IPA Newspack
  • Home
  • now
  • politics
  • business
  • markets

IPA /

IPA Special

IPA Special

Healthcare Must Withstand Market Pressure

Dr
Arun Mitra

            A
lot of debate has been generated not only in the medical circles but also the
civil society whether healthcare is a business or a profession.  Anything that is termed as business is for
profit only and could therefore be ruthless, apathetic and self-centred. The
business has to compete in the market and follow the rules thereof and lacks
empathy and compassion.  About four
decades back healthcare was a profession where one would earn by serving. But
the scenario has undergone much change now and medical profession too has
started following the rules of market. There are several reports of
overcharging and unnecessary interventions by some health providers. The
infamous case of Fortis hospital charging exorbitantly from a child who had died
of dengue fever is not too old to be forgotten.

            Many
of these hospitals have taken land on lease from the government at throw away
prices. They are thus bound to give free healthcare facilities to a stipulated
number of patients from poor economic groups. But this hardly happens in
practice. Even the doctors and other staff see such patients with contempt.
This may be because of pressure from the management or apathy that they have
developed in the system they have been working for long. 

            The
process of shift in values in medical profession started by the 1980s when the
policies in South Asian countries began to be influenced significantly by the
Bretton Woods institutions, specially the World Bank. The developing countries
had to accept structural adjustment policies (SAP) under the corporates-driven
one-way globalization which served the interests of the international finance
capital. The governments in the developing countries changed laws in favour of
multinational corporations and the local elite while denying the basic
fundamental rights to the poor strata of society. Rights to hold protests and
unionise were curtailed. Subsidies to the poor were taken off.  Job security was  taken away and employment generation occurred
in the form of contract labour with very low wages.  This happened not only in private sector but
even in public sector. The priorities in agriculture production also shifted
from the basic food to produce that was to be used by the elite in these
countries. All this further resulted into increase in the problem for the lower
income groups leading to fall of health determinants.

            There
occurred a policy shift that treats health as ‘techno-dependent and amenable to
commodification’. The shift in concept is evident in the WHO itself when in
1996 it proposed a behaviorist model, which stressed more on the individual
effort for better health rather than social responsibility. The WHO started
working under the influence of international monopoly corporates and took
position to increase privatization and partnership with multinational
companies. So the emphasis shifted to address only population control and some
selected communicable diseases at the cost of its earlier broad-based approach.
As a result the institution which was supposed to work for inclusive healthcare
policies took lead in destroying its own agenda set at Alma Ata.

            There
were serious implications on medical education in our country. More medical
colleges opened in private sector than in state sector affecting the very concept
of social service in the medical training. During 1947-2017, 251 private
colleges were setup as against 214 new medical colleges setup by the government
and 9 by government led society.

            This
is the time when the patent laws also changed under the new patent regime of
the WTO. The local pharmaceuticals industries suffered.  As a result, prices of newer drug increased.
After a lot of hue and cry from the public the government appointed a committee
to go into the drug prices vis a vis trade margins, that is the difference
between the price of  the drug when it
comes out of the manufacturing unit and the maximum retail price i.e at what it
is sold at retails. The committee pointed out startling figures of the trade
margin to be the tune of even 300% – 5,000% in some cases. The committee
recommended capping of trade margin so that the cost of drugs to the patients
is streamlined.

            The
committee also pointed out that in case of bonus offer the benefit should go
the consumer not the retailer. For example, if there is a bonus offer of 1+1
then trade margin should be halved.

            The
market system also pushed practices of cuts and commissions for referrals and
freebies to the medical professionals by the pharmaceutical companies. This
corrupted even the doctor. The time has come now to think whether health
services are to be treated as business or they have to be retained as a
professional service and restore its glory and nobility. (IPA Service)

The post Healthcare Must Withstand Market Pressure appeared first on Newspack by India Press Agency.

IPA Newspack

IPA Special

Narendra Modi’s Real Political Capital Is On Test In Lok Sabha Polls

June 8, 2023
IPA Special

JD(S) Looking For Ways To Remain Relevant After Debacle In Karnataka Polls

June 8, 2023
IPA Special

Law Commission’s Backing Of Section 124A Of Sedition Law Is Disappointing

June 8, 2023
IPA Special

Commissioning Of K-FON Is The Real Kerala Story

June 8, 2023
IPA Special

Centre Has To Take Proper Lessons For Safety From Balasore Disaster

June 8, 2023
IPA Special

RSS Holds Modi’s Image And Hindutva Are Not Enough To Win Elections

June 8, 2023
IPA Special

Joining NATO Under US Pressure Would Be A Strategic Blunder For India

June 8, 2023
Politics

Chargesheet without arrest is ‘compromise’ in wrestlers case

June 8, 2023
Politics

Pawar says even small issues being given religious colour

June 8, 2023
Politics

Shekhawat blasts Gehlot for obsession with saving ‘kursi’

June 8, 2023
Politics

Akhilesh pledges SP support to Kejriwal on ordinance issue

June 8, 2023
Happening Now

Indian students face deportation risk for fake Canada admissions

June 8, 2023
IPA Special

BJP Is Not Having Smooth Sailing In Uttar Pradesh Before Lok Sabha Polls

June 7, 2023
IPA Special

Oil Market Hinges On Possibility Of Saudi Production Cut Extension Beyond July

June 7, 2023
IPA Special

Rahul Gandhi Has Finally Given A Jolt To Narendra Modi In Indian Diaspora

June 7, 2023
IPA Special

Akhilesh Yadav Launches Lok Jagran Rath Yatra For 2024 Lok Sabha Polls

June 7, 2023
IPA Special

CBI Investigation Into Balasore Train Disaster May Not Find The Real Reasons

June 7, 2023
IPA Special

October General Elections Ensure No Guarantee For Political Stability In Pakistan

June 7, 2023
IPA Special

Sporadic Violence Continues In Manipur, Despite Amit Shah’s Efforts

June 7, 2023
IPA Special

Modi Govt Is Has A New Tool For Authoritarian Control Of Internet

June 7, 2023

An appeal

The legacy of IPA, founded by Nikhil Chakravartty, the doyen of journalism in India, to keep the flag of independent media flying high, is facing the threat of extinction due to the effect of the Covid pandemic. Only an emergency funding can avert such an eventuality. We appeal to all those who believe in the freedom of expression to contribute to this noble cause.
Click here to learn more

Share

Reply

  • 0
More on IPA

Narendra Modi’s Real Political Capital Is On Test In Lok Sabha Polls

June 8, 2023 4:04 pm | IPA Staff

By Dr. Gyan Pathak Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s real political worth is now on test. The wave of Hindu communal polarization has been ebbing almost...

IPA Special

JD(S) Looking For Ways To Remain Relevant After Debacle In Karnataka Polls

June 8, 2023 4:03 pm | IPA Staff

By Sushil Kutty Whether or not the Janata Dal (S) joins the Opposition’s joint efforts to forge unity for the 2024 general elections does not...

IPA Special

Law Commission’s Backing Of Section 124A Of Sedition Law Is Disappointing

June 8, 2023 4:01 pm | IPA Staff

By Krishna Jha On June 1, there had been reports that the law panel backed the penal provision for the offence of sedition, saying repealing...

IPA Special

Commissioning Of K-FON Is The Real Kerala Story

June 8, 2023 3:14 pm | IPA Staff

By P. Sreekumaran THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: This is the real Kerala story. The reference is to the commissioning, on June 5, of the first phase of the...

IPA Special

Narendra Modi’s Real Political Capital Is On Test In Lok Sabha Polls

in IPA Special
Jun 8, 2023   ·  

JD(S) Looking For Ways To Remain Relevant After Debacle In Karnataka Polls

in IPA Special
Jun 8, 2023   ·  

Law Commission’s Backing Of Section 124A Of Sedition Law Is Disappointing

in IPA Special
Jun 8, 2023   ·  

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Follow us on
Up Next: Congress Poised To Sweep Assembly Polls In Three States
©2020 -2021 India Press Agency, All Rights Reserved.
Newspack by India Press Agency | Statement of Ownership | Contact Us
logo
  • Home
  • now
  • politics
  • business
  • markets