I am writing this from Monterrey, Mexico. Most people who do not know Mexico well would be surprised how Europeanised and well organised and clean the city is; With this development comes very good medical care.
I am writing about a case I witnessed today.
A friend of mine for many years , a rancher by trade from the interior of the Coahuila state is married to my colleague with whom I had worked looking after the Kickapoo Indians who live in Coahuila.
He has had trauma to his right hip and suffered from the consequences for YEARS. A hip replacement had been done but afforded no pain. His wife who is well connected with the medical personnel in Monterrey, she graduated from its medical school. In the end, in desperation, they sought the help of the Traumatologist/Orthopaedic Surgeon, Tomas Ramos.
I accompanied my friends to the offices of Dr Ramos at a well known medical building and hospital in downtown Monterrey.
The hospital is called Christus Muguerza and is affiliated to the University of Monterrey. Dr Ramos is on the faculty of the medical school.
What you first notice is that lack of noise and hurried movements that characterizes a hospital in the USA. The parking lot in front of the hospital had plenty of space and there was not a flurry of human activity, real or faked.
the entrance hall was clean and we entered the area where my friend had to have a x ray taken. very few people were waiting and it was quickly done, the results uploaded electronically as my friend arrived in the waiting room.
His appointment with Dr Ramos was at 3 pm. His shared offices were on another floor and there was a single receptionist who opened the door and the doctor was waiting in the office, his office.
I am an anthropologist so my vista is always tinged with that world view that I have. He warmly greeted my friend, shaking his hand and hugging him. He greeted the lady with a hug and kiss, customary in this country. I was introduced as a visiting friend who is a doctor and he offered me a seat.
There was a computer in the room but he had his back to it.
The xray image had already arrived on the phone of the patient and obviously Dr Ramos had revised the x ray as he had no need to open his computer to do so
He was engaged in deep conversation with the patient and his wife . no one interrupted, no telephone calls, no computer reminders, no notes, just the doctor talking to the patient. i sat patiently, watching the interaction. My friend was overjoyed to demonstrate his painless state and after about 20 minutes of conversation, the doctor led the patient to the examination table and demonstrated the regained full flexibility. You could see the joy in the face of patient and the pride in the face of the doctor of a job well done and the content face of the wife of the patient. he had spent a full 30 minute on this follow up visit and it was at that time I was given a chance, he wanted to know what is that i did, I told him that I am a doctor without a border and that i also teach Medical Anthropology. Then we had a chance to talk about empathy and communication with the patient as the basis of medical care. we had a full ten minute conversation about our empathic selves as treatment. I cannot imagine such a conversation with an orthopaedic surgeon in Miami in private practice in Baptist Hospital, the only comparable experience I could relate to. you cannot even get hold of your doctor, but a call centre, in most cases.
I also mentioned to Dr Ramos, there was a time when patients from developing countries needed to travel to the north in search of medical care, right now there is no need for any one in Monterrey to travel to Baptist Hospital or Miami for medical care, Excellent empathic, unhurried consultations are available here in Monterrey at a fraction of the cost in Miami.
We had a chance to exchange our visiting cards with a promise to keep in touch and we took a photo to commemorate the occasion.
I felt very happy that modernisation does not have to follow de humanisation of medical care, at this time of great technological advances in medicine.
PS. The shabbat has arrived in Monterrey.
It ia contented that the prosperity of Monterrey and surrounding region of the new kingdom of Leon settled by Luis de Carvajal, was due to the large number of conversos or crypto jews including many members of the Carvajal family.
so it was a pleasure to light the candles and think of the dearest ones in my life...may this light reach them
