Why do parents pay lacs and crores for MBBS and MD seats. Qualified doctors themselves are demoralized and have a simmering rage against society which does not give value to their services. This and despite the fact that medical profession being targeted adversely in press , parliament and public even from ramparts of red fort on Independence day parents still pay lacs and crores for MBBS and MD seats. This appears incongruous on the face of it but remains a fact. A recent survey conducted among MBBS/ MD/ DM/MCh doctors in Government and private sector revealed a negative self opinion among them, with overall a poor quality of life, dissatisfaction with profession and a predominance of doctors not wanting their children to join medical profession. This is in sharp contrast to the simplistic view prevalent that doctors and nursing home owners pay these lacs and crores to make their children follow in their footsteps. As a nursing home owner and parent of two children doing MBBS both on Government seats in Punjab colleges I am clear that they will not come back to join me in the nursing home for the simple reason the nursing home will have ceased to exist by the time they complete their education. The time of small nursing homes is over and they are soon to be extinct as a species. What then is the reason despite numbers of MBBS aspirants falling to an all time low in 2010 with marginal rise thereafter (still less than 1/2 the 2007 figures) parents pay such exorbitant capitation and tution fee for these courses. No other professional degree except law probably is as independent of job market as the medical professional courses. Even in the field of law contacts, relationships with senior advocates and judges is needed to establish oneself independently. The limited numbers of chambers in courts ,the ease which a potential litigant can differentiate a new advocate from a seasoned one in court premises makes independent start of practice of law difficult. Doctors unlike lawyers work individually in different environments and are isolated from each other making comparisons difficult. The ease with which without a Govt job a doctor can earn a livelihood in any locality or neighbourhood is unmatched by other professionals. This makes them stand apart and insulated from the system and hence the animosity against them. Their very lack of dependence on others infuriates those in power and there arises a strong desire to subjugate these independent upstarts. A shopkeeper can be kept in line through various inspectors of excise and taxation department and others. Markets are a strong source of funding election campaigns. Whereas doctors and specially MBBS doctors are political non entities nor will they ever collectively contribute election funds. No Government job is available today without appropriate reservation either by caste or by underhand means. This means parents who do not have the wherewithal to ensure jobs for their wards wish them to do a course which would make them independent of this need. Besides medicine I can only think of plumber and electricians course which is so independent of need for a job. Medicine being a bit more (only a bit) respectable becomes the obvious choice. Most colleges where lacs and crores are being charged for these seats are owned wholly or partly by senior and local politicians. I request them to not cut the very branch they sit on. Eroding the value of the medical MBBS degree will ultimately result in devaluation of their money minting enterprises and hence it is not in their financial interest. Continuous and repeated insults and humiliations heaped on the profession can only be deleterious to their bottom lines. I cannot take the argument that these are the doctors who will look after their health for our esteemed politicians prefer treatment abroad (at Govt expenditure) from doctors whom they have chased out of india in the first place. Dr Neeraj Nagpal Convenor, Medicos Legal Action Group Ex President IMA Chandigarh 09316517176 e mail; hopeclinics@yahoo, hopelinics@gmail For Contributions; Medicos Legal Action Group Ac No 499601010036479 IFSC code UBIN0549967 Union Bank Sector 35 C Chandigarh;
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 04:27:38 +0000
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