Saturday, November 15, 2014

Free Health Camps: Time for an audit

After witnessing many "health camps" in the past two decades, I have been advocating against such practice.

These are nothing but useless programs aimed at self promotion, business promotion, corporate advertising, catch volunteers for a clinical trial ; it suits the interests of self declared social activist organizations - to add to their scrap book. It also shows the failure of the health systems to reach the masses.

Remember that during these health camps, doctors have to discharge their duties under sub optimal conditions, patients are subjected to violation of their rights to privacy. Surgical health camps like dental/ cataract/ sterilisation are even more disastrous.

It is better to have screening camps instead, and get them to the hospital for proper care. CODS Manipal, OEU in KH, OBG in KH, SDM in Dharwad have successfully done it for years. Subsidized care through insurance based health cards is also a great way to spread health care.

However the publicity hungry, new age health administrators are more interested in the photograph with banners in the media, than actual health care to the needy.

Bilaspur sterilisation camp disaster should be ring the warning bell for the health administrators…avoid such camps in sub optimal conditions, avoid playing with the lives of people with contaminated generic medicines…


The Final Word to health administrators: If profit & publicity are your aim in life, join some tobacco/gutkha or liquor company…it gives you both.

1 comment:

being A S I A said...

Sir , Brilliant article , unfortunately often due to the geographical location , great articles as these do not get circulated , i wish the
re were more comments and discussions .I hope u write to a wider audience !