By Dr. Sunita Dube, Founder Chairperson, MedScapeIndia
Medical services professionals across the ranks, hierarchy, and professions have stood up for the nation and its people in the last few quarters. They have risked their lives and some have even martyred while serving people. We have lost some of the senior-most and knowledgeable medical professionals in the fight against Covid-19. The time has come when the nation needs to back its medical professionals and provide a secure lifestyle for the doctors.
We suggest the following for the ensuing budget for the medical professionals:
- Health Insurance Cover for all the medical staff for the period of 5 Years.
- Govt. must provide the following health insurance to all staff members of all Government, non-corporate, ESIC, and Charitable hospitals.
- Doctors: 1 Crore, Trainees: 25 lacs, Support staff nurses, ward boys, helpers, security guards, etc.: 20 lacs.
- Govt. should bear the cost of insurance for these medical warriors. Medical staff and their family’s protection are the need of the hour and utmost responsibility of the Govt. Health Insurance should be provided through nationalized insurance companies.
- This should be done digitally to ensure control, cost-effectiveness, and full coverage so that nobody is denied the right to insurance.
- Life Insurance Cover for all Medical professionals for 5 Year Period:
- It is now well established that the side effects of Covid-19 are serious and may occur after a lapse of time such as blood thickening, organ failures, etc. resulting in sudden death. The families are left without any earning member and for doctors, it may be worse esp. For those who have taken loans for medical education. Govt. therefore must provide and pay for life insurance of all medical staff as mentioned above of at least Rs. 75 lacs irrespective of their designation or class of officers or sub staff. This should be done digitally to ensure control, cost-effectiveness, and full coverage so that nobody is denied the right to insurance.
- School Education curriculum to include new hygiene and basic medical emergency training under Fit India Movement:
- The world is faced with a new paradigm of developing higher immunity and higher standards of self and social hygiene. We suggest that an allocation be made of Rs 500 crores p.a. to introduce this course at the primary school level. MedScapeIndia will be happy to work with Govt. in conceptualizing and designing the course. We also suggest that this should be free of cost to school students and Govt. should bear the cost. An honorarium is paid to medical staff. If this can be achieved, the nation will be “PANDEMIC CRISIS READY” for good. Compared to benefits, this is nothing in terms of cost. India will emerge as a stronger youth nation.
- Govt. Scholarship Fund for sponsoring Advance Training for Women Doctors esp. Gynecologists, Pediatric, physician, Radiologist.
- India has set a benchmark in dealing with the pandemic in terms of processes and procedures to deal with the covid-19 challenge. Medical Professionals have proven their grit and intelligence to earn India this glory. The world will study how slums in Dharavi were saved from spreading covid-19 at its peak. However, India is still not at the forefront of medical inventions as the western world is. This is esp. true for Gynecologists & Pediatric Doctors who need to visit and be trained in the western world to learn the same.
- While corporate hospitals can sponsor their doctors, a lot of doctors in far-flung districts are left without this knowledge. Esp. young aspiring women Gynecologists need the attention of the Govt. as women prefer women Gynecologists in most parts even today. It is a burning need to address this issue.
- We propose that Govt. set up a scholarship program of Rs. 250 crores to sponsor expenses of training for women doctors who are running individual small clinics in the field of Gynecology, Pediatrics. This amount will suffice for one doctor per district. The scope can be expanded in the future to include multiple disciplines and male doctors too.
- Tax exemption on Doctors who want to elevate rural health infrastructure and want to start a hospital. Govt. can design criteria for selecting such women doctors such as turnover of less than 1 crore, number of years of experience, qualifications, language ability, etc. MedScapeIndia- AMET will be happy to assist Govt. in designing the framework of the policy.
The world is moving at a fast pace in next-gen medical research. The base is allopathic with pharmacology, biomedicines, and genetic engineering. These are pure sciences that require an extremely high level of technology and cannot be combined with other alternate sciences such as Ayurveda, homeopathy, Yunani, Tibetan, Chinese etc. There is a huge amount of funding being given by Govt esp. in US Universities to carry out such research. Aatmanirbhar should include the independence of India in such modern allopathic research too instead of reliance if the western world. We suggest that Govt makes a special allocation to further such cases of allopathic research in India through Universities and AIIMS. Allocation of fund improves allopathy especially MBBS to avoid the deficiencies of doctors & myopathy practice issues in the country.
