A laudable proposal
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: February 09, 2012 -

The recent proposal by Medical Council of India (MCI) Board of Governors Chairman K K Talwar for a one-year mandatory rural service for medical undergraduates should be taken up seriously by the Health Ministry and implemented at the earliest possible time frame.

The proposal which came about during a meeting with the Health Minister to discuss the shortage of doctors in rural and remote areas, envisages increasing the duration of the MBBS course from the present 5.5 years to 6.5years.

This is a very sound and practical proposal which can make a significant dent on the lack of health delivery system in large areas of this vast country.

For the poor and the disadvantaged section of the populace who reside mostly in the remote areas, coming to the nearest town or city for treatment is never easy considering the poor connectivity as also the expenditure involved.

In such a scenario many of them succumb to the most common diseases like diarrhea, malaria, TB etc.

Women and children are especially vulnerable and suffer fatalities in the absence of the most basic medical care.

Consider these facts: out of every 1000 children born in India, 95 die before they reach the age of 5, only 38% of children below the age of 2 in the country are immunized, one in every 100 children between the age group 0-14 suffers from acute respiratory infection.

Though the problem has to be tackled with interventions at different areas including poverty alleviation, taking care of nutritional needs, providing cleaner environment etc, access to basic health care, unquestionably, is one of the most important component.

Medical students or aspiring medical students should have no issue with this proposal of the MCI if is is implemented.

Serving the poor and needy in the villages and remote areas of the country will make them a better human being, a better doctor, sensitizing them to the hardships million of people of this country have to go through.

While, the profession of medicine is one of the most preferred among some of the brightest students as a career which brings in significant financial returns and commands respect in the society, they would do well to remember that the first and foremost duty of a doctor is treating and curing patients, irrespective of caste, colour, race, religion or economic status.

Crass commercialization of the medical profession, considered a noble profession, has increasingly come to overshadow this very essence.

On the one hand, in the cities and metros we have facilities and super specialists to treat the most complex and complicated diseases while in villages and remote areas there are places where even a doctor to take care of the most common disease is not available.

While on the one hand there is talk about making India a preferred Medical Tourism destination and on the other hand, little is being done to give access to the most basic health delivery system to majority of the population of this country who sorely need it.

While private and corporate hospitals are not interested in treating people who do not come with a fat bank balance, the government has failed miserably to make these hospitals treat poor patients free or at concessional rates.

In such a gloomy health scenario in the country, the latest proposal by MCI will act like a ray of hope for the vast majority of the people of this country.