Expert advises five measures to increase the probability of natural childbirth during pregnancy

When people fall ill, they often look for doctors among relatives, friends, or recently—through artificial intelligence and the internet. Sometimes the decision to undergo treatment is based on the number of a doctor's followers on social media or positive reviews on Google. However, is choosing a doctor solely based on these factors correct? Especially if the illness is serious or surgery is required, it is important to know what kind of doctor one should look for and what aspects to pay attention to.

Dr. Ushast Dir, director of the liver transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery department at Sar Ganga Hospital, shared this information. According to Dr. Dir, when searching for a doctor for treatment or surgery, six key aspects must be considered.

Firstly, it is extremely important to ascertain the doctor's medical diploma and registration. Dr. Ushast Dir emphasizes that one must verify the medical diploma of the doctor being sought for treatment or surgery and whether they are registered with the relevant medical council. In India, the registration of allopathic doctors can be checked in the records of the National Medical Council (NMC) and state medical councils.

Secondly, the doctor's experience in treating the disease should be assessed. If the illness is severe or surgical intervention is required, it is important to know how extensive the doctor's experience is in treating that specific disease. It is not enough to simply know how many years the doctor has practiced; one must also understand if they treat patients with a similar profile, how many patients they see daily, and what those patients think of them.

Thirdly, the number of surgeries performed should be inquired about. Before an operation, one can ask the doctor how many times they have performed the corresponding surgery, but the number of operations itself does not determine the doctor's competence. It is also important to know how many of these operations were successful and what the doctor's attitude towards their patients is.

Fourthly, the hospital and its team must be evaluated. Successful treatment depends not only on the doctor but on the entire medical team. Especially for major operations, attention should be paid to anesthesiologists, nursing staff, and emergency services at the hospital. It is also important to know the level of hygiene maintained in the hospital and the level of care provided to patients.

Fifthly, financial matters should be discussed openly. A good doctor explains the nature of the illness to the patient. Before starting treatment, it is necessary to clarify the full cost of medications, examinations, hospitalization, and the surgery itself. One must also find out when follow-up observation will be required after treatment is completed.

Finally, Dr. Dir warns against relying solely on Google reviews. Although viewing Google reviews is not a bad thing, making a final treatment decision based only on them is incorrect. Currently, reviews may be paid or written by the staff themselves, so it is necessary to choose a doctor by considering all the listed parameters.

When a couple is unable to conceive after marriage for a long time, the family's attention often focuses on the woman. It is commonly assumed that the cause of infertility is female infertility. In most cases, the woman is first recommended to undergo examination and start treatment. However, in many cases, the problem of infertility lies not with the woman, but with the man, yet this fact remains unnoticed because men tend to avoid necessary tests.

When doctors ask a man to take a semen analysis, many begin to hesitate. Some men refuse to undergo examinations, while others, having received a referral to a hospital or IVF center, do not show up for several days. Delaying testing leads to treatment starting too late. Men begin to avoid visiting IVF centers, and sometimes they only come after persistent requests.

Doctors at IVF centers note that male infertility problems have significantly increased. Therefore, it is extremely important to undergo testing on schedule. Dr. Nidhi Sehrawat, a fertility expert at Krishta IVF, emphasizes that infertility cannot be viewed solely as a female problem; there are also causes related to men. According to WHO data, about one-third of all infertility cases are linked to male factors. In some cases, men have low sperm counts, which prevents conception, and a semen analysis is performed to detect this.

Dr. Aasta Gupta, a senior IVF expert at Delhi IVF Hospitals, explains that a woman may fail to conceive due to low sperm count, reduced motility, or abnormalities in sperm structure. Semen analysis is used to determine these parameters. Despite medical recommendations to take this test, men often avoid it or take it after a long time.

According to Dr. Priyanka Sharma, senior consultant at Kokoon Hospital, Chandigarh, if conception does not occur, an examination of both spouses should be conducted from the beginning. If the man delays the examination, identifying the problem and starting treatment can take a long time. Therefore, it is very important for men to undergo tests as soon as possible if referred by a doctor. Furthermore, the delay can lead to deterioration of the relationship in the couple.

Dr. Priyanka notes that the semen analysis is often perceived through the lens of shame or masculinity, which prompts men to avoid it. However, in reality, it is just as routine a medical check-up as any other, the purpose of which is to understand the cause of the problem and gain access to proper treatment. Therefore, it is necessary for men to also undergo their tests on time.

The Medical Association expressed great apprehension regarding a potential cut in care provided to hospitalized patients, resulting from the implementation of new guidelines concerning the diversion of doctors from inpatient services to emergency departments.

In an official statement, the Medical Association argued that transferring medical resources from sectors monitoring hospitalized patients to cover deficits in external emergency rooms does not represent an effective solution. This situation is motivated by a decree issued by the Ministry of Health, published on Thursday in the Official Gazette, which requires internal hospital emergency room doctors to provide support to external emergency rooms during periods of high pressure.

These new directives from the Ministry of Health aim to address emergency room service issues, specifically long waiting times. The Medical Association lamented that a determination with a direct impact on safety and hospital structure was made without adequate prior consultation with both the institution and the doctors themselves.

Additionally, it was emphasized that such decisions require meticulous planning, a deep understanding of the operational reality of the services, and a clear assessment of clinical and organizational implications—aspects that, according to the Association, the aforementioned decree lacks.

The Medical Association stressed that a patient's inpatient status does not diminish the criticality or severity of a deterioration in their clinical condition. It was recalled that internal emergency rooms already face significant assistance overload and lack the necessary reinforcement of means.

Carlos Cortes, spokesperson for the Association, stated that it is impossible to solve one problem by generating another, which could be even more serious. He warned that moving doctors to the external emergency room reduces the capacity to monitor frequently vulnerable patients who have complex clinical conditions and require constant vigilance.

The Independent Doctors' Union (SIM) also expressed 'deep concern' with Minister Ana Paula Martins' dispatch, considering it 'particularly censurable' that an incentive system created to reward extra effort from doctors could be used to justify the accumulation of care responsibilities.

The SIM guaranteed that it would not accept internal emergency room doctors becoming a permanent reserve of professionals to compensate for staff shortages in external emergency rooms, which would jeopardize the safety of hospitalized patients. The union emphasized that a ministerial decree cannot annul the law or disregard rights established in collective bargaining.

The Ministry of Health decree came into effect this Friday and establishes the principles of articulation and organization between internal and external emergency rooms in National Health Service hospitals. This follows the financial incentives created to compensate doctors who work beyond the annual limit of supplementary hours.

These remuneration incentives were instituted in June of this year to ensure the normal functioning of emergency services, but internal emergency room doctors were included later, via a new decree published in August. Hospital boards of directors have a period of 60 days to approve or adjust their internal procedures in accordance with the standards defined in this dispatch.