Health care as a human right?

 – Most advanced health care should be a human right – along with food & shelter, health care is a basic need of every human being.  I don’t think there will be a problem in reaching a consensus about such a right. 

of course, any discussion about ‘human rights’ will take us to ‘inequality’ among human beings, and whether all of us believe in some sort of equality for all of us.  Logically human beings should feel some sort of franternity as we all are one species and also should agree on need to look after each other to some extent.  It’s also insurance, i.e. saving for a rainy day – such as, when we will become ill and require help / health services to survive.       

Now let me narrow down breadth of this blog to current scenario in an undeveloped part of the world, where lots of poor people do not get best health care possible.  To figure out multitudes of problems of this right.

Just any health care wouldn’t be enough for a person suffering from temperory or chronic ill-health.  The best methods (evidence based) should be available.  But, for that, we have to reach a consensus on what is ‘best health care’ standard.  Some would vouch by a faith healer, or even a religious ritual.  What to do about that? One man’s faith is another’s blind faith.

Is the current modern medical care evidence based? Most educated people might agree that allopathy gives logical explanation and concrete information about physiology.  Maybe not ‘most’, but ‘many’ educated people.  There are many systems of healthcare and faith healing methods as well.  A poor / un-educated person might never had exposure to modern science, thus he/she will be forced to have faith even in modern medical care based on logic. Then i read about 2 way stethoscopes – which has 2 earphones, instead of just 1 pair for the doctor.   

Imagine, a doctor checking a patient who never had exposure to human anatomy and how stethoscope works... now, imagine he/she getting to listen along with doctor while their chest is being examine by this 2-ear phone stetho... the doctor can explain as they check, and thus give a short health awareness communication while check-up.  In such a case, the patient will have more information about his/her body and increases chances of accepting modern medical methods with understanding, rather than just develop faith in it.

It will be very many years, by the time, the world will be able to agree on standard health care treatments – currently multiple schools of medical care exist – allopathy, ayurved, Chinese, homeopathy and so on.

There are also faith healers, astrologers, and religious rituals etc – which provide proxy health care – through innumerable ways.  They often are using what’s known as ‘placebo effect’ as well.  But one thing is certain – they do provide one necessary requirement, and that is, psychological aspects (comfort, hope, assurance etc).  These psychological requirements needs to be addressed and should be part of standard health care.  Till then, divisions and incompatibility will exist to make us ever more miserable than the health problems themselves.

Along with these health care related thoughts, another related one rolls in.  Suppose in India, where there is such a mad rush to get admission in medical school (MBBS), a new policy is formulated.  That is, after 12^th standard, every MBBS applicant will have to first serve for 1 year in a health center as an apprentice/ doctors assistant? Right now, there is 1 year bond period which the medical graduates have to serve in govt. Hospitals, but that doesn’t always happen... so, putting it before admission – will it be more applicable and effective? 

Protests...

The wave of protests all over the world... the Arab springs, and now the second wave from Egypt, and new ones in turkey, Brazil and of course, the occupy moments, what do they indicate?

One way to understand is through analogies.  Centuries ago, the medical science struggled with diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The treatment was focused on symptomatic relief – because we as human beings had little knowledge about the complex physiological system.

Similarly, we are struggling with problems which can be termed as social diseases.  To work together, we need systems that ensure fair and equal treatment of all the group members.  Democracy, socialism and such political systems try to bring solutions to these group level functions. 

Along with that, economic systems too try to keep the majority satisfied with efforts and benefits distribution.  How much effort /input each human has to make and how much resources will they be awarded is decided through a combination of economic-political systems. 

We try to push our body too, to find out what all excesses it can survive, alcohol, tobacco, overeating, under-exercise, and so on..  just like that, we try to push our eco-political systems too, and try to figure, how much can injustice and inequality can the majority suffer without exploding.  And when such a social disease occurs (the protests can be seen as an allergic reaction or skin disease), some treatment is given. 

If you were a governing body member, or ruling political party leader, how would you view these protests? As a first step, every ruling party would try to see no major cause for huge gathering should happen in the media. And even if such an outburst does occur then, try to see how it can be dissipated and some sacrificial lambs could be thrown away.  Thus treating the symptoms, just as the earlier medical science did. 

The body is the media (now internet being an addition), and the eco-politicians try to harness media, or focus on symptoms.  The belief is that, if the symptoms are not seen (in the media), then it doesn't matter.  Or another media campaign is used to counter the current (media) symptom outrage, without realizing the focus needs to be on the root cause of disease.  Thus such protests will keep re-occuring without any major change, because the current system doesn't have mechanisms to detect public discontent change eco-politico policies, until there is coup.

And one of the major root causes is inequality.  Something like 40% of the resources/wealth is cornered by 1%, to put it in a very rough manner, and some 40% of the population less than 1% of the resources/wealth.  How do we address this? How come the current system still has no answer to dealing with such blatant human rights violations?

If any other system/science than economics or eco-politics performed at current level, the leaders of that system would have been fired long ago.  The current eco-political administers or CEO’s have failed very badly... performed worse than the recently bankrupted financial behemoths or even Municipalities... (But then they are part of eco-political system).  So, basically there is no scale to measure their level of failure.  Compared to medical science, it would be like saving 1% of the patients they treat... but, we, humans fear ‘change’ more...  

Maybe we should start anew from scratch.  There are too many maybes, but one thing is clear.  The current eco-political system needs major overhauling.  We need very good doctors to treat the rampant social diseases, before it’s too late. 

Another lecture

Another lecture

Why do amusement dance in your eyes always

And there’s a shade of fierceness that glints

Reflecting cautionary protective spirit,

Along with it confounding curves appear too,

At where cheeks meet those lips,

Leaving even anticipation holding its breath

Is this beginning of a smile now?

Often somber clouds just cover it up,

And sometimes they don’t; to enlighten

What’s to feel like a feather and float…

But it’s always a flash & control reigns,

And the mystery remains unraveled as always;

And me to copy another lecture notes

From one of those rock solid classmates.