This chapter is an extract from the book ‘Know your Ailment’ by Dr Ravi Bapat and Dr Kamaxi Bhate. It is published by Indus Source Books (www.indussource.com) (email: info@indussource.com).
About the book
A must-read for General Practitioners as well as laypersons and a valuable source of reference for every home!
As per the statistics provided by the World Health Organisation, approximately 70 % of illnesses do not require medication. Simple home remedies can help alleviate them. About 30 % of illnesses do need treatment. Of those, 25 % can be resolved with the help of routine investigations and standard medication. About 3 % of the patients need antibiotics and simple investigations. Specialists, super-specialists, and sophisticated medical investigations are necessary in only about 2 % of cases.
So how do we determine whether our illness requires intensive medical treatment or not? How would we know whether the treatment would lead to recovery or is likely to create further complications? What are the measures we can take at home before we decide to consult a doctor? In view of the escalating cost of medical care and the plethora of tests and investigations that are often prescribed, what must a patient know about his illness to ensure that he gets the correct treatment? Two leading doctors address precisely these questions in this ready reckoner.
About the Authors
Prof. (Dr.) Ravindra Bapat is Professor Emeritus of Department of Surgical Gastroenterology at Seth G. S. Medical College & KEM Hospital, Mumbai. He is the former Chairman of Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation Ltd; ex-Governing Council member of Tata Memorial Centre; formerVice Chancellor, Mahatma Gandhi Mission University of Health Sciences; and former Vice Chancellor, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences.
Dr. Kamaxi Bhate is a Professor of Preventive and Social medicine and has been teaching UG/PG/Nursing students in G. S. Medical College for 29 years. She is also in charge of the Patient Education Centre & Malvani Urban Health Centre.
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