Defending the doctors…
Aamir Khan did a story in Satyameva Jayate where he painted the doctors black. He said:
- there are huge (50%) kickbacks
- generic medicines are not prescribed, only branded ones are
- doctors perform unnecessary operations.
Let us take the case of other professions:
Chartered accountants, insurance agents, etc are also accused of
- kickbacks
- unnecessary complications in returns making it expensive
- performing unnecessary steps
In a country where the client is happy to pay a Rs. 20 L cash bribe but will baulk at a Rs. 5 lakhs fee for a professional, is it surprising?
What fee will you pay a doctor or a CA who says : “everything is fine, take a term insurance, put money in an index fund and keep your ppf running” or ‘eat daal chaval, one sabzi and salad’ exercise regularly and you will be fine.
NO. Clients find complicated solutions sexy and something they can flaunt. “My Fin Planner has made a detailed cash flow which takes into account my wife leaving her job at age 44…NOW she is 21…”
Most people (if not all) expect a lot of time spent on them, 140 page cash flow, color brochures, a beautiful girl well dressed (change the gender if you wish and think the client is a woman!!)…so that a Rs. 35,000 bill would look like ‘it was worth the effort’
So while it is easy to find fault, let us accept that in a corrupt society..where shit – animal or human is found everywhere – do not EXPECT the professional to be honest. He does not live in an island.
Tomorrow if Aamir Khan does a ‘completely dumped bechara’ kind of a program in an old people’s home…it will hurt the kids who are at home. It will hurt the kids who COULD not look after an ailing 88 year old father and his 79 year old mother.
If AK does not speak to the people (the children who have LEFT THEIR parents here) …the program will be one-sided..but it will have the shrill voice and back answering…and create an impact showing the children as villians. These are easy to sensationalize topics –
dowry, child abuse, doctors kickback, old people staying at home vs staying in an old age home, …
so will A K do a program on the old age problem?
1. YOU bet he will. It is a surefire trp puller.
2. It will be one-sided. He will not meet the same set of parents and the kids
3. He will talk to children who are abroad (Nri audience) …
4….sorry I am not a guy good at PR…
Raj
Well said. Can’t be put in a better way except you. Bow my head!
prabe
Wow Subra
“In a corrupt society..where shit – animal or human is found everywhere – do not EXPECT the professional to be honest. He does not live in an island.”
Nail in the coffin.
aditya
Dear Subra,
Its venomous yet welcomed. How about a few posts on high professional and personal ethics and conduct? totally based on your personal exp ( may be you can share what you did if its ok with you?). Examples or living proofs not available in books.
there are many young guns who want to call a spade a spade.
Sincerely
Aditya
dr kishan
Dear Subra Sir,
Definitely agree with you. This episode was made with a completely biased view, thus throwing fuel into the already ablaze fire of distrust towards the doctors among the common public. This was depicting as if almost all or majority of the doctors are corrupt. That is why there is such a strong opposition being circulated over electronic media. actually subjecting medical practice to Consumer protection act itself proves that society sees medical practice as a business. As you rightly pointed out, many times it is the patient who asks for costly medicines. They allot high cost to superiority of the product. Even if you try to explain or try to prescribe some non medical methods for the ailment the patients see as if we are fools. This I tell by my own experience. They want some thing “extra” in the form of “taakat ke liye syrup”. This feeling is common in both the educated and uneducated classes society. What is more discouraging is that there were atleast two eminent doctors sitting there and did not resist the feeling being spread to the whole of the country
I dont say doctors are not corrupt. THEY ARE. I know this better than a common man. But spreading the message as if only some are non corrupt and majority are corrupt is a wrong thing he did. He should have acted more responsibly.
I was shocked when you wrote on Sunday that you felt good after watching the episode. This I least expected from you. Now I am relieved that you too could find the faults of the episode. I really respect you for this. Only if the common man was also so intelligent.
A nice response to the episode is in the electronic media. A link to it
http://indianfusion.aglasem.com/?p=28408
read and reflect
dr kishan
shiva
And this actor always creates some kind of *artificial* controversies everytime *his* movie comes out, for publicity and getting maximum audience (money). When it comes to other people he takes moral high ground.
dr kishan
Dear Subra Sir,
Definitely agree with you. This episode was made with a completely biased view, thus throwing fuel into the already ablaze fire of distrust towards the doctors among the common public. This was depicting as if almost all or majority of the doctors are corrupt. That is why there is such a strong opposition being circulated over electronic media. Actually subjecting medical practice to Consumer protection act itself proves that society sees medical practice as a business. The society itself has labelled this profession as a business.
As you rightly pointed out, many times it is the patient who asks for costly medicines. They allot high cost to superiority of the product. Even if you try to explain or try to prescribe some non medical methods for the ailment the patients see as if we are fools. This I tell by my own experience. They want some thing “extra” in the form of “taakat ke liye syrup”. This feeling is common in both the educated and uneducated classes society.
What is more discouraging is that there were atleast two eminent doctors sitting there among the audience but they did not resist the feeling being spread to the whole of the country
I dont say doctors are not corrupt. THEY ARE. I know this better than a common man. But spreading the message as if only some are non corrupt and majority are corrupt is a wrong thing he did. He should have acted more responsibly.
I was shocked when you wrote on Sunday that you felt good after watching the episode. This I least expected from you. Now I am relieved that you too could find the faults of the episode. I really respect you for this. Only if the common man was also so intelligent.
A nice response to the episode is in the electronic media. A link to it
http://indianfusion.aglasem.com/?p=28408
read and reflect
dr kishan
Srinivas Muthadi
AK is showing what people want to see. It’s easy to blame someone and get fame and money in case of TV Programs. Don’t we really know any of the problems that are being shown? Or is the program suddenly going to change things for good?
There are always two sides for any coin.
dr kishan
Dear Subra sir,
I am trying to post my comment since last 15 hours. But its no getting posted. Why so?
Never faced this problem before.
Please resolve
Dr Kishan
dr kishan
Dear Subra Sir,
Definitely agree with you. This episode was made with a completely biased view, thus throwing fuel into the already ablaze fire of distrust towards the doctors among the common public. This was depicting as if almost all or majority of the doctors are corrupt. That is why there is such a strong opposition being circulated over electronic media. actually subjecting medical practice to Consumer protection act itself proves that society sees medical practice as a business. As you rightly pointed out, many times it is the patient who asks for costly medicines. They allot high cost to superiority of the product. Even if you try to explain or try to prescribe some non medical methods for the ailment the patients see as if we are fools. This I tell by my own experience. They want some thing “extra” in the form of “taakat ke liye syrup”. This feeling is common in both the educated and uneducated classes society. What is more discouraging is that there were atleast two eminent doctors sitting there and did not resist the feeling being spread to the whole of the country
I dont say doctors are not corrupt. THEY ARE. I know this better than a common man. But spreading the message as if only some are non corrupt and majority are corrupt is a wrong thing he did. He should have acted more responsibly.
I was shocked when you wrote on Sunday that you felt good after watching the episode. This I least expected from you. Now I am relieved that you too could find the faults of the episode. I really respect you for this. Only if the common man was also so intelligent.
dr kishan
amol
This show is really a unique…. the day show got started controversies took place…those who are guilty feels the pinch, otherwise why a few group of doctors would react, they also know what malpractices take place. GREAT GOING AAMIR. Last sunday when MCI head was asked how many doctors’ license got cancelled from 2008 tiil now….he replied —–none……what does it mean?????? We people had face many such circumstances where doctors are least bothered about their patients.
As I saw and understand the episode, Amir always gave due respect to those doctors who are going good for our society. He rather whole SJ team raise their voice against corruption of Medical field. If you are a noble doctor don’t think that episode against you. As simple as that…
subra
Not sure what is unique about this show? It is a free market. You make what sells. A K is a brilliant communicator and knows what sells and in what quantity. So this is a well made show. Forget what impact it will have on the world.
Again it is a free market, and corporate hospitals are there to stay. You have a choice of going to the free municipal hospitals or to the paid ones. You can buy generic vs branded drugs. Ultimately you need to be aware.
By the way you remember AK as the same man who sold coke not too long ago?
rajivahuja
Subra,I totally agree with your views.
suhas
Sir
Points rightly put
Same goes with our political class & every body else.
In terms of statistics
“SAMPLE lot has characteristics similar to that of population”
Yatha Praja Tatha Raja
Everybody ( me included) is happy to point fingers to Doctors/Politicians/ Police.
But these people do not live on island
dr kishan
Subra Sir,
Sorry for so many posts by me. Actually I tried many times and I think all of them got posted
Dr Kishan
ddshah
Sir, let me request Mr AK to do ONLY LOW BUDGET ART FILMS rather than billion budget COMMERCIAL FILMS…simple na….
regards…
shobha
Hi Subra,
I agree that there are always 2 sides of a coin, but based on my experience(Was part of Pharma Marketing team in 2 biggest hospitals in Delhi), I agree with views shown in Program. Yes they are proffesionals and sample of scociety we all are living in, so its alright if they make money….its just that I find it really difficult to digest statements like “this is Noble Proffesion” and “Doctors are gods”. They are proffesionals like all of us and so be it.
Regards
pranita
Subra,
I use to consider Doctors as god before entering into pharmaceutical marketing. I use to work for an MNC Pharma company and know what it takes to get a brand prescribed by a Dr. They want to earn money from all angles – Fees from Patient, % cut from nearby diagnostic lab, % cut from chemist, Gifts from pharma companies, International travel in the name of conference, margins by selling generic medicines, fees for admiting patients in hospitals, cash for prescribing brands, the list is never ending. They are the worst of professionals saying that they spent lacs/crs for getting medical seats as if someone had forced them to become a Dr. The bigger the Dr, bigger is his appetite to loot people.
Rakumi
Ah.. so it is the victim’s fault..and someone who finally points out to large scale professional misconduct is obviously not welcome..
Hat’s off to Aamir Khan and team for bringing this topic to popular discussion. We do NOT need to hide these things under the carpet saying it is a corrupt country. We need lot more of coverage like this in all types of media..print, tv and online.. In fact investigative journalism like this is one the primary responsibilities of the media.
Ashesh
Why in the first place the doctors need to be defended?
“let us accept that in a corrupt society..where shit – animal or human is found everywhere – do not EXPECT the professional to be honest.”
The loss of money is recoverable but not the loss of health. That is why this profession was once called a “Noble” one.
We cannot compare a CA with a Doctor. There might be an extreme case where you CA may leasd you to suicide due to finacial losses but atleast you would know what is coming. A dcotor can kill you so slowly and sweetly that you might end up thanking him till your last breath.
This is all about awareness. There are many people who believe that LIC policies are the best way to invest and many who still believe that the fees they pay to a doctor is all that it takes for the doctors to be sincere.