SONGSOPTOK
INTERVIEW WITH NUPUR
HEALTHCARE – A
RIGHT OR A PRIVILEGE?
SONGSOPTOK: Do you consider primary healthcare
to be a fundamental right? Is it deemed as such in the society you live in?
Please explain your answer with a few examples if possible.
NUPUR LAHIRI: Yes. I consider
primary healthcare should be a fundamental right in any society. Although it is
not the U.S. the society I now live in. As a physician I have seen time after
time a critically ill patient is denied of emergencycare because of lack of
health insurance.
SONGSOPTOK: What is the
system of healthcare in the country and the society you live in? Is it a just
and equitable system in the sense that all citizens enjoy the same benefits
across economic and social classes?
NUPUR LAHIRI: The healthcare system in the U.S is fractionated
and only available to the privileged few and depends on the insurance plan one
can afford at the time. It is not just and equitable as the unemployed,
disabled and the elderly get marginal health care services.
SONGSOPTOK: Do you think that free healthcare cannot be a right, but
it can be a privilege and a shared burden of sacrifice for the sake of the
social contract?
NUPUR LAHIRI: Free health care
should be a fundamental right and the burden of sharing falls on the superior
powers such as the larger economic forces that includes the government.
SONGSOPTOK: What, in your opinion, should be the role of the
government for ensuring equal healthcare to all citizens? What role is played
by the government of the country you live in?
NUPUR LAHIRI: The government is responsible for ensuring
equal healthcare to all citizens as well as the larger economic forces that
constitutes the government, such as corporate industries that actually dictates
the governmental policies.
SONGSOPTOK: According to the data published by World Health
Organization (WHO), nearly 16 000 children under the age of 5 die every day in
the world (5.9 million in 2015) from infectious, neonatal or nutritional
conditions. Is this a reality in the country you live in? If so, what would
your suggestions of improvement be?
NUPUR LAHIRI: All children
should have essential health and preventive services irrespective of their
place in the society and it is not areality in the U.S.
SONGSOPTOK: “Free access to healthcare is a fundamental human right.
Access to free healthcare is not” – do you agree with this statement? Please
explain your choice.
NUPUR LAHIRI: Access to free
health care does not solve the problem as free healthcare, so called charity
care is marginal, substandard and sometimes causes more harm than good to the
unfortunate.
SONGSOPTOK: How important is the role of the private sector for
providing healthcare and related facilities in your country? What it is your
opinion about it?
NUPUR LAHIRI: Private corporate sector is not active in creating health
related services and in my opinion these organizations should be mandated to
provide public health services and share the burden of equitable access to
superior heath care for all concerned as the society makes it possible for the
corporate sector to secure the profits.
SONGSOPTOK: Are charitable and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO)
active in the domain of public health? If yes, then in what spheres? Do you
think that the civil society, either independently or through these
organizations, should become the prime actor for ensuring healthcare for all?
NUPUR LAHIRI: Some of the charitable organizations are
active and trying to raise money for research and development such as American
Heart Association and so on. It is not the responsibility of the charitable
organizations or the NGOs to ensure health care for all as their existence
depends on charity funds that come from large private businesses.
SONGSOPTOK: Do you think that multinational pharmaceutical and
healthcare companies are responsible, to a certain extent, for the widely
variable quality of healthcare in different countries? Can you please
illustrate your reply with some examples?
NUPUR LAHIRI: Yes. That is right. The quality of pharm
products vary from one rich country to the other poor country so does the quality
of services.
SONGSOPTOK: Do you think that adopting the Social Security model
implemented in a lot of countries in Europe which ensures primary health
coverage to all citizens and is financed by the totality of the working
population can be relevant and efficient in all countries?
NUPUR LAHIRI: Some form of Social Security model may be the
solution but the financing need to be shared by commercial, business, private
corporations and not just the working population.
We sincerely thank you
for your time and hope we shall have your continued support.
Aparajita
Sen
(Editor:
Songsoptok)
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