“A PARADIGM change has taken place in medical science. The introduction of advanced technology has brought accuracy. Medicos have upgraded themselves through Continuing Medical Education, conferences, research activities.Various specialities, too, are playing fantastic roles in improvement of patients’ health. Against the backdrop of all these advancements, I feel family physician concept which is on the verge of extinction, should be revived. Every family must have family physician. I bet the revival of family physician concept will surely change the health care perspective,” felt Dr Suhas Pingle, President of Maharashtra branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA). He was in Nagpur to attend the installation ceremony of new body of IMA, Nagpur branch, where the team led by Dr Prakash Deo as President and Dr Sameer Jahagirdar as Honorary Secretary was installed. Doctors in government service retire from the healthcare set up, but not from own private practice. Dr Pingle is one of the few, who after for 44 years’ practice at his hospital in Vile Parle, Mumbai announced retirement. Of course, he is still serving 100 families as Family Physician. Of the 100 families he has attached to, most seek his advice not only about healthcare but marriages, selecting career for their wards too. “This is a relation in modern times which takes shape like Khayal in classical music. People confide with the doctors treating them as their family members. I never asked for fees. People used to pay on themselves. One family which availed my service and paid me the fees after six months. I had forgotten that I had to take fees from them. Such relations build trust and the bonds get stronger, where money plays a secondary role,” revealed Dr Pingle while talking to ‘The Hitavada’ on Sunday at Hotel Tuli Imperial. In UK the National Health Scheme system strictly follows the physician concept. In India people approach the specialist directly. It is wrong. Suppose a youngster of a family has headache, the cause of which can be any from stress to vision issue. Family physician understands better the problems of his patients than others. For some illnesses medicines can be avoided. But such decisions only Family Physician can take, added Dr Pingle. “Faith is a mutual factor. Doctors and patients both should have faith in each other. I feel doctors should not only explain everything to patients but also listen to them carefully. In yesteryear’s people believed in their doctors. They were punctual in their lifestyle. They did exercise, had proper diet. Now, the sizes of families have shrunk unlike in the past when there were joint families. Lifestyle of younger generation has changed. Fortunately, the families connected to me listen to my advice. But in general, expectations have increased, treatment cost has gone beyond the common man’s capacity. They want immediate relief so they browse google and seek the treatment accordingly from doctors. This has given rise to noncommunicable diseases which hurts me. I feel we should go back to the family physician concept to have healthy life,” expressed Dr Pingle.