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Religious beliefs v/s medical advice

Is it true that faith overpowers human mind so much, that it comes in the way of science?

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Amidst increasing incidents of global unrest caused by the blurry lines between religion and politics, there’s another field constantly at loggerheads with faith and that’s the practice of medicine. In their years of practice, it’s a common phenomenon for doctors to come across patients whose religious beliefs come in the way of medical treatment and advice.

Dr Debanshu Bhaduri, Senior Consultant at the Department of Surgical Oncology, MN Budhrani Cancer Institute, Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital says, “Refusal is based on either their religious beliefs — something their religion doesn’t allow or because their religious guru has advised against it. There are many instances of superstitions interfering with medical treatment too.”

The choice between faith and life

Dr Duru Shah, Scientific Director, Gynaecworld recalling her Jain Sadhvi patient, said, “It happened around 30 years ago but it was such a stressful surgery that I still remember it.” It began with the Jain nun refusing to travel to the hospital in an ambulance.

“She was bleeding heavily and her uterus had to be removed,” recounts Dr Shah. According to Jain tradition, monks and nuns cannot travel in vehicles as it would violate their vow of non-violence as the vehicle kills insects and other small forms of life. Instead, they walk everywhere. Due to the Jain practice of not consuming anything after sunset, the nun refused the intake of IV fluids as well.

But the truly stressful part for Dr Shah as a medical practitioner was when her patient refused blood transfusion. “Anything can happen during a surgery. Without the option of extra blood during operating increases the chances of surgical complications,” explains Dr Shah.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses too denounce blood transfusions. According to the religion’s beliefs, the Bible prohibits ingesting blood and that Christians should not accept blood transfusions or donate or store their own blood for transfusion. Talking about his one such experience, Dr Bhaduri says, “Blood is a mandate in cancer surgery so it becomes extremely challenging at such times.”

In the context of accepting advances in medicine, Dr Shah says parents coming from strict Islamic backgrounds usually have reservations about Invitro fertilisation (IVF) as their religion does not allow the procedure because it is carried out outside the body. 

Beyond staunch beliefs, dietary habits of religions interfere with the hospital’s rules too. A pregnant Israeli woman refused to eat any hospital food because it did not conform to the Jewish dietary law which permits followers of the faith to consume strictly Kosher foods.

He adds, “As doctors, we have a tough time reasoning with such patients. At times we have to be tough and strongly coax but there’s only this much we can do because at the end it’s about someone’s faith which is a personal matter. As a doctor it bothers me when it’s a matter of life being at stake especially in the case of pregnant women when it’s not just theirs but the baby’s life too.”

Dealing with superstitions

Strongly held religious beliefs are one thing but superstitions are quite another especially in a country considered as widespread social problem. Dr Harshad Nikte, Consultant, ENT Surgeon at Apollo Hospitals says, “It is commonly believed that if pregnant ladies step out of their house on amavasya or new moon day, it can lead to deafness in their babies and often even surgeries are avoided by most people on this day.” Scheduling deliveries of babies and even surgeries according to an auspicious time dictated by priests is not uncommon. “Several Hindu-Brahmins from South India refuse to get treated at particular times or during certain festivals as it’s considered inauspicious,” says Dr Bhaduri.

“Psychosis is often believed to be an act of possession by spirits or demonisation, and depression, a result of black magic,” says Dr Yusuf Matcheswalla, a senior psychiatrist from Mumbai. 

But all is not lost when one gets to hear of cases such as that of the Erwadi Dargah in Tamil Nadu. The 550-year-old shrine receives large number of people suffering from mental illnesses who come to pray for a cure. As a result religious leaders decided to open a clinic to give devotees access to professional psychiatric care. Similarly, Rajasthan’s Butati Dham temple is often the last resort sought by paralytic patients. A 500-year-old legend goes that the saint of the temple, Sri Chaturdas Ji Maharaj, was given the boon to cure paralysis.

It’s when patients choose to entirely rely on such beliefs without seeking any medical care that the problem really arises. “These patients include highly educated individuals and although they go ahead at their own risk, it poses a great ethical and moral issue,” says Dr Bhaduri.

Explaining how he deals with such situations he adds, “I do not discredit patients because they are religious but I make sure I present them with all the facts telling them clearly how the disease behaves.”

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