World Health Day is celebrated on the 7th April:NMCs My Health My rights for Medicos on that occasion is a great Initiative.But this is what I think .I have to give a trigger alert because I will be mentioning sensitive mental health issues.
Tldr:
WHO in its theme for this year’s World Health Day has chosen My Health My Right as it’s theme and the NMC (National Medical Council India )has launched its My Health My Right to promote mental health amongst Medicos.Its planned as a range of wellness programs comprising yoga, mindfulness meditation, stress management workshops, nutritional guidance, environmental campaigning and promotion of wellbeing in medical students .This is to prevent the rising level of stress,anxiety and depression amongst students in this profession.
There were 122 documented suicides,1270 dropouts in last 5 years amongst Medical students.The NMC has constituted a National task force on Mental health and well-being of medical students and asked them to submit a report by 31st May 2024 for finding out the cause.That sounds like a step in the right direction.Right ?
Definitely yes and much kudos for them for doing this ,because in India we are very good at veing polite and not talking the unpleasant truth that may hurt the sentiment of others .A good thing in certain things but dangerous in other cases.If we fail to identify the root cause of the stress ,we are not helping anyone.Scientific mindset,logical reasoning and your gut feeling all need direction and in this case we are back to creating solutions but not identifying the problem.
With the NMC decision certain proverbs come to mind like
Too little too late .
But there’s also “Better late than never”.
Also “too many cooks spoil the broth”.
The NMC would do well to also have a task force find out why even working doctors(both in Government and private sectors)are committing suicide.
Why there’s disparity of CPA regulations and laws between doctors and all other professionals selling their services and often failing to do the needful and causing harm by negligence/inadvertently or deliberately?
All doctors train to help people.Thats the primary driving force between studying to be a doctor,because it takes ages to get things going professionally. If they didn’t try so hard , they wouldn’t survive in this profession with a direct feedback loop.There are always black sheep’s in every profession and should be handled appropriately through the course of law.But the mind breaking focus on demonizing a profession is bound to take its toll on young aspirants entering the profession.As a very famous doctor blogger Dr.Roshan wrote about a particular malaise affecting the profession many moons back.
Why shouldn’t companies selling addictive substances be made a party to all cases of death due to a cancer where the patient is an addict ?Like oral cancer and chewable tobacco?Why won’t ultra processed food producers and their license giving authorities (like breakfast cereals as nutritious food with added micronutrients) be taken to court for false advertising?
Also…
Why shouldn’t the Government of all countries take responsibility for allowing the sale of unhealthy sugary,ultra processed ,filled with palm oil,Soyabean oil ,Soya products cascading problems of obesity,diabetes and other metabolic syndrome be taken to task?
Why isn’t the truth talked about more often?
Is it easier to not talk about these things ?Is it easier to be ostriches and bury our heads in the sand.I hope the Government will stand up and do the right thing.Because if they don’t,the expenditures on free health care from tax payers money (including those who avoid addictions ) and no responsibility for making healthy choices is automatically taken away and bankrupt Governments are already a reality.
If people can pay for their addictions ,they very well can pay for their treatment .But that may be an unpopular opinion .I hope everyone realizes we are as healthy as what goes inside our body (food we eat),what gets into our heads(books we read,what we watch),what we do and are surrounded with (our environment, our hobbies and daily play activities.
A young Kerala doctor had committed suicide because the groom her friend also a doctor wanted a higher amount of dowry than agreed upon.Its was heartbreaking that there was an initial agreement on dowry and then a fallout.Social mindset starts at home.We need parents to walk the talk .Ragging,dowry,too many doctors,too few doctors,too little pay,too high fees are all problems that need to be addressed.For an effective generation of future doctors we need to focus on what ails them and not promote a blanket “soyabean solution” .
(Note:
Soyabean solution for a problem means a solution to a problem which looks good but is actually not.Soyabean is a complete plant protein but filled with Anti nutrients often eaten as a highly processed fake meat food derivative that is more a problem than a solution .)
If you really believe My Health My Right then also add My Responsibility and My Choices to that slogan .
Stay Healthy and Happy because life is a gift and blessing.
Writing this with BlogchatterA2Z and this is a H post.
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