Ultrasound for Rs 3?                                                                                                                 Friday, May 1,2015

Zee TV has claimed that an ultrasound test costs Rs 3 and hence I assume it is going to make available the same in all Zee TV Offices all over the country for Rs 3. I for one am going to refer all my patients for ultrasound to them henceforth. Can someone please confirm their local address in Chandigarh?

In a defaming, slanderous and malicious campaign on national TV, Zee TV is claiming that doctors charge Rs 600 for a test which costs Rs 3 and Rs 3000 for a test which costs Rs 500. This is nothing but false propaganda to raise TRP ratings of the channel.

Mr Subhash Chandra and other Zee TV management are good businessmen. Here sir is an opportunity of a lifetime. There is 19900% profit in the ultrasound business as per your reporters. I am sure even they can see the huge business opportunity. If Zee TV starts making only 9950% profit and charge 50% of the Rs 600 currently charged in the market they will make more profits for their shareholders than any marginal increase in TRP. I suggest Zee TV to start Zee Laboratories and imaging centres across the country and do service to the nation by once a week doing ultrasound for Rs 3, CT scan for Rs 500 and LFT for Rs 50. Six days a week they will still make so much profit that they will think of closing Zee TV as an unnecessary appendage to their main business.

The operating cost of Zee TV to air a 60-second advertisement is minuscule. They anyway are airing material 24 hours a day. No additional investment or time or work is needed to air the advt. Still Zee TV charges lacs for a 30 or 60 second advertisement. Why should Zee TV be permitted more than 19900% profits but not doctors?

Satyamev Jayate has done tremendous damage to doctors and the increased incidence of violence against doctors is directly related in my mind to Mr Amir Khan’s “tears” shed on prime time for which he charged Rs 3 crore per episode. The crocodile tears were shed so that the TV makes profit from increased TRPs. We did not sue him and pay the price of that folly today. Left unchallenged this example of cheap yellow journalism will cause further erosion of doctor-patient trust and lead to more problems. We need to learn to stand up and reply strongly to any slap delivered on our cheek publicly and I for one refuse to be tied by the Gandhian Philosophy of turning the other cheek.

Dr Neeraj Nagpal
Convenor, Medicos Legal Action Group
Ex-President, IMA Chandigarh