In the public debate on the
Gorakhpur tragedy, several reasons were put forth as to why these deaths
occurred. That several factors collectively led to this tragedy is the
undeniable truth. Rather than trying to pinpoint who is to be blamed, our focus
instead should be preventing further outbreaks in the future.
Dealing with the aftermath of a tragedy is important as also, how we choose to deal with it. And the question that we all should be asking ourselves in this regard is “what can we do to prevent future epidemics” and not “what should have been done and was not done”.
Will we be ready to tackle
future epidemics? The answer to this depends on what corrective measures we
take today.
A long-term strategy needs to
be formulated to deal with such outbreaks. A well-planned surveillance and
response system should be in place, which can be mobilized quickly when needed.
We need better investment in preparedness.
We have to work together to
stop the next outbreak, not only in Gorakhpur, but also any epidemic in the
country. Dengue, for example, occurs in epidemic proportions every year.
The Indian Medical Association
(IMA) has suggested the following to avoid more incidents like the Gorakhpur
tragedy.
·
There should be no shortage of
staff – doctors, nurses and other supporting staff. Staff deficit affects
patient care. Shortage of staff should be supplemented with the services of
locum doctors.
·
Private doctors can be hired,
but only for locum jobs, not as regular doctors.
·
The practice of “moonlighting”
as is prevalent in the US should be allowed in India.
·
There should be a uniform
system for Govt. doctors: either practice is allowed or it is not allowed.
·
All patients who are denied
treatment at government hospitals should be reimbursed for the cost of
treatment in the private sector at predefined rates.
·
All hospitals should have back
up of at least one-week supply of all essential drugs, investigations and
oxygen.
·
To reduce the cost of
treatment, essential drugs and investigations - not non-essential drugs and
tests - should constitute the bulk of the expenditure of the allocated budget.
·
All payments for health care
services should be made either in advance or in time.
·
Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority (IRDA) has made it mandatory for all private hospitals to
get NABH accreditation. The same should be extended to all government set ups.
·
Every death should be audited
to find out the probable cause of death and whether it was a preventable
death so that future such deaths can be prevented from occurring.
·
In any case of negligence, one
should differentiate between administrative negligence and medical negligence.
Disclaimer: The views
expressed in this write up are entirely my own.
Dr KK Aggarwal
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