Chennai: With healthcare, today, having got the identity of a commodity, and doctors that of the entrepreneurs, the scope of genuine diagnosis and treatment is lost.
Despite the fact that Tamil Nadu is known as a state that boasts of its medical tourism and serves as a good model for the rest of the country in terms of healthcare, Dr Arun Gadre, president of Alliance Ethical Doctors, claims that the glitter of corporates is entering the state too.
“Sri Lanka, which is so close to the state, has a great government centred public health care, which is a shame for us Indians. Tamil Nadu too is under threat now,” he said on the sidelines of a conference on ‘Ethical Healthcare’
to enrich the experience of patients. The conference was organised by Carnatic Foundation, Rotary Club of Chennai, and Carnatic and Local Community Exchange Empowerment Trust.
“Corporate hospitals have registered themselves as industries pleasing shareholders. The patients have become fodder, while the doctors are nothing but slaves of the industry,” he opined.
The author of ‘Dissenting Diagnosis’, Dr Gadre said, “Young entrants cannot survive without unethical practice. They are engulfed by the corporate health sector. Their situation is extremely harmful with 99 per cent of them having to indulge in unethical practices to survive.”
He also stressed on the need for doctors to be firmer and not surrender to pharmaceutical companies. “Doctors have become slaves to pharmaceutical companies. Pharmacies must be blamed for selling drugs over the counter, however, doctors are at fault too. It is their duty to prescribe drugs. They should ensure they write a prescription for the patients and society, on the other hand, should compel the doctors to do so,” said the doctor.
As the repel effect is evident with society rising up against doctors, Dr Gadre for society to wake up and do something about it. “The government is supposed to strengthen the public healthcare, but it has failed to do so. It is time everyone, including politicians, educationists and doctors woke up. Today, there is still 15 to 20 per cent better doctors. Later, we may lose that as well,” he stated.
