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Prof Barry Shwartz in his talk called "The paradox of choice - why more is less" to google employees, in jest predicts that a time will come when patients armed with information and power of choice will ask their doctors to prescribe to them their choice of medicine. Fortis Hospitals and their "single incision laproscopic surgery (SILS) campaign is indeed seeming to make true that prediction.

Fortis with their recent takeover of Wockhardt is still a new name in Bangalore, and to create awareness they have been running ads in local dailies introducing their doctors.

When i see ads of medical services for conditions I dont want to be in - I dont feel good. The advertisements though meant to reassure one of the available options creates me a sense of uneasyness and anxiety. This is a personal opinion. The SILS ad from Fortis is informative. But does it need to be advertised in mass media and outdoor?

This whole concept of "selling" medical services and hence equating patients to consumers creates a very sinking feeling in me. I dont like that ball in my court.  I do not want to be in a hospital in the first place.  And I dont want to be choosing how a doctor/surgeon will cut me open. The choice of how much money to spend is different.

Many years ago a friend was dropping me home and on our way we passed a hospital that had newly come up in our locality. My friend asked "ee hospital hengide?" ( how is this hospital? ) My response was "maga idenu hotela? Hogi idli vade order maadi chennagidiya ilva antha helakke?" ( is this a hotel? To order a dish and decide if its good or not? ) . Hospitals never advertised then. If they did may be we would have discussed further.

The Fortis advertisement for single incision laproscopic surgery is an impressive one. Will make me pray to God enough to not get myself in a situation where i need their services. But i'll definitely have fortis name at the top of my head if anyone asked for information.