Master health checks* , superficially look like a perfect modality to practice the greatest medical concept ie “Prevention is better then cure” .Let us detect all human diseases early , prevent its progression, regress it or completely cure it . Absolute bliss is it not?
Why then articles such as this one should ever get published, that too in one of the prestigious journal of medicine?
*Master health check .( Also referred to as annual General health checks.)
While the title itself is provocative, it adds a tag line which is still more a shocker.
There are specific well-researched reasons for this preventive health check fiasco.The masters, who were originally the guardians of health soon became disease mongers.In the process, the primary aim of propagating the doctrine of “prevention is better than cure”, could not reach its desired goals. Instead of ignoring and reassuring the minor deviation of biological data and Imagery generated, they became a perfect feed for the hunters who are after the trivial and non-existing illness.
Final message
Good intentioned health checks are always welcome in selected high-risk population say pregnant women/children of developing a world (As in endemic countries of rheumatic fever) Also cancer , CAD , screening in people with a positive family history can be critical.
However, when these masters of health deviated and started making a living out of apparently healthy people. ( The side effects reached monstrous proportions hiking global health cost in a meaningless way).People, especially in counties with poor resources, are the ultimate sufferers, as the cost and efforts are diverted, to fix the health of healthy, while people with true illness continue to struggle.
Will the WHO* wake up and intervene against this skewed practice of routine master health checks in healthy, that are rampant in both rich and poor countries. Ideally, doctors should order preventive health assessment for those who may need it.
There are enough grounds for public Initiated periodic walk-in health checks to be banned (or at least restricted)
*WHO is world health organization
Dr.S.Venkatesan MD 