Aamir Khan to address parliamentary panel

Bollywood star Aamir Khan has been invited by a parliamentary panel on commerce to discuss malpractices in the medical profession, about three weeks after his television show, Satyamev Jayate, exposed such acts.

Shanta Kumar, the BJP MP from the Rajya Sabha, who heads the parliamentary panel, which is also debating the issue of foreign direct investments in the pharmaceutical sector, invited the actor to present his views on the subject.

Khan will be addressing the committee members on Thursday, sharing his findings on malpractices in the medical sphere and also the role of pharma companies in giving incentives and commissions to doctors.

In his show, the actor had exposed the close nexus between many doctors, pharmaceutical companies and diagnostic centres; some doctors allegedly take hefty commissions from the companies and the centres and recommend their products and services to patients, even though they may not need them.

Stung by the show, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), sought an apology from Aamir and even threatened him with legal action. However, the actor has refused to succumb to the pressures and has challenged the body to initiate legal action.

According to him, his show has elicited mixed response, with many viewers – including patients and doctors – heaping praise on him, while a few like the Indian medical Association threatening action. ''I have received letters from various doctors saying that they are so happy when they saw the show that finally someone is talking about this because this is something they were upset about and did not know how to deal with,'' said Aamir.