The Hype created in the media about the H1N1 is unrealistic and caused fewer fatalities whereas causalities due to other diseases like Tuber clauses, Malaria are much more as compared to this. But who is listening? Learned Doctors question it in the launching programme of Medical Service Society of India in Mumbai on November 15.
H1N1 can be cured and only simple precaution of washing hands properly before and after the meal and cleaning your hand after getting out of the toilet can work, said Dr. Taha Mateen, President, of Medical Service Society of India (MSS) while introducing MSS on its launching programme.
No sloganeering but a humble initiation to revolutionise the medical and health services for the downtrodden in India, Dr. Taha said. There are many other NGOs working excellently in this field but it is far behind the target of our mission i.e. Health to All. Our strategy will be to organise all local NGOs and activists who are working in this field, create awareness among people about health and hygiene, Reversing this Noble Profession from an Industry to Service by inculcating ethics in professionals and assisting the Government in making right policies and their proper execution.
Dr. Kamran Khan, famous Oncologist and surgeon from Mumbai, complained about the government apathy to increase the budget on health. He said, “The government spending on health is meagre 1.8% of the GDP where half of the populations are living below poverty line. It has to be increased.” He also came heavily upon the Corporatisation of this Noble Profession and appreciated the efforts of individual doctors who are serving the poor free of cost.
The main cause of doctors’ materialistic approach is due to the heavy fees charged by the Private Medical colleges mostly run by politicians in the state. He also informed that every hospital has to treat 10% of the patients free of cost and an RTI by activists will compel most of these hospitals that are getting many subsidies and concessions from the government, to work for the poor.
He condemned Muneer Khan who made assets worth Rs. 1000 crore in Mumbai by selling honey and water in the name of medicine to cure cancer. He demanded, “The government must take strict action against Muneer Khan.” He also demanded that good doctors must be rewarded and culprits be punished to make the profession better.
Clean drinking water and good sanitation system will solve most of the health related problems in India, Dr. Anil Kumar said. He demanded a good public awareness campaign and urged the fellow doctors to at least serve few poor people at individual level and said that it will help to lessen the problems of the poor.
Bringing the gravity of the situation into light, Dr. Somaya, who runs 1298 ambulance services in Mumbai, informed the audience about fake medicines. He quoted an incident that when the owner of a Delhi-based medicine company suffered heart attack he asked his family members not to get the medicine of his own company because it was fake and asked them to get the medicine of another company.
Lastly the architect of Vision 2016, the programme of social service of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in India, Prof. Siddique Hasan explained his dream, “It is an ambitious plan envisaged for the development and upliftment of the deprived sections of our society that includes Muslims and Dalits. Lasting for a period of 10 years, the project has identified education, health, employment, women empowerment, and microfinance as its chief focus areas. The schemes and projects run by various institutions and agencies are supervised by an umbrella organisation, Human Welfare Foundation. In the first phase, Muslims of the selected 58 poor districts are going to benefit from the project.”