I cannot tell you what the most important lessons I have learnt in life is but I can definately tell you about an important lesson I learnt this week.
Every day we have different consultants coming in to see the patients .I have this habit of pulling a chair and comfortably sitting down while I go about talking to my patients.It was not a consious act on my part but my cousin who has a wider experience of the west was telling me how important it was to do that so that the patients do not feel talked down to.
I have had many patients expressing their gratitude for making them feel at home because at the end of the day they are frightened of coming to the hospital.
This week I had the opportunity to go for a consult with two local consultants at two different times .
What really struck me was the stance they took even as they talked to the patients.
They went down on their haunches and talked up to the patient even as the patients looked down at them with utter trust and comfort.
I was deeply touched.
I have no idea what is recommended,I have not seen the others do that,but to me it sent a non-verbal signal of deep concern, empathy and an expression of the preciousness of the person before them.
It was something enlightening for me ,almost like the picture of Lord Jesus washing the disciple's feet....Lord,give me that level of sensitivity.
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