THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite having an elaborate health system offering free service, only 40% of patients comply with treatment guidelines, said Dr B Ekbal, health activist and former vice-chancellor of Kerala University.
He was inaugurating a seminar on ‘unhealthy practices that affect public health’ by Campaign Against Pseudo Science Using Law and Ethics (CAPSULE), a public health initiative under the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP), on Thursday.
According to Dr Ekbal, poor compliance is one of the major reasons why the high morbidity prevalence rate in the state is not reducing. “People with chronic diseases stop treatment midway as they fall for advertisements offering questionable treatment methods. The state has the highest out-of-pocket expenditure mainly because people do not follow the standard treatment options,” said Dr Ekbal.
The state has become a market for unscientific products and services, especially in healthcare, he said. “The law alone would not be sufficient to combat this. We need to be vigilant. All health workers shall spread the message of health,” he said.
Dr T P Mubarak Sani, chairman (Health) of KSSP, expressed concerns over the effectiveness of the Clinical Establishment Act in curbing quackery and fleecing by private hospitals without proactive measures by the government. CAPSULE chairman, Dr U Nandakumar Nair, presented a report on activities undertaken by the organisation in combating fraudulent treatments. J Shashankan, district president of KSSP, presided over the function.