Forwarded message from UK- NHS doctor
Comparison between India & UK health services
Very unfortunate incident.
I don’t understand the public mentality.
This doctor was attacked for the death of a patient who had injuries due to road traffic accident and died due to road traffic accident.
People are not interested in improving the road conditions, they don’t want to follow the traffic rules, they want to drink and drive, they want to drive on wrong lanes and so on.
When such victims are brought to hospital, they want him to become normal instantaneously, they expect miracles to happen.
Indian public don’t realise that how lucky they are as far as the medical treatment is concerned. The so called best health care of UK has following facts.
- If you need to meet a GP(genral practice ) , you need to wait for 5 to 7 days.
- If you want to meet a specialist, you need to request your GP to refer you to a specialist in the first place. If he thinks that it is very essential, then he will refer you.
- Specialist doctor appointment will take months. If you miss your appointment for some reason, you have to request and wait for next appointment. The next appointment might take months again.
- Emergency services are available. If you go to emergency services (A&E) , you will be assessed by a nurse or a doctor and severity of the condition will be noted. Then you are made to wait for about 4 hours to 10 hours.
- If you want to undergo scanning, the waiting period is months.
- If you miss 2 appointments in health care because you didn’t turn up, you are likely to be thrown out of the waiting list. Then you have to start from the beginning.
- If you feel that you want to go private for health care, you have to spend about 100 pounds ( Rs 8000) for consultation . If you want to get operated, you need to spend at least £ 10000 to £ 20000 ( 10 to 20 lakh rupees ) , and the average UK citizen can not afford it.
- Free health check ups, free consultations, concessions are unheard.
- Many NRI’S take a flight to India if they want medical facilities at affordable prices and at the earlies.
- You can’t buy antibiotics and few of the medicines from pharmacy without prescription.
- Cost of medicines is quite high although NHS (government run ) is free.
- There are many more things that are difficult to get in UK health system as compared to India.
Now you can decide how lucky you are in India to have a health system that exists. I am not saying that it is very ideal.
I have practiced in India for about 20 years and now I am in UK health system (NHS). I have seen both sides.
I personally feel that in India, most of the doctors, nurses and other health care professionals in both government and private sector work quite hard and are dedicated. There might be few odds.(They will be there in all fields )
If the society is treating the doctors, nurses and other health care professionals in such horrific manner for no fault of theirs, then god only has to save the country.
It is not only regarding health professionals, but regarding anyone who is doing a good job for the country.
If society treats a sincere soldier/government officer/banker / businessman/ teacher in a horrible way, the entire team of that profession looses interest in their work.
If we don’t support the good, we don’t get good.
Dr Umesh Nagalotimath
ENT specialist
UK.