If there is one of the most common questions that circulate among the parents, then it is ‘do you know a good paediatrician?’. A good paediatrician is someone who has your back regarding the health matters of your children and gives you the correct advice.
Here are some tips to simplify your search for the right family paediatrician.
- Nothing Works Better Than Word of Mouth
Don’t be shy of asking around other parents about a good paediatrician. When you get the names by word of mouth, you can also find out the first-hand reviews of that paediatrician. Parents will be able to share their honest experiences with you and recommend only the ones that worked in their favour.
- Reach Out to Online Parenting Community
You can also seek recommendations for a good family paediatrician from the online parenting community. You can connect with hundreds of parents and find the right doctor for your child easily. Some of these forums also help you discover the ‘best of your city’ concerning children and parenting. For example, when you log in to www.kidwise.in, you can search for schools, sports coaches, activity and hobby classes, services and facilities, and even paediatricians along with parent reviews.
- Check for Paediatrician’s Credentials and Experience
There is no harm in digging up the paediatrician’s qualifications, degree, college, area of expertise, etc to ensure that your child is in good hands. You should also find out whether the paediatrician has his private clinic and/or affiliated with other hospitals. This will help you understand the extent of medical services and facilities you can avail under one roof.
Needless to say, more experienced the paediatrician has, more apt he would be at diagnosing and treating children in the right direction. Make sure the paediatrician has at least 4-5 year of experience or more, depending on the seriousness of advice you are seeking for your child’s health.
- Consider Paediatrician’s Attitude
You need a doctor who can lend you an empathetic ear and have the patience to listen to all your worries about your child. A paediatrician who is too busy to pay attention to your questions and wants to rush through things might not be the right one despite his longstanding reputation or experience. A good paediatrician should also be able to make your child and you comfortable, and possess a caring demeanour.
- Accessibility and Availability
It might be a bad idea to choose a paediatrician who is located far from your home or requires days/weeks of a prior appointment. A good doctor should be accessible easily from your place of stay so that you can reach immediately in case of an emergency. Also, make sure that the doctor is available for at least a few hours a day for at least 5-7 days a week so that you don’t have to squeeze in appointments. Do find out whether the paediatrician puts some other doctor in charge when s/he is on leave or not available for any other reason.
A good paediatrician is akin to a friend on whom you can rely on with full faith. Do you know of such paediatricians? Please share your recommendations here.
Good doctors are really hard to find ine Pune.