What does “ Public health ” mean to you ? … I am confused!

After decades into the field of medicine, I am unable to come to terms with one of the most fundamental questions in our profession. What does the term Public health means? Have we erred, by defining health in terms of its delivery rather than a comprehensive biological definition? How do you compare a guy, who gets pride with glittering five-star care in a private hospital , with that of man who humbly accepts the same in a crowded public health facility? “It’s 1 .30 AM past midnight. I am part of the  COVID supervisory team on rounds. I could see a tired-looking corporation worker wheeling out an elderly man who had just expired in ward R-3, in one of the biggest Corona care hospitals that house 350 COVID patients. In the background, haunting sirens break the eerie silence of Chennai midnight. In the far end, I see a stream of ambulances wait in a queue to drop patients, which, they have ferried across from various private hospitals. Chilling thoughts of this grand old hospital might crumble looked real for a moment”. (This is exactly the time, I got the urge to write this piece)  When calamity strikes, the true colors of the capitalistic mindset are being exposed. It looked shamelessly obvious, that the responsibility of guarding even private health has been shrugged off and has become a public responsibility.  It’s a  politico -Intellectual tragedy, that the private sector enjoys a right to ignore public health ,.. ...
Source: Dr.S.Venkatesan MD - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs