Hello doctor, I want to know that why is there no physical examination in india? The reason why I asked you this is because I actually have more than one health related issue. Also I am on medication right now so it would be better if I know my complete health status. I can opt for a full or advanced body check up but I feel like a physical exam would be better. I actually want to know that I am absolutely healthy from head to toe. Basically I just want to know that why is there no physical examination available in india? Or which is better a physical examination or a full body checkup, if I wish to know my complete health status? Thank you :)

Hello lybrate-user, your concern is genuine and I would like to elaborate on that. Firstly india as a country is a diverse place in terms of socioeconomic status and healthcare infrastructure, and to be honest the population to physician ratio is also not very satisfactory. So in such conditions a full physical examination will do more harm than benefit, here it's crucial to know that i'm not saying that people should not get diagnosed for their ailments but it should be done with a proper consultation with a practitioner. And as a doctor myself I know, if you go to a doctor for consultation first, they'll narrow down your area of concern by listening to your specific problems and concerns which will nullify the reason for a full biophysical examination. Now to address your query, if a healthy person will go for a full physical examination by just a thought of getting ill for every 3 months, imagine the amount of stress they'll get exposed to and the cost too. Additionally, not every single person has access to qualified doctors and staff in all remote areas, but labs and other diagnostic setups are there as those are more business oriented, so it'll add on to the chances of people getting scammed more. And just imagine the mental turmoil and stress of being paranoid, thinking about if something is wrong with you or not. So this is not advisable to have a full physical checkup, still if someone is very curious and concerned about their overall health and underlying diseases, they can always go for full blood test. Apart from all these things, running a full physical examination is an unfeasible task looking at population of india and situation of government hospitals. I tried to take up every single point in that regard. I hope I could answer your doubt but still if you have any further query, feel free to ask.  

1 person found this helpful