What’s Plaguing the medical Profession?

The fact that doctors cannot be held responsible for failure of government in providing proper and efficient healthcare delivery system has to be reiterated and reemphasized.

Nobody can deny that in recent times, there has been a steep rise in the number of cases of Assault on Doctors and as a result, strikes and agitations by junior doctors have become a perennial feature. This is mostly due to the measures put forth by the government rather than analyzing the root cause people attack doctors.

Government Lags Behind

In a large country like India with a mammoth population load of more than 130 crores, a precious little has been done in Healthcare sector by Government since Independence. The reason for this is that Health has never been on Agenda of any Political Party as there has never been a serious demand by electorate for health as fundamental right. At least, not as serious a demand as has been for Poverty eradication, better housing and infrastructure development. Moreover, Indians by nature have a fatalistic attitude and have never been demanding for up gradation of health services.

There was no vision of the Governmetn with respect to taking steps for increasing number of Medical and Para-Medical personnel or creating infrastructure in consonance with increasing health needs of country.

We have a shortage of 4 lac doctors and 2 lac nurses in the country, and India ranks one of lowest globally as far as patient bed ratio is concerned which at present is 0.9 beds per 1000 population as against 5 beds per 1000 recommended by WHO.

Private Sector Takes a Lead

Private players stepped in and slowly corporate hospital culture made inroads in the system. Gradually 80% of healthcare delivery system was captured by Private sector for the simple reason that Government sector was not performing optimally to fulfill health needs and meet expectations of public at large. But the treatment rendered by Private sector was not free and patients were made to pay for the treatment as cost of infrastructure, equipment, taxation and running of Clinical establishment was involved in setting up of a private unit.

Patients who were affluent, who had health insurance or whose treatment expenses were being borne by their parent organizations started patronizing private hospitals. In private hospitals instances of assault are less in number and are confined only to sections where patient is more demanding, has a mindset that I am paying so I deserve the best, where there is increased expenditure beyond expectation or whenever there is sudden unexpected death of a patient due to reasons beyond control of the attending physicians.