Doctors play a significant role in society. They help people in overcoming illnesses, save lives, and create much more for the community. They put extended hours in ER (emergency rooms) to take care of patients. Even when a patient hires the services of a nurse at home, usually a doctor stays in contact for instructions. Their active and important role in society makes a doctor a respected profession.
But their role goes beyond just taking care of patients. They do much more for the people. In this article, you can see how doctors contribute towards building an overall betterment of the community.
Defense Against Pandemics
The role of doctors in the control of the Coronavirus pandemic deserves all the praise. When many employees were told to work from home, doctors had to take care of wards full of Covid patients. Not only were they more exposed to the virus, they even had to put extra hours at hospitals. Even after going to their homes, they had to keep their distance from family members. Many even fell ill to Coronavirus. Now when the pandemic is under control and things are getting back to how they used to, doctors have made a massive contribution.
Besides treating patients, doctors are also responsible for raising awareness about the importance of wearing masks and washing hands. Also, the general advice of staying indoors was more effective for people when it came from doctors. Lastly, the efforts of doctors in the vaccination process of millions of people are worth mentioning.
Disease Prevention
Even before and after the Covid situation, doctors have always been active in the prevention of diseases. A lot of people avoid getting seriously sick by taking a doctor’s appointment and taking medication. Preventive medicine keeps people from falling sick, which further keeps the community healthy and functioning.
When people fall sick less often, they take fewer days off. In return, the businesses they work at operate smoothly. All this is thanks to the preventive medicine by doctors.
Creating Jobs
Doctors also create many jobs for people both directly and indirectly. When someone builds a hospital or starts a clinic, they get the help of different contractors. Once a clinic is equipped with an initial setup to function, doctors hire nurses, caregivers, and medical technicians. Pharmacists and contractors of medical supplies should be present too to provide prescribed medication. So, this is how these doctors are responsible for creating jobs for many people in the community.
Public Education
A lot of people try to self-medicate by searching for their symptoms online. This is not only safe but can also put their health in further danger. Most of the content on the internet on health is not from credible sources. Even if a patient finds a credible source, they may not comprehend the information and instructions. Moreover, this practice can increase human pathogen resistance to antibiotics. Therefore, self-medication is not advisable.
Doctors educate the public about their conditions and then prescribe them suitable medication. Even when people are not visiting a hospital, doctors often raise awareness about the ongoing health challenges in the area through posters and banners. More importantly, doctors often correct the misconceptions of people from the baseless internet claims.
Making Lives Better
The estimated life expectancy of a hundred years ago was much lower than what it is today. The diseases that can be cured with a week’s medication used to be life-threatening for people. Not too long ago, a Malaria fever could claim a patient’s life. But today, doctors know how to treat it more efficiently than ever.
Besides the treatment of diseases, many other things like childbirth have become much safer. A C-section operation had a high mortality rate at the start of the last century. Back then, doctors did not have quality anesthesia, hygienic conditions, and surgical techniques. All these are now much better and the risks from these procedures have shrunk.
Contribution to Better Health Policies
When there are public concerns about health with local authorities and policies of governments, doctors often amplify their voice. Thanks to their professional credibility and public trust, their opinions are heard. Recent events of the Covid pandemic are excellent examples of how their concerns were heard and authorities made better health policies. Â
Conclusion
Doctors serve the community in many ways every day. They work hard against alarming situations like pandemics and the prevention of common diseases among people. Also, they continuously work towards advancements and make important contributions to creating employment and public education.