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Dear Mr. Amir Khan,
“NOT ALL DOCTORS ARE GREEDY”
“THERE IS NO PROFESSION THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CLEAN”
“DOCTORS ARE OBLIGED TO SERVE BY CHOICE, NOT BY COMPULSION”
Sir,
I have been a big fan or your work, life and principles. I am also a fan of
‘Satyamev Jayate’. But I was shocked to see the episode on 27th May,
2012. You are an Icon. You should have thought well and done the
homework before doing such a biased show. There are only two people in
the film industry that are being taken seriously by the thinking class of
society, You and Amitabh Bacchhan. So, when you give such a biased and
one sided version of a story, it hurts. Speaking about such a thing on a
“commercial” TV show is bad. (I am sure you have taken a big amount, only
doctor are supposed to do charity and social work, not actors!!! Right!)
I want to highlight few important points here. And yes I am qualified to
make observations as I am a medical student.
1. Your guests and audience (the words were almost put in their mouth)
said that private colleges charge a capitation fee of 40 – 50 Lacs for MBBS,
you should have also produced some evidence of such practice. Like you
call a victim in all your episodes, why not here? And do the same story
Engineering, Architecture, Law and MBA colleges, do you think they are
clean? Why target doctors alone?
2. You said Since 2001, government opened 31 medical colleges and 106
private institutes were opened. – Please note that today in India, there are
a total of 181 Private and 152 Govt Medical colleges. So the number is not
as bad s you projected. Don’t project only the time period which suits your
story. Either give a complete picture or do not give a picture at all!
And also, please find out how many of these private colleges are owned by
politicians? 95% of Private colleges in India are owned and run by
politicians. It is a bloody nexus between politicians and MCI. The corruption
by politicians is to blamed for the mess, not doctors!!!
3. One of your guest (Dr. Gulhati) said that doctors ask for 30%
commission from Pharma companies to write their drugs. That is baseless,
over-the-roof and sensationalizing the matter. That is as true as “Most
Leading actors ask newcomers to sleep with them” or “Lawyers take
money from both the sides in a legal battle” or “Most chartered
accountants teach their clients how to save tax and also pass info to
taxman on where his client saved tax”. I know all of you will shout “Where
is the proof?”. So are doctors!!!
I am not trying to sensationalize things as you did on your show by
shading those fake tears, but just trying to project that allegations are easy
to make. I know you will say that this was the opinion of our guest, and not
yours. But you provided a platform for these fake allegations.
4. You compared the numbers of Licenses cancelled in England and in
India. I must say your team is quite resourceful and please collect and
compare following details also –
a.Number of doctors beaten on duty by goons from various political outfits
in government hospitals in UK and India in last 10 years, and also the
number of people convicted for such crime.
b.The Stipend (Salary a post-graduate trainee doctor/intern gets) or Salary
and accommodation facilities provided to the doctors of the two countries.
c.The duty hours and working conditions of the doctors of the two
countries.
d.The academic and research infrastructure being provided to the medical
students.
5. You said that the most brilliant students who take up medicine, should
take it only for service to mankind, they should go to other fields if they
want to earn. Why? Are we living in imperialism? Are doctors not allowed to
earn and spend a good life? You were asking Dr. Devi Shetty whether he
can do humanitarian work and Earn at same time? This is like asking
Amirkhan or Shahrukh-khan their income and generalizing it for every actor
in the industry (Even junior artists). Sir, just as there are only few Khans
and Kapoors, There are even fewer Devi Shetty and Naresh Trehan who run
their chain of Multi-specialty hospitals spread all over the country. See
what it takes to become a doctor and then give such “Geeta-Gyan”.
a. 5 and half year of MBBS training and 1 more year of Compulsory Rural
Internship at Rs. 15000 - 20000 per month. (Any other field eg.
Engineering, Management, a person would become Postgraduate in this
much time and start earning double the amount.)
If one doesn’t study further, the pay at this step is 22,000 per month.
b. After above 6 and half years of Graduation, 3 more years of
Postgraduation, followed again by compulsory rural / Government job for 1
year or pay Rs. 25Lac bond.
If one doesn’t study further, the pay at this step is 40,000 per month.
c. After this above 10 and half years, 3 more years of Superspeciality,
followed by 1 year of Govt job or a Bond of Rs. 2 Crore.
And the seats are so few with tough competition, there tends to be a gap
of a year or two in preparing for various entrance exams.
6. Why only Doctors are being forced to work in rural and government
hospitals after their study? Why only we should pay government if we
don’t want to do it?
The rural/Govt sector needs help of Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered
Accountants and MBAs also.
Why aren’t the Engineers sent to rural areas to design and monitor roads
and industrials development?
Why aren’t the Lawyers forced to work as Public prosecutors before they
can join some big foreign corporate firm?
Why aren’t the CAs asked to work in CAG office and various other
government financial sectors before joining Multinational Giants?
Now government wants that doctors should not immigrate to other
countries without asking them. Why? Are the IIT/IIM students stopped
before they flee to foreign countries for big fat salaries? So, why us? What
is it that government of society has done for doctors that they should
repay? They bloody can’t even protect them from goons while on duty.
7. You say that doctors are writing unnecessary and costly medications. Do
we decide the price of a drug? Do we manufacture or give license to drug
manufacturers? Controlling the price of essential drugs is a government
job. We are helpless.
Sir, its easy to point fingers. We don’t say that all is well. But all is not well
anywhere. Its a different thing creating awareness about dowry or female
feticide. But its entirely different to comment on such a technical and
complicated issue without getting into the details of it.
You have maligned the entire medical fraternity. For every 10 doctors who
are doing wrong, there are more than 1000 healers. You owe us an
apology!!! This issue is not as simple as you think it is! Please show stories
which are unbiased and straight-forward. You cannot do justice to such an
issue, especially after charging a whooping amount for creating
awareness!!!
(We hear that Amir has charged 3 crores for episode of satyamevjayate in
which he spreads the message to doctors that they should not make
money and do social service!!! How sacred!!! I don’t know if its true, but
well, it’s the season of allegations!)
“We Doctors may be doing little social service, But at least we are not
charging for it!”
- Doctor"
Dear Mr. Amir Khan,
“NOT ALL DOCTORS ARE GREEDY”
“THERE IS NO PROFESSION THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CLEAN”
“DOCTORS ARE OBLIGED TO SERVE BY CHOICE, NOT BY COMPULSION”
Sir,
I have been a big fan or your work, life and principles. I am also a fan of
‘Satyamev Jayate’. But I was shocked to see the episode on 27th May,
2012. You are an Icon. You should have thought well and done the
homework before doing such a biased show. There are only two people in
the film industry that are being taken seriously by the thinking class of
society, You and Amitabh Bacchhan. So, when you give such a biased and
one sided version of a story, it hurts. Speaking about such a thing on a
“commercial” TV show is bad. (I am sure you have taken a big amount, only
doctor are supposed to do charity and social work, not actors!!! Right!)
I want to highlight few important points here. And yes I am qualified to
make observations as I am a medical student.
1. Your guests and audience (the words were almost put in their mouth)
said that private colleges charge a capitation fee of 40 – 50 Lacs for MBBS,
you should have also produced some evidence of such practice. Like you
call a victim in all your episodes, why not here? And do the same story
Engineering, Architecture, Law and MBA colleges, do you think they are
clean? Why target doctors alone?
2. You said Since 2001, government opened 31 medical colleges and 106
private institutes were opened. – Please note that today in India, there are
a total of 181 Private and 152 Govt Medical colleges. So the number is not
as bad s you projected. Don’t project only the time period which suits your
story. Either give a complete picture or do not give a picture at all!
And also, please find out how many of these private colleges are owned by
politicians? 95% of Private colleges in India are owned and run by
politicians. It is a bloody nexus between politicians and MCI. The corruption
by politicians is to blamed for the mess, not doctors!!!
3. One of your guest (Dr. Gulhati) said that doctors ask for 30%
commission from Pharma companies to write their drugs. That is baseless,
over-the-roof and sensationalizing the matter. That is as true as “Most
Leading actors ask newcomers to sleep with them” or “Lawyers take
money from both the sides in a legal battle” or “Most chartered
accountants teach their clients how to save tax and also pass info to
taxman on where his client saved tax”. I know all of you will shout “Where
is the proof?”. So are doctors!!!
I am not trying to sensationalize things as you did on your show by
shading those fake tears, but just trying to project that allegations are easy
to make. I know you will say that this was the opinion of our guest, and not
yours. But you provided a platform for these fake allegations.
4. You compared the numbers of Licenses cancelled in England and in
India. I must say your team is quite resourceful and please collect and
compare following details also –
a.Number of doctors beaten on duty by goons from various political outfits
in government hospitals in UK and India in last 10 years, and also the
number of people convicted for such crime.
b.The Stipend (Salary a post-graduate trainee doctor/intern gets) or Salary
and accommodation facilities provided to the doctors of the two countries.
c.The duty hours and working conditions of the doctors of the two
countries.
d.The academic and research infrastructure being provided to the medical
students.
5. You said that the most brilliant students who take up medicine, should
take it only for service to mankind, they should go to other fields if they
want to earn. Why? Are we living in imperialism? Are doctors not allowed to
earn and spend a good life? You were asking Dr. Devi Shetty whether he
can do humanitarian work and Earn at same time? This is like asking
Amirkhan or Shahrukh-khan their income and generalizing it for every actor
in the industry (Even junior artists). Sir, just as there are only few Khans
and Kapoors, There are even fewer Devi Shetty and Naresh Trehan who run
their chain of Multi-specialty hospitals spread all over the country. See
what it takes to become a doctor and then give such “Geeta-Gyan”.
a. 5 and half year of MBBS training and 1 more year of Compulsory Rural
Internship at Rs. 15000 - 20000 per month. (Any other field eg.
Engineering, Management, a person would become Postgraduate in this
much time and start earning double the amount.)
If one doesn’t study further, the pay at this step is 22,000 per month.
b. After above 6 and half years of Graduation, 3 more years of
Postgraduation, followed again by compulsory rural / Government job for 1
year or pay Rs. 25Lac bond.
If one doesn’t study further, the pay at this step is 40,000 per month.
c. After this above 10 and half years, 3 more years of Superspeciality,
followed by 1 year of Govt job or a Bond of Rs. 2 Crore.
And the seats are so few with tough competition, there tends to be a gap
of a year or two in preparing for various entrance exams.
6. Why only Doctors are being forced to work in rural and government
hospitals after their study? Why only we should pay government if we
don’t want to do it?
The rural/Govt sector needs help of Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered
Accountants and MBAs also.
Why aren’t the Engineers sent to rural areas to design and monitor roads
and industrials development?
Why aren’t the Lawyers forced to work as Public prosecutors before they
can join some big foreign corporate firm?
Why aren’t the CAs asked to work in CAG office and various other
government financial sectors before joining Multinational Giants?
Now government wants that doctors should not immigrate to other
countries without asking them. Why? Are the IIT/IIM students stopped
before they flee to foreign countries for big fat salaries? So, why us? What
is it that government of society has done for doctors that they should
repay? They bloody can’t even protect them from goons while on duty.
7. You say that doctors are writing unnecessary and costly medications. Do
we decide the price of a drug? Do we manufacture or give license to drug
manufacturers? Controlling the price of essential drugs is a government
job. We are helpless.
Sir, its easy to point fingers. We don’t say that all is well. But all is not well
anywhere. Its a different thing creating awareness about dowry or female
feticide. But its entirely different to comment on such a technical and
complicated issue without getting into the details of it.
You have maligned the entire medical fraternity. For every 10 doctors who
are doing wrong, there are more than 1000 healers. You owe us an
apology!!! This issue is not as simple as you think it is! Please show stories
which are unbiased and straight-forward. You cannot do justice to such an
issue, especially after charging a whooping amount for creating
awareness!!!
(We hear that Amir has charged 3 crores for episode of satyamevjayate in
which he spreads the message to doctors that they should not make
money and do social service!!! How sacred!!! I don’t know if its true, but
well, it’s the season of allegations!)
“We Doctors may be doing little social service, But at least we are not
charging for it!”
- Doctor"
OK. Let's start with this. This deeply emotional and to a large extent factual post of yours deserved more comments than are there. And I personally have nothing against doctors, as God-willing, I've got some really good doctors around me, but then again, the profession, like almost all others, is getting bad, and probably faster than you believe, if not as fast as Aamir shows.
ReplyDeleteI'm not trying to put any one side wrong, but my belief here is that you seem to have reverse biased your post against a bias that seems to have come on the show. So I'll just say a bit about the points I have some idea of.
First of all, it does not, to me, matters how much money Aamir Khan charged for his show. I don't, cannot compare my profession to that of Salman Khan. So let's begin with point 1.
ReplyDelete1. Capitation Fee: No first hand idea really. However, your point on Engg exams is true. When I was in college, I came to know that my seat was straight worth 5 lacs. At the same time, a cousin said he couldn't get MBBS cuz he didn't have 20 lacs. However, one later got it as there was some really good source, n still, some good money involved. Won't disclose the numbers here though. This one m sure of, though.
2. Yes, the politicians, the country as a whole is to be blamed. But I believe the number IS bad. 350 is not the number we need for a country of 1.2 Billion. It's much higher. But that's nowhere related to 'doctors.'
3. Doctor Gulati was a guest. His mistake in saying it's 10%. Truth is it's nowhere fixed. Most of them, though, I personally believe, take money, n I DO NOT consider it wrong unless they're prescribing things they should not. But I have a very close friend in the marketing dept of a well known Pharma co. n I know to what low levels many doctors are going to. The truth here is that it's the Pharma companies which show them the money, and make it completely a market, because that is what it is for them, and they are the main culprits, but then when you work in a profession as sacred as medical, there must be certain morals you should follow, and the number of people leaving those very morals seems big, probably bigger than you believe.
However, when you say Aamir n his show gave them a platform, it's something like banning Twitter. Agree it's not the same, but they need not edit it unless it's exactly wrong. No, the allegations are not 'fake', they're inaccurate, and non-universal.
4. Yes, your point 4c says that the number of colleges is bad.
5. Totally agree with your point, but as I said, there should be certain morals every doc should follow. I know you'd agree with that too. Nothing to disagree, though I'd not suggest you to compare with actors again. They're not there to save lives. It's kinda idiotic if you compare yourself to them. A doctor is much higher in position than an actor. However, at times, and person-to-person, a doctor may consider himself/herself nothing compared to an actor, and vice-versa.
6. This is one on which I completely, whole-heartedly agree with you. There are a few MBA colleges that have begun this, but this is something that's a long long way from being what it should be, even though it's a very simple thing to implement.
7. Costly - Not related to doctors, mostly (unless there is same drug at highly different prices n the doctor presses on one particular).
unnecessary - Yes. That's the point. n believe it or not, doctors DO that. No, not all, not even majority. But even not in one or two either. It's become a practice. And again, pharma companies are responsible to an extent, but dude, you ARE in a responsible profession, n agree to it or not, you'll have to be a sacred person, to a limit at least. Not because that is what is expected from you, but because you have a power that no one else has.
On a personal note, I feel happy, kind of free when I think that I'm an engineer, a computer engineer, and not a doctor. Because if I make a mistake in my work, there is probably 0.001% chance that a person may lose his life because of my mistake, but in your case, it's way too high.
But then, this is because you can make a person live when no one else can. As they say, a doctor is the closest thing to God, so being sacred is what you'll have to bear with.
Aisa lag raha hai aaj maine Happysing ke saare comments ka badla le liya.
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