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Profit Motive vs Service Motive in Medicine

Date: Sun 16 Nov 2008 22:44:26 -0000 (GMT) From: Pradiip Bauer Subject: Profit Motive vs Service Motive in Medicine To: am-global@earthlink.net Baba "Prabha'ter ravi bale ghuma'ye theko na' a'ra..." - P.S. 4703 Purport: Baba, by Your divine grace, the sun of the new dawn is giving the message: 'O human beings don't remain asleep in slumber anymore. You have a huge amount of work to do. A whole mountain's worth of work is in front of you t. Don't day-dream anymore; remove your lethargy. O' human beings, open your eyes and look toward the crying world at least once. Since ages & ages you have been sleeping in darkness. The whole night you were dreaming. Now do not sleep anymore-- this is not the time for lethargy and sleep. Get up. Serve those who are getting tortured and crying by removing their heavy load of pain and suffering. Look, the crimson dawn is spreading divine effulgence, everything is shining. The bright and glorious day is not far anymore. It is fast approaching. The day is coming when people will be liberated from all sorts of bondages, there will not be any pain or torture or exploitation. Everyone will enjoy blissful life. On the peak of the mountain birds are chirping and spreading this divine message. O' humans beings, the crimson dawn is knocking at your door, march ahead toward your cherished goal...
== PROFIT MOTIVE VS SERVICE MOTIVE IN MEDICINE ==
Namaskar, In this peak season of capitalism, the profit motive is reigning supreme in all realms of life-- including in the field of medicine where greed and stock-piling money has become the norm. That is why many say that the once noble field of 'treating the sick' has turned into nothing but a profit-seeking 'medical industry'-- where the chase for the dollar is utmost. Needless to say, this has spelled d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r for patients throughout the globe. Because doctors no long focus on the needs of the patient but rather on how their own medical business can be more profitable-- the outcome of which is most ugly. Of course in our Proutistic model-- which most definitely is going to take shape soon on this earth-- is geared towards serving others. The motive will be 'do where and when it is needed for the welfare of the patient'; not 'do, whether it is needed or not, in order to make a profit'. Hence our Prout is based on service psychology. And we will discuss the ramifications of this in the field of medicine. First let us see how this profit motive manifests itself in today's medical industry.
DOCTORING FOR DOLLARS
From the US to Bali to Buenos Aires to Kolkata, the field of medicine has turned into a profit-making machine. And there are all kinds of tricks done in order to secure a greater margin of income. For example in India, where the number of doctors far surpasses the number of paying patients, doctors have a shortage clients, i.e. the market is not big. In that case, doctors regularly perform operations and administer medicines that are not at all needed. Arm surgery or an open-heart operation will be performed solely for the doctor's wallet and not because that is in the patient's best interest. That is but one of the horrors going on in India. Another ploy that is occurring is that quack doctors-- those who are below average and cannot get patients-- will give a commission to rickshaw wallahs and tour guides etc if they bring patients to their office. Thus when a person new in town gets sick or injured-- whether they be a villager or an overseas tourist-- then they will be led to this quack doctor. All because this doctor is resorting to seedy means in order to 'drum up business'. In the US, the scandals are occurring on a much larger level. Often times doctors themselves are just turned into laborers in the hands of hospital officials & business executives. That is one epidemic. The other is that doctors will order a myriad of expensive tests just to create a large bill-- which will either go to the patient, insurance company, or both. And behind close doors, pharmaceutical giants are giving pressure and incentives to doctors who prescribe their drugs. These are but a few of the many ills occurring in the scandalous medical industry in the US. Side by side, medical researchers will not investigate cures to diseases that are less commonly known for the sheer reason that there are less patients-- i.e. less customers-- suffering from that type of disease. Whereas, every pharmacy under the sun is inventing more and more high blood pressure medicines-- that are essentially unneeded-- because there is huge money to be made in arena. So that which is needed is not done and that is not needed is done. All because of the might dollar and profit-motive way of doctoring. Thus we see a variety of schemes by today's medical industry in order to maximise profits-- and in all cases the one who suffers & pays the most is the patient.
BABA'S EXAMPLE OF DOCTOR PRACTICES
Here below Baba Himself points out what injustices doctors do to their patients in order to bankroll their medical business. Baba says, "Of all the doctors you have come across, how many are idealistic and dutiful? If you visit a doctor, he will prescribe strong medicines for a light illness. This will inevitably be the case if he owns his own dispensary." (HS-1) By Baba's own example, it is clear that the today's medical industry is in a dire state, if not a pathetic condition.
PROUT IS COMING
But this negative state of affairs surrounding the medical industry will not last forever-- things will get better as the greediness of capitalism fades away and the ideals of Prout are introduced. Some Ananda Margiis may be thinking that this is a pipe dream only. Because when Prout net itself is on the fritz, and when our top Prout Dadas are enmeshed in economic shams, and when our Prout journals are a thing of the past, and when in so many ways our Prout movement is seemingly losing momentum, then some may be thinking that Prout will never make it onto the scene. But actually great headway is being made. Because, a shift is occurring with margiis and acaryas around the globe. In response to the groupism, now more than ever there is a call to bring Baba's ideas to the forefront. And more and more are studying Baba's writings and sharing His teachings with others. Plus the society is also suffering under the grip of capitalism and is ready for a new direction. Due to all these reasons and more, the wave of Prout has started and it will not be long before its implementation occurs at a rate faster than we can maintain. So our Prout is most certainly on the way-- about this there should not be any doubt.
WHAT SHAPE IT WILL TAKE
Then question then what are the types of changes we will see in the medical industry. Here Baba gives a glimpse of what lies ahead and what we can expect to see with regards to the practice of medicine and health care. Baba says, "Doctors should start service cooperatives. These cooperatives may also be called physicians service cooperatives. Suppose a doctor is not able to open his own practice, he may form a service cooperative with five or ten other doctors. Such a cooperative is an intellectual service cooperative. Doctors who have less capital and cannot afford to establish their own practice can also work in this type of cooperative. Such a system will solve the unemployment problem of doctors. In addition, doctors can start research through these cooperatives." (PNS-18) Thus when doctors form cooperatives and are not at the mercy of the almighty dollar, then the field of medicine will embark into a new era. And not only doctors cooperatives, but there will be so many deep-seeded changes that will spell the end to the present-day profit-oriented medical businesses and give rise to community oriented health-care services where the welfare of the patient is first and foremost. And verily that is the main difference between Prout and capitalism-- the seed outlook of life. Irregardless of all the plans and programs, the basic vision of Prout and Capitalism differs in their most fundamental appeal. Prout mandates that the need of the day should be addressed in order to serve the people, whereas capitalism dictates that business should be done where there is the opportunity to make a profit. And these are wholly oppositional outlooks. That is why as the Proutistic model presents in the social life, there will be widespread changes quite quickly. And these will become apparent in the field of medicine and health care as well.
BABA'S GRACE
By Baba's grace our Prout system is going to come along. The public needs it; our Marga is destined to do it; and it is Baba's will. So none should despair or adopt a capitalistic mentality. The vision of Prout is on the way. And with it today's profit oriented medical industry will be revamped into a service-oriented approach that addresses the true needs of the people. Baba says, "PROUT is well-adjusted with human ideals and sentiments. Other socio-economic systems are ultravires to human existence and all-round elevation." (AFPS-9) Namaskar, Pradiip
*********************************************** Dogmatic Way of Presenting Shabda Cayanika
AM Publications wrote: "Ostensibly, Shabda Cayanika is a series devoted to the linguistics and philology of the Bengali language." Note: Just like in the past, religious priests-- with their selfish motives-- altered numerous spiritual teachings & texts in order to misguide their followers and gain more power. Lord Shiva's and Krsna's teachings were also distorted by dogmatic Hindu religious priests who had the same narrow-minded motive. In similar fashion, after 1990 our AM scriptures also got altered. And the above quoted line about Shabda Cayanika is clear-cut is proof of that. Because in true sense, the Shabda Cayanika series is primarily devoted to the explanation of Sanskrit grammar and includes discussion and stories on diverse subjects in order to make the Sanskrit grammar lucid. The discourses themselves have been given in Bengali but certainly the subject matter is Sanskrit. And since Sanskrit does not have its own script that is why it was first written in Bengali script. At the same time, though, it is well known that Sanskrit itself has been written in many of the Indian languages; but recently, in the last 100 years, it has been standardized and now Devana'garii has been accepted as the official script of Sanskrit. The point here however is that the Shabda Cayanika series focuses on the Sanskrit language. Yet certain dogmatic priests have altered things in such a way that they are misleading margii readers by claiming that the Shabda Cayanika series is about Bengali grammar.
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