Who will ethical medicine serve?

Today a wide range of stakeholders believe that ethics needs to make a comeback and that for-profit medicine must take a backseat. They want medicine to be free, a right, and seek greater government funding. However this group also needs to debate on what the people want and need. Any form of medicine loses its ethics and appeal if it does not consider the opinion of those upon whom it seeks to impose itself.

What was the origin of medicine? People of all cultures believed in the value of food, herbs, power of the sun, air, water and earth. They also believed in animal products and in basic minerals. In short, they believed in natural elements. They also believed in the power of energy forms called the spirit, and ventured into the recesses of the mind to seek cures when all else failed. What matters is that they received answers and guidance. Consciousness and its powers were harnessed cutting across civilizations.

The sciences of naturopathy, ayurveda and its associates, yoga, and tantra were the refined outcomes of thousands of years of experience and wisdom. Homeopathy built up on that and so did sciences of acupuncture, acupressure, chiropractic healing, and natural allopathy that embraced vitamins and minerals. To the existing knowledge they added the value of right living and thinking, altruism, one identity, morality, ethics and the laws of spirituality.

They also defined the role of the practitioners and their attitude and behaviour while treating patients and visiting their homes. They pointed out that the physician must first heal himself and imbibe the correct values and path before preaching and practicing. In short, they defined medical ethics and also practiced it to the hilt.

Modern allopathy proceeded upon new set of ideas that seemed to produce relief but has long term consequences. Cut, slash and burn has evolved into vaccines, antibiotics, steroids, analgesics, chemotherapy and radiation. However they have neither led to cures nor restored health. They have helped build an industry that is today choking both the practitioners as well as the end users. Thus the need for ethics.

But making a system that does not meet the needs and aspirations of the people free and accessible does not make it ethical. This is the message I wish to convey to the well meaning group that is fighting for ethical medicine today. They need to study health, bring about cures, and undo the harm done over the past century. The system has to reinvent itself. It has to listen to the people instead of relying on industry employed experts.

I see great hope in the emerging family physicians movement. But I am not aware of what the leaders of this movement intend to do. On the surface I do not observe the changes I would like to see. Being family physicians offers a great opportunity to reconnect with the people. It offers an opportunity to study the same lot of people over a longer period of time to better understand impacts. It offers an opportunity to earn the trust of people. But is the movement willing to change tracks? Is it willing to think beyond the nose?

I remain an observer. I see changing attitudes in practitioners of naturopathy, ayurveda and homeopathy. They are freely and frankly discussing pros and cons, and strategies to keep the old and embrace the new. The patient and his health outcomes are at the core of their discussions. I do not see such engagements in modern medicine which still feels it can impose its will because of its size and money power.

When I see change I will be happy. I wish the modern practitioners once again go back to basics and put their feet on the ground. Otherwise I sense an extinction event looming large on the horizon simply because the public has woken up. Any system of medicine cannot go against those it serves and survive.