Bribery and Serving Public Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Bribery and Serving Public - Essay Example We hear these types of incidences almost daily in our lives. All of these acts are crimes and deemed as bribery cases. Bribery is basically a crime which is done by giving any benefit to the other party for changing the outcomes of the result. The term benefit is a very broad term and it could be anything from money to a simple favor. According to the Black's law dictionary, bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions as an official or other person in discharge of a public or legal duty. Bribery is basically a reward or rewards, which is given to an individual or group to change the decision in favor of the person who is giving the bribe. Generally, the following rewards are given for not being loyal and just: The issue of bribery is not only associated with the public sector organizations but also with private sector organizations - even in the NGOs that come in the market with a commitment to serve the people without any monetary benefits. Bribery is illegal in many countries including the United Kingdom and United States. It is considered an unethical act and a form of political corruption that hinders the success and prosperity of a nation. Another shameful form of bribery exists in the field of medicine - a field that serves to save human lives without any discrimination and unjust behavior. In this form of bribery, pharmaceutical corporations reward doctors for heavy subscription of their drugs to their patients, and in reward the doctors get lucrative gifts in various forms. The US government has already taken several steps to cope with this form of bribery. The American Medical Association (AMA) has already published a set of ethical guidelines for the industry that describes the list of acceptable gifts that can be given to the doctors as rewards. In addition, dentists are also the part of this bribery issue; they receive samples of home dental care products such as tooth cleaning gels. Transparency International Reports (Health) The transparency international reports the types of corruption in health. According to the organization, regulators, payers, health care providers, suppliers and consumers face a complex mix of incentives that can lead to corruption. Forms of corruption in the health sector include: Embezzlement and theft from the health budget or user-fee revenue. This can occur at central or local government level or at the point of allocation to a particular health authority or health centre. Medicines and medical supplies or equipment may be stolen for personal use, use in private practice or resale. Corruption in procurement. Engaging in collusion, bribes and kickbacks in procurement results in overpayment for goods and contracted services, or in failure to enforce contractual standards for quality. In addition, hospital spending may include large investments in building construction and purchase of expensive technologies, areas of procurement that are particularly vulnerable to corruption. Corruption in payment systems. Corrupt practices include waiving fees or falsifying insurance documents for