Write a short note on the role of the physician as a Provider of health.

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The role of a physician is quite balanced with respect to the continuum of increasingly

high levels of technical competence required for the perfatinance. Parsons (1951),

indicating the collectively orientation of the physician mentions, that the profession

which is entrenched with ideology puts great emphasis on the duty of the physician

for patients over the personal interest of physician. Professionals are regarded as

away from commercial interest and self-interest. The physician is expected to

treat patients as subjects and without personal bias. Objectivity is based on the

scientific knowledge. The liking or disliking of physician for the patient is best

avoided. For the physician the patient is a patient irrespective of his/her class, sex,

or any other social category. The responsibility of physician is to treat a patient

and show his/her competence in curing the patients.

Mechanic observes that the average general physician has found himself/

herself with a workload too large to fulfill the enthusiastic and idealistic expectations

concerning his/her role in dealing with social and psychological implications of

medical problems, nor is he/she equipped to do so by training. Loomis emphasizing

the collectivity -orientation of physician observes that the profit motive is excluded

and also his/her nature of duties cannot be encompassed within the office hours.

Merton stresses the need of preventing the disease and not only to curing illness,

though the society largely rewards medical men/women for the therapy. The values

governing the physician's self-image relate to his/her self -education, medical

responsibilities, self-critical attitude, sense of autonomy, specialized education,

moral character, and advancing medical knowledge.