How Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada is Redefining Indian Politics with Bharatiya Liberal Party (Part - 2)
Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada is a renowned pediatrician and neonatal-perinatal specialist. After earning his MBBS from Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Maharashtra, Dr. Raizada completed his residency in general pediatrics at Long Island Jewish Hospital, New York, and a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at John H. Stroger Hospital, Chicago. Beyond his medical career, Dr. Raizada is a passionate advocate for political reform and anti-corruption, with notable contributions to the Anna Hazare movement and taking Bharatiya Liberal Party to new heights. Now, as the President of the Bharatiya Liberal Party, Dr. Raizada shares his vision of fostering transparency, democracy, and accountability in Indian politics. In this insightful conversation with Himani Negi, Desk Editor of MedBound Times, Dr. Raizada shares his journey from healthcare to activism and his vision for systemic change in India.
Himani Negi: You have a healthcare background and possess significant knowledge in the field. Having previously worked in Delhi, you are now observing how the healthcare system operates. In your opinion, what reforms or improvements are needed in Delhi's healthcare system that are currently lacking? If you were to come into a position of power, how would you address these issues?
Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada: India follows a socialized medicine pattern, which means the government has taken upon itself the responsibility to provide healthcare. However, this model of socialized healthcare is flawed, inadequate, and of poor standards.
Healthcare as a Fundamental Right:
Health should be made a fundamental right, similar to access to education. Just as education is a fundamental right, access to healthcare should also be enshrined in the Constitution.Flaws in the Three-Tier Health System:
India's three-tier health system—primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare—has significant flaws. When people visit government hospitals, they often face issues such as the unavailability of medicines, unhygienic conditions like mice on hospital beds, and inadequate staffing. The current standards are far below what they should be. To address this, the national health budget needs to be increased, especially focusing on preventive medicine.Government-Run Healthcare Issues:
In India, the government runs the healthcare system entirely by itself. For example, the government establishes hospitals, recruits staff, and operates them. However, this leads to bureaucracy, red tape, lack of accountability, and corruption.
To improve the system, the government should explore mechanisms like Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) or establish cooperative societies where citizens can actively participate. This would lead to better accountability and interest from the people, improving the healthcare delivery model significantly.
Himani Negi: I did my internship in a government hospital, and with the Mohalla Clinics opened by AAP (Aam Aadmi Party), my question is that you, as a leader, are doing commendable work. For instance, in India, what often happens is that if someone is voting for BJP, the vote is primarily for Modi, irrespective of who the candidate is. People are unaware of who is actually contesting.
Most people lack awareness about their rights. If you are a prominent leader, people vote in your name. This has been observed frequently. You have done excellent work at your level, and you are performing your responsibilities remarkably well. However, overseeing everything, especially when the party is so large, is technically not feasible.
Now, my personal question is, regarding the Mohalla Clinics, it has been observed that the quality of medicines provided is very poor, and they are often ineffective. Such issues have surfaced. Suppose you introduce an excellent healthcare policy or want to do something remarkable, but the intermediaries are the ones causing disruption.
What will you do to ensure that such things do not happen? Because you cannot personally go to every individual to ensure they are performing their duties properly. You will already have many responsibilities. If you come to power, what can be done to ensure that these issues are addressed? Because I feel this is where the core problem lies.
Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada: Exactly, so in the health model, I mentioned three things.
The government should not be running the business in hospitals or healthcare itself. Like in the USA, the government can provide health insurance through insurance companies. In the USA, the government ensures that employees are provided healthcare, and for veterans, they have their own hospitals. Generally, it's the private sector, but what the government does is that it provides Medicare to seniors above 65 years of age and also to poor people, offering them health insurance. They can go anywhere for treatment. The government should not inherently run the business itself. The first model is to provide health insurance.
The second system could be to bring in a cooperative system. For example, the government will contribute 40-50% of the funding, and the remaining 50% will be managed through private and public resources, and then this model can run together. You can decide competitive rates; for example, if an X-ray costs ₹500 in the private sector, you can set it at ₹300. You can negotiate, make money, but it shouldn't be that people are exploited.
So, the key point is, ‘what reforms can be made in our country?’ Healthcare in Delhi is fine, but again, resources need to be increased. The Mohalla Clinic had no point here because government dispensaries have already been established.
Himani Negi: All political parties discuss schemes, pensions (for those 65+ years), reservations, etc. Reforms are necessary, but what about the groups that do not have reservations? What are your goals and approach for these groups? Are schemes decided based on economic status or caste?
Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada: The Bharatiya Liberal Party is different from other political parties and that's why we are not aligning with anyone.We want to strengthen democracy, our Indian democracy, because it is not in line with the current needs of the world. For example, our headset becomes outdated, it no longer meets expectations, or it fails to perform its functions, that's why we upgrade the product. Similarly, when democracy becomes stagnant, it becomes irrelevant at times. Therefore, we need to improve democracy, which is why we should focus on electoral reforms, judicial reforms, and administrative reforms. The 1998 report from the Venkatachaliah Commission suggested cleaning up political funding, but it has not been implemented yet, even after 26 years.
So, the primary focus of the Bharatiya Liberal Party is on reforms, and the second focus is on implementing schemes. Taxpayers provide the money that the government runs on. Citizens are the owners of true democracy; they are the kings. India operates in reverse. There is a "father culture" here, where the government collects taxes, but there are people who inherently need help, such as children, the elderly, pregnant women, people with health issues, and mentally disabled people. 15% of the population is always in need of assistance in some form. If you do not provide that kind of support, their lives become miserable. Public welfare should be an integral part of any government. For example, we cannot expect not to run buses just because only a few people avail of that service. Even though only a few people take the bus, it is beneficial for senior citizens and the poor. You cannot expect everyone to own a car. It is the responsibility of the government to run resources, even if they are running at a loss, just like running hospitals and educational institutions. Public welfare should be an integral part of any government, but not based on population. Population should rarely be a factor in announcing freebies. For example, if there is a mentally challenged person, he needs help. We cannot say that we cannot help him, and that he should help himself.
Himani Negi: In Delhi, it is observed that roads are constructed, then broken to lay water pipelines, and after that, a new road is constructed, which is again broken to install sewer lines. This process leads to repeated destruction of roads, resulting in a significant waste of money and resources. Additionally, sewer water and stagnant water can be seen on the roads. Is this being done without proper planning, or is there another reason behind it? What solutions would you suggest to address this issue?
Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada: In democracy, the government should be held responsible, accountable, and culpable. However, the principle of culpability is not being applied now. There should be responsibility, accountability, and the ability to charge the person if something goes wrong. What happens in India is that you cannot sue anyone. For example, if there’s an open sewage, I should be able to sue the Municipality directly in court and ensure that compensation is given to the citizen. Another example is if there’s a pit or a pothole, and I fall off my bike, I am paying taxes, yet there is no accountability. Culpability is needed, which means the ability to bring justice to you. Chargeability: I should be able to charge and sue. Until you strengthen the concepts of responsibility, accountability, and culpability, you won't be able to show a true democracy. If you’ve paid taxes, the government is responsible; if a death happens in a hospital, the doctor and hospital are responsible. Compensation should be provided for the damage.
Himani Negi: What specific actions will you take to ensure accountability, responsibility, and culpability in such situations to prevent these issues from happening in the future?
Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada: Transparency and e-governance should be implemented. The principles of transparency must be enforced. Citizens should be encouraged to file RTI (Right to Information) applications with the department. For this, citizens must remain vigilant. They should act like watchdogs. Citizens must stay alert. Secondly, the government should give citizens the right to act as watchdogs and remain vigilant, just like the RTI principle. Over time, this principle has been weakened. RTI was introduced during the tenure of Dr. Manmohan Singh, but the BJP government has diluted it over the last 10 years. However, this principle cannot be abolished because it is constitutional. Abolishing RTI from Parliament is not possible. Over time, the strength of this principle has diminished. The government should promote the principles of transparency and implement e-governance.
Himani Negi: If there is a road under construction near my home and I observe something wrong with the procedure, who should I approach to raise this concern? How can the government create a system that allows citizens to easily report issues with public works projects, such as road construction?
Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada: If I become the Chief Minister of Delhi, I will ensure that the democracy of public service is maintained. I will ensure that all files and complaints are cleared. First, I will focus on the Delhi government website, making sure there are no bugs and all the information is up-to-date. Any complaints and suggestions that are recorded will be resolved as well. Everything depends on how much accountability you want to build into the system. There are enough resources in the country, enough bureaucracy, and if you want to act like a salesman in politics, then the sky's the limit. But if you are inherently corrupt or if solving the problems of the citizens is not your primary concern, then the government will fail.
Himani Negi: In politics, anything can happen. If you achieve your desired outcome, that's great, but if the results don't align with your expectations, what will be your direction and strategy?
Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada: Politics is a long-term commitment. I have entered politics to contribute to this long-term commitment to the nation. Therefore, politics is the most effective way to work for the people, or at least one of the most effective ways. In India, people hesitate or think that their children should not become part of any political party. This mindset needs to change. People should feel proud to participate in politics.
Throughout history, various political systems such as monarchy, capitalism, or democracy have existed, but despite its flaws, democracy remains the most complete system. Therefore, every citizen should actively participate in it.
Himani Negi: Finally, would you like to share any special message for the people of Delhi?
Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada: The Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled for February 2025. Therefore, I appeal to the citizens and voters of Delhi to extend their full support to us. After completing my 22-year medical career in the USA, I have returned with the intention of serving society through politics. My aim is to implement good policies because, ultimately, good policies are the foundation of good governance. If you help us win, we will work together with you to achieve our goals.
MedBound Times expresses sincere gratitude to Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada for sharing his valuable insights on our platform.
