More doctors, drugs or scientific knowledge our country need?

Today’s health care system has achieved its boundless robustness thanks to science and as a result of, we could surpass the challenges posed by several pathogens responsible for Polio, Mumps, Pertussis etc. It was all possible purely because of the research work of scientists especially the medical microbiologists for several years. Subsequently the medical microbiologists also studied how several pathogens spread across, who are the most vulnerable group of people in the population and how to prevent such diseases, besides treating the patients.

Preventive and or treatment methods were developed through intense research and the science has shown the way that certain diseases must be prevented through vaccination as treating such diseases is almost impossible whereas some diseases can be treated with appropriate drugs. This distinction in medical science was a major milestone contributed exclusively by the scientists.

Only by exploiting the available scientific knowledge, the modern doctors have emerged in the society to address the medical challenges. Unfortunately most of the modern day doctors instead of exploiting the ever growing medical knowledge show over smartness and innovative methods to exploit the gullibility of people to swindle money. Tie up with pharma companies, tie up with diagnostic labs, tie up with hospitals to do procedures and unavoidable surgeries are some of the examples for how some modern day doctors serve the poor.

It is not about crying foul about modern medical system but we must reform our health care system on war footing. Tamil Nadu has been suffering from Dengue epidemic for the last several years. The knowledge about several strains of Dengue virus our medical world proudly claims today is purely from the published literature. But till date we do not have any details about whether the virus that is present in Indian context is unique and different from other regions and if so how it differs.

Science of the etiological agents of various diseases is at best limited to some Ph. D thesis work and such research details are never integrated into medical education. The curriculum of medical education must include a lot about the etiology and epidemiology of various diseases that are prevalent in India. We are more concerned about drug resistant pathogens. Along with drug resistance, the pathogens also may be evolving as super pathogens or developing survival ability over diverse ecosystem and such super pathogens can pose a bigger medical threat to humanity in near future but the big question is are we serious about knowing such details.

Most of the responsible departments in Government is appears to be lazy, irresponsible and indifferent may be because US, UK and other advanced countries would do all such researches and once they come up with scientific knowledge, we can easily borrow them and use. This attitude is seen largely at policy level. On the one hand, the medical professionals are competing with their fellow colleagues to import latest diagnostic technologies to their clinics/hospitals and it looks like such interest is not with the intention to diagnose the diseases accurately but to make money out of such technologies.

Scientists and medical microbiologist only have developed the medical science all over the world, but in India, neither science nor the role of scientists is considered important in medical education. Our country strongly believe that just with more number of doctors, our country can address our medical challenges. In fact with more doctors we are only going to increase the financial burden of the poor patients.

Time has come, our nation must ask whether we can solve our medical challenges with more doctors or we must strengthen our medical research. May be due to some numismatic or political reasons, the present government is keen to revive obscurant faith based health care practices to meet our health challenges. On the one end we are reforming our economy, encouraging cashless transactions and digitalization and in our health care system, the present Government is providing solution like bullock cart to the young generation to travel. Such contrast and wonderment, Modiji’s regime alone can take pride to gift to our nation.

Instead of focusing on etiological and epidemiological research, we are promoting occultism and faith based spiritual healing procedures and patronizing the students from such system as doctor to serve our society.

Let India promote research in etiology and epidemiology while producing more doctors. Otherwise we may produce more experts with less need. Microbiology of various infectious diseases in India needs to be studied in detail.

Dr S Ranganathan