Over the last week two personal events set me thinking of a country’s ecosystem in terms of Private Services vs Public/Government services. One event was a visit to a government-run hospital for women in Mumbai and seeing the fantastic service given by the hospital and its doctors to so many women. More importantly at nominal charges. Besides free medicines are distributed to all patients. The other event was watching the movie ‘Hindi Medium’ that delves on the roaring ‘Business’ of education.
Amidst these events came the news that our beloved and not so beloved airline Air-India is up for sale.
While aviation cannot be strictly considered as an essential service, there now arises the important question of what happens when important essential services like education, healthcare and here I am including aviation becomes more dominated by the private sector and less by the government.
What is the main aim of private players – to see that business is profitable.
What is the main aim of government owned companies - to provide a particular service to the citizens of India at nominal costs.
We have seen the impact of the flood of private players into sectors like education and healthcare where the government has taken a backseat. That has caused these sectors to become a business and that too a roaring one. In the 60s and the 70s schools were largely run by the government, trusts and convents where the larger aim always was to provide good education to children and not to make money. I studied in a convent school where the fees were Rs 6 for a whole year for the 6th grade, Rs 7 for the 7th grade and so on with absolutely no compromises on the education we received.
Ditto in healthcare. Government hospitals are providing very good medical facilities at affordable rates but they are unable to handle the huge flood of patients. On the other hand we have seen the malpractices that are happening in private hospitals and the exorbitant bills a the end of a medical treatment. Eg. A reason why the government stepped in to put a ceiling on the prices of stent.
So the moot questions are –
1) does it work to have the private sector dominate essential services?
2) does it work to ask the private sector to make compensations for those who cannot afford their services?
Whether it is Air India or the State Electric Boards, they went into losses because of corruption and not because of operational reasons.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that he wants people wearing hawai chappals to travel by flights but in PRIVATE airlines. The government launched the UDAN scheme to provide air tickets at cheaper prices in PRIVATE airlines.
In education and healthcare, 25% or so must be reserved for those who cannot afford these services. But we know the poor never get access to them as depicted in the movie Hindi Medium.
So in essence the government is asking the private sector to take the responsibility of looking after its people. And is the private sector going to do it when they are here to make profits and not provide service to all and sundry.
The reason why the customer never remains a king as far as private essential services goes is because demand becomes greater than supply and then the private player becomes the king of profits.
Take aviation for instance, I remember the days when airlines pampered its flyers with such royal treatment, a welcome drink, fragrant face tissues, chocolates and the great meals. Today every airline, be it the regular or low-cost try to cut corners everywhere. Low cost airlines name themselves low cost so that they need not serve you even a bottle of water but there is no ceiling on the fares they charge. Besides charging extra for every other small service. The paid food served in low cost flights is pathetic. I dish out Rs 200 plus for a sandwich which most of the times is so bad, so cold and at times stale too. The joke sometimes is when they say ‘Madam samosas are available but they will be served cold’. We flyers are forced to accept anything and everything (besides getting food when you are almost about to land because airlines short staff!!!). Ironically the last Indian flight where I felt royal and got lip-smacking food was on Kingfisher Airlines and that too in its low-cost airline! No wonder Vijay Mallya is in trouble. He adopted his flamboyant nature to his airline without a check on the profits!
And I wonder what the hawai chappal Indian will do when he feels thirsty. I recently had one cup chai at Delhi airport for Rs 150! and it was so bad. I don’t mean to say that all food at airports is bad but there is a tendency to fleece as necessity is the mother of high costs. Their reasoning is that airport tariffs and rents are high.
Surely Air India needs a saviour. Can that saviour not be the government itself?
I end here in light humor and no conclusion or serious connection to this article. The below is an incident that actually took place in a leading private airline.
Lady Flyer: Can I have an after-food mint packet?
Air-Hostess: Yes I will get it
The air-hostess passes by
Lady Flyer : I asked you for a mint packet
Air-Hostess: Yes Ma'am will get it
Again the air-hostess passes by
Lady Flyer: I asked you 3 times to get me a mint packet
Air-Hostess (stern and angry) – Ma'am you asked me only 2 times and not 3.
The lady and me gasped at the air-hostess completely speechless.
So if the airplane is in trouble, you better ask for the parachute 3 times.
Someone once told me he prefers the mother like air-hostess at Air-India as he feels more safe under their care!!!
Have a nice flight.