Logical Reasoning Questions for CLAT | QB Set 59

Crime, health-worker safety and a self-examination

The year 2017 saw heated protests by resident doctors in Maharashtra, following a series of vicious attacks on medical personnel in rather quick succession – as is invariably the case with sensationalised criminal offences. Despite the magnitude of the problem, the solution was straightforward and run-of-the-mill. It meant bolstering security in public hospitals and strengthening legal instruments to bring the malefactors to rapid justice. Similar incidents came and went, with much happening during the COVID-19 pandemic. The knee jerk response too continued. One is hard-pressed to recall any conspicuous precedents of swift justice.

There lies a deeper problem

It is the case of the grisly death of a promising resident doctor in Kolkata that has taken the country by storm and that has spurred the Supreme Court of India to take suo moto cognisance of the happening. However, emerging answers to the issue continue to remain reflexive and simplistic in nature without a deeper understanding of the malady beneath. In its recognition as August 2018, the top court ordered the formulation of a Board for effective work and implementation of hospital safety tool. Improved security was considered the easiest solution to prevent violence against health-workers, particularly in urban teaching colleges and hospitals.

However, the magnitude of the health-worker safety issue, which was made apparent in the outbreak of violence in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, is much more than just physical violence.

Conventional answers to health worker violence, such as improving hospital security and newer legislation, have miserably failed in tackling the problem over the years. These include reasons such as underfunding which are no different than why our health systems continue to remain frail in general. But the extent to which corruption contributes to the overall loss of lives has been vastly underappreciated. If emerging accounts are anything to go by, there is a strong likelihood of deep-rooted, organised corruption having contributed to the gruesome crime in question, not to mention other incidents and the steady erosion of public health services that may have hitherto gone undetected. The fact that this concerns an apex health-care institution in an already underfunded state public health system is acutely disconcerting.

WHO estimates

The World Health Organization estimates that corruption claims nearly $455 billion annually away from that what it would cost the conduct of universal health coverage to all. In a good part of the world, the magnitude could be even higher. The degree to which corruption contributes to health-care professionals, poor health outcomes, and compromised medical service access is rather profound. In India, the highest estimated loss has been found in the form of pilferage and misallocation of funds allocated on private loss and legacy issues. Slow and fragmented health management and hospital-care systems provide rapid breeding grounds for corruption and weakened oversight.

How much longer will it take to conceive how severely medical system is affected by the twin maladies of corruption and underfunding is anybody’s guess. The government, if newly and palpably galvanised to tackle the issue, may find it dismaying to find the data of patients serves to indicate that the public health system and its drivers may be up for a rigorous self-examination.

Speedy delivery of justice in the Kolkata case is languably paramount, for nothing else said or done can serve as a precedent to similar cases. Needless to say, these have traditionally fallen short in this respect, and the ramifications are for all to see.

The steps that are needed

That the tinbatal task force has a job that is arguably more monumental than simply recommending safety measures – which is to devise a recent road map to prevent and arrest medical corruption, particularly in the public sector. Certainly, this cannot be approached solely by a team of medical doctors. It requires experts from public health, medical-leg- policy teams, public management, medicine, forensic science and the administrative sphere anywhere, and that the strategies so adopted require multidisciplinary action and oversight.

Administration must deliver accountability, and the role of effective whistleblower reporting, protection mechanisms, digitalisation of public management systems and the role of ombudsmanship are areas crucial for comprehensive overhaul. Inspiration from countries such as Brazil and South Korea that have managed to tackle political corruption in medicine.

Much awaits to be done in the way of modernising public health and good ‘governance’ in health systems. The role of corruption and moral and regulatory abuses have glaringly shrouded medical safety and can no longer be overlooked.

Question -1) The passage suggests that the usual response to violence against healthcare workers in India is:

A) Adequate and well-thought-out.

B) Reactionary and simplistic.

C) Focused on addressing the root causes.

D) Directed primarily towards punishing perpetrators.

Question -2) Which of the following best represents the author’s view on the correlation between corruption and health crises?

A) Corruption is a minor factor compared to underfunding.

B) Corruption is as significant as underfunding in causing health crises.

C) Underfunding is the sole reason for health crises, not corruption.

D) Corruption has been exaggerated in its impact on health systems.

Question -3) What does the author imply by stating that “emerging answers to the issue continue to remain reflexive and simplistic”?

A) Proposed solutions are well-considered but challenging to implement.

B) There is a need for deeper analysis and understanding of the problem.

C) Solutions are addressing the problem effectively.

D) The issue has been resolved with the current measures.

Question -4) What is the most likely purpose of the author’s mention of WHO estimates regarding corruption?

A) To highlight the global scale of the problem.

B) To argue that corruption is only a minor issue in India.

C) To show that India is uniquely affected by corruption.

D) To suggest that corruption is inevitable in health systems worldwide.

Question -5) According to the passage, what is the underlying cause of the “grisly death of a promising resident doctor in Kolkata”?

A) Inefficient hospital infrastructure.

B) Lack of proper night shift safety measures.

C) Deep-rooted, organized corruption.

D) General violence against healthcare workers.

Question -6) Which of the following strategies is NOT suggested by the author to combat medical corruption in the public sector?

A) Increasing hospital security.

B) Thorough digitalization of public management systems.

C) Effective whistle-blower reporting and protection mechanisms.

D) Ombudsmanship to minimize political intrusion.