BEING a medical student nearing graduation, I am writing on something that I think doctors should not be com-menting on. This is derived from my observation of the statements of some doctors in the teaching hospital affiliated with my university and even in private setups.

Informing the patients precisely about the status of their disease and about the prognosis is essential for doctors. When a life-threatening disease, cancer, for example, has progressed and the prognosis is poor, doctors are required to disclose it to the patients so that they may plan accordingly.

For the same reason, doctors should warn the patients about the possible disability in case their disease is not controlled, like, say, the possible requirement for amputation in case of uncontrolled diabetes. Many doctors do realise these duties and fulfil them. However, some go beyond their domain in doing so.

This happens when the doctors simply say: “You have a month of your life left”, or “You will be able to work for two more years, but then disability will prevent you from doing so”.

The doctors, based on scientific knowledge, can predict the outcome, and the patients and their attendants should pay heed to professional advice. But doctors are not entitled to commenting on the exact duration, for that is way beyond their own control.

During my clinical years, I have already seen a number of patients who apparently were to live for ‘hours’ according to their doctors, but survived for years, and patients who were to become bedridden ‘in a matter of weeks’, ended up enjoying good health for many, many months.

In contrast, I have also came across people whose cardiac health was declared normal by their doctors, but they died of a heart attack just days later.

Life and death, especially the timing of an event, are matter way beyond the knowledge of science. The doctors should have this in mind while choosing to make their professional statements.

Muhammad Majid Shafi
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2025