Trick or Treat - a survival guide to health care
49 Irrational action The mule and his Rider: A rider was guiding his mount, a mule, along a
mountain track. Suddenly the mule left the track and rushed to the edge of a precipice. The rider dismounted and tried to pull the mule back by its tail but it
would not budge. Coaxing and cajoling did not help either. Finally, the rider gave
up saying, "If you want to jump over the brink, have it your way. It is the quickest
way to die."
Kittu, a 20-year old farm-labourer, was admitted with acute meningitis, a severe
infective condition attacking the membranes covering the brain. If untreated, it is a fatal condition. He was admitted in the emergency ward and intensive antibiotic therapy was
begun. From an unconscious state, he improved to a delirious state within 24 hours. His
parents were upset by his delirious muttering and wanted to take him home 'before he died'.
The treating physician pleaded with them to continue treatment and said, "I can
most certainly cure him within a week or two. But if you take him home, he will die within the next three days. Please give us a chance to save his life.� The parents did not
agree and took him home against medical advice. Comments
One of the strong points of modern allopathic medicine is the successful treatment
of acute life-threatening infections like pneumonia, meningitis, etc. It is most
disheartening for a physician to send against-medical-advice, a patient with a serious but 137
