"Moneypoor" healthcare system

Mehnaz N *

JNIMS (Jawarhal Lal Nehru Institute of Medical Science) at Porompat :: Pix - Bunti Phurailatpam

What would you do when you are told that you are suffering from a severe illness? If you are rich, you would obviously go outside Manipur for treatment. But if you are poor, well, you die! A bitter truth! Aaahhh!! Such is the condition of our state's poor healthcare system!

At fault is our healthcare system! We lack proper diagnosis centres, advanced healthcare facilities, specific treatment, equipment, management, good doctors, to mention a few. Our ill-equipped government hospitals are a testimony to the above facts.

Consequently, we have lost our trust in our "famous" two government hospitals in the state. Even if we trust and go there for a treatment, we face high disappointments! As they would mostly say, "Please visit my private clinic for further consultations", or "I advise you to go to a hospital where there are good ventilators, ICU and all (in short, mushrooming private hospitals where these doctors are consultants!)", or "there is no bed in the hospital to admit you", or "the concerned doctor is on leave," and the list of such disappointing reasons is just endless!

So, what do you do when you are left with no options? Well, you do nothing but just follow their advices and go to a private hospital where your doctor has referred you. In the process, you lose lots of money and time but still you are left unsatisfied! Because you are still going through the same problem without any improvement in your health.

Personally, I know many people who have faced the above mentioned problems while undergoing treatment here. For instance, there is a close friend of mine who was unwell since our school days. She went to consult lots of 'famous' doctors for so many years. They advised her to undergo various expensive tests and what not, only to find no improvement in her health. Then one day, her doctor suggested for a surgery.

It was that moment that she decided to go outside the state for her treatment. And guess what? The doctors in that government hospital found out that her problem is very acute and can be cured by taking some medication! Wow! What a contrast! The doctors here suggested a surgery and the ones there gave her few medicines! And now, she is walking fit and fine!

Another instance of our ailing healthcare system is that when the only 'famous' diagnosis centre in Manipur gave a wrong report. Yes, an incorrect report saying that the patient is suffering from cancer! Just imagine the condition of that patient due to that report! That uncle got so depressed that he stopped eating and leading a normal life. Then he went to the Tata for his cancer treatment only to find that he was perfectly fine!! What a slap on the face of our healthcare system!

Also, there have been well-known instances involving some money-minded private hospitals wherein patients die due to wrong treatment plus negligence. There are cases where patients died during surgery but dead bodies were kept in the ICU for 2-3 days, just to give the impression to the patients' relatives that he or she is alive. Of course, to charge more money from them! Pathetic! Above all, their fees are so high that a poor person has no options but to be left in the mercy of God or die!

Well, there are so many similar instances like the above mentioned regarding our poor healthcare system. But this time, I have no idea whom to blame!! Really, I am confused with so many factors revolving around the system!

So, should I be blaming the government for not providing better healthcare system? Or should I blame the mushrooming private hospitals with doctors from China, Russia with no valid certificates? Or should I complain the wrong diagnosis done by our limited diagnostic centres? Or is it due to the lack of super specialist doctors? Or is it the high doctor-patient ratio in Manipur?

After a long breathe, I conclude that all the above factors (if you have more factors in mind, you can happily or angrily add those too) are to be blamed upon! Though I detest blame-game, yet here, I can't do much (apart from blaming and bringing forth the problems) because I am not the government or a doctor! I am a layman and what a layman does, when he or she falls ill is what I mentioned in the beginning of this article. Although there are some good doctors and a few not-so-bad hospitals too here, yet these two do not constitute the whole healthcare system!

So, to whomsoever it may concern, please make us trust in your Healthcare System. And let this system not be known as 'Moneypoor' but Manipur! Until then, may God bless us!