Who said only wars and roads kill most?!

Virtual world in my state is boiling with rage over NEET for the past few days. The fifth estate is also on an overdrive spewing sound bytes non stop.

Beyond all the smoke and fury, there lies a much bigger problem, uncared for...

I googled to learn how other (successful) countries have ensured quality health care and what was their Patient to Doctor ratios.

An interesting name popped up almost in all statistics; CUBA.

This David fighting Goliath for more than half a century has a ratio of 170 to 1 (as of 2007).

I learnt more about Cuba in the last few days than my entire school years. 

This post is not about Cuba. This is about another number that caught my eyes; 1700 patients per Doctor, 1700:1 in India. 

Number of doctors joining the service pool (I love to call it business pool) between 2007 and today surely would have stretched this ratio even further as we are the undisputed champion breeders of the world!

I explored further to know why we have such an abysmal ratio. I was (and am) not convinced with the many reasons touted...

Common sense says that if nr. of doctors are increased to a comfortable level, quality and competition aspects will kick in and incompetent doctors will be kicked out. We will then have a really good ratio and a healthier life.

Well, then why are we not doing it?

In the Tamil movie Soodhu Kavvum, we see a Doctor Dhadha (yes!) checking a patient. With a torch light in hand, he asks her to open her mouth, extend her tongue, makes some observation, scribbles something on a piece of paper and gives it to her. What he says after this just sums up our state of affairs; 'Go to this doctor and show this slip...he will treat you without robbing your house'!!!

Incompetency camouflaged by short supply helps only making doctors richer, patient even more sick as they become poorer before getting healthier (will they?).

A doctor from Chennai boards a late night train from Chennai to Tanjore every Friday.

Sat morning he opens shop at 6 AM. Folks from nearby towns and villages throng his shop even before he opens it ('Chennai Doctor!' 'Specialist!', 'கைராசியான டாக்டர்!', I.e., 'Man with a healing touch'). He charges 250 per consultation, allots 10 minutes per patient, rarely eats/drinks/pees, closes shop by 9 pm and catches his train back to Chennai, richer by 22500, every Saturday!!!!!!

There are many many Chennai doctors doing weekend business in Tanjore. If you take an average prescription of 300 bucks worth medicine per patient to cover the time till next Saturday, that is 27000 in medicines pushed down by just a single doctor! You know the secret by now right? His trips are sponsored by a medical shop next to his clinic!

I see maximum crowds in only three places there; Tasmac (State government run liquor shops), Clinics and medical shops...

Just look around when you visit your home next time; how many hospitals, clinics and medical shops you notice?

Just think about this: If a nation stays healthy it seldom needs doctors. 

Going just by the nr. of doctors per patient ratio, we seem to be one of the healthiest nations in the world!!!

Something gotta give, to NEET or NOT is, well, just one of those cloaks that gives invisibility to the perpetual danger our society is exposed to.

Who said only Wars and Roads kill most?!