‘Keeping fit is keeping happy. Treating patients gives me happiness and my is mantra of fitness,’ says Dr Yeshwant K Amdekar (76), one of the senior most practicing paediatricians in India who is presently the medical director of BJ Wadia hospital for Children at Parel.
It has been 48 years of practice but Dr Amdekar sees patients every day for three hours in his clinic in the morning followed by rounds at Wadia hospital from 1.30 pm to 7 pm. “We were taught by teachers who were passionate about teaching and treating patients. I am following them,” said Dr Amdekar.
He said he believes in rational practicing where spending quality time with the patient is important. “My motto has been seeing minimum patients. There have been times where I have spent an hour with the patient. As a doctor, I believe in quality than quantity. Me and my team spend at least 20 to 30 minutes with a patient,” said Dr Amdekar. He explained that while seeing a patient, emphasis is giving on complete advice.
“It is important to look after all the aspects apart from the problem that the patient has come for. The aim is that my patient should not return to me with same problem. For example, if a child has come to me with diarrhoea problem, it is important to check if there is fault in feeding the child or there is a hygiene problem so that next time the child doesn’t get diarrhoea,” said Dr Amdekar. He said that for him, blessing from his patients is more important than money.
For Doctors’ Day, Dr Amdekar said one should compete with oneself and not with others. “As a message to young doctors, I would like to say- ‘Treat your patients as you would like to be treated as a patient. Do not run after money. Be happy with what you are getting,” he said.
Dr Amdekar said as a doctor one should keep updating his/her medical knowledge, be compassionate, keep your conscience clear.