Malpractice Or Poor Judgement? :: essays research papers

Malpractice or Poor Judgement?The practice of medicinal drug has never claimed to be an exact science. Infact, it is very much a hit-and-miss situation. Taking into account these abovefactors, India seems to be on a insalubrious trend regarding their level ofwellness cargon. Ever since private medical run fell under the ConsumerProtection Act (COPRA) in April 1993, the number of malpractice suits filedagainst doctors has begun to soar. For example, in Kerala, approximately 1800cases (15% of the total number of cases) have been filed. As Dr. Dipak Banerjeeof the Indian medical examination Association puts it Its degenerating into a kind ofwitch-hunt.For years the community of doctors across India was insubordinate to charges ofmalpractice, but the tide has begun to turn. Doctors are straightaway having to dish outbigger sums of money in order to insure themselves adequately. Insurancecompanies have caught on as well, raising the price of malpractice insurance onmost doctors. Fo r instance, a doctor who would have had to even off Rs. 125 annuallynow has to pay up to Rs. 1500. These costs will only be passed along to the longanimouss in the long run, and the condition is only going to worsen. Take forexample the joined States, where surgeons annually pay an average of $75,000 oninsurance premiums. On squeeze of these premiums, doctors who practice verydefensively add as much as $21 billion US to the health care bill each year.Twenty percent of the tests prescribed by doctors were not necessary, but theyare the result of defensive practising by doctors who do not want to be heldliable.This condition, already appearing in India, could become the downfall oftheir present health care industry. Doctors are being forced to look uponevery patient as a potential litigant. There is likely going to be atremendous rise in the cost of treatment as doctors begin this new wave ofdefensive practising, in which a serial of expensive tests are carried outbefore any diagn osis is made. Quoting Dr. Chockalingam (Chairman of the IndianChapter of Royal College of Surgeons), If a patient comes with a headache wemay now order a CT scan lest we miss a oral sex tumour... We now have to seewhether a patient comes alone for cite or brings along his advocate.This problem could lead, and has led, to many others. Doctors may shun compound cases where risk is high due to the delicate nature of the procedure,so as not to be hauled to court. This refusal to treat patients has already