Stand up for NGOs

Editor- Kate Polling and Tara Kessaram state that non-governmental organisations are often thought of as altruistic and of a high moral standing then try to show that these bodies can “do more harm than good.”¹ I disagree.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been around for many years. During the second world war, NGOs became disengaged, and they had a “second infancy” in the 1950s to 1960s. Médecins Sans Frontières had its first mission in 1972. And it was not until the 1980s that most of the NGOs that we know today began to make substantial contributions to international humanitarianism. As such, many are still in their adolescence, learning and growing as times change and international suffering is more widely publicised.

But why is age important? Because these organisations fill a critical gap in international humanitarian relief. True, they may have duplicity of services at times. They may even exhibit “gross naivety and amateurism.” Perhaps these constructive comments are accurate, but they certainly cannot be broadly applied to all NGOs. Many are young, amateur, and naive, but, as the authors mention, these organisations are evaluating themselves and becoming more accountable—as evidenced by more than 300 signing a code of conduct. How difficult would it be to get an equivalent number of countries to voluntarily sign a code of conduct?

Governments have been around much longer and are still unable to appropriately deal with human suffering, resource allocation, or structural violence. If increased governmental funding is going to NGOs rather than government departments then NGOs are trumping those departments that used to get the funding. Kate and Tara mention that NGOs make it difficult for governments to plan long term sustainable health services and undermine state capacity by “attracting personnel out of the national health system.” What might be called “brain drain” is most often not the fault of NGOs but due again to governments and individual provider choices.

Kate and Tara suggest that medical students adequately assess any NGO with which they will spend time training. They suggest that students should “evaluate the impact not just of their own actions but also of the organisation as a whole.” This is true, but not all students can travel with Médecins Sans Frontières. Whichever organisation students work with they should ask themselves what they can contribute to the health and quality of life of less fortunate people.

1. Polling K, Kessaram T. Get up and NGO. studentBMJ 250;12:2004. (June.)

   

           

Responses published this month Articles Responses LETTERS Digging up graves for skeletons is unethical       Subash Chandir Ochani (September 2004) Alaa Eldeen Shams (August 25, 2004) Read this response LETTERS Digging up graves for skeletons is unethical       Subash Chandir Ochani (September 2004) Alaa Eldeen Shams (August 25 2004)       5th year of faculty of medicine, Kasr Alainy faculty of medicine, Cairo, Egypt alzheimer_7@hotmail.com In this issue when we think in the solution, we have to think in the substitute of the natural human skeleton, if it will be the artificial one I know it is very expensive in the devolping countries, if it will be the usage of Human Atlas Anatomy but you will find it not sufficient to get full knowlage it just give you 2d immages,so the soultion should be depended on organized associations which will be responsible on providing skeletons fom whome bequeath by donation by their skeletons for educational and scientific purposes.