TIRUCHY: The dean of MGMGH, Dr Saradha, has stoked debate among her fraternity and general public after she approached a private hospital for treatment. Her action has given ample fodder for meme creators too.
On June 21, Saradha, who will retire at the end of the month, went to a private hospital for consultation and got admitted the next day for what is believed to be a minor ailment. This sent social media into a tizzy and netizens argued whether she was right in not getting treatment in the institution of which she is the chief.
Doctors countered the charges saying a patient had the right to choose his/her doctor. Dr MA Aleem, former vice principal of the government medical college, Tiruchy, said “A patient has every right to choose a doctor and hospital. Nobody should interfere in it. Moreover, the State provides health insurance to government doctors, which implies there is no bar on them availing treatment in private hospitals. We cannot compel a patient to choose a particular hospital, be it private or government.”
Dr Ezhilan, founder of the Youth Org, sees it in two aspects. “As a patient, she has the right to choose her doctor. If consulting doctor is of the patient’s preference, then she would feel comfortable, which is essential in treatment. On the other hand, as the head of a government hospital she could have opted for treatment there itself, provided the hospital has all the required facilities. This would have increased people’s faith over the government hospital. Both the aspects are equally important.”
Dr GR Ravindranath, General Secretary of Doctor’s Association for Social Equality, said there was nothing wrong in the dean’s choice. “As an individual, particularly as a woman, privacy is important. She might have chosen the private hospital considering her privacy. It is her right and we should respect that,” he stated.
Health minister Dr C Vijaya Basker sought to downplay the issue. “All government hospitals provide quality health care. At the same time, the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme covers treatments in private hospitals. Hence it is a patient’s option as to where to get treatment.”