Page 8 - Seniors Today - June 2021 Issue
P. 8
Indians started consuming large quantities There has been little emphasis on quality of
of vitamins, drugs to treat Helminthic care. Even access to a specialist is available
infections and bubonic plague. To add over a phone call. However, this ability
to misery Alternative medicine has been of healthcare is not uniform. The medical
promoted without clinical evidence and personnel work long hours, see more
responsibility both medical and legal. patients and hence the quality of time and
Several management guidelines were overall outcomes are poorer.
issued but they were usually meant for A large part of our society has lack of
hospitalized patients. But now, the new respect and mocks modern medicine.
treatment guidelines issued have now done Several alternate forms of medical therapy
away with almost all drugs except a few were prescribed, and valuable time was
which are really promising. lost. Thus, without timely intervention
patients deteriorated very rapidly and
when they could not be managed at home,
they were rushed to hospitals which were
already grappling with overflowing wards
and ICUs.
Failure as a society
Our nation, along with high levels of
illiteracy has paid little attention to general
medical knowledge. An average Indian has
distrust of the existing medical systems. In
a bid to promote alternative medicine, the
government has lost the plot in boosting Failure of government machinery
cutting-edge research and development. There has been an overall lack of quality
Public health in our country has always communication by our leaders. They
received stepmotherly treatment from haven’t effectively guided us through
government after government because it the pandemic though they had access to
does not help bring popularity. knowledge accumulated and analysed by
We may have the largest pharma scientists of our country.
companies and we may be called the The frequently changing guidelines also
pharmaceutical capital of the world, but we added to confusion. In the first wave, we
have never invested in developing newer had the PM leading the charge but this
drugs or quality products. time around, the baton was passed onto
Urban Indians have access to cheap and states to lead. However, the phased manner
readily available healthcare from GPs of of lockdown actually allowed the Delta
every hue and public healthcare facilities. variant to wreak havoc.
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