5. Patient's amenities management :
  It is the duty of the basic medical assistant to see that basic amenities for the patient are looked after. They include: 

# Provision for safe drinking water. This may be through a water cooler Or by means of bottle water. 

# The toilets for the patients  and their attendants is kept neat and clean.  Though this job is done by some other worker but the basic medical  assistant has to ensure this. 


#  ln some clinic magazines,  Newspaper etc. Are provided in the patient's waiting room/hall so  that they can engage themselves with these while they  are  waiting for their turn to be seen by the doctor.

6. MAINTAINING PATIENT RECORDS:
  The patient record should be carefully maintained. A register may be maintained for  this purpose in which the name, age, sex and address of the patient should be recorded. Ln some practice the prescription is made in duplicate and one copy is kept for record. In such case an ID number  is given to the patient which is recorded on the prescription  as well as in the patient reports for a check -up the papers concerning the patient can be traced  in the office with the help of the l. D. Number 
  
  7.  RECEIVING AND ANSWERING             TELEPHONE CALLS :
 
Incoming telephone calls should be answered  promptly. Greet the caller pleasantly. Identify  the clinic and yourself and ask the caller how you may help him   

 GUIDELINES FOR TELEPHONE COURTSEY.

#Same rules of courtsey which is in face to face meeting
#Give a prompt response to the ring of telephone and continue until the receiver is gently replaced at the end of the call. 

#Don't convey that you are to much preoccupied  or tired. 

#Don"t let  the  caller feel they this call is an unwanted interruption  in your work 

#Never chew, eat or drink while talking  on the telephone.   

#Speak directly  into the mouth piece of the telephone. 

#Speak clearly and slowly 

#Get the name of the person  who is calling.

 #when completing  a  call, always allow the caller to hang  up first. 

Callers  who want to speak to the doctor: 


The doctor should not be interrupted   while he is busy seeing cases. The few most common exceptions  are:

#when the call is from another doctor. 

#A family member of the  doctor. 

# Some close friend of the doctor. Lt is only in  above exceptional circumstances when the call mst be transferred to the  doctor, otherwise  the  call should be handled tactfully  and the caller informed that  the doctor  is busy  with his patient, and the caller may  deliver the message, if he has any. 

Taking messages  on telephone. 

#  make  a  written note of the name of the caller and the telephone number 

#  Be sure to record the message    received  completely  and accurately. 

After you take   a  message   deliver to the doctor promptly and accurately. There is  a  request fog examination  by the doctor this should be should be scheduled  after  checking  from the appointment register. 
3.9Duties inside the doctor. S chamber
     8. RECEIVING AND RECORDING PAYMENTS 
    Recording account receivable is not difficult because this is the doctor's fee paid by the patient. However this is a large responsibility of handling other people s money there for. It becomes an imperative duty to keep this money safe.to record it properly and to respect the confidence reposed in him/her. At the end of the session of the clinic the amount should be compared and checked and than handed over to the doctor. 

3.9 Duties inside the doctor chamber:


the above duties and activities are all outside the doctor 's chamber. A basic medical assistant who stays inside the doctor 's chamber with the doctor. has to perform the following duties 

(A)  Record the weight  of the patient : The patient is made to stand erect on the weighing machine after removing his shoes and the weight is recorded on the prescription or is reported to the doctor for recording in the prescription by him  (B) Record the height of the patient : The patient is made to made to stand erect against the measuring scale and the height is recorded in the manner described above. 

Note-Record of weight and height gives idea about the nutritional status of the patient. 

(c)   preparation and positioning of the patient of examination by the doctor : 
 
if the patient is wearing too many clothes. they are removed to the minimum possible. The patient is helped by the assistant to first sit on the examination table taking help of the steps provided  for the purpose. After the doctor has seen him in this position. the patent is asked to lie down comfortably on the examination table with his head placed in such a manner that the doctor is able to examine him for the right side with his face towards the patient's face 

After the examination of the patient by the doctor is complete. the basic medical assistant should help him to get down from the examination table and then help him to wear the clothes he had removed. 

3.10 Explaining the doctor. S prescription 

The doctors after examination their patients. Write a prescription. it is the duty of the Basic Medical Assistant to explain to the patients and their relationship what the doctor has written. in his prescription. He should explain about the medicines prescription. as to how. how many times and for how long the medicines have to be taken. ln case the doctor has prescribed any investigation. he should guide the patient or their relative about it. 

ln addition to the above the other duties and jobs to be performed by the Basic Medical Assistants in a doctor' s clinic or in Nursing homes is descussed in subsequent unit of this paper and in paper lll.