‘MEDICAL’ REALITY

 

S HOCKING pieces of information have emerged from a question asked under Right To Information (RTI) about the condition of medical education in the country. In response to an RTI query, the National Medical Commission has conceded that as many as 1,000 post graduate students of medical courses have dropped out in the past five years nationwide. Also, hundreds of postgrad students having been dropping out of various courses mostly due to unregulated 36-hour shifts that drain the young people totally, as the official responses to the RTI query have revealed. Each of these revelations exposes the terrible shortcomings in the country’s medical education system as well as healthcare ecosystem. These details make it imperative for the Government to take a fresh look at the manner and method of the country’s medical education and healthcare systems.

 

If this is ignored, the country is bound to suffer in the long run. That many post-grad students drop out of their respective courses thanks to the gruelling and unregulated 30-36-hour shifts in trying conditions is only one part of an unpleasant reality of medical education. However, there also are other issues that have been crying for immediate attention -- and we, as a nation, have not cared to listen to those serious grumblings -- of course to our own peril. All those issues need to be serialised systematically and considered in order of appropriate priorities. Some of those issues include high expenses involved in medical courses, and heavy commercialisation of the education system that makes it difficult for deserving but economically less fortunate persons to join medical courses.

 

Another issue pertains to undue influence of allopathic discipline on medicare. That has made medicare a lopsided affair. True, other disciplines such as Ayurved or Homeopathy are beginning get greater attention in India of late. Yet, there is a need to establish a sensible balance and proportion among all methods -- as a matter of urgency. A few RTI queries might have exposed some of the faultlines in India’s medical education and healthcare, all right. But it is important that the Government and its apex institutions in the domain undertake a very serious and deep study of the issues that cry for immediate attention and solution. Such a study will reveal what is actually missing and what is to be taken care of. For the New India in the offing, having a faultless medicare ecosystem is of utmost importance.

 

A healthy nation is a wealthy nation, as well. This truth cannot be missed from India’s national discourse on this critical segment of national life. It is, of course, necessary to admit that much progress has been done in India in medicare systems in the past fifty years. Yet, this domain still suffers from some old-fashioned ideas -- that reflect themselves in unduly long and unregulated shifts for post-grad students. Heavy commercialisation of medical education also another issue that affects quality at all levels. Though no institution can run eternally in losses, profit cannot be allowed to become chief motive of running medical education institutions. If this principle is handled with care, much positive difference can be expected .In sum and substance, it must be said that the Government must pay a serious and urgent attention to the various issues dogging India’s medical education and healthcare systems. If not handled properly, it can make the nation suffer.