Malpractice, Insurance or Drug availability?

"Low cost insurance" issue: Guess which main "investment partners" are in with Dr. Shetty- JP Morgan and AIG (now called PineBridge investments) ( Source:http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4493). Thus, I m not surprised that Star Plus (owned by Republican leaning Murdock) is supporting all the fraudulent "investors" like JP Morgan and AIG (who guzzled billions of tax payers' money after the 2008 collapse).

The local state governments are funding the hospital with public funds to subsidize health costs at a "private" hospital with zero oversight as to how much profit the hospital is siphoning off from public funds. This is typical Republican tactics. Today, this "low cost insurance" is low cost. How about in 20 years? The premium will slowly creep up and up and then everyone who has paid into the "scheme" will be Ponzied out of it (as it has happened in the US) including the public eschequer. This needs to be stemmed before the rot spreads.

Cheap drugs: Generic. Indian manufactured generics are the most easily available drugs in the US. The same, say, Amoxycilin will be even cheaper in India. Even then, based on the insurance plan and the co pay charged to the patient, the patient pays more than the actual cost of generics, here in the US. So, this utopian idea of having the states pay for generic drugs to all its citizens is something that needs to be looked into. Already in the US, many patients "stretch" their prescription as they cannot afford their co pays.

I am not saying that affordable health care should not be a focus of the states. On the contrary, state health care has to be brought to a qualitative level and offer equal care to all patients irrespective of social standing or economic ones. There has to be a sliding scale for payment and public hospitals need to meet stringent regulations just as public ones. All graduating doctors have to work in public hospitals for 2 years or so before awarded their passing degree. Such sort of integration will bring about much needed revival of a healthcare system that has been neglected over decades.

If Amir had done some proper research, he would have discovered Shankara Eye Foundation that provides incredible care for blind or nearly blind people in India. He would have discovered Aravind Eye Hospital. He would have discovered Jain hospital in bengaluru and many more such charitable trusts that offer incredible service to their patients with a zeal that honors humanity.

Even this platform, India forums is run by Star TV's set of folks. That is why all the Star shows are consistently ranked higher than the other channels put together. This sort of manipulation takes some seeing through after recognizing the "pattern".

As for the main focus of the program- it could have been leveraged to "educate" people about simple home remedies that can help simple problems like identifying severe dehydration and a home based remedy like water with salt and sugar in it with a dash of lime juice. Such solutions could have been taught using the forum of the show. Instead the Do who was on vacation came on air to say how his maid's son died because of dehydration.

There are many Nani's nuskes that many have forgotten or not learned because their nanis lost it over the years or the kids thought nani to be dumb and told her that the doc knows best. In situations like these, it is good to have some basic health knowledge than none and know to administer first aid of sorts- extending the idea of the Anganwadi workers.

The Anganwadi workers could have been showcased on this show because they do some amazing work around the country.

But then, Star's subterranean money-making ideas will be left out dry.