TIME FOR “CORRUPT” DOCTORS TO IMPROVE

There is a lot of anguish about the deplorable state of medical profession in the country these days. People do not hold doctors in the same high regard the way they used to do a few decades ago. More than half of the general population still respects their personal doctor. But looking at the broader perspective, it is now a very common belief that doctors, mostly the younger generation, are corrupt (they make underhand deals with pharmaceutical companies), unethical (they take cuts from medical representatives) and greedy (they over-test and over-treat in order to make more money). The reputation of the entire medical fraternity is in a state of free fall.

Nowadays, the society tends to prioritize professionalism over money which, in turn, puts medical profession more and more under the scanner. Commercialism is rampant and is affecting the society as a whole. And medical practitioners are equally affected by this trend of the society.

Another fact is that a large number of private medical colleges are set up by politicians and businessmen, wanting to make quick money. These colleges charge an exorbitant fee and in order to recover their expenses, fresh graduates end up overcharging their patients. To them, this seems to be the only way they would be able to get a return of their investment on the capitation fee they coughed up to ensure that the word “Dr.” gets prefixed to their names.

These days, numerous examples of unacceptable activities on the part of such medical practitioners can be seen when one looks around. It is now common for young doctors to be involved in under-the-table dealings. Most of them do not provide patients with any receipts or any documentation of the treatment provided. It is now also common for young, “fresh-blooded” doctors to make patients wait for hours on end even after giving an appointment, just to look busy. Doctors these days are uncommunicative, not bothering to explain the patient what exactly is happening to his body. They also tend to cover up and hide facts when there is any complication or error on their part.

The brunt of such practices by a corrupt few has to be taken by the whole medical fraternity. When numerous efforts of a meticulous doctor are unable to fetch the desired results, the “corrupt” reputation of doctors surfaces, leading to a catastrophe. No matter how much these doctors rationalize and justify their aberrant behavior, the fact is that it is both unethical and illegal. A doctor indulging in such practices needs to put himself back on the right track.

Many patients feel helpless and powerless in front of their doctors, leading to an imbalance in the doctor-patient relationship. When one is sick, the last thing he wants to do is to challenge and confront his doctor. It is true that one should have faith on his doctor, but it is one’s right to be informed about his own body. By allowing doctors to get away with such unacceptable behavior, patients are inadvertently encouraging them and the doctor also is not deterred from behaving badly with other patients either.

The doctor-patient relationship is a mutual one and one just cannot survive without the other. A person needs to know when to put his foot down. If patients are able to shrug off the cloak of complacency and muster up a bit of courage, changes are meant to take place.

The next time before complaining about a doctor, one should ask himself whether any steps were taken by him to alleviate the situation. If nothing of the sort was done, it also means the person is equally a part of the problem. The only way to expect some improvement in the way things around progress is to be a part of the change. The only reason a person can sit atop a pedestal is because the other one is on his knees.