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Category: Political

  • Inviting Medicos to India

    Joking with fresh medical graduates in Delhi,our health minister informed that doctors from western countries were raring to come and fill the gap in medical personnel in India now that he has recognized their degrees.

    Acknowledging the severe crunch India is facing in the number of doctors, nurses and paramedics, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said Friday that since the government recognises the medical degrees issued by five English-speaking countries, including the US, Britain and Australia, it would help tide over the shortage.

    He said the government was taking a number of steps to overcome the shortfall in order to ensure that people are able to get quality medical care.

    “There is no stop-gap arrangement. Yes, we know there is a shortfall of medical human resources in the country. The need has also been felt because of the expanding population,” Ramadoss told reporters after awarding undergraduate degrees to students at the Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) at its 92nd convocation here.

    you can read the full article here.

    He was being more forthright when he said

    The government is also upgrading the existing infrastructure and setting up new ones.

    which is surely a long drawn out process.

    I am sure he was joking about the rest. In present day situation fresh doctors prefer serving in the Australian or US outback rather than staying here. Almost all doctors stuck in NHS and UK ‘work permit’ have returned (quite a few of my colleagues as well) and  just a handful are taking their chances. I wonder where the ministry gets such rosy numbers from.

  • 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 are-but the unpleasant interaction with the relatives or patient’s attendants. I find harassing doctors and staff on duty has become a fashion trend; like an index to show how good your  ‘connections’ are or demonstrate your political might. Incidents like these are not new or isolated from BHU doctors on strike.

    Varanasi, November 30 An indefinite strike called by resident doctors at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) from today paralysed operations at the varsity. The doctors were protesting against yesterday evening’s attack on two junior doctors by the sons of a high-profile patient.

    This was news about 7 days back. Subsequently the residents had went back to work expecting the hospital and university authorities to pursue the matter further with Police and administration.And what happened ? Nothing! as usual. The matter is now taking the form of circus with all and sundry reminding the doctors of their duty and Hippocratic oath( Damned if you work and double damned if you do not). This is what I read in the news today-

    Posted at Friday, 07 December 2007 10:12 IST

    Varanasi, Dec 7: The resident doctors of Banaras Hindu University are on an indefinite strike to protest against the assault of junior doctor and two of his associates in the hospital.

    The doctors are demanding action against the culprits who had manhandled the medicos.

    The Resident Doctors Association (RDA) had alleged that the district administration was trying to save the influential people who were involved in the assault.

    They also alleged that no action has been taken against the accused even after 72 hours from the time when the doctors had suspended their strike to given an opportunity to the university.

    This is not a single (the hyderabad hospital)or an isolated incident. Numerous such incident must go unreported occurring daily all over the country. I wonder if this malaise is peculiar to our country or happens elsewhere as well. It is not always that the death is totally unexpected or the prognosis or gravity of situation is not known to the people involved. Only one thing is sure-  the culprit will be let off and doctors will continue to be punching bags.

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  • Doctor’s Factory ?

    http://www.jha.in/Pics/green.jpg
    It is a fact that a large number of Indian medical graduates leave India for abroad. US is the prefered destination followed by UK and Australia. Do you think that they should be barred from going out? The present Health Minister does think so. After the recent fracas and then strike by residents in AIIMS this is what he had to say that the premier institute was slowly becoming a “doctors’ factory” for foreign countries and not for the needy Indians.

    “Over 60 percent of the AIIMS passouts are going outside India. It’s becoming a doctors’ factory that is producing talent for foreign countries and not for the poor Indians,”

    This debate is age old i suppose. And at the same time i think the quantum of medical graduates going out has gone done. what with difficult to get visa and poor working environment in those countries. what would be your opinion?
    Rest of the stories continues here

  • Follow up to previous post

    In case you were wondering what happened to this boy who performed caesarean section read the followup in Hindustan Times-
    The Tamil Nadu government has ordered an inquiry into the alleged incident of a 15-year-old boy performing a caesarean section surgery, an official said on Thursday.
    In April, Dileepan Raj, a Class X student, performed a caesarean section operation under his parents’ supervision at the Mathi Surgical and Maternity Hospital in Manapparai, about 450 km from the state capital Chennai.
    Dipeean’s parents K Murugesan and Gandhimathi are medical practitioners and wanted him to enter record books as the youngest surgeon in the world. read further
    A really sorry state of affairs. The boy’s parents are in custody and he himself granted bail by the juvenile justice board. Like all legal affairs in our country rest assured that this case will drag on and on. more

  • Back to pavilion

    UK was a favourite destination for a large number of medical graduates from our country. With changes in the political and economic environment in the UK and with the increase in number of graduates within the UK their ‘services’ are no longer required. And they are being ‘relieved of their burden’. After investing a large amount and time along with missed oppurtunities back home; they will have difficult time indeed. A part of the story from rediff
    Going to UK is not an easy decision and the present decision and subsequent court ruling is going to be hard on their medical careers.The logic of the changes put forth by Health Minister Lord Warner in March 2006 virtually precludes any relaxation. He said: “We now have more than 117,000 doctors working in the NHS, 27,400 more than in 1997, as well as record levels of doctors in training in UK medical schools.
    More from HT