General practitioners and physicians are much needed for patient care but there could be a great shortage of full-time GPs as doctors.
Published Aug 08, 2024 | 8:00 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 08, 2024 | 8:00 PM
Harish Bijoor speaking at Dakshin Healthcare Summit. (South First)
In a healthcare landscape increasingly dominated by specialists and super-specialists, many South Indians are finding themselves confused and longing for a simpler time when the General Practitioner (GP) was their first point of contact.
At the recent Dakshin Healthcare Summit, organised by South First and TV9 network in Hyderabad recently, this sentiment was echoed powerfully by brand guru Harish Bijoor, who stressed the urgent need to bring back the GP as the cornerstone of healthcare in the region.
Bijoor did not mince words when addressing the audience, which included policymakers, healthcare professionals, and industry experts.
“While the patient is screaming for wanting a General Practitioner who is the most important part of your business. The first port of entry is the GP. The specialist comes later and the super specialist comes later, and the GP is vanishing from our lives, and that is a big, big problem,” he stated.
In the context of Indian health care, where specialised medical care is often sought after, Bijoor’s comments highlight a growing concern: The diminishing presence of GPs.
“Doctors don’t want to be GPs anymore. They want to climb the hierarchy higher and higher. There is a big GP gap,” warned Bijoor.
South First had previously published an article highlighting the same issue.
The article discussed how some of the South Indian states have recognised this gap and are actively working to implement schemes that encourage the presence of GPs and family doctors in both urban and rural settings.
In 2023, during the tenure of the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government, Andhra Pradesh launched the “Family Doctor” programme under which qualified doctors would offer preventive health care, taking their services to household doorsteps.
Similarly, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced the “Griha arogya” scheme where a family physician would visit each home in rural districts and ensure diagnosis and treatment for those with non-communicable diseases.
The Tamil Nadu government also launched Makkali Thedi Maruthuvam (MTM), a door-to-door screening model for early detection and treatment of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
These health officials will act as GPs to the people. These states are beginning to realise that the foundation of a robust healthcare system lies in the hands of GPs and family doctors who are deeply familiar with their patients’ medical histories.
Harish Bijoor said Medicare in the future needs to understand that this is the need of the hour and what people were demanding.
“The family doctor is small, and small is beautiful,” He stresses, “small is still beautiful”, he said, pointing out the allure of specialisation over general practice.
Bijoor’s words at the summit resonated strongly with the needs of the patient community.
“While you go to a GP you have been consulting for the last 30 years, and he tells you who you are, what you are, your history, you are not making a different case all the time. A family doctor is back; GP as the first point of contact is what people are demanding,” he said.
He emphasised the trust and continuity that GPs offer. This demand is not just about convenience; it’s about a holistic approach to healthcare.
Bijoor concluded by urging the healthcare industry to be vigilant about this shift. “A preventive, curative, and holistic point of healthcare happens at the point of GP, so be careful,” he advised.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
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