Don’t silence ‘messenger’ Aamir Khan: Medical bodies to IMA

Zeenews Bureau

Mumbai: There seem to be differences of opinion between various medical bodies from the medical fraternity in the country. On the one hand as the Indian Medical Association is hell-bent on seeking an apology from Aamir Khan for “defaming” their profession on his show ‘Satyamev Jayate’, the Medico Friend Circle (MFC) and the Forum for Medical Ethics Society (FMES) have come out in full support of the actor. Talking to a reputed daily, Dr Abhay Shukla, member of the MFC said, “We need to listen to the central message of the show and take steps to address the issues.” MFC and FMES have teamed up and written a letter to the IMA urging them to not be rigid on their stance and assert on getting an apology from the actor. According to them, Aamir has helped in bringing core issues to the front that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. Tagging Aamir’s show as a “wake up call” and advising IMA not to “silence the messenger”, the MFC and the FMES believe that people from the fraternity should focus on bettering the health care system and thus earn the good will back. The letter drafted by the two bodies read, “Instead, the IMA should try to reverse the current widespread unregulated commercialisation of healthcare in the country, and contribute to the process of health system reforms for eliminating the distortions in medical practice. This would prove to be beneficial to patients and would also raise the dignity of the medical profession.” The MFC has been in operation for long in the country and have health professionals, social activists and scientists working towards upgrading the healthcare system in the country. The FMES has doctors and other health professionals on board to campaign for reforms in the medical system.