Dr Devi Shetty's Formula for "Health Care" Will Only Perpetuate Disease.

Dear Friends,

One of the many myths that occupy our intellectuals is that increasing the scope of "health care" will ensure health. Dr Devi Shetty plays on that sentiment when he calls for health care reforms in today's Times of India (Reform Medical Education, Transform Healthcare, March 28,2015). True to his industry leanings Dr Shetty calls for more hospitals, increased surgical interventions, more specialists, and - true to the present trend of trying to corrupt AYUSH doctors and adding them to the sales force of the industry - Dr Shetty wants AYUSH doctors to prescribe allopathic medicine. All intellectuals should wonder why Dr Shetty does not talk about health anywhere as he crunches statistics about burgeoning disease rates to call for strengthening the same strategy that has caused the mess in the first place. Dr Shetty urgently needs a course in holistic healing which will hugely impact his financial status but will save India's population from an impending genocide.

The Problem With Institution Delivery
Dr Devi Shetty avers that increased caesarian rates will bring down MMR and IMR rates. Dr Shetty is predictably out of date and prefers to ignore the scary hospital scenario where drug resistance, awful sanitary conditions, harmful atmosphere polluted by drugs and gadgets used, post surgical complications, drug errors, ignorance of side effects of the drugs given to the mother to induce birth, and plain and simple corruption rule the roost. He is ignorant of the immense benefits of natural child birth which colonizes the child with the mothers beneficial bacteria besides stimulating the entire system of the child in the process. The child gets instant access to the vital colostrum in the mothers milk after natural delivery, a process that is hugely delayed after caesarians. The world is today awake to the fact that caesarians are encouraged for reasons other than concern for the mother and child. It also provides the opportunity to assault the child with three very controversial vaccines on the day of birth. Health is never the objective of "health care". Growth is fueled by disease, not health.
 
 The Problem With Specialization
Health is a holistic subject and it is foolish to search for it within the body. To add insult to the injury is the practice of grooming specialists. As it is doctors know very little about medicines, much less about disease, and absolutely nothing about the patients they "treat". Specialization is knowing more and more about less and less. While it may work in other sectors - to be frank they are mocked at there too - this concept is extremely hazardous for health. The WHO defines, "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." However this is the PR feel good exercise the WHO indulges in to fool people into believing in its role as a health provider. This concept of health can only be achieved through a holistic approach - as emphasized in the philosophy behind ayurveda, homeopathy, naturopathy and other holistic methods. It also requires huge investment in public health initiatives like poverty alleviation, employment, nutrition, clean water, sanitation, hygiene and housing.

Increasing drug, vaccine and diagnostic delivery - that the WHO indulges in - will only make populations more sick at their own expense; besides drawing scarce money from genuine public health initiatives. It is a classic case of stabbing a person after convincing him to invest in the knife and then signing the suicide note absolving the criminal. This is exactly what our corporate hospital based "health" model is doing. Our intellectuals however remain silent as they feel that speaking the truth would hurt their modernistic image and they may fall foul with authorities. Thus it remains for the public to realize this model for what it is worth and take care of their own health. Only this approach will starve the industry and provide the necessary pinch.

Regards,
Jagannath