Dr. T. Rama Prasad's Scribblings...: NEET, NEET, NEET ...

The NEET saga

Go to > https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/school-education_30.html for more details.

The 'National Testing Agency' (NTA) which conducts the 'National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test' (NEET) has long been a target for criticism for multiple 'question paper leaks' and administrative incompetence. In 2024, when 'question paper leak' occurred, the Supreme Court pointed out some lapses in the NTA's system and a Committee was set up to set things right. Yet, a major 'paper leak' occurred in 2026 forcing more than 22 lakh candidates to take a re-examination. Now, it's time for the Supreme Court to invoke its extraordinary jurisdicttion under article 142, which it had earlier used to strip the Medical Council of India of its independent policy making powers. Creation of a modern, foolproof, and transparent system is warranted. NEET has become synonymous with inncorrigible malpractice. Over the years, it was faulted on various matters.

May 12, 2026

Oh, again it happened to NEET (UG) of 2026, after a similar episode in 2024 -- allegations of a major paper leak. India's biggest medical entrance exam, NEET UG 2026, has been cancelled now after allegations of a major paper leak triggered nationwide outrage. It is a shock to the country. More than 22 lakh candidates, including around 1.4 lakh from Tamil Nadu, had taken the exam, across 5,432 centres in the country.

In 2024, a similar episode occurred when a high-level committee headed by former ISRO chairman Dr. K. Radhakrishnan was set up to reform the NTA's (National Testing Agency's) systems and procedures, keeping an eye on global best practices. The panel submitted 95 recommendations. Was it just a cosmetic exercise ? Whatever it may be, the fabric of the society is generally coloured with corruption and people find loopholes in any system. Radhakrishnan was expected to diagnose and treat the disease of the NEET, and give a vaccine to prevent recurrence. It seems that the vaccine had failed !!!

Tamil Nadu has a long-pennding demand to abolish NEET. Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Karnataka passed resolutions seeking to scrap NEET and revert to old systems. Significantly, the recommendation of the Justice D. Murugesan Committee which includes : scrapping of entrance exam of any kind and "banning" coaching centres was submitted to the government in Tamil Nadu on July 1, 2024.

There seems to be fundamental flaws in NTA -- its architecture, priorities, management, administration and cybertech-security. Over the last 10 years, around 20 exams were affected -- cancellations, postponements, and re-tests, causing enormous traumatic mental stress and economic impacts as well. Because of these, many are exploring overseas options for higher education. During the past one decade, Indians spent around Rs 30 thousand crores (around 30 times more than the previous decade, almost half of GOI's higher education budget) for higher studies abroad. It is an enormous economic drain.

All this is about bringing in a uniform national system of exam for ENTRY into the courses. And, there are plans to bring in a similar system for EXIT (final year exam) out of the courses. Notwithstanding the regulations, what is the quality of the products (doctors, graduates, etc.) ??? For an answer, read the following:

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-noble-profession.html
https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/dr-peon-phd_30.html
https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/devalued-degrees_30.html

Now, let us go back to what I wrote in 2025 :

Some students approached the Supreme Court about various irregularities and 'statistical impossibilities' connected with NEET 2024. Convinced by the stuff in the petitions, the Supreme Court felt that "THE SANCTITY OF THE NATIONAL EXAM HAS BEEN AFFECTED" by the allegations.

On August. 2, 2024, the Supreme Court of India pulled up NTA for lapses in conducting the NEET exam and mandated to overhaul NEET-UG on a deadline.

July 2024

The year 2024 dealt a rude jolt to the school education scenario and the systems to evaluate the merit of the school-leaving (12th standard) students in India. Allegations of malpractice had been in existence for a long time -- well, not prescient, but sadly accepted now.

At last, after a series of interactions and arguments on the NEET (UG) 2024 saga, the Supreme Court of India concluded that : there is no need for a retest as there was no systemic breach in the sanctity of the test, and the counselling may go on with the re-revised list after re-evaluation of the answer to a question in the physics paper which brings down the number of toppers from 61 to 17 (67 to 17 as per the first iteration before the 'grace marks' were rolled back).

The Supreme Court has acknowledged that question papers were leaked at Hazaribagh and Patna. Unprecedented charges were made of paper leaks, giving out the wrong question papers, damaged answer keys, impersonation by students, and an unusually high number of toppers from certain centres -- a string of bad news. Police investigations led to arrests in some States, and the CBI is looking into the possibility of a national network's involvement in the case. Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Karnataka passed resolutions seeking to scrap NEET and revert to old systems. Meanwhile, the recommendation of the Justice D. Murugesan Committee which includes : scrapping of entrance exam of any kind and "banning" coaching centres was submitted to the government in Tamil Nadu on July 1, 2024.

What is bad about the old pre-2016 system of entrance examinations, and what is good about NEET ? The old system is beset with problems such as students having to appear in multiple exams for different States, varying test standards, and a lack of transparency -- that's the bad of it. The goodness of NEET is that it can create an equitable and accessible system that would provide a standardised test to select the brightest from across the country. The question now is about the credibility of its integrity, sanctity and transparency about which the police, CBI, Supreme Court and the committee headed by K. Radhakrishnan are looking into. The irregularities that had surfaced gave currency to the demand of going back to the old system.

While the Supreme Court had denied to RETEST, there is a need to clean the Augean stables. The solution to the problem may lie in fixing the present system by the committee set up under K. Radhakrishnan to reform the NTA's systems and procedures and keeping an eye on global best practices. Or it may just be a cosmetic exercise. Whatever it may be, the fabric of the society, in general, is coloured with corruption, and people would find loopholes in any system.

And, which committee are we going to set up to reform medical education system in India ? Go to https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-noble-profession.html

-- Dr. T. Rama Prasad

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/school-education_30.html

Now, let's rewind to the last month:

On June 4, 2024, the results of the NEET-UG exam were announced. 67 students celebrated for getting 720 marks out of 720; 1,563 students got "Grace Marks" ; allegations were made about 'question paper leak' and some other irregularities. A volcano erupted from underneath the placid waters of the 'National Testing Agency (NTA). There was a hue and cry from the public and some political parties. Amid the row over alleged malpractices in the holding of the NEET-UG, on June 27, 2024, the President of India, in her first address to a joint session of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha, said : "My government is committed to a fair investigation. and ensuring strict punishment to the culprits."

On June 28, 2024, both Houses of Parliament witnessed dramatic scenes and multiple adjournments with opposition parties pressing for a debate on alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam. And, on the same day, the Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted a resolution, moved by the chief minister, urging the Government of India to immediately give assent to the NEET Bill which has been pending with the President's office since 2002. The chief minister said that "the rest of India is now resonating with the Tamil Nadu's demand to scrap NEET."

On June 22, 2024, the Union Government removed the Director-General of the NTA from the post. With the NTA embroiled in multiple controversies, the Ministry of Education, on June 22, 2024, constituted a seven-member committee of experts to provide a roadmap for an overhaul of the NTA and its processes, led by the former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation.

On June 23, 2024, The Central Bureau of Investigation CBI) registered a case of alleged irregularities in the conduct of the NEET-UG, and started investigating. It made some arrests including that of the principal and vice principal of Oasis School in Jharkhand.

Towards the end of June 2024, with the stakes and tempers soaring high about the alleged irregularities related to the NEET-UG examination, the Union Ministry of Education in India called for a CBI investigation and formed a high-level committee headed by former chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) K. Radhakrishnan to reform the National Testing Agency (NTA) which is responsible for conducting massive exams such as the JEE, CUET and NEET. We hope that the committee would have in mind the standards of GRE, TOEFL, Equity 2000, Pacesetter, Transition 2000 and the Medical College Admission Test of the US; the China's Gaokao; the UK's University Clinical Aptitude Test; etcetera which are among the global best practices to select candidates. 'One Nation - One Test' may be good as a concept, but the demographic diversity of India must make the committee bold enough to foray into the domain of equitable decentralisation, a broader way of finding merit, and blending school and competitive exam scores, not just making the system of NTA examinations, of a few hours of ticking the boxes, error-proof. The ISRO spaceman should choose between the exam-cracking capabilities of tactful humanoids and the critical and creative capabilities of the future citizens of India. The system should be student friendly, not overloaded with stress and strain of the 'coaching factory model of teaching'. Four students killed themselves within 48 hours of announcement of the NEET results for not scoring high marks, and many students and their parents are reported to be rushing to psychiatry clinics. Where else in the world is this happening ? Let us hope that the 'space researcher' explores the larger space of 'School Education' in addition to 'course-correcting' the NTA. Meanwhile, the recommendation of the Justice D. Murugesan Committee which includes : scrapping of entrance exam of any kind and "banning" coaching centres was submitted to the government in Tamil Nadu on July 1, 2024.

At present, only the entrance exam scores hold the golden keys to the higher education citadel. Some are considering to think of returning to the old time-tested system of admission either with only the final school marks or a combination of them with entrance exam scores.

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/school-education_30.html

In India, the National Testing Agency (NTA), an autonomous agency under the Education Ministry, is tasked with conducting the nationwide crucial examinations such as the JEE, NEET, UGC-NET and CMAT to centralise entrance examinations to higher education institutes, with the goal of 'One Nation - One Test'. The examination (NEET-UG) for 2024 for entry into medical and allied courses was conducted on May 5 and the results were declared on June 4, and the NTA has come under severe criticism, amid allegations of irregularities, inflated marks and question paper leak. Amid nation-wide outrage over the NEET-UG fiasco, news and opinions caught the headlines in media. And a battle of words between the ruling party and the opposition party has started.

A friend in the UK told me that the news of allegedly providing NEET-UG 2024 question papers and answers for several lakhs of rupees in India didn't surprise him. The NTA's claims of tamperproof, smooth conduct of exams for 23 lakh medical aspirants went poof once results showed inflated marks, clustering of toppers from specific tuition centres and an amazing 67 toppers -- 720 out of 720 (there were just 2 in 2023; 2 in 2021; 1 in 2020). The number of students who scored 650 and more out of 720 in 2024 is 35,000 whereas the figure in 2023 was a mere 7,000. The figures seem to be of a statistical improbability unless the questions were "easier" and the coaching of the students is better, compared to those of 2023.

Added to this, is the ambiguity and allegation about addition of "Grace Marks" as a compensation for giving less time to answer due to a fault in the system. 'Teething issues & tech glitches' come handy to the 7-year-old NTA, but difficult to convince the Apex Court. It is alleged that the mess is extended to CUET and JEE also. Some students approached the Supreme Court about various irregularities and 'statistical impossibilities' connected with NEET 2024. Convinced by the stuff in the petitions, the Supreme Court felt that "THE SANCTITY OF THE NATIONAL EXAM HAS BEEN AFFECTED" by the allegations, and so, on June 11, 2024, it sought an explanation from the NTA, and posted the case for hearing on July 8, 2024. Just two days later, the NTA decided to deprive the 1,563 students of the "Grace Marks" but gave the option to them to write the test again on June 23, 2024 for a fresh assessment, or to retain the already scored marks without the "Grace Marks."

Around 23 lakh students who took the examination conducted across 4,750 centres in 571 cities including 14 cities abroad are anxiously waiting for the verdict about the larger issue on question paper leak. We do not yet know whether the issue is genuine or not, and if true whether it is just a one-off the case of an aberrant nature, or of a plague in the systems. There are several unanswered questions. Why some centres distributed the 'back-up' question paper instead of the 'primary' paper ? Were they accessed from bank's strong rooms or another reserve, simultaneously ?

The Bench of Justices, however, turned down the plea to 'stay' the 'counselling process'. Also, there is a plea to quash the exams due to a 'paper leak' in connection with which police allegedly arrested some of a "paper-solver gang." The reported arrests made in Gujarat and Bihar raised eyebrows and left the NTA red-faced. The alleged malpractices and mismanagement have caused an upheaval in the lives of over 13 lakhs of qualified students and their families. A re-exam seems to be impossible for the entire country, but, it may be done in a limited way if it is proved that the malpractice occurred only at a few centres.

POLITICAL WAR

Though ‘NEET’ made an entry years ago, it is yet to be accepted by all. It gained a lot of political colour and traction, especially after the General Elections in 2024. After the formation of the new government in 2024, the voices against NEET had become more strident in some quarters. The Opposition Leader slammed the Prime Minister over alleged irregularities in the NEET test, and promised to be the voice of students in the Parliament. And, the DMK government had appointed the 'Justice A.K. Rajan Committee' to study whether NEET-based admissions to medical courses have adversely affected the social, economic and federal polity, and poor students. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu shared the Committee's Report in nine languages with other States for a nationwide opposition to NEET. The Union Education Minister dismissed allegations of paper leak in the NEET as those without concrete evidence and politically coloured (The Hindu, June 14, 2024) while students, their parents, some of 'Indian Foreign Medical Students (IFMS)' and 'Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors Network' went on a protest march to the 'Education Ministry' to put forth their demand for a retest, a CBI inquiry and action against the alleged irregularities; Bihar police "said they had evidence that the papers were leaked" (Sunday Times, June 16, 2024); the Congress General Secretary flung a barb claiming that "NEET under this regime is more like CHEAT -- Central Hyped Entrance Admission Test" (The Hindu, June 15, 2024). On June 16, 2024, the Union Minister is reported to have said that two types of irregularities were noticed in a handful of examination centres (out of 4,750) and that the government has taken the issue very seriously and that strictest actions would be taken against those proved to be involved (TOI, June 17, 2024).

Over one month, the NTA has been caught in a string of controversies, starting with the row over irregularities in NEET-UG. This was followed by the cancellation of the UGC-NET examination for research scholars and university teachers, after inputs that the integrity of the exam had been compromised, and then the postponement of the joint CSIR-UGC-NET examination over "unavoidable circumstances and logistic issues". "It was reported that the paper for the UGC-NNET exam, which has been scrapped, was leaked on the 'darknet' for RS 6 lakh" (TOI, June 26, 2024). There seems to be an organised foul play behind the NEET fiasco. The NEET muddle couldn't have been witnessed if the system is of the standards of the international testing agencies like Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

On July 8, 2024, the Supreme Court observed that the question paper was leaked but the extent of the leak is yet to be determined, and that cancellation of the test would be an 'extreme last resort' if separation of the wheat from the chaff is not possible.

BEST BAROMETER

The NEET controversy has once again brought the subject of measuring the intellectual strength of a school student. There is no meter which can do that. There is no single system which can be called the BEST. NEET is one of them. Academic excellence apart, various factors like socio-economic circumstances, equity, necessity and politics come into play.

Different countries follow different methods -- in the US, a holistic evaluation which includes school grades, extra-curricular activity, standardised test scores, recommendation letters, and a personal essay is followed; in Britain, a two years of advanced study with 'A-level' exam guides the entry into a college path; in France, competitive entrance exams and highly selective grand 'ecoles' lead to vocational license or a degree; in Singapore, the selection is based on "A Level' / 'Plus 2' marks and a strictly impartial interview to test the aptitude and the orientation for social service; in Finland, there are no standardised tests until the college entrance screening; in China, a high-stakes national college entrance exam, 'gaokao', is to be faced; in Korea, school records, a college scholastic ability test and universities' entrance exam determine the further course of study; in Japan, a two-day. common university admissions test and individual university requirements play a part; in east Asia, the exam drill is brutal - 'shaken joguku' meaning 'exam hell' - cramming and coaching centres; ads of 'toppers'; stress and suicides; cheating and scandals; and what not !!! It's all dynamic -- some 1,800 colleges in the US, including Harvard and Stanford, had dropped the requirement for test scores, and some had gone back to them. So, there is nothing like the BEST which suits all the countries. For example, the system of holistic evaluation of the USA or the partly interview-based assessment of Singapore is most likely to be grossly misused in India to favour undeserving candidates. We have already tasted the "marks only" system. Which is better ? Bad DEMOCRACY or good DICTATORSHIP ? We don't know !!!

May 3, 2025

THE SCHOOL EDUCATION CONUNDRUM

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/school-education_30.html

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/devalued-degrees_30.html

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/dr-peon-phd_30.html

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/covid-schools-children.html

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-noble-profession.html

A brief introduction to the writer, in the context of his writings in MEDICAL JOURNALS, related to Covid & Schools :

Read the article titled "COVID, SCHOOLS & CHILDREN" -- https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/covid-schools-children.html .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR,

Dr. T. Rama Prasad

Dr. T. Rama Prasad is the WORLD RECORD holder of authoring 28 articles related to COVID-19 in 30 months, published in a medical journal (The Antiseptic – www.theantiseptic.in -- Indexed in IndMED), and reporting in the same journal the WORLD’s FIRST CASE of ‘Yellow Nail Syndrome’ (YNS) associated with COVID-19, PT & DM (https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/yellow-nail syndrome_28.html ). Interestingly, he reported the first case of YNS from India in an American medical journal, CHEST, long ago in 1980. He wrote his first article in the premier journal, The Antiseptic, four decades ago. Many of his thousands of articles written over half-a-century may be accessed at https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/dr-t-rama-prasad.html & https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/my-in-newspapers_28.html & https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com .

He is the former MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT (Special) of R.T. Sanatorium & Perundurai Medical College and Research Centre. Presently, he is the Senior Consultant in TB & Lung Diseases, and the Director at ‘PAY WHAT YOU CAN’ Clinic, Perundurai, He is the recipient of the “Lifetime Achievement Award” of the ‘Coimbatore Respiratory Society’, and the honorific title “Perundurai Rathinam” from the body of ‘Perundurai Public’.

This cartoon prompted me to scribble a few lines on the negative aspects of school educationn in India. While there are plenty of mediocre schools, certainly, there are schools imparting holistic education by blending modern teaching technology with traditional human values. It is said that Indian education is all about marks and documentation, not about skills, application and values.

School education in India is one of the most problematic conundrums. At State and national levels, many quality improvement strategies have been conceived and implemented which didn’t yield the expected results. Revolving around “Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)” took us nowhere. By and large, we have an institutionalised and highly regimented type of education in the conventional mould that suppresses innovation, creativity, enthusiasm and risk-taking ability. Creativity quotient gets blurred due to the Indian education's centralised regimen of defining what and how a student must learn.

India has the biggest framework of education in the world with nearly two million schools, ten million teachers, 250 million children, 50 thousand colleges, 1,000 universities, and an education market of about 200 billion dollars. But, there is a huge variation of standards -- from mediocrity to excellence. And, there are many autonomous / statutory bodies like CBSE, KVS, JNV, NIOS, NCERT, NCTE, etc.

The school education scenario before and after the introduction of National Testing Agency (NTA) is necessarily different as only the entrance exam scores at JEE, NEET, UGC-NET and CMAT hold the golden keys to the higher education citadel. And as the medical field seems to be a preferred one by many, NEET is in focus.

Centralised entrance examinations to higher education institutes, with the goal of 'One Nation - One Test' were brought in. The examination (NEET-UG) for 2024 for entry into medical and allied courses was conducted on May 5 and the results were declared on June 4, and the NTA has come under severe criticism, amid allegations of irregularities, inflated marks and question paper leak. Amid nation-wide outrage over the NEET-UG fiasco, news and opinions caught the headlines in media. And a battle of words between the ruling party and the opposition parties has evolved. In April 2025, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, withheld assent to Tami Nadu's Bill seeking to exempt the State from the NEET.

Now, it seems necessary to choose between the exam-cracking capabilities of tactful humanoids and the critical and creative capabilities of the future citizens of India, or to have a hybrid system of mixing both. In India, assessing the second component is beset with issues like, favouritism, influence, bribing and corruption. The system should be student friendly, not overloaded with stress and strain of the 'coaching factory model of teaching'. Four students killed themselves within 48 hours of announcement of the NEET results for not scoring high marks, and many students and their parents are reported to be rushing to psychiatry clinics. Where else in the world is this happening ?

Many (or most) parents in India, for socio-economic reasons, love their children to become huge 'money-making-machines'. In the process, they apply enormous pressure on the young minds (a kind of mental torture) to score high marks to enable them to gain entry into study courses which have the highest potential to land them in high-revenue-yielding careers. Landing them abroad is more cherished. No amount of spin or gloss would hide the bitter truth. To read more about this, click on : https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-noble-profession.html https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-noble-profession.html .

Let us hope to explore the larger space of 'School Education' in addition to 'course-correcting' the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The following is a list of some of my 'scribblings', including a few from the 28 articles on COVID published in a monthly medical journal in 30 months (a world record). To open them, click on any of the titles. -- T. Rama Prasad

Blog Archive

Dr. T. Rama Prasad

A brief introduction

In the words of Prof C H Sivaraman, FRCP (London):

“ ... Dr. T. Rama Prasad belongs to a distinctly different and unconventional species of doctors. He speaks sparingly and does not even display his qualifications or merits, but his innumerable published writings (he calls them ‘scribblings’ though they are ‘pearls of wisdom and knowledge’, sprinkled with a bit of humour and sarcasm) which received wide acclaim talk eloquently for him. The ‘PAY WHAT YOU CAN’ Clinic where services are available for which one may pay whatever one can is a facility run by Dr. Prasad for a very long time which could be a world record. Dr. Prasad is called a “god” by his patients, and many of them named their children after his name “Prasad” -- that is the height of recognition of goodness of a human being... ”

Service to humanity is service to God; Kindness costs nothing

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An anecdote about “GORU”

During my childhood, one of my schoolmates had huge nails. Her name was Gowri. We nicknamed her as ‘Goru’ (‘goru’ in Telugu means nail of a finger or toe ). They used to say that her huge nails caused a problem in her heart. It might be a case of ‘Digital Clubbing’ (abnormal nails present in some ‘Congenital Heart Diseases’). After one summer vacation, ‘Goru’ didn’t come back to the school. It was learnt that she died due to the nail / heart problem, and that treatment could not be availed as they didn’t have money to pay for it.

Perhaps, this incident prompted me to look at everyone’s nails from that time which might have led me to report the first case from India of ‘Yellow Nail Syndrome (YNS)’ from India in 1980 and the first case in the world of ‘Yellow nails & Covid’ in 2023 (https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/yellow-nail syndrome_28.html ).

And perhaps, the preventable death of ‘Goru’ due to the inability to pay for the treatment motivated me to start my ‘PAY WHAT YOU CAN’ Clinic (PWYCC) half-a-century ago where patients may pay whatever they can. No fixed fee ( http://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/06/pay-what-you-can-clinic.html ).

The credit for these case reports on YNS and the starting of my PWYCC should go to ‘Goru’. Thanks to “Goru”.

-- T. Rama Prasad

More at : https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/dr-t-rama-prasad.html

This is not an ad, it’s about an odd service.

GREETINGS from

‘PAY WHAT YOU CAN’ Clinic

“Thena thyakthena bhoojithaha”– Ishopanishad

( Translated by Prof. B.M. Hegde as: “Rejoice in giving.”)

True to this quote, I have been rejoicing at what little I could give. Defying stereotypes, this clinic has been in existence for a very long time, sans glitz, blitz, ads, microphones, speeches and noise. As a matter of my policy, publicity is shunned. The reason is simple. Good work needs no noise and nonsense. My ‘SCRIBBLINGS’ on related topics may be accessed at: http://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com

My consultation fee is not decided by me. It is the patient’s pleasure. The patient may pay (donate) whatever he can and what he wishes. If one is short of money, he or she need not pay anything. The money may just be put into the ‘hundi’ box kept outside the consultation room. And the money thus received is used for charity to help the needy, the poor and the less fortunate. If interested to know more about this facility, go to: http://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/06/pay-what-you-can-clinic.html .

"We need not run after money. If we are meritorious and compassionate, money would run after us, and it eludes us if we run after it.”

-- T. Rama Prasad

“Richness is not having lots of money. It is the feeling that one has enough of it. Contentment sans comparison is what makes one really rich.”

-- T. Rama Prasad.

Facebook: T Rama Prasad Twitter: @DrRamaprasadt Telegram : Dr T Rama Prasad

Consult your local doctor before rushing to me

Most ailments can be cured at local level

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR,

Dr. T. Rama Prasad

He wrote his first article in the premier journal, The Antiseptic, four decades ago. Many of his articles written over half-a-century may be accessed at https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/dr-t-rama-prasad.html & https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/my-in-newspapers_28.html & https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com .

He is the former MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT (Special) of R.T. Sanatorium & Perundurai Medical College and Research Centre.

KINDNESS and EMPATHY COST NOTHING

Scientific integrity is crucial to promote both trust in science and trustworthy science.

The integrity manifests only by refraining from hype and by being transparent about conflicts of interest. “Ethics in medical practice is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.” Good science and kind practice are the twin towers for medical progress. Tentativeness is the hallmark of science and one must adopt what the philosopher of science Lee McIntyre calls a scientific attitude – an openness to seeking new evidence and a willingness to change one’s mind. All the same, we have to keep in mind the following quote:

“Philosophy of science is about as useful to scientists as ornithology is to birds.”

-- Richard P. Feynman

Dear Dr. Rama Prasad

I am sure the world will be a better place, if people understand your writings ... ‘EXCELLENT’ is the word. I cannot find any other word in this language to describe what you have written without any pretensions. You have brought out some home truths to those who care to read your website ... You are a great thinker, writer and crusader ... As usual, your messages are incisive, to the point and make lots of sense, much better than my articles …

... You are not only GREAT, but are a true missionary in medicine. May your tribe increase for the good of mankind. ….

Love,

-- Padma Bhushan Prof. B. M. Hegde, (awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2021)

MD, FRCP (Lond), FRCP (Edin), FRCP (Glas), FRCP (Dub), FACC (USA), FAMS, Former Professor of Cardiology, Middlesex Hospital Medical School, University of London, UK, Former Vice-Chancellor, Manipal University, India, Affiliate Professor of Human Health, Northern Colorado University, USA, Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of the Science of Healing Outcomes, Chairman, State Health Society’s Expert Committee, Govt of Bihar, India and Padma Bhushan awardee of 2010. www.bmhegde.com

CLICK ON THE HEADINGS BELOW TO ACCESS THE “SCRIBBLINGS”

· ABOUT ME and MY SCRIBBLINGS (2) 'PAY WHAT YOU CAN' Clinic

· MY LOVE STORY & good old days (4) BETTER HALF (4) SHIVA, KRISHNA, Ramanuja & Ramanujan (5) MOTHER-IN-LAW (6) YOU ARE NOT OLD (7) MODERN MEDICINE -- the Good, the Bad and th... (8) Dr. Peon, PhD (9) MEDICAL CONFERENCES & Clinical meetings (10) RUN ON MONEY (11) MEDICINE IN RURAL INDIA (12) RURAL ARE THE REAL (13) INTERNET EFFECT (14) MARKETING TRICKS & INNOVATIONS (15) INCREDIBLE INDIA ! (16) SCHOOL EDUCATION (17) DEVALUED DEGREES (18) TEA, COFFEE and COMMERCE (19) SEX. and MARRIAGE (20) THE CHANGING WORLD (21) RAPE (22) SEXUAL HARASSMENT (23) DRESS SENSE (24) OPEN AIR DEFECATION (25) ONAM 2017 (26) TEST-TUBE BABIES and TERMINATION BABIES (27) TEST-TUBE PUPPIES (28) ASTHMA, ALLERGY & COPD (29) GIRL CHILD : GOLDEN CHILD (30) MY REAL AWARDS (31) TREES and PLANTS (32) PERUNDURAI MEDICAL COLLEGE & SANATORIUM campus (33) SOPHISTICATED CHEATING (34) NIPAH & ZIKA viruses (35) SWINE FLU -- A (H1 N1) influenza (36) INDIAN SUPERBUG (37) HCQ, IVERMECTIN, CORONAVIRUS and FRAUDS (38) YOGA (39) CORONA and CHARLES DARWIN (40) GOD, RELIGION & UNIVERSE (41) LOCKDOWN MEDICINE (42) CODUP (43) GOD-MEN (44) DOGS (45) CANCER (46) SMILE and STRESS (47) CIVIC SENSE & MANNERS (48) MY ART (49) TUBERCULOSIS in India (50) DIABETES (51) FOOLED TO BELIEVE (52) DENGUE, ZIKA and MOSQUITO (53) COMPLEXION (54) BAHUBALI (55) VINAYAKA chathurdhi 2017 (56) SUNDAY LUNCH ... Dec 3, 2017 (57) ABDUL KALAM (58) BIRDS and DRUGS (59) YELLOW NAIL SYNDROME (60) RICHNESS and HAPPINESS (61) FISHES (62) KMCH (63) MY 'SCRIBBLES' IN NEWSPAPERS (64) To live in INDIA or ABROAD ? (65) SILENT, ISOLATED and INSULATED (66) PONGAL FESTIVAL (67) SPB (68) CESAREAN DELIVERY (69) POLLUTION, Disease and Deepaavali (70) HAPPY 2018 (71) BRINGING UP CHILDREN (72) SINGAPORE (73) STAFF & STUDENTS. -- photos (74) "AHIMSA" (75) GRADUATION DAY -- 2018, Perundurai Medical Col... (76) PERUNDURAI is the GEM (77) WORLD CANCER DAY ..February 4, 2017 (78) INDIAN ENGLISH (79) FOOD, EXERCISE and SLEEP (80) Nurses Day 2017 (81) DEEPAAVALI (82) PUTHAANDU -- Tamil New Year Day - 2018 & 2017 (83) COMPUTER. ILLITERATE (84) SMILE and LAUGHTER (85) REMOTE ANCESTORS (86) ODD things ... wow, whacky & weird ! (87) FACEBOOK 'scribbles' (88) HANDWRITING (89) MY QUOTES

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GREAT HOLY SOUL

16.10.2017

" ... I always wonder that we both seem to be identical in our thoughts, deeds and actions. ... I always cherish your friendship and appreciate your humanitarian attitude towards life, poor rural people and the needy. ... I went through your articles ... especially, the 'PAY WHAT YOU CAN Clinic' touched my heart, and after studying, I wondered: "What a great holy soul you are !" You are a living example of Swami Vivekananda. ... "

Dr. J.K.K. Munirajahh, M.Tech (Bolton)

Chairman, JKKM Group of Institutions & Industries

Komarapalayam, Tamil Nadu, India

"...A study of your work reveals how fertile is your brain and how facile is your pen. Your command of English is breathtaking. One cannot help being astounded by your encyclopaedic range of knowledge and its depth is unfathomable......Your sense of humour is very much to be appreciated. Your invaluable treasure "SCRIBBLINGS" is to be preserved for posterity....."

-- Prof. P. Lakshmi, MA,

Principal, Vellalar College for Women,

Thindal, Erode, Tamil Nadu, India

Dear Dr. Rama Prasad,

“..When I saw a copy (of your book titled "Some of my SCRIBBLINGS") in the medical college library, curiosity got the better of me and I borrowed it. As I went through it, curiosity turned into admiration. What struck me first and the most was your command over the language. I appreciated your interest in widely varied subjects, from pornography to piano, as the saying goes. I also realised that the interest was not just superficial, but substantial as evidenced by the statistics quoted to emphasise a point. When I finished with it, it left me wondering how you continued to sustain your interest despite having spent more than 3 decades in this place, well isolated and insulated from academic and intellectual environment...”

--- Group Captain (Retd) Prof. N. Ramachandran, MD,

Professor of Paediatrics, Perundurai Medical College Perundurai, Erode District, Tamil Nadu, India

“… I am amazed to find how the book (Some of my “Scribblings”) mirrors your multifaceted personality – the sterling qualities of head and heart. It reflects the encyclopedic range of your mind. I am struck by the fact that there was no subject that is untouched – from physical to metaphysical, sacred to secular, all under the sun have been dealt with quite thoroughly, authenticated and well-documented to reveal a genuine humanist at work. … Combined with the art of healing is your art of drawing and painting. … We are amazed to see your paintings and to learn that the illustrations in the “Scribblings” are your own. …”

-- Prof. V. Prafulla,

M.A., Ph.D. (Eng.), M.A. (Hindi), P.G.T.E., Former Principal, Erode Arts College for Women, Erode, Tamil Nadu, India; Former Professor of English, Visalakshi College, Udamalpet, Tamil Nadu, India.

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The following is the comment written by the internationally renowned scholar, Pritam Bhattacharyya (Editor-at-Large of Pentasect and Founder and Chief of Wordsmith at Wordsmith Communication, Chairman of Freelance Foundation, ) on the blog article on Coronavirus and COVID-19

(1) https://wordsmithofbengal.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/health-un-heath-and-fear-of-un-health/

(2) https://wordsmithofbengal.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/google-effect-and-kali-yuga-prophecies/

 wordsmithApril 12, 2020 at 10:42 PM 

“One of the best articles I have read on this theme and having balance, measure and proportion. Miss Corona in hindsight is really kind and benign in a sense - Nature has rolled a dice with fatality of 2-3%. She is under no obligation not to roll a dice of fatality 40,50,60% with Ms. Corona being "size zero" and "air-borne". Consider what would have happened ?

Dr. Prasad is one of the few doctors whom I know who fall into the rare category of "healers". A healer knows the art, science and commerce of healing, i.e. allowing the innate immunity of the body to manifest itself.

One should be very careful and critical about three things in the world : Big Pharma, Big Government, Big Science. In the proverbial Kali-Yuga, all three converge with overlapped agendas and sometimes not with the best interest in mind of the end users : patients, citizens, learners.

Finally, this pandemic will also pass. The system will come to a new equilibrium. But I think a whole generation will carry this impression forward and may become saner with this.

I nurture another hope : just like pivotal events propel a whole generation (Apollo Mission and interest in space science), this may inspire many young Indians to shift their focus into public healthcare, virology, immunology, public immunity, psychological counselling and learning the art and science of healing.

Again, it was very nice to find an article of this time in the avalanche of printed words in this theme.

Continue your good work.”

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COVID world: 24 of my articles on ‘COVID’ were published in 24 months in Medical Journals which is a WORLD RECORD in Medical Journalism.

This article titled “Origin of COVID” is the 24th one.

-- Dr. T. Rama Prasad, ‘PAY WHAT YOU CAN’ Clinic, Perundurai, India

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. Origin of COVID .

RAMA PRASAD T.

Dr. T. Rama Prasad,

Formerly: Medical Superintendent (Special) of RTS & IRT Perundurai Medical College and Research Centre, Perundurai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Presently: Director of ‘PAY WHAT YOU CAN’ Clinic, Perundurai, Erode District, TN – 638052. drtramaprasad@gmail.com WhatsApp +91 98427 20393 BLOG https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com WEBSITE www.rama-scribbles.in Twitter @DrRamaprasadt Facebook T Rama Prasad Telegram Dr T Rama Prasad

A MONTHLY JOURNAL OF MEDICINE AND SURGERYSN

Vol. 119 No. 8 August 2022 ISSN 0003 5998

Indexed in IndMED Email: admin@theantiseptic.in www.theantiseptic.in

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COVID

articles authored by

Dr. T. Rama Prasad

and published in MEDICAL JOURNALS, making a WORLD RECORD

1. Rama Prasad. T., Origin of COVID. The Antiseptic, 2022 August; Vol. 119; No. 8 Indexed in IndMED – www.antiseptic.in

2. Rama Prasad. T., COVID Deaths. The Antiseptic, 2022 July; Vol. 119; No. 7; P: 14-22; Indexed in IndMED – www.antiseptic.in

3. Rama Prasad. T., The long and the short of COVID in India. The Antiseptic, 2022 June; Vol. 119; No. 6; P: 14-27; Indexed in IndMED – www.antiseptic.in

4. Rama Prasad. T., COVID Fear and Paranoia. The Antiseptic, 2022 May; Vol. 119; No. 5; P: 09-17; Indexed in IndMED – www.antiseptic.in

5. Rama Prasad, T., Post-OMICRON Peregrination. The Antiseptic, 2022 April; Vol. 119; No. 4; P: 06-14; Indexed in IndMED – www.antiseptic.in

6. Rama Prasad, T., COVID – still an enigma. The Antiseptic, 2022 March; Vol. 119; No. 3; P: 20-25; Indexed in IndMED -- www.antiseptic.in

7. Rama Prasad, T., OMICRON – A Paper Tiger. The Antiseptic, 2022 February; Vol. 119; No. 2; P:12-21; Indexed in IndMED – www.antiseptic.in

8. Rama Prasad, T., Ominous Omicron of COVID. The Antiseptic, 2022 January; Vol. 119; No. 1; P:25 – 29; Indexed in IndMED – www.antiseptic.in

9. Rama Prasad, T., COVID and Tuberculosis. The Antiseptic, 2021 December; Vol. 118; No.12; P: 11-17; Indexed in IndMED -- www.antiseptic.in

10. Rama Prasad, T. The Science and Nonsense around COVID. The Antiseptic, 2021 November; Vol. 118; No. 11; P: 8-14; Indexed in IndMED -- www.antiseptic.in

11. Rama Prasad, T. COVID, Children and Schools. The Antiseptic. 2021 October; Vol.118; No.10; P: 08-18; Indexed in IndMED -- www.antiseptic.in

12. Rama Prasad, T. India’s Third COVID Wave. The Antiseptic. 2021 September; Vol.118; No.9; P: 14-20; Indexed in IndMED – www.antiseptic.in

13. Rama Prasad, T. Vagaries of India’s COVID Vaccination Policy. The Antiseptic. 2021 August; Vol.118; No.8; P: 10-16; Indexed in IndMED – www.antiseptic.in

14. Rama Prasad, T. Mucormycosis and COVID-19 in India. The Antiseptic. 2021 July; Vol.118; No.7; P: 21-26; Indexed in IndMED -- www.antiseptic.in

15. Rama Prasad, T. Disastrous Second COVID Wave in India. The Antiseptic. 2021 June; Vol.118; No.6; P: 20-27; Indexed in IndMED – www.antiseptic.in

16. Rama Prasad, T. COVID Variants. The Antiseptic. 2021 May; Vol.118; No.5; P: 11-14; Indexed in IndMED -- www.theantiseptic.in

17. Rama Prasad, T. Covishield or Covaxin ? The Antiseptic. 2021 April; Vol. 118; No. 4; P: 12-16; Indexed in IndMED – www.theantiseptic.in

18. Rama Prasad, T., Versha Rajeev. The Conundrum of COVID-19 Vaccines. The Antiseptic. 2021 January; Vol.118; No.1; P: 10-17; Indexed in IndMED – www.theantiseptic.in

19. Rama Prasad, T. 40+15 Hypoxia Test in COVID-19. The Antiseptic. 2020 December; Vol. 117; No. 12; P: 13-17; Indexed in IndMED – www.antiseptic.in

20. Rama Prasad, T., Versha Rajeev. Antiseptics, Disinfectants and COVID-19. The Antiseptic. 2020 November; Vol.117; No.11; P: 26-28; Indexed in IndMED – www.antiseptic.in

21. Versha Rajeev., Rama Prasad, T. Fear and COVID. Health. 2020 November; Vol.98; No.11; P:31-32

22. Rama Prasad, T., Versha Rajeev. Tea and COVID. Health. 2020 October; Vol.98; No.10; P: 4-6.

23. Rama Prasad, T. Is the “Lockdown Medicine” too toxic ? The Antiseptic. 2020 October; Vol. 117; No. 10; P: 13-15; Indexed in IndMED – www.theantiseptic.in

The articles may be accessed at IndMED – www.antiseptic.in

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WRITINGS AND TALKS of Dr. T. Rama Prasad

List No. 1

1. Drug Resistance in Tuberculosis - Journal of the Indian Medical Association, Vol. 64, pp. 264-267, 1975.

2. Digital clubbing and Hypertrophic Pulmonary Osteoarthropathy - Pathogenesis - The Antiseptic, Vol. 76. pp.

213- 215, 1979.

3. Childhood Tuberculosis - Part I - The Antiseptic, Vol. 76, pp. 449-504,1979

4. Childhood Tuberculosis - Part II - The Antiseptic, Vol. 76. pp. 567-574, 1979

5. Yellow Nail Syndrome - Chest (U.S.A.), Vol. 77, p.580, 1980 –

http://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(16)40458- 7/fulltext

6. Short-course Chemotherapy - The recent Advances in the Treatment of Respiratory Tuberculosis - Current Medical Practice,

Vol.24, pp. 41- 46, 1980.

7. Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Thioacetazone - The Antiseptic, Vol. 77, pp. 99-102, 1980.

8. Yellow Nail Syndrome - The Indian Journal of Chest Diseases & Allied Sciences, Vol. 22, pp. 69-72, 1980.

9. Highly Purified Insulins - An Assessment - The Antiseptic, Vol. 77, pp. 3455-347, 1980.

10. Diabetes and Tuberculosis - The Medicine and Surgery, Vol. 21, pp. 10-12, 1981.

11. Tuberculosis Control in India - In Press

12. Tuberculin Test - Relevance to diagnosis in India today - In Press

13. Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis - The Antiseptic, Vol. 75, p. 194, 1978.

14. Drugs in the treatment of Tuberculosis - The Antiseptic, Vol. 75, p.678, 1978

15. Chemotherapy of Tuberculosis - The Antiseptic, Vol. 76, p.248, 1979.

16. Streptomycin in Tuberculosis - The Antiseptic, Vol. 76, p.516, 1979.

17. Health of the citizen (Special article) - The Hindu, Vol.99 A, No.198, p.8, 1976

18. How effective is the TB control programme ? (Special Article) - The Hindu, Vol.100, No. 274, p.8, 1977.

19. Five years Plans and TB Control Programme (Special Article) - The Hindu, Vol.101, No. 275,

20. BCG vaccination - The Antiseptic, Vol. 76, p. 726, 1979.

21. Genetic Selection - The Antiseptic, Vol. 77, p.258, 1980.

22. National Tuberculosis Control Programme - views presented, on invitation by the Tuberculosis Association of India,

at the 32nd National Conference on Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases, 1977.

23. Correlation between Geomagnetic Activity and Haemoptysis - paper presented at the II Tamil Nadu State Conference

on Tuberculosis & Chest Diseases, 1980.

24. Snakes.

25. AIDS - the disease of the decade - Radio Talk - All India Radio, Coimbatore, Feb. 1, 1986.

26. AIDS - What next ? - Radio Talk - All India Radio, Coimbatore, May 24, 1986

27. BRAIN FEVER (Encephalitis): taming the scourge - Radio Talk - All India Radio, Coimbatore, February 14, 1987.

28. HEALTH OF THE HIGH RISK GROUPS: Mothers, Children and elderly - Innovative Health Care Programmes,

Paper submitted for Scientific Session of the National Annual Conference of the Indian Society of Health administrators.

29. SAVING THE YOUNG - healthcare of the children in developing countries - Radio Talk -

All India Radio, Coimbatore, January, 1988.

30. MEDICINE and MONEY - Co-Chamber Journal, Vol. 5, Issue 8, p.8, 2010,

31. THE INDIAN SUPERBUG - Co-Chamber Journal, Vol. 5, Issue 9, p.15, 2010

32. SWINE FLU - Co-Chamber Journal, Vol. 5, Issue 10, p. 13

33. HEALTH CHECK-UP: how healthy is it ? - The Hindu, Open Page, Jan. 15, 2012 -

……http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open page/article2801701.ece

34. THE ‘GOOGLE EFFECT’: may be good, may be bad - The Hindu, Open Page, April 22, 2012

...http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/article3340116.ece

35. OF TEA, COFFEE and COMMERCE - The Hindu, Open Page, January 12, 2014 …

… http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/openpage/of-tea-coffee-and-commerce/article5567951.ece.

36. A BAD PATCH - The Hindu, OPEN PAGE, March 15, 2020 ...

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/a-bad-patch/article31069356.ece

37. MODERN MEDICINE: how good is it in India ? - Co-Chamber Journal, Vol. 11, Issue 5, p. 23, June 2016 & Vol. 11,

Issue 6, p. 18, July 2016

38. WORLD TB DAY: March 24, 2016 - Health, Vol. 94, No. 5, p. 20, May 2016

39. IS THE "LOCKDOWN MEDICINE" TOO TOXIC ? -- The Antiseptic, Vol.117, No.10, pp. 13 -15, 2020

40. ANTISEPTICS, DISINFECTANTS and COVID-19 -- The Antiseptic, Vol.117, No.11, pp. 26 - 28, 2020

41. 40+15 HYPOXIA TEST in COVID-19 -- The Antiseptic, Vol.117, No.12, pp.13 –17, 2020

42. THE CONUNDRUM of COVID-19 VACCINES – The Antiseptic, Vol. 118, No. 1, 2021

43. Fear and COVID-19 – HEALTH, Vol. 98, No. 11, pp. 13 -14, 2020

44. Tea and COVID-19 – HEALTH, Vol. 98, No. 10, pp. 4 – 6, 2020

List No. 2 contains references to about 1000 writings which may be found on my Website -- T. Rama Prasad

“Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.” --- Nelson Mandela

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AUTHOR Dr. T. Rama Prasad

A short list of some of the published articles in The Antiseptic (a premier Medical & surgical journal),

‘The Hindu’ (a national Newspaper), etc. authored by Dr. T. Rama Prasad.

1. Digital clubbing and Hypertrophic Pulmonary Osteoarthropathy -
Pathogenesis -- The Antiseptic, Vol. 76. pp. 213-215, 1979

2. Childhood Tuberculosis - Part I -- The Antiseptic, Vol. 76, pp. 449-504,1979

3. Childhood Tuberculosis - Part II -- The Antiseptic, Vol. 76. pp. 567-574, 1979

4. Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Thioacetazone -- The Antiseptic, Vol. 77, pp. 99-102, 1980

5. Highly Purified Insulins - An Assessment -- The Antiseptic, Vol. 77, pp. 3455-347, 1980

6. Is the "Lockdown Medicine" too toxic ? -- The Antiseptic, Vol.117, No.10, pp. 13 - 15, 2020

7. Antiseptics, Disinfectants and COVID-19 -- The Antiseptic, Vol.117, No.11, pp. 26 - 28, 2020

8. Disastrous Second Covid Wave in India -- The Antiseptic, Vol.118, No. 6, pp. 20-27, 2021

9. Covid Variants -- The Antiseptic, Vol. 118, No.5, pp. 11-14, 2021

10. The Conundrum of COVID-19 Vaccines -- The Antiseptic, Vol.118, No. 1, pp. 10-17, 2021

11. Covishield or Covaxin ? -- The Antiseptic, Vol.118, No. 4, pp. 12-16, 2021

12. 40+15 Hypoxia Test in COVID-19 -- The Antiseptic, Vol. 117, No.12, pp. 13-17, 2020

13. Mucormycosis and COVID-19 in India -- The Antiseptic, Vol. 118, No. 7, pp. 21-26, 2021

14. Vagaries of India’s Covid Vaccination Policy – The Antiseptic, Vol. 118, No. 8, pp. 10-16, 2021

15. India’s Third Covid Wave -- The Antiseptic, Vol. 118, No. 9, pp. 14-20, 2021

16. Covid, Children and Schools -- The Antiseptic, Vol. 118, No. 10, pp. 08-18, 2021

17. The Science and Nonsense around COVID -- The Antiseptic, Vol.118, No.11, pp. 08-14, 2021

18. Covid and Tuberculosis – The Antiseptic, Vol.118, No.12, 2021

19. Tea and Covid -- Health, Vol. 98, No.10, pp. 4-6, 2021

20. Fear and Covid -- Health, Vol. 98, No. 11, pp. 31-32

21. HEALTH CHECK-UP: how healthy is it ? - The Hindu, Open Page, January 15, 2012 –

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/Health-check-up-how-healthy-is-it/article13379235.ece

22. THE ‘GOOGLE EFFECT’: may be good, may be bad - The Hindu, Open Page, April 22, 2012

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/the-google-effect-may-be-good-may-be- bad/article3340116.ece

23. OF TEA, COFFEE and COMMERCE - The Hindu, Open Page, January 12, 2014 …

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/of-tea-coffee-and-commerce/article5567951.ece

24. A BAD PATCH - The Hindu, Open Page, March 15, 2020 ...

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/a-bad-patch/article31069356.ece

25. Yellow Nail Syndrome - Chest (U.S.A.), Vol. 77, p.580, 1980

https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(16)40458-7/fulltext

26. Yellow Nail Syndrome - The Indian Journal of Chest Diseases & Allied Sciences, Vol. 22, pp. 69-72, 1980.

27. Drug Resistance in Tuberculosis - Journal of the Indian Medical Association, Vol. 64, pp. 264-267, 1975.

References to more articles by Dr. T. Rama Prasad may be found in: http://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com

www.rama-scribbles.in

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Dr. T. Rama Prasad www.rama-scribbles.in

LOVABLE RURAL FOLK ... February 10, 2018

Yes, rural are really lovable folk. Most of them have a refreshingly rural and innocent background. They have blind faith in gods, and doctors as well.

After a few decades, we may see no more of such good plain-hearted rural folk. And, even now, we rarely see the good old grand grandmother of ‘topless’ (‘blouseless’) era ! The women of that generation cover their upper bodies with a piece of a cloth only (end piece of saree) wrapped around without any underclothing like bra or blouse.

Today (February 10, 2018), one frail-looking grandmother in that 'topless' attire (see the attached photo) walked into my consultation chamber, accompanied by her grandson, but not needed to be assisted by him to walk in. She (Gowandayamml) fluently talked in the grand old style ... said she got the appointment with great difficulty (limited consultations today, as I had to spare some time to attend my granddaughter's 'food court bonanza' at her school). At the end of the consultation, she wanted a 'cough syrup' (most of the 'cough syrups' are used unnecessarily and for psychological satisfaction, and to the great delightfulness of drug industry !). I gave her a sample bottle of a cough syrup, free of cost, of course ... and lo and behold, her face was lit up with happiness. Little pleasures ... little things matter in life ... read the 'Scribbling' titled 'Richness & Happiness' on my blog. She narrated at length of her previous visits over decades and profusely thanked me for keeping her fit (in fact, it is her good old lifestyle and her constitution that kept her fit, not me !). I asked her whether I may have a photo with her. She was amused and laughed. I called the receptionist to take a photo. The lady of the old school put up a serious pose for the photo. Receptionist, Nandhini, asked her to smile ... in vain ... perhaps, the grandma thought that one should not move or smile when the camera clicks (In our school days, photographers used to instruct us not to move or smile when they take group photos in the school, with those bulky 'plate' cameras with a long exposure time !). I shall give her a print of the photo when she visits me again ... curiously, we both are of the same age group by the calendar, though seem not to be by the images ! Finally, the plain, simple, candid and 'topless' granny left my chamber. After a while, she came back with money (hundred rupees notes) in her hand to put into my tiny 'Pay what you can' hundi, as consultation fee. I had to persuade her a lot not to give any consultation fee, saying that it's a great pleasure for me to treat her free of cost ... again there was a flash of a cheerful smile across her face. This is the most pleasant reward we get in medical practice -- the cheerful smile of satisfaction.

If you wish to read more about the good rural folk, click on http://drtramaprasad.blogspot.in/2017/08/rural-are-real.html

Reprinted from FACEBOOK … go to Facebook to read comments on this.

Dr. T. Rama Prasad, www.rama-scribbles.in http://drtramaprasad.blogspot.in
'PAY WHAT YOU CAN’ Clinic, Perundurai, Erode Dt., TN, India., Former Medical Superintendent (Special), RTS & IRT Perundurai Medical College and Research Centre, Perundurai.

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WORLD HEART DAY … September 29

Various writings and ads (with commercial colour of discounts) appeared today across the globe scaring the public about their heart health. Some of them, purported to be of educative value to the public, may have a hidden agenda of vested interests. And, some normal persons may be converted into patients ! People are confused on knowing about needless tests, medicines and even surgeries.

Much of the modern treatment may be like cutting some of the branches of an evil tree without tackling the roots. ‘Modernity’ in lifestyle brought in its wake all the adverse factors, STRESS & ECOLOGICAL IMBALANCE (destruction of Nature) being the important ones, associated with money, materialism, competition, comparison, ego, hubris, hegemony, selfishness, greed, arrogance, anger, miserliness, manipulability, vanity, vengeance, etc. MODERNITY may be the root cause for the arrival of COVID. Moderns may have to mend their ways to prevent emergence of more novel viruses. Should we celebrate March 11 (March 11, 2020 was the day on which the WHO declared ‘Covid’ as a pandemic) as the ‘WORLD COVID DAY’ ?

Cell phones arrived,  we forgot writing letters;
Automobiles arrived,  we forgot walking;
Computers arrived,  we forgot spellings;
Calculators arrived,  we forgot mathematics;
Modern jobs arrived,  we forgot families;

TVs arrived,  we forgot cinema theatres;
Digital games arrived,  we forgot playgrounds;
Modern pharma arrived, we forgot grannies’ remedies;

Speciality hospitals arrived, we forgot ‘MBBS clinics’;

Super-specialists arrived, we forgot family doctors;

Nuclear families arrived,  we forgot relationships;
Junk food arrived,  we forgot healthy meals;
Food courts arrived,  we forgot cooking;
HEART specialists arrived,  we forgot HEARTY meals !

COVID has arrived, we forgot everything else !

(I too forgot everything else and wrote 24 articles on COVID n 24 months which were published month after month in a medical journal – a WORLD RECORD !)

And, now Artificial Intelligence (AI) has arrived, and we forgot our BRAINS

Dr. T. Rama Prasad,

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com www.rama-scribbles.in
drtramaprasad@gmail.com, Director, 'PAY WHAT YOU CAN' Clinic, Perundurai, Erode Dt., TN, India., Former Medical Superintendent (Special), RTS & IRT Perundurai Medical College and Research Centre.

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“We are sometimes praised and sometimes pilloried. We should neither bask in the glory of success nor sulk in the shadows of defeat.”

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There is immense scope to render noble service to humanity in the 'MEDICAL PROFESSION'. That's why the medical profession is called the 'NOBLE PROFESSION'.

Here is a brief introduction to the author and "GORU."

About the author :

Dr. T. Rama Prasad is the WORLD RECORD holder of authoring 28 articles related to COVID-19 in 30 months, published in a medical journal (The Antiseptic – www.theantiseptic.in -- Indexed in IndMED), and reporting in the same journal the WORLD’s FIRST CASE of ‘Yellow Nail Syndrome’ associated with COVID-19, PT & DM (https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/yellow-nail syndrome_28.html ). He wrote his first article in the premier journal, The Antiseptic, four decades ago. Many of his articles written over half-a-century may be accessed at https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/dr-t-rama-prasad.html & https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/my-in-newspapers_28.html & https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com .

More at : https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/dr-t-rama-prasad.html

Hippocrates said : "Don't make money in the sick room." But in recent times, money has become the main determinant in the 'noble profession'. Thus, the foundation (service to humanity) of the MEDICAL PROFESSION is thoroughly shaken by the MONEY matters. GORU's life couldn't be saved due to lack of money. Go on, read about GORU:

An anecdote about “GORU”

Perhaps, this incident prompted me to look at everyone’s nails from that time which might have led me to report the first case from India of ‘Yellow Nail Syndrome (YNS)’ in 1980 (published in an American journal, CHEST) and the first case in the worldof ‘Yellow nails & Covid’ in 2023, published in an Indian journal, THE ANTISEPTIC - https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/yellow-nail syndrome_28.html

-- T. Rama Prasad

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This is not an ad, it’s about an odd service.

Dr. T. Rama Prasad’s ‘PAY WHAT YOU CAN’ Clinic

“Thena thyakthena bhoojithaha”– Ishopanishad

( Translated by Prof. B.M. Hegde as: “Rejoice in giving.”)

Yes, ‘PAY WHAT YOU CAN & WISH’, as the consultation fee. It is the patient’s choice. It may even be zero. The patient may pay (donate) any amount. The money may just be put into the ‘hundi’ box, or remitted through the ‘Google Pay/UPI’ QR code / UPI number 9842720393 / UPI ID : drtramaprasad@okhdfcbank. And the money thus received is used for charity to help the needy, the poor and the less fortunate. If interested to know more about this facility, go to: http://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/06/pay-what-you-can-clinic.html . And, even if you are not a patient, if you wish, you may also 'contribute whatever you can' in the same way.

"We need not run after money. If we are meritorious and compassionate, money would run after us, and it eludes us if we run after it.” -- T. Rama Prasad

“Richness is not having lots of money. It is the feeling that one has enough of it. Contentment sans comparison is what makes one really rich.” -- T. Rama Prasad.

Facebook: T Rama Prasad Twitter: @DrRamaprasadt Telegram : Dr T Rama Prasad

Consult your local doctor before rushing to me.

Most ailments can be cured at local level.

For APPOINTMENT with Dr. T. Rama Prasad, contact : 98427 20393

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Dr. T. Rama Prasad's Scribblings...

Sunday, January 8, 2023

NEET, NEET, NEET ...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR,

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