Empathy needed... a smile cures better than drugs..!!!

She was a beautiful young lady in her early twenties. her eyes were very pale and were full of fear.we were new to the ward and sort of scared too. she was having some blood disorder for which we wanted to have a biopsy of her bone marrow. there were almost 12 people around her bed. 2 where surgical experts, 1 nurse and the rest where students. consent where taken and she agreed to have a bone biospy. the doctor gave her local anesthesia at her sternum , the breast bone and without a delay he entered that big metallic injection with a spiral in it. she was yelling and crying. begging them to stop but it was for own good. the procedure was repeated at her hip bone. although it was unethical to immediately do the procedure without waiting for 2-3 minutes after giving local anesthesia but what was worse was the attitude of the students standing by her side, laughing and giggling discussing their day and friends (definitely females). it has been 4 years to this even but i remember that young scholar of 4th year, then who had that girl's hand in his hand and he was continuously patting her. encouraging her, and she was feeling so secure and had held his hands so tight that we could see the tips of his hands which had turned red. there were 4 other 4th years female students, who were least bothered about the poor soul that i really wanted to kill them (couldn’t kill them otherwise i must have). of the 12 people standing around that bed only ONE person had the empathy to feel her pain. devoid of gender, when that student held her and eased her and assured that it was for her own good, i still remember how she started to bare and stopped crying.
there was no empathy not at all in anyone present there. I learnt to love my patients then, right there. i don’t remember that senior of mine(didn’t ask his name then, cant even recognize his face) but i owe my medicine to him.
it was my third day to visit a ward, ever. i was in first year then. we were having COME(Community Oriented Medical Education) trials. Although a first year student usually doesn’t go to wards but we were lucky enough to have had a trial. as it was our first time, we were so astonished that we could not even move, it was like a first lecture to become professional butcher:(. after that procedure when i went to the one who was doing the biopsy and asked him "why didn’t you do this procedure in general if it is so painful". he replied "when we can kill a bug with just our feet, why to use a gun?" i disagreed then, i disagree now. because it is every person's right to have a a pain free treatment.and guess, afterwards me and my group which was present there, we are usually found hugging the patients, talking to them, tapping and stroking them, and believe me it feels so good to see a patient smiling just because of a hug or a smile though in extreme agony. and i surely believe a smile can cure better than drugs.