Once upon a time, there used to be something known as the medical profession, comprising of doctors, nurses and others who worked at hospitals. in those good old days, over 90 per cent of hospitals and health centres were publicly owned – central or state government, municipal corporations, companies and so on. there were also a few charitable trust hospitals that functioned in a similar manner as the public hospitals. Things began to change in the 1980s, when the first ‘for-profit’ hospital (apollo) was set up, and the central government redefined hospitals as the “healthcare industry” making them eligible for bank loans and other forms of financing. and medical professionals became known as “healthcare providers” though some senior doctors didn’t quite like the new designation. The book, Healers or Predators, is not just timely, but also very appropriate. in his foreword, Nobel Laureate, Amartya Sen describes the scenario as depressing, but the situation is much more – a dystopian world from which there is no escape! the reason is a combination of exploitative hospitals, a callous government, nearly non-existent regulation of all parties – doctors, hospitals, medical gadget manufacturers, and the pharma sector! The book covers a wide canvas: from the flaws in the Medical Council of India, to moral, ethical and societal questions affecting the medical profession.