Ensuring Qualified Care

The debate over social media; arguments, counter-arguments, rebuttals, discussions and so vis-a-vis providing of medical treatments to people in one or the other method is something that needs to be deliberated upon very seriously, given that for insane people wondering in search of relief and solace to well being and anticipating a ray of hope, it is easy to get lured; again the responsibility of authorities overseeing the domain, to tight the noose by way of regular checks and monitoring, in a way similar to the patient remaining cautious to take prescribed medicines on time, to avoid any deterioration of health.

Should the authorities rather than getting alert over the loss of precious health, always remain on toes to take pre-emptive measures on regular basis, to ensure that the society is not home to people emerging as experts in the utilization of deceitful or ill-informed medical methods, which otherwise can pose a significant barrier to the public health, as this prevalent problem has risen to a concerning level in one way or the other.

The influx of unqualified professionals in past has remained confined not only to private sector but also in the Government hospitals as well, raising alarm; even some non-professional officials of hospitals have over the decades managed to get promoted as healthcare professionals, on the basis of certificates acquired through unrecognized and un affiliated institutes in freebies, without any efforts, with regular course involving years of study; given that authorities at the helm of affairs have off late been able to differentiate or establish a mechanism for the same.

Unnoticed may it not go that chemist shops and other clinical establishments should not be allowed registration on the basis of certificates acquired on freebies from unrecognized/unaffiliated outside institutes, imperative to avoid endangering the public health and to prevent snatching of sustenance of those professionals who toiled hard to qualify a degree over the years by taking rigorous examination process.

Unethical medical practitioners involve many; from prescribing of medicines by those supposed to dispense it, to tooth extraction by the clinic boy, to prescribing of allopathic medicine by practitioners qualified in other systems of medicines, to therapists claiming to overtake the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurologists, orthopedicians; so and so, are the areas which need eagle’s view to look into.

Though ceiling of unregistered clinics and other establishments, resorting to unethical practices, is imperative for public health, but need of the hour to ensure that every Tom, Dick and Harry is not able fetch a certificate from outside through unrecognized and unaffiliated institutes and then manage to register their clinics with the local authorities or get a hallmark of a healthcare provider.

Should we not evolve a mechanism to ensure registration of qualified healthcare professionals only, affiliated either to J&K Medical and Paramedical Council or institutes/colleges granted permission by the local health authorities; undoubtedly these professional courses being vital to patient care need to be properly pursued and practiced; then overseen and monitored, solely in the interest of patient care.