India’s Lok Sabha elections that were conducted in April and May 2019 and after a month and a half of post-election analysis, it was found that this year’s mega elections saw a large number of educated candidates getting elected. While many had graduate and post-graduate degrees, there were many lawyers and doctors elected from various constituencies.
India went into one of the largest elections in its history and the polling went on for well over a month. The results that were out on 23rd May 2019 brought back the saffron lotus for a second consecutive term of 5 years. The Narendra Modi-led BJP government found itself winning by a clear majority as they pulled up their socks for yet another term. Will it be different this time? Will it be a challenge for the government more than it was in their previous stint? Many questions floated by and continue to do so. What does the new government have for healthcare? The answer may lie with the doctors who have been elected.
You heard that right. There are a few doctors-turned politicians in the elected Lok Sabha MPs. But, why would a doctor contest an election? One of the 11 doctors elected from the state of Maharashtra, Dr Heena Gavit who contested and won from Nandurbar in Maharashtra, was a first-time candidate. She was contesting against a nine-times winner from the constituency, Manikrao Gavit. However, in so many years, no change has occurred in the basic rights of the people– healthcare. Having been failed so many times, people changed their loyalties and voted for a doctor, because who better to trust your health with, right?
Many elected doctors are surprisingly students still completing their post-graduate degrees. They understand the problems that plague the country and its people. They know what is needed to rid the high disease burden in the country and provide accessible and affordable healthcare to all. Another interesting doctoral win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections is none other than Dr Harshvardhan, who was sworn in the health minister of the country. Dr Harshvardhan was the Minister of Health and Family Welfare in the past tenure of the BJP government for a brief period after which his portfolio was changed. An ENT surgeon, he has also worked as the Health Minister of the Delhi government in 1993-98.
Other elected doctors in this year’s mega elections include Dr Pritam Munde, Dr Bharti Pawar, Dr Sujay Patil etc. Though it might come as a surprise to many, most major parties have doctors among their party workers and consultants. Can we expect some revolutionary health reforms and improvement in healthcare facilities in the country? Only time will tell.
