Who needs health care?: Old people are faced with dilemma as families disintegrate

doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7503.1331-c

BMJ 2005;330:1331-1332 (4 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7503.1331-c

Letter

Who needs health care?

Old people are faced with dilemma as families disintegrate

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Heath describes a current trend that has to bekept in check.¹ Recent research findings may strike everyonewith mortal fear on occasion. Multinational companies do theirbit to allay this fear by producing "antidotes" at an equallyrapid pace and at "competitive prices," lest others overtakethem in their philanthropy.

Maybe if someone lands on Mars some day there will be a bighoarding showing possible health hazards, and another, equallybig if not bigger hoarding, announcing what products are availableas antidotes and investigative facilities, with possibly a tagmentioning that a percentage of every purchase is for the poorpeople of Planet Earth.

In close knit societies that take care of their weak, infirm,and old people, as in the remote villages of India and Botswana,people are not that worried as they age because they know thatthey will be looked after to the . . . [Full text of this article]

Rajesh Chauhan, consultant in family medicine and communicable diseases

309/9 AV Colony, Sikandra, Agra-282007, India drchauhanrajesh@yahoo.com

Akhilesh Kumar Singh, senior resident neurology, Parul Kushwah, family medicine practitioner

309/9 AV Colony, Sikandra, Agra-282007, India