Science revolves around quick discoveries, patents and money. What is the role of compassion in this?
Prof Dr BM Hegde
If, according to Marie Curie, “science is measurement and measurement is science,” where is the role for compassion in science? Compassion can never be measured and, as such, is unscientific! The whole meaning and purpose of science seems to have been distorted today, thanks to the patent and intellectual property rights issues introduced by corporates with the connivance of the government.
Today, science revolves around quick discoveries, patents and money. An article in a recent issue of the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) talks about the nexus between industry and academic psychiatry in the US. It should shake anyone from their deep slumber to know the extent of degeneration of the medical fraternity! Compassion is the one word that seems to have no place at all in today’s hard sciences or medical sciences. Science should try and understand nature and not try to teach nature some lessons and change the way it works.
I totally agree with the views expressed by David Hammerstein and Steffie Woolhandler about the “Obamacare Bill”, hailed as one of the defining legislative acts—the Civil Rights Bill of the 21st century. Insurance is a business and, hence, naturally profit-seeking. How can anyone make profit out of human misery without compassion? What we require is health assurance and not insurance. Consequently, Obamacare lacks the true meaning of compassionate medical care for all.
A good National Health Service (NHS) model of UK, sans its esoteric treatment modalities, might be a better option. Most illnesses are self-curing minor illness syndromes which could make do with an assurance of a compassionate doctor. About 10% of the chronic illnesses and cancer are incurable anyway and would need, according to Hippocrates, “comforting mostly but consoling always.”
Compassionate doctors giving ample time to ‘listen’ to their patients, as suggested many years ago by Professor Calnan, a plastic surgeon in his book ‘Talking with Patients’, could bring down the cost of medical care by more than 50%. Judicious use of drugs would bring down billions of dollars now wastefully spent on treating adverse drug reactions (ADRs), which happen to be the fourth leading cause of death in the US. Drug evaluations will have to be more scientific. The so-called randomised controlled trials (RCTs) need serious reconsideration and poly-pharmacy should be strictly discouraged.
However, what Americans need is a good healthcare system. They have the best infrastructure for water supply and sanitation but their food habits, lifestyle and stress levels need to be addressed. Americans lack physical exercise and a majority of them have become couch potatoes. Obesity has become an epidemic. The preserved junk food industry should get this message loud and clear. Instead, their life has become a rat race in the ‘I owe you’ economy, which is one of the important causes of killer degenerative diseases.
The scientific world should learn a lesson or two about true compassion. A recent study by Professor John List of the Chicago University has upturned his senior colleagues’ observed ‘Dictator Experiment’ studies which showed that mankind is hardwired to be altruistic. Although his two colleagues, Vernon Smith and Daniel Kahneman, got the 2002 Nobel for economics, their studies were completely flawed. Professor John List demonstrated through similar experiments, conducted under real-life situations, that mankind is totally homo economicus and far from being homo altruisticus. John List, however, was ignored by the Nobel Prize Committee. Despite this, he is happy as he believes in Winston Churchill’s dictum—it is better to deserve than to get. John deserves not just the Nobel Prize but much more for revealing the truth which is being seen in every walk of modern day life. Human greed has corrupted the fields of science and medicine. Compassion in medical care would be a cry in the wilderness.
Professor Dr BM Hegde, a Padma Bhushan awardee in 2010, is an MD, PhD, FRCP (London, Edinburgh, Glasgow & Dublin), FACC and FAMS. He can be reached at [email protected]