Recently I took my wife to a female skin specialist. She hardly listened to what we said, writing furiously the medication required. When we asked her more questions, like what food to avoid, she lost her temper. "If I spend so much time talking to you, how will I make a living? I have many patients to see, so I cannot talk to you more than I have done". Mind you, she is probably one of the most expensive specialists in the country, charging Rs. 2,000 for the five minutes she gave us. And there were six people waiting to see her. I estimated that her net income is at least ten to fifteen thousand a day (after deducting expenses like rent and her assistant's salary). Perhaps that's why she's so rude. If I'd been in the tax department, I'd have made life hell for her.

There was a time when doctors were very friendly. There was no need to buy medicines from pharmacies or medical stores (which were practically non-existent). Doctors had assistants called compounders who made the medication (called mixture) and patients had to take the liquid thrice a day. Usually one recovered in a day or two. There were no antibiotics. The doctors asked about family and friends and didn't get offended if you asked them why and how you got sick. 

Now of course, doctors are more concerned with how to see as many patients a day before they go to dine in expensive restaurants. When they're not in their clinics, they are usually planning their next vacations. Since they don't give receipts for what they charge, they pay very little income tax. But then, everyone cheats the government, so why blame them?

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