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National Doctors' Day | 1 July

ByWebindia123 Editor 1.7.2017         Mail Now X   Post Comments

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Dr. Harish Pillai 
CEO - Aster Medcity
Head – Kerala Cluster, Aster DM Healthcare

Doctor’s day is celebrated all across India to honour the legendary physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy. It is commonly celebrated in healthcare organizations to recognize the contributions of physicians to individual lives and communities.

The average population served by a registered doctor in Kerala is about 792 as compared to 1319 for the country. We in Kerala face a double whammy due to the rising burden of Non-communicable diseases such as Diabetes, Coronary artery disease, Cancers and the surge of communicable diseases such as Dengue, Chickungunya and H1N1. Amongst the extensive challenges facing our hospitals is the lack of well qualified and competent professionals, as well as the overwhelming work stress on existing professionals in public and private hospitals. Admittedly, the challenges facing colleagues in the public sector are much more than that in the private sector due to the sheer volumes and the resource constraints in which they must perform which is truly a miraculous job.

There are plenty of career options available for bright students and many are not opting to seek a career in medicine due to the long gestation period needed to create a good doctor. The continuous and intense pressure along with the scrutiny faced in their professional lives further challenge the situation. This is an early warning sign that the existing shortfall in the availability of doctors is set to widen further. At present we have a growing debate in the country with regards to reformation in the medical education sector. We also hear about the restructuring of the Medical Council of India through the Supreme Court appointed Lodha Committee which aims to streamline the regulatory mechanism. Somehow during public debates, it is easily forgotten that a cost of 8 to 10 crores is incurred by the tax payer to train an undergraduate MBBS doctor.

Society overall needs to pause and reconsider the precious role being played by doctors today; in the age where most laymen are ‘google doctors’, men and women in white still greet and meet countless patients with an innate patience that is an inborn trait sown during the long drawn rigours of training. As reflective of society, a doctor is also prone to make errors despite due prudence. It is at times like this when society needs to invest faith and hope such that this niche and sorely needed service provider is nurtured in an empathic manner. With changing times, the modern doctor is now being equipped with all tools of e-health, excellent soft skills, ability to harness the power of smart diagnostics and adopt national and international quality standards to serve the community to the best of abilities.

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