White coated corruption.

ABSTRACT

This essay documents the state of the medical profession which was once a respected line of work but today is corrupted at every level, from medical education to medical practice, and in both the private and government sectors. It calls for doctors, the government and the public to act against dishonest doctors, restore the dignity of the profession and work for the benefit of society. India is said to have one of the most corrupt medical systems in the world (1).The situation has become so bad that patients today approach the doctor with mixed feelings - of faith and fear, of hope and hostility. This leads to a distorted doctorpatient relationship, with high chances of exploitation both ways - doctors may fleece patients and, if some lacunae are exposed in treatment, patients or their relatives may blackmail doctors (2). Such unethical practices may no longer be cause for comment. But there are many reports of doctors actually committing crimes - distorting medical reports in medico-legal cases, providing false certificates to protect criminals, sexually assaulting their patients, and even trading in human organs (3). It goes without saying that such criminal doctors are in a minority. Unfortunately their number seems to be increasing.