Question : INADEQUATE ATTENTION BY DOCTORS

(a) whether the Government has taken note of the World Health Organisation (WHO) report on ``World Medicines Situation 2011`` which inter alia states that on an average, doctors in the developing countries spend less than 60 seconds in prescribing medicines and explaining the regimen to their patients;

(b) if so, details of the findings of the report and reaction of the Government thereto;

(c) whether the Government has assessed the reasons for this inadequate attention of doctors towards the patients;

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government proposes to issue an advisory to all the Government/private doctors in regard to regimen of prescribed medicines; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)

(a) to (f): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 344 FOR 26TH AUGUST, 2011

(a): Yes, Madam.

(b) to (d): The World Medicines Situation Report 2011 brings together new global data in a consolidated manner on 24 key topics relating to pharmaceutical production and consumption, innovation, regulation and safety. Topics also include rational use, standard treatment guidelines and pricing of medicines. The chapter on “Rational Use of Medicines” describes the problem of irrational use of medicines and the harmful consequences in terms of morbidity, mortality and impact to health cost.

The doctor population ratio being not very favourable in our country, there is tremendous pressure on the doctors serving in the public sector which may possibly be a major reason for the patients getting less than adequate time for consultation. Nonetheless, irrespective of the report, which anyway is not India specific, enhancing human resources for health particularly in the rural areas is one of the focal areas of the Government. It has been taking measures like relaxing norms for opening new medical colleges, providing central assistance for upgrading and strengthening of existing state medical colleges, multiskilling of doctors to overcome shortage of specialists and providing incentives to serve in rural areas and augmenting human resources in heath to improve the overall health delivery system in the country.

(e) & (f) Yes, Madam. The Government proposes to issue an advisory to the Medial Council of India (MCI) to disseminate appropriate instructions among all registered medical practitioners in this regard.