L E T T E R S    T O    T H E    E D I T O R

Globalisation’s adverse effect on healthcare

The article “Globalisation: The juggernaut will roll on” (Nov 8) was timely. It rightly stated that the blitzkrieg of market forces cannot be allowed to bludgeon their way to chaos and disorder. India’s health sector is affected by the onslaught of globalisation.

The pathetic state of health of the vast majority of India’s population is the direct outcome of the skewed concept of development under the influence of globalisation. Despite tremendous medical advances and increasing average life expectancy, health services in India have become increasingly inaccessible and inequitable in distribution.

The primary healthcare system of the government today is not responsive to the demands and needs of the people. It looks as if only the rich have the right to live today, and be liberated from diseases by accessing the highly specialised modern medical care. The present Indian health scenario makes us both sad and angry. The National Health Policy–2002 also acknowledges the threat of globalisation: “There are some apprehensions about the possible adverse impact of economic globalisation on the health sector”.

Solutions to improved public health care can’t be isolated from other social and economic problems plaguing India which will definitely require a complete overhaul of the existing system, global vision and local actions keeping in mind the aspirations of the local people

Human welfare has to take priority. This demands drastic changes in health policy and the reorganisation of the entire healthcare system to provide affordable health care to all.

Dr VITULL K GUPTA, Bathinda

PARVEEN MIDHA, Abohar

Removing judges

Dismissal/removal of corrupt judges should be made less complicated. The fact that the corrupt judges know that they cannot be removed except by impeachment proceedings emboldens them to indulge in corruption. That no impeachment proceedings have ever culminated in success is another reason for the continued audacious defiance by the corrupt.

If they know that after a preliminary inquiry by a competent authority, they can be placed under suspension and can either face a criminal case or a departmental inquiry as in the case of other government servants, the guilty judges will never be as defiant as now. Wonder, if the government will ever do it? India can ill-afford that the judiciary, the strongest of the three pillars of Indian democracy, falls by the wayside by default/over indulgence. That will spell doomsday for India.

RJ KHURANA, Bhopal

Adarsh scam

Adarsh society scam is a blot on the fair name of our society. Corrupt politicians and officers should be given exemplary punishment. The flats, which should have gone to the bereaved family members of the martyrs, were usurped by officials and kith and kin of politicians. But the media has done a praiseworthy job and played its role in an impartial manner. In future too it is hoped that it will keep a vigilant eye on corrupt politicians and bureaucrats.

SURJIT ARORA, Moga

II

We Indians are quite used to scams involving politicians and bureaucrats. But when corruption scams involve the army officers, we feel outraged because the Indian Army is one institution people admire and feel proud of.

How could Army Chiefs or bigwigs be allotted flats in a building meant for families of soldiers who laid down their lives while defending the nation in Kargil conflict? Some Army Chiefs have pleaded ignorance. But the million-dollar question is what would they have done if the media had not exposed the scam. Greed for money has made people unscrupulous.

Dr NARESH RAJ, Patiala

Short-lived liaison  The views expressed in the first part of the middle “The sunflowers” (Nov 8) by VK Kapoor are delectable whereas the conclusion is not. The writer has rightly stated that in the power game there are no opponents but enemies, no debates but plots. The war of succession between the sons of Shahjehan and recent family feuds in the main ruling party of Punjab and Shiv Saniks of Maharashtra are glaring examples of the adage: Kingship knows kinship. In dictatorship, power emanates from the barrel of the gun but in a democracy power emanates from the ballot and not from the bullet. Flattery and glib tongue surely find their way in taking undue advantage. The courtship between immoral politicians and bureaucrats does not last long. It is short-lived and ends up in a divorce. Sycophancy at the cost of self-respect is unbecoming of an IAS officer. I was an eyewitness to an altercation between an honest officer and a politician wherein the officer refused to succumb to undue pressure and remarked, “Look here Mr Politician, I can be an MLA/Minister but you cannot be a Deputy Commissioner. A common yardstick, as stated in the middle, cannot be applied to all bureaucrats.  SHYAM SUNDER AIRI, Kapurthala