Healing humanely

Budgetary provision for healthcare by the country’s Union Government as well as its counterparts in the States and Union Territories as a percentage of the total in the economy may be talked about routinely in circles of analysts of the health of the land’s economy while the issues of meeting medical expenses by a family, particularly by the economically-not-comfortably-placed families, with own resources has left the low percentage at its nadir. If the many ratios mirroring the healthcare sector in the country such as the number of doctors for every one lakh human population, number of paramedical staff for every qualified doctors, and so on have to conform to the World Health Organisation norms, the outlay on medical education as well as healthcare institutions, given the kind of costs to create the necessary infrastructure along with modern medical equipment, perforce has to be met with public funds in case of government and private sources in case of the rest, with not much scope for charity.

Creation of facilities and raising the quality of medical services, both being grossly outside the reach of rural populations, have been far outstripped by the steady annual addition to the country’s headcount seeking healthcare and unabated rise in the number of victims suffering from debilitating diseases. The gap between preparedness to address issues of people’s health and the burden of diseases bugging the diaspora is showing no signs of decline.

Living in insanitary conditions and consuming food of quality impacting health by a considerable proportion in the land’s population may be attributed to ignorance about the intimate connect between living conditions as well as safe food and keeping away afflictions. The campaigns to create awareness about the imperatives of keeping the living spaces tidy have been mocked at by the masses huddling in urban spaces, paralysing the entire healthcare system and civic administrations overseeing the action in the system. The onus on saving themselves from the many self-inflicted diseases and bringing down the healthcare burden of both the government and their families solely lies in the lap of the people at large.

For reasons not needed to be stated explicitly, given the current profile of medical practice, based on expensive diagnostics, high-cost drugs and consultation fees, the now-extinct family doctor may have to stage a comeback. The culture of healing humanely, without meaning to belittle the toiling medical professionals in any way, can at least address ignorance and indifference of people in matters of their health.