A chapter in a National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbook on healthcare has become the latest issue of contention between the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Government. It describes private sector as institutions that encourage incorrect practices to earn more money. For example, prescribing unnecessary medicines, injections or saline bottles when tablets can suffice. The book, a social science textbook for Class VII, also has a comic strip titled 'The cost of cure' where a parallel has been drawn between a public and private hospital to highlight the differences.
It shows how private facilities are five star-like with nice music playing and everything clean and shiny. "The doctor asked for many tests... but everyone was so friendly! The lady who took my blood for testing told me so many jokes that I forgot to feel the pain," described Aman, who…
