Ethical and Affordable Health Care in India
| Author | R. Kumar |
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556120140414 |
| Published date | 01 October 2014 |
| Date | 01 October 2014 |
ETHICALAND AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE
IN
INDIA
R. K(!MAR
Public
hospitals
have become
victims
of
apathy,
absenteeism
and
corruption thus denying competent,
compassionate and accessible healthcare to the citizen.
In
private hospitals, services
are
unaffordable, where even
the
rich
have to
pay
through their nose by unnecessary
interventions risking their lives. Now many members
of
society, including some doctors believe that corruption
has
crept into the holy precincts
of
'this noble profession'
viz.
avoidable insertion
of
coronary stents, unnecessary and
over-priced cataract
surgery,
uterus removal and caesareans
and joint replacements has become increasingly common.
There
is
a need
to
cut costs
of
procedures, medicines, devices
and reduce investigations, giving precedence to clinical
acumen.
The
healthcare
can
improve
if
the approach
of
the
health workers
is
ethical and government makes adequate
arrangements
for
affordable care
in
public
hospitals.
Government aided private family clinics or NGO clinics
in
every corner
of
the towns/villages can be another step
in
this direction to provide primary health
care.
ETHICS IS defined by the Oxford dictionary as
'the
science
of
morals
in
human conduct' and it requires one to reason to analyse and to search
morally correct position while taking a decision. It has to be governed by
beliefs
of
right
or
wrong, regardless
of
self-interest. When decisions are
dictated
by
self-interest and in disregard
of
merit
or
ignoring your conscious
for the right conduct it may be called as corrupt
or
unethical. While corruption
has become all pervasive
in
our
society with news
of
scams, kickbacks,
bribery, deception, malpractices and unholy nexus flowing all round,
healthcare sector that enjoyed the tag
of'
noble profession' has not remained
unscathed.1
Now many members
of
society, including some doctors believe
that corruption has crept into the holy precincts
of'
doctor-patient relationship
1Dutta
N.
What ails India's healthcare system. Health Site 2012 Aug
18.
http://
hcalth.india.com/diseases-conditions/what-ai!s-indias-healthcare-systcm/.
To continue reading
Request your trial