Healthy dilemma
   Date :22-Dec-2019

the best way_1  
I WAS working that time in the Reserve Bank of India, Kolkata. One day after office hours, as I was coming out of the bank building, I found a man selling an ayurvedic mixture outside. He was talking ceaselessly to put across his point to the small crowd gathered around. He must be selling the product by the power of his vocal cords, thought I. However, the mode of delivery of the vendor was so catchy, I could not stop myself from halting there.
 
The man, inter alia, narrated a small anecdote which I remember even today. He said: “Dr. B.C. Roy once prescribed a medicine (allopathic) of only 20 paise to a patient. The wealthy patient party was very disheartened by this. Dr. Roy’s visit was Rs 5 in those days. They insisted he prescribe some more medicines. Dr. Roy smiled and said: “If the patient is to be cured, that 20-paise medicine is enough. Further medicine will only harm him!”
 
God knows how much truth was there in the vendor’s story. His contention was simple: Nobody should undermine the efficacy of his product. Anyway, people were impressed and all the samples were sold out within no time. Much later, a friend presented me a book whose title was: ‘Drug Induced Illnesses.’ It was written by a MD doctor of Kolkata Medical College. The more I went through this book, the more I was surprised. The author had categorically mentioned that for a small percentage of illnesses, prescription drugs are required. Majority of the common diseases can be tackled by adjusting our lifestyle or abiding by natural healing process of the body! Then how come we pop pills for minor discomforts and get well too? The book says that it happens primarily due to the belief planted in our brain by the pharmaceutical majors.
 
The question that confuses me is: Whether better medical facility really means better health? A co-passenger in the Shatabdi Express once told me that in Amritsar town of Punjab, he had faced a real challenge to locate a medical shop near his hotel. He was to take his daily dose of tablets at bed time but unfortunately, one particular tablet was missing. He frantically searched for a shop in the vicinity for the medicine but failed to find any. The local people were also found ignorant about such a shop. That was somewhat unthinkable to the gentleman. He concluded that general health of the denizens of Amritsar must be better than their counterparts elsewhere. I do not subscribe to his views fully, but feel that having medicine shop at every corner may not be an indicator of good health. It reminds me of the ted talk of a spiritual guru who said, if having better health facilities and awareness were enough to remain healthy, western countries would never have health problems!
 
You must have noticed that wherever there are more doctors and hospitals, there are generally more patients too! Years ago, I read a novel by A J Cronin, where the protagonist (a doctor) got entangled in the same predicament. He had a roaring practice and a happy family life. But one day, a self-query troubled him from inside. Whether he was promoting health or ensuring more patients? Ultimately, the doctor relinquished his practice and left for the countryside to tell people how to remain healthy without medicine or, if they must, by using it minimally!