Doctors are up in arms against the “portrayal of doctors” in the chapter — Challenges to Democracy — in an NCERT Class X text book that states that doctors posted in the rural sector do not work there and do private practice instead.
The chapter on doctors’ absenteeism says: “Uttar Pradesh government got a survey done and found out that most of the doctors posted in rural primary health centres are simply not there. They live in a town, carry out private practice and visit the village where they are posted only once or twice in the entire month. Villagers have to travel to towns and pay very high fees to private doctors even for common ailments.”
Speaking to The Hindu , a senior doctor, working at a Central government hospital in Delhi said, “We can not accept the fact that generations of students will be taught this and children will grow up thinking doctors do not work sincerely and cheat the common man. This image is far from the truth. Doctors form the backbone of the health system and nobody should be allowed to run us down in this manner.”
The chapter then talks about reform proposal, which says that the government should make it compulsory for the doctors to live in the village where they are posted, failing which, their service should be terminated. The other suggestions include that districts administration and police should carry out surprise raids to check if the doctors are present at the health centres.
“Also, village panchayats should be given the power to write the annual report of doctors which should be read out in the gram sabha meeting and problems like this can be solved only if Uttar Pradesh is split into several smaller States which can be administered more efficiently,’’ the chapter said.
