The good, the bad and the passive: Patienthood in India

By paying attention to the less explored intersection of medicine and law, the book contributes to an already dense field of study, the social determinants of health.In her book, Supriya Subramani brings together legal cases, medicine, ethnographic vignettes and her own encounter with the medical system, to comment on the passive patient culture in Indian medical discourse.Her analysis shows how social inequalities seep into healthcare and law, which by using a culture of disrespect and humiliation renders patients passive.The book, at times, records the experiential realities of the author and her lifeworld in Kannada script, it is an experiment that academics should carry out more often!