By Hindustan Times
Aamir Khan's effort to spotlight malpractices within the medical profession in India through his path-breaking show Satyamev Jayate can have upset many doctors, but viewers agree that discreditable practices are widespread and the actor was indeed doing an ideal service and would "get support from all Indians."
"My husband is a diabetic and he refuses to go to the doctors for the easy reason that they could ask him to undergo mutliple tests and prescribe medicine which would not be suitable," Ajita Bajpai, a worried wife, wrote to IANS.
Her reaction followed Aamir's interview with IANS, wherein he refused to apologise to the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for exposing the underbelly of the country's medical system.
"In one experience - a wrong injection was prescribed. A second opinion confirmed our fears. The prescribed injection had unwanted side effects and was totally unsuitable to be taken. Take into account that it was expensive besides. Currently I'M just worried as to how I WILL get him to go to a right doctor and feature his faith restored with correct treatment," she added.
Bajpai is not the only one
"I've lived in India and travelled there over 13 times over several decades. I've spoken to dozens of doctors, visited hospitals, talked to patients and surviving members who lost family members under doctors' care. Your medical industry is frightening," wrote a reader under the name Dee.
"Surgeons stop in the midst of operations (Chandigarh) to take tea breaks. Doctors examine women without gloves. Surgery patients must rent their very own equipment (IV bags, you name it) that's jointly owned by the doctors, and is then reused. Parents are pressed for more cash while their child is at the operating table. Many doctors don't have any clue about hygiene, the right kind treatment for diabetes, and provides sugar pills for everything. Many doctors who got their degree 20, 30 or 40 years ago have never gone back and learned anything new. India has allowed doctors to run wild. What's truly surprising is that it took a chat show, and never an official investigation, to bring this out," added Dee.
After the fourth episode of the show, where Aamir put the spotlight on medical malfeasance, an umbrella body of 21 medical institutions has asked Aamir to apologise as they feel he has insulted the noble profession. Of course, the star is in no such mood.
"I haven't insulted the medical profession in any respect. I'VE the top regard for the medical profession. Actually what's insulting to the medical profession is those doctors who're indulging in unethical practices. They have got insulted the medical profession, not me," Aamir told IANS in an interview.
"Aamir Khan is doing a super duty towards the rustic by all means. He's doing whatever myself and all Indians need to do but can't. However, he's going to get threats from the entire culprits who're doing wrong practices. But he's going to get support from the entire Indians," wrote Anil Kumar, a viewer from Kochi.
Davare V.R., a general medical practitioner living in Ahmednagar for the past 50 years, says whatever Aamir projected through his show is true.
"There isn't any reason IMA or every other medical association should blame him. He's doing social work, indirectly exposing the bad elements within the medical profession. And it's equally true that 40 percent of the medical practioners are looting the population. Being on this profession, I've gathered a large number of experience over the last 50 years. The placement was not of this gravity after I got to work in 1961. However it is worsening," wrote in Davare.
While a viewer named Touqear Khateeb feels Aamir is a "money maker", Mumbai-based doctor M. Balasubramanian means that Aamir should add a disclaimer to his show to bypass such allegations.
"Ours is a democracy; so anybody is free to mention anything on any subject or discuss it on TV with nationwide exposure. While Aamir Khan's intentions are noble and within the interest of our country, he should put a disclaimer that the views reflected within the programme don't necessarily reflect the views of the entire people," said Balasubramanian, CEO, Shushrusha Hospital, Mumbai.
