JAI HO ! RE-PRODUCT-ING PUBLIC OF INDIA ! JAI HO ! SLUM ( DOG ) MILLIONAIRES OF INDIA !!
Come to think of it, are WE ALL, not the slum millionaires of India ? The middle class & upper class Indians – becoming Lakhpatis & Crorepatis , because of the work & loyalty of slum (dogs)- the very human beings who work for us at our hospitals & homes & offices ; the people who serve us right from street side stalls to five star hotels ! The politician becomes a “slum millionaire” thro’ slum vote banks ! We all doctors have or had a foot in the slums ( let us not forget our KEM / JJ / Sion / Nair training atleast ). Even some Business empires & Bollywood biggies could be labelled as risen from slums. SLUM – SCUM – SCAM seems to be the permanent ingredients of India success story – “SATYAM” !!! The only problem is slum & scum have remained & on the contrary increased inspite of making millionaires out of an ordinary politician, doctor, businessman & a builder. And a Britisher Boyle comes along to become one more among the slum (dog ) millionaires……..
I have desisted from openly using the word ‘Dog’ in (slum dog millionaires) , because I find the word ‘Dog’ quite offending, that is to the dog community in general , inspite of being the most loyal animal friend to humans. From his (dog’s) perspective, I suppose, the man , the master is an elongated, cunning animal walking on his hind feet, who, one, can’t be trusted; two, can’t be loyal to his own brethren / species & three, can be self destructive ! And we call it ‘the dog eat dog attitude of man’ or ‘bitching about’!! And all this is because man is the only animal who lives in the ghettos of mind with me , mine , myself motto. And the moment one is willing to raise oneself out of this ghetto, we have a Buddha who continues to inspire for generations (spiritually ); A Barack Obama aspiring to lead politically the whole nation & hopefully the world or a Mohammed Yunus showing the way out of poverty thro’ microcredit finance in Bangladesh & thus bagging Noble peace prize thro’ poverty alleviation.
That brings me home to Medicine, the practice of which is not politics (for few black sheep it may be ) but an art of giving hope for life and living & science to practice ( the same ). And like any other art & science, while it requires the affection & respect of the society, it cannot survive on the concept of Free Lunch or Chronic subsidy ( for long ) in the name of Charity. And charity, particularly in medical treatment seem to be like an illegitimate child delivered at our door step with the sole responsibility of doctor – hospital ( medical establishment ) of nursing / rearing the child with the oft heard exhortation of nobility. To the point Nobility has been starved & decimated to near extinction & deceit raising its head. On a larger scale similarly, the so called Free Medical camps serve a purpose to only an extent, besides being a good PR exercise & a Photo Op. for the NGO’s organizing it; Do the patients benefit – in terms of sustained quality health care? Do the docs benefit in terms of job satisfaction, necessarily need not be in terms of money but definitely in terms of ROTI – Return On Time Invested ! I need not think aloud, since we all know the answer in our heart of hearts & was amply voiced by more than many in the IMA camp who attended it or did not! How do we come out of this no win situation, while maintaining the nobility of the profession, retaining the art & science & yet thriving (not merely surviving)? How can WE, the knowledge workers, skilled workers that we are, bring about an effective change in the slum (dog) scenario. I think the mantra is Management Input – a well thought out, a well coordinated strategy in place to reach out to the target population. When individuals like Mother Teresa, Amte’s, Dang’s could do it why not the organized might of IMA? When Mohammed Yunus can try & eradicate poverty (in Bangladesh) thro’ microcredit finance, why can’t WE, the IMA eradicate Health Care poverty mainly in urban slums & rural India. Can we do it ? Yes, instead of offering token free medical camps, set up a social, health security network & fund to provide health care for BPL families. Health care costs have been found to be a major factor in pushing the families into poverty all over the world. What it needs is the will & strategy to do it. Raise funds thro’ sponsorship – the pharmaceutical companies, the corporate houses for sustained quality health care ; create a social safety net for the economically backward & bring them in the ambit of affordable, private quality health care. Yes I think, the IMA can take lead & that would be one step in making our contribution towards social transformation thro’ health care, right to health being one of the most fundamental basic rights of a civilized society.
Instead of self righteous indignation, self pity or self congratulation, what is required is self respect for WE the self proclaimed, knowledgeable lakhpatis & crorepatis of India to accept the REALTY SHOW that India is & go about not just making noises but intelligent choice/s of change.
And let us remember inspite of all our lip service & sympathy shown to slum walas, there is a certain feel good glow on their faces despite all the discomfort, disease & debt surrounding them – apparently very accepting of the present, forgetful of the past & no expectations of the future. Life goes on blissfully, ignorant of basic human rights to health and responsibilities to hygiene with a willful neglect by the state. The NGO”s like IMA can & must try & make a change.
JAI HO THE BILLIONAIRE BHARAT – THE BILLION PLUS GAN RAJYA OF INDIA !
Dr. Hemant Agrawal
M.S.Orth(Mum), F.R.C.S., M.Ch. Orth. (England)
CONSULTANT ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON.
EDITOR, Mulund,Mumbai IMA ( Indian Medical Association ) Magazine, “IMAGE”
