard to find a personal doctor because of that! Believe me I recently went through that! I see an internal physican which is closest thing to a general physican!
@ebuscat (5935)
• Philippines
22 Nov 11
For me really not good influence in it by the person who love in that studies but find more health can activate there way of life.
@prabin_jee (37)
• Bangladesh
21 Nov 11
I think its good to have a family doctor or a family physician. General physician have all the idea of looking after your health. So, you can take good precautions for any kinds of unhealthy practises and illness with the help of your physician. Its true that if you had severe disease then you need to go to a specialist but your physician will have taken care of you before you had the disease and decrease the chance of illness getting more severe. So, i think having a family physician is a good practise.
