Redre ss  mechanism must be brought in place by having more centres- Dr. Arun Gadre

Pune, June 30, 2018: Due to repeated accusations and attacks against doctors seen in the last few years by the patient’s relatives, there has been an urgency to resolve this issue. “Medicine is getting more commercialized

leaving patients dissatisfied.

redressal

and its mechanism must be brought in place by having more

centres

.” expressed Dr. Arun Gadre while talking in a panel discussion on ‘Violence Against Doctors, who is the culprit?’ ahead of Doctor’s Day held in the city.

This much needed panel discussion was organised by P.M. Shah Foundation with the help of Jan Aarogya Manch and Pune Citizen- Doctors Forum (PCDF). Adv. Chetan Gandhi, Director, P. M. Shah Foundation and Dr. Dnyaneshwar Mote moderated the discussion.

Dr. Arun Gadre, Activist and member of PCDF, Dr. Jayant Navrange, Executive Trustee, Indian Medical Association (Pune branch), Dr. Ajay Vane, General Secretary Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) and Anand Agashe, Senior Journalist, Dr. K. H Sancheti were present for on the occasion and presented their views in the panel discussion.

Gadre further added, “Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) and Medical Council of India has failed self regulation and grievance redressal. It is strange that organisation like Indian Medical Association (IMA) do not speak about Private Medical colleges scam but readily protest about Clinical Establishment Act which has created wrong perception in society regarding medical profession,”

While speaking about the problems Navrange cited, ”The hospitals run by government are often overloaded and many a times unable to meet basic requirements of the patients. Often Corporation run hospitals send the patients even with minor ailments to Sasoon which increases the workload. ”

Even Dr. Vane shared the similar views to Navrange of government hospitals being overcrowded and overloaded with work which affect the psyche and mental health of the doctors too.

Agashe placed his views from a patient’s perspective. He said, “When I am patient and visit a hospital there are few expectations that I carry with myself. Attack can be driven of triggered by disappointment due to reasons like patients not given enough time and well deserved attention, appointment timing not followed well and also if the doctor talks rudely.”

Agashe also opined that patients must be communicated well and be given fair breakage of their expenditures. Total transparency must be practised to keep up the good faith on medical profession.

Navrange added, “Today only 1.25% of entire GDP is spent on Public health service where the ideal expenditure would be 4.5%. On behalf of IMA, we are demanding that atleast 2.3% of the GDP must be spent for the same. There should community health setup and public health education must be taken up and promoted well.”

While concluding the discussion Dr. Sancheti said, “It is important for doctor to have clear communication with patients. They must talk in simple and common man language so that the problem is easily understood by the patients. Also, facilities especially in the government hospitals must improve for serving the patients well.”