Mangalore: Workshop on Economics of Health care in Indian Scenario
 
Pics by Prajwl Ukkuda
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
 
Mangalore, Dec 22: "Doctors must necessarily be considerate to the patients," said Rajiv Gandhi University for Health Sciences former vice-chancellor and Medical Council of India representative Dr S Kantha. 

Inaugurating the national workshop on ‘the economics of health care in Indian scenario’ held as a part of platinum jubilee celebration of Medical Council of India on Sunday at Fr Muller Medical College, Dr Kantha said that doctors play a significant role in the health economy because they are the ones who can manage the cost of health care.

Citing an example of a case where the doctors had prescribed umpteen tests and medicines to a poor man, finally rendering him resourceless, Dr Kantha said that medicos must try to reduce the treatment cost atleast in case of economically backward patients.

She said that Government provides insufficient funds to run the Government institutions and managing the medical teachers is the most difficult part as the teachers keep shifting jobs when they are offered a bit higher pay.

Role of teachers

“Our tradition has revered and equated teachers to God. Teachers must try to live upto this status. When ‘How much will I get’ becomes a priority, the oath and professional ethics take back seat,” Dr Kantha said and added that teachers and medical professional must question themselves about their service to the society. She said that teachers must treat their students like their own kith and kin.

Vijaya Bank Chairman and Managing Director Albert Tauro said that increased participation of the government in health sector is a must.

Mr Tauro said that only 2 per cent of the total Gross Domestic Produce is spent on health care sector and it is due to this reason that health care is still out of reach from many people. This restricted participating of government in health care sector has allowed private hospitals to enter the field making health care expensive.

Shortage

He said that there is acute shortage of medical professionals in the country and hence there is need to set up good government medical colleges too.

“During independence, there were 50 doctors per 1 lakh population but after 60 years of independence, there are 60 doctors per 1 lakh population. Further the colleges which were set up decades ago are the only colleges till date, without much new additions,” he opined and added that most people only aspire to become doctors but cannot fulfil their aspirations because medical education is expensive.

Tauro said that health care is expensive because medical education is expensive and till medical education is made affordable, all attempts to make health care accessible will go in vain.

Fr Muller College Director Fr Patrick Rodrigues, Sri Devaraj Urs University Kolar Vice-Chancellor Dr S Chandrashekar Shetty, Yenepoya University Vice-Chancellor Dr Syed Akheel Ahmed, Fr Muller Medical College Dean Dr Sanjeev Rai, Administrator Fr Denis D’Sa and others were present on the occasion.