Meenakshi Madhvani - Founder says
A Unique Doctor Patient Collaboration
26 years ago my family moved into Kalina, in those days a sleepy green suburb with the only signs of life being an occasional student stumbling out of the sprawling university campus. Two days into moving house and helping mom sort through a decade of junk resulted in a massive allergic cold. An inherent tendency towards bronchitis made a visit to the local GP essential.
We had just moved into the locality. We did not know any people in the area. How do you find a GP? Do you go to the first Doctor you see and hope for the best? Do you lurk outside a GPs clinic and talk to the patients as they emerge? Or do you try all the GPs in the locality and settle for one? We finally took the easy way out. We went to all the three GP's in the locality. The first GP we tested out advised chest x-rays & a blood test (for an allergic cold!). The second one was very keen on giving injections. He refused to tell us what drug was in the injection & insisted that as the Doctor he knew what the correct treatment was. The third GP recommended inhalation, lots of fluids a oral bronchodilators supported by paracetamol in case I developed a fever.
No prizes for guessing which GP we adopted.
You may wonder why we chose a GP who did not recommend medication over two others who were passionate about giving impressive treatment. It was actually quite simple. We choose the Doctor who we could trust. We chose the Doctor who had the time to speak to us. We choose the Doctor who was concerned and took pains to reassure us that all the home remedies we were following were indeed the right thing to do.
That was the start of a unique relationship with my GP Dr C H Asrani.
I got married, moved out of Kalina but still stayed in touch with Dr C H Asrani. No matter what the issue, big or small, a visit or phone call to Dr Asrani would set my mind at ease. My mother and brother moved out of Kalina but continued to use Dr Asrani as a sounding board on all matters medical. As a reference for specialists, as a patient ear willing to listen to tales of medical situations - both real and imagined.
Many years have passed since then. My mother has passed away. I have a daughter in college. I have built a strong and successful career. My Husband & I have traveled the world, lived in seven locations in the city of Bombay. But the old connection with my GP Dr C H Asrani is still strong. In fact they have become stronger over time. My husband and I rely on his advice for maintaining our health and well being. We have moved across the city of Mumbai from Kalina to Chowpatty to Colaba, to Cuffe Parade to Prabhadevi to Worli but when we need medical assistance or advice we still go to Kalina.
It was this unique relationship with our GP that made me realise that a good GP can make a world of difference to all of us. 80% of our medical needs can be handled by GP's but then why is that they get hardly 20% of the attention and inputs available to the medical fraternity.
IndianDoctorsGuide.com is an attempt to correct this imbalance. IDG is an attempt to provide GP's with access to the latest in the world of medicine. IDG helps them keep abreast of developments and knowledge. IDG helps them with solutions and insights covering all aspects of their lives.
IndianDoctorsGuide.com (IDG) is our way of making a small contribution to the rest of the country so that across the length and breadth of this wonderful country of ours, many people will have access to GP's of the caliber, knowledge, quality & consistency of Dr C H Asrani. I am indeed fortunate that this website is the joint brainchild of Dr C H Asrani & me. Dr. Asrani is an unusual GP. His knowledge of computers and his familiarity with technology makes him a wonderful example for others.
With IDG, we are building a space for GP's that will be truly focused in addressing their unique needs and requirements. We want to provide them with access to knowledge, the latest developments in the field of medicine & related areas so that they are equipped to tackle their practices with knowledge, understanding & global exposure. Through this knowledge enhancement process, we will ensure that the quality of healthcare in the Family practice is improved.
Through IDG, we are creating an online community of Family Physicians that will enable them to share experiences, concerns and opportunities across the country so that we can learn from each others experiences and ensure that we do not repeat mistakes and errors.
IDG will also assist Family Physicians in planning & managing their practices. With relevant updated information is all areas that impact a Family Physicians life, Customised Practice Management Software, Tailormade offers and special deals. IDG will hope to add value to each and every aspect of their lives.
So that GP's across the country can focus on building lifelong relationships with their patients.
Thank you Doctors.