Open public letter to The Hon'ble Minister of Health, India.

[Guest guest]

To:

The Hon'ble Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare,

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,

Government of India.

 

cc: The Editor,

The New Indian Express,

India.

 

Respected Sir,

 

The epidemic of chronic diseases, as pointed out by your goodself recently in

Pondicherry, is a cause for concern. Even with an annual budget of $3100 billion

worldwide modern medicine feels that more funds are required to fight disease.

Critics are now questioning why, despite tremendous " advances " in medical

science and astronomical expenditure on health, humanity is in the throes of

life threatening chronic illnesses. We think the public deserves some clear cut

answers.

 

In India the drug industry has an annual turnover of Rs. 23,000 crores.

Similiar amounts are spent on the upkeep of hospitals and diagnostic clinics

both in the public and private sector. The expenditure is slated to go up at the

rate of 30 percent every year. The lure of profits and not the intention to heal

has gripped the entire medical industry dubbed the " most corrupt industry in the

world " by the Global Corruption Report 2006. Though the Hon'ble Finance Minister

of India has desisted from imposing the health cess the same cannot be ruled out

if corrective steps are not taken.

 

What if the health sector itself is to partially blame for this spurt in

chronic diseases? Statements by ayurveds and homeopaths all over the world, as

well as critics of modern medicine and hapless patients, seem to imply the same.

Reductionist medicine is taking its toll, they say, as modern doctors tend to

treat the patients as machines rather than as human beings. Modern physics has

long proved the holistic nature of the world but this does not reflect in the

medical industry allege leading scientists of the world.

 

Can India afford to remain complacent in the face of this danger? We stand to

loose both healthwise and financially if the lopsided development in favour of

modern medicine continues. As far back as 1940, health policy makers have warned

that the Indian systems of medicine and homeopathy can be ignored only at our

own peril. But 66 years have passed since then without the concerned officials

paying significant heed to that warning.

 

Sir, we would like to know how much out of the Rs. 50,000 crores promised by

you towards health care reforms will go towards improving access to holistic

methods of healing. We would also like to ask what became of the proposal to

make available ayurveda and homeopathy at all public hospitals and also the

proposal to hand over the primary health centres to qualified BHMS and BAMS

doctors.

 

Associations of holistic health care systems have asked for an allocation of

25% of the health budget as against the present 3% to six systems of healing;

only 1.5% was however released the last year as pointed out by the Hon'ble CAG.

They have also asked for better management of the holistic medical colleges,

filling up of teaching staff vacancies, hospitals exclusively devoted to

holistic methods in every district and naturopathy clinics in every village. If

these thoroughly justified demands are met then with an improved health sector

we can usher in a much better scenario of positive wellness and also reduce the

exorbitant, unnecessary and unjustifiable health costs.

 

We sincerely hope your goodself will listen to the voice of the people and

initiate more proactive steps in this regard despite stiff opposition from the

medical industry who seem more interested in warning the public about the

" dangers of herbs and homeopathy " rather than developing permanent cures for

chronic diseases.We have great faith in you Sir and we sincerely feel you will

not let us down.

 

Respectfully yours,

Jagannath Chatterjee

 

 

 

 

" Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest

of life by the power of the spirit. " - Aurobindo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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