title: Venu's Story.
abstract: This is the story of a man in India who is among millions denied access to pain relief all over the developing world. He was in agonizing pain and pleaded to a doctor for pain relief, adding that he had not slept for several days. Not only was pain relief denied to him, but he was also insulted by a doctor with the words, "What do you want me to do? Sing a lullaby and rock you to sleep?" Even after a year, the patient says that he cannot help being angry with that doctor and cannot help feeling like wanting to stab him with a knife. We as health care professionals can add insult to injury by our behavior. We can be cruel not only by denying pain relief but also by refusing to feel and empathize. Why do health care professionals behave like that? Is it just callousness or is it a sense of helplessness from not knowing what to do when faced with pain and suffering?
authors.affiliation: Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences, Pallium India, Trivandrum, Kerala, India. aneeja.joseph@gmail.com
authors.forename: Aneeja Mariam
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Joseph
mesh_terms: D003906:Developing Countries; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*