Can doctors be humorous?

Hyderabad: What’s funny about doctors? If you do a double take at this question, it’s understandable. Doctors are a dour bore lot. There is nothing funny about them, although they routinely prescribe laughter as the best medicine. But one thing is for sure. There is no dearth of amusing jokes about them. Sample this: A […]

Hyderabad: What’s funny about doctors? If you do a double take at this question, it’s understandable. Doctors are a dour bore lot. There is nothing funny about them, although they routinely prescribe laughter as the best medicine. But one thing is for sure. There is no dearth of amusing jokes about them. Sample this: A worried patient tells the doctor about his legs breaking in two places. And pat comes the reply – quit going to those places.

But why that grim expression on the face? The reason perhaps could be that they are busy taking care of someone else’s life. Whatever – one don’t have to be serious all the time. A bit of humour thrown into the doctor-patient communication can have a positive impact. It will relieve stress while establishing trust. For that a doctor doesn’t have to put a red clown nose. Infusing humour in treatment will do a world of good and may sometimes change the clinical outcome as well.

---

There are quite a few doctors who employ humour as a strategy as they think it has a big part in patient recovery. But there are very few of them who are humour writers as well. Dr. Abid Moiz, who wields the stethoscope and also pen with equal felicity, has come up with a book in Urdu which tells about doctors who have made a mark in humour and satire writing.

The book titled – Hansi, Tanzo Mizah Aur Doctor – is a real eye-opener. It tells how humour results in laughter and laughter leads to happiness and together they provide immense benefits. Moiz, who has written ten mizahiya (humorous ) books, draws a fine line between tanz (satire) and mizah (humour). “While one tickles, the other prickles”, he says.

But in Urdu literature both are used simultaneously. Writers ensure that mizah takes the sting out of tanz. But the present stressed-filled life has robbed people of their sense of humour also. Social media posts show how people simply mention LOL (laugh out loud) at the end of a joke or funny write-up instead of having a hearty laughter.

While half of the book consists of humorous articles written by Moiz, the other half has the writings of doctors from across the sub-continent. There are funny write-ups of 16 doctors of different disciplines. Some of them are: Taher Quraishi, Iqbal Hashmani, Syed Abdul Mannan, Shafiqur Rahman, Mirza Kaleemullah Baig, Afsar Armoori, Rashid Fareedi, Mohsin Maghyana, Abid Ali, Mohd Younus Bhut, Mansoor Ahmed Bawaja, Yousuf Samra, Mohd Khalid Abdul Samee, Nazr Imam and Mohd Mohsin.

Most of the doctor-writers have narrated the experiences they have had during the course of their practice, dealing with patients of different age groups and temperament while some have tried their hand at totally different subjects. Some doctors take recourse to humour while discussing medical conditions, treatment and tests. They try to see everything from a humorous point of view, even the way the patients relate their ailments. Dr. Abdul Manan’s article ‘Naaz Uthane Ko Hum Rahgaye Mareezon Ke’ makes for a good read. So is the article of Younus Bhat – Buzrug Paalna. They incorporate humour into their personal anecdotes and infuse comedy in every line.

Dr. Moiz deserves congratulations for bringing out the hidden talent of doctors. Otherwise one tends to believe that the health care providers are good at writing mere prescriptions which none can read.