The Indian medical community has been shocked by what the contents published in a textbook of social sciences for Class VII by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), says about them.
Page 26, Chapter 2 of the textbook on “Social and Political Life-II”, under the heading “Healthcare and equality”, states that, “In India, private services are increasing but public services are not. In order to earn money, these services encourage practices that are incorrect. At times, cheaper medicines, though available, are not used. For example, it is common to find doctors prescribing unnecessary medicines, injections…These services are run for profit.”
“One of our doctors spotted the contents yesterday in his son’s textbook. It is surprising that a prestigious institution such as the NCERT could not take note of the contents till date while the book was first published in 2007,” said Dr Sandeep Dhavan, IMA president, Chandigarh.
Chandigarh State Branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) today sent two separate letters to the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, JP Nadda, and the Minister for Human Resource Development, Smriti Irani, objecting the contents of the book and asking for the fabrications to be revoked.
“The authorities concerned are requested to recall the textbook and correct the contents to avoid commotion and agitation among the doctor community,” the letters stated.
The sentences seem to be the opinion of the author rather than a proven state of situation or facts. Textbooks are the sources from which young students gain most of their knowledge and information, and hence have the power to influence their opinions and outlooks. “The textbook is misleading students,” said Dr Raman Abrol, Secretary of the IMA.
It is right for the students to be made aware of problems faced by the Indian healthcare system, but that should not be done by tainting the doctors alone and blaming them for the poor state of affairs.
