When I began my practice following residency I became aware of the cesspool that medical and associated profession have become. Each day was (is) a learning experience. Not that one is completely unaware of the ground realities- but first hand experience is humbling. I was reading a blog post by Jim Sabin wherein he comments […]
Category Archives: Medicine
On Generics and Drug affordibility in India.
I had previously written about compulsory licensing of expensive anti cancer drugs in India and the expected benefits to the patients. Just after this news came out, there was reaction from the Govt. sources stating that no they had no plans for such measures as cancer was not an “epidemic or national emergency”. There is an […]
Compulsory Licensing for breast cancer drugs in India?
Stated briefly; in general the treatment of breast cancer in India at present is suboptimal. I was reading a book regarding evolution and changes in management of breast cancer and what struck me was that we are still stuck in last decade. Most of the patients present very late in disease process. Breast cancer screening […]
Rectal artemisin derivative for initial control of malaria
There is this interesting article in todays BMC Infectious disease which had my attention. the featured article says Rectal artemisinins rapidly reduce malaria viral loadBMC Infectious Diseases 2008, 8:39 Artemisinins administered as rectal suppositories, particularly artesunate as a single high dose, reduce malaria parasite load within 24 hours without serious adverse effects, offering an alternative […]
Health ministry mulls approving foreign degrees.
AT the present moment medical degrees earned in foreign countries are not valid in India and vice versa. Doctors holding such degrees are not recognized as specialist here and as such cannot practice here. The government is considering a proposal to recognize specialist degrees earned abroad (‘developed countries’) for pracitsing in India in order to […]
Weird way to say thanks…
WTF story of the day-Claiming magical powers can be hazardous!
Dr Punching Bags
Doctor and Patient relations may be what it is but the relation between the doctor and the patient’s attendants is getting more and more acrimonious. Speaking from my personal experience; for every 3-4 emergency shifts that I do at least one is bound to be horrible -not in patient load terms or how critical they […]
Barenaked medicos.
Image from www.sinophilia.org The proposal for compulsory rural service by graduating medicos has long been in the pipeline. It is already being implemented by some states with variety of carrots and sticks attached. In a move by the parliament all newly minted doctors will be required to spend one year in rural areas in compulsory […]
Home remedy for breast lump
Sometime back a patient presented in emergency with complaint of bleeding from an ulcer in breast and severe backache. As is typical she was referred from community health center in nearby town coming to us at 2:00 A.M. She appeared not to be worried about the lump in her breast or the multiple swellings in […]
Separating Conjoined twins
A 2 year old girl with eight limbs undergoes surgery in Bangalore. Read the news from bbc Lakshmi was born two years ago on Diwali in Araria village in Bihar. Although the people of the village treated her as a re-incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, for doctors she was an ischiopagus conjoined twin. Update: The operation […]