India: Doctors and their Social Responsibility

As per news from today's Financial Express, 75% of villages in India have access to at least one health care provider (doctor). But only 8% of those are MBBS degree holders. Yes, only 8%!

This is a known problem with medical profession. Even though all of us praise and glorify medical profession, one harsh truth about doctors is that they chase money, better lifestyle and luxuries of life over social piety. Perhaps it comes from the background of how they become doctors.

First of all, doctors work too hard to qualify; since the medical education is very-very exhausting. Then, in the beginning years they do not see good money; since the hospitals and society prefer experience over qualification. After a long gestation period, they start earning money, and huge money. Once they start earning huge money, they would like to be able to spend it and maintain a certain lifestyle. Rural areas and village areas hardly fit their lifestyle aspirations.

I said the above without telling about thousands of doctors who abandon our country altogether and migrate abroad to countries like the UK or USA.

This is a system failure.

Government has been trying to fix this problem by insisting on "rural stint" for doctors-to-be; but it is never been made "mandatory" because of huge opposition from the medical fraternity. Then how can this problem be solved? How can India ensure that our villagers have access to good medical facilities? Increasing the salary of doctors working in rural areas won't help, since the doctors would still not prefer rural area because of the "lifestyle" aspirations.

Should government make it mandatory for all doctors to serve in rural areas for at least n number of years, e.g. 3 or 5, before they can start practicing in a "city"? But then rural areas will get only "inexperienced" doctors! Still, will having inexperienced MBBS doctors be better than having quacks and unqualified doctors? And how about the "forceful" nature of this decision - it can certainly lead to more doctors migrating out of our country to Europe or USA!

This problem is a difficult one and there are no easy solutions to it. We can only wish that doctors' bodies grow some conscience and take their social responsibility too seriously. At individual level, a few doctors may go to rural areas if we spread social awareness about this problem, but perhaps it won't happen at a large scale. We know that doctors are not saints. And often, their lifestyle aspirations are not for themselves but for their families. How would doctors ensure quality education and growth for their children, for example, if they stay and work in the rural areas?

All said and done, something needs to be done. I know that "rapid urbanization" is a way, but it is a continuous process and would take long time, perhaps a century to give some fruitful result.

Our heart goes to the patients from rural areas who can't afford to get sick.

- Rahul Tiwary