Research and Humanities in Medical Education (Nov 2015)
What asks the public sector- Voices from within
Abstract
The medical profession which was once held in high esteem is now quoted as the second most corrupt profession after Indian police. This article is written to make us realize that it is high time to institute corrective steps before the pristine image is lost forever. Starting from medical college with a curriculum that lacks emphasis on ethical aspects and a subjective, obscure examination system, paves the way for dishonest behaviour later in life. When these doctors step out to work they find it hard to make ends meet without alliances and kickbacks. They refrain from joining government hospitals because of poor infrastructure, low pay package and mediocre work environment. The unaccountable growth of quacks coupled with callousness on the part of government leads to the further decline in the quality of health care. If the Indian medical fraternity wishes to improve ethical conduct amongst practitioners, it is mandatory to start from the basics. Including medical ethics in the curriculum, checking growth of substandard medical colleges, regular hospital audits, computerization and digitalization of the patient records, transparent employee appraisal and rekindling defunct watchdog agencies may help in this journey.
