I was a medical student. To gather data for my paper, I started visiting patients at Dr Sardjito Hospital, where I would review the medical records of patients and then interview them. One evening, I was in a ward , desperately "hunting" for the final three patients I needed to complete my study. Holding a patient questionnaire, I walked towards a room. A patient called Ms A was lying in bed, clearly still weak. There were no relatives or friends with her. Even the bed beside her was empty. I sat down on a chair next to her bed, and in a low voice I introduced myself and asked if I could gather some additional information from her. She agreed. After I finished, I prepared to leave. Before I could stand up, Ms A said, "I haven't seen you here before, doctor. Are you new?" "Not really, Madam. It's just that I don't come here every day," I replied. Ms A started talking about herself. She shared her difficulties and sufferings, talked about her husband, who was killed in a car accident, and that she struggled to earn money. All I did was nod my head as a way of showing my sympathy. Without realizing it, I had begun holding Ms A's hand. Finally, Ms A stopped talking. "I'm very sorry for keeping you here to listen to my problem, but I feel relieved now. I had no one to pour out my problems to." Tears fell from the corner of her eyes. Finally, I knew what to say. "It's OK, Madam. It's part of my duty." I stood up and waved goodbye. A few days later, when I returned to the ward, I discovered Ms A had left the hospital as her condition had improved. Ms A taught me the most important lessons a doctor can learn. Sometimes patients do not need expensive medicine. They just need someone with the patience and willingness to lend an ear and spare a little of their time. Why did the author interview the patients at Dr Sardjito Hospital?
Because it was the duty as a medical student. Because she needed medical information for her paper. Because she was going to get a good position there soon. Because she wanted to learn about the suffering of patients.