Tackling corruption in Indian medicine
Dinsa Sachan – Some doctors and non-governmental organisations are taking up the fight against corruption in Indian medicine, which many observers claim is widespread in the country. Kickbacks have been part of the Indian medical practice since the beginning, says Puneet Bedi, a leading gynaecologist based in New Delhi who has appeared on Indian television to speak about medical ethics in the country. He notes that many hospitals and clinics routinely issue cheques to doctors under sanitised names such as “professional fee” to encourage them to recommend their services to their patients.
