We do our best to keep our patients
happy , and this is why we listen carefully to what patients have to say about
their experience with other IVF clinics.
There are three major complaints IVF patients
have about IVF doctors .
1. 1.
We
do not get to see the Doctor. This is especially true when you take treatment
in a large hospital , or an impersonal assembly line super-busy IVF clinic , where
the doctor you see on a particular day will be the one who happens to be on
duty on that particular day - the “doctor
du jour” ! In many IVF clinics, the main
“brand name” doctor himself is so busy that the only time patients get to see
them is at the time of the first consultation. At this time, the clinic is in “sell
mode”, and is trying its best to put on its best front, so that you will sign
up for your IVF treatment with them. Once you have paid your money and started
your treatment, you are forced to see assistants or juniors – and may never get
to see the brand name doctor again. Patients are lured by the reputation of the
“ famous doctor” – the one who is supposed to be the face, heart and brains of the
clinic . When they pay a huge sum of money for their IVF treatment, and then
find that they can never reach this Doctor to get their doubts clarified or
their queries answered, they get very frustrated. They feel neglected and
cheated because “their” Doctor is no longer approachable. They also find that
they have to repeat their history over and over again for each new assistant,
and this can be a painful exercise. Even worse, often the junior doctors will
provide different answers to their questions, which means they are never sure
what is happening to them. They start losing confidence every time they are
fobbed off with the standard answer – We will ask the Doctor what to do – and then
find that the Doctor is never available !
2. 2.
We
have to wait for hours. IVF clinics can be very busy , and most of them don't respect
the patient's time. Patients often find
that they routinely have to wait for hours on end to see a doctor. Patients have
a life to
lead , and they find these waits can be extremely disruptive. They are unproductive and just add to their stress
levels !
lead , and they find these waits can be extremely disruptive. They are unproductive and just add to their stress
levels !
3. 3.
There
is no transparency . IVF patients are so desperate to have a baby, that most of
them will put up with these long waits and having to see a new doctor every
time , without complaining. However, they feel very upset when no one bothers
to tell them what is happening to them during their IVF cycle. No one is
willing to take the time and trouble to sit down with them to explain to them
how the cycle is progressing . Record
keeping is very sketchy and most clinics don’t bother to provide even basic
information as to the size and number of follicles seen on the scans ; or the
number of eggs retrieved ; or the quality of the embryos . Most IVF clinics still
don’t give patients photos of their embryos and this lack of what should be standard
documentation is very worrisome. There often seems to be a conspiracy of
silence – the standard answer to every question being – The Doctor will tell
you ( and the Doctor is never available !) Sadly, most patients in India have been
taught to be docile , patient and quiet – and they put up with whatever their
Doctor dishes out - especially when this is a big brand name clinic. They feel
that this is the standard of care – and since all the other patients are also
being treated in exactly the same way , they don't have the guts or gumption to
speak up and complain .
Fortunately,
times are changing , and especially when the IVF cycle fails , a lot of these
patients wake up and start doing their homework , so they can find a better IVF
clinic, which will engage with them and treat them with respect !
Looking for an IVF clinic which pampers its patients ?
Please send me your medical details by filling in the form at
http://www.drmalpani.com/malpaniform.htm so I can guide you better !
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