At the beginning of this article is a list of some of the titles of my 'scribblings' on my blog. A click on any title would open the chosen 'scribbling'.
THE NOBLE PROFESSION --
hit a bad patch ?
Dr. T. Rama Prasad September 2024
A link to this ‘scribbling’ : https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/noble-profession.html
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
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 :
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 . And, if you wish, you may also 'contribute what you can' through bank (Dr. RAMA PRASAD T, A/C No. 451075868, INDIAN BANK, IFS CODE IDIB000P155, PERUNDURAI, Erode District, Tamil Nadu - 638052 ).
"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
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’ 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 long ago in 1980.
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
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.
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. 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
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
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
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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.”
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 .
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’.
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”
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)’ 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
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
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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.”)
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
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
DOCTOR
DOCTOR … a highly respected person … full of nobility.
In those good old days, somebody informs him that somebody is very ill. He picks up his ‘doctor bag’ of emergency drugs and flies to that somebody by his bicycle. (My father had a 'doctor bag' in those good old days, and a cycle too !). Gives some treatment, holistically with the wisdom of clinical hunch and common sense. If necessary, he takes the patient to a hospital for further treatment, and would bring him back home, and gives the follow-up treatment.
The patient may be rich or poor, nearby or far away. He accepts whatever peanuts are given for his nuggets of service. He strictly follows the ‘Hippocratic Oath’ and ‘doesn’t make money in the sick room’. In case of death, he may even accompany the body to the graveyard like a family member. That’s why he is called a ‘family doctor’ aside from the fact that he treats all the family members, young or old. Full of empathy and sympathy, he constantly counsels the family members to get over health problems. Such doctors made the medical profession noble, holy and essential. This is the noblest of all the professions, and the doctor is equated to god. Immense respect and gratitude were showered on the professionals. They were GODS. That's why the medical profession is called the NOBLE PROFESSION.
That was the scenario in the past. Now, let us fast-forward to 2024. In stark contrast to the scenario painted above, some of the present day doctors are demanding protection from attacks by patients. The latest victim is Dr Balaji Jegannathan, an oncologist at the Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital in Chennai, who was stabbed on his neck, head and chest in the government-run hospital on November 13, 2024.
The age-old relationship built on mutual respect and trust is being 'stabbed' repeatedly since 1970s. The good old 'human family doctor' is mostly non-existent now, and the present day patient dashes straight into a 'programmed specialist' who may clinically deal with 'cases' than with 'human beings', and as such the 'clients' (who are loaded with half-baked information and misinformation from the Internet and social media which caress one into callowness) look at doctors with scepticism, suspicion and distrust. Added to this is the story by Neelakantan in the following pages about the shameful exploitation of patients for MONEY.
While rendering humanitarian service, doctors sacrifice quite a bit of their personal life. They risked their own lives in saving the lives of the people during the COVID pandemic. The reverence for a doctor is more than for anyone in any other profession as she or he cares for the sick round the clock without demanding returns -- a selfless service.
The most pleasant reward for a doctor is the patient's smile of relief.
It is the intense desire to do such noble service that is the reason for such a huge demand for the MBBS seats – 20 lakhs of students appeared for the NEET examination in 2024 for one lakh seats.
If this is not the reason, look for it in the following pages.
Medical profession in India provides tremendous opportunities for doctors to serve the ailing humanity. And it also gives a great chance to make illegitimate money through exploitation without being caught, a trend which has been growing since 1970s. I hasten to add, at the outset, that most of the doctors and researchers have a noble mind to help the humanity. My perception may not be right. Of course, it's debatable.
The economic compulsions and the academic teachings are different now. In the good old days, doctors used to spend more time listening to and examining the patients with personalised attention; without many investigations; with less waiting time to start treatment; all at a low cost. That's ART OF MEDICINE.
Now, it's the opposite -- less time spent clinically; more time on investigations and procedures; consequent delay in initiating treatment; treating the patient as a case, not as a human; all at a high cost. Everyone works sophisticatedly like a programmed device, what with the 'Artificial Intelligence' intruding in, in a big way. This is SCIENCE OF MEDICINE.
In short, the CLINICAL MEDICINE has moved to 'INVESTIGATIVE MEDICINE (evidence-based medicine)'. The IDEAL MEDICINE would be the right blend and balance of the two kinds of medicines.
Another kind of medicine has come into vogue -- DEFENSIVE MEDICINE (evasive medicine). One evades to treat or impose unacceptable protocols. This has born out of legal actions taken against the professionals for alleged and proved "Professional Negligence." To protect themselves against such actions, they just pass on the "RISKY" cases to a higher centre or a government hospital though such referrals often carry a greater risk to the patients.
The economic compulsions seem to be at the root cause of the profit-oriented approach -- more investigations mean more money. The medical education & training has become so expensive these days (in some colleges, the annual tuition fee for MBBS itself is as much as Rs 30 lakh) that the factor of 'cost of education / revenue returns' is impacting the thought process and the mindset of the students and doctors in letting the profession as a business rather than a service. The fierce competition, paucity of opportunities and the low returns on huge investment, per force, paved the way into wrong direction and unethical approach. The big business barons of 'pharma-medical' industry exercise their tremendous influence over the 'noble profession' through ethical and non-ethical means as well. The industry is in the driver's seat with its enormous power, directing and dictating the profession. That's the root cause of the rot -- to know more about it, read :
https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/03/medical-literature.htmlhttps://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/hydroxychloroquine-hcq-and-coronavirus_29.html
https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-noble-profession.html
https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/medical-conferences-clinical-meetings_30.html
https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/science-and-nonsense-about-covid.html
https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2020/02/over-healthcare.html
https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2023/01/covid-vaccines-safe-or-unsafe.html
https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/medical-conferences-clinical-meetings_30.html
Read them, they are just a click away. You are confused, and these writings may confuse you more !
An artist’s depiction of a hospital in COVID times.
To add a tad of glamour and gaiety to the gloomy picture of the tragedy, I painted a few figures going around dancing. See the meaning of this painting in the following pages.
The ‘COVID medical scenario’ offered the paradox of people being afraid of hospitals and of hospitals being afraid of people.
COVID exposed deep fractures in the health systems in many countries including India. Regrettably, it may be brushed aside as a passing cloud.
SCARED of HOSPITALS & SCARED of PATIENTS
Here is an EDITORIAL published in THE TIMES OF INDIA of 12-2-2026:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/your-money-not-health/
"Times of India’s Edit Page team comprises senior journalists with wide-ranging interests who debate and opine on the news and issues of the day." -- TOI
If deeply interesyed in thiis subject, go to the three links cited in thiis editorial.
A note to the aspirants for MBBS: After reading this ‘scribbling’ of negative narration, don’t lose your steam to study medicine. Just as is the case of cars, the “MBBS models” of 2030s will be different, more perfect and driven more by AI ! Read my article titled “ Artificial Intelligence in Medicine” – The Antiseptic, Vol. 121, No. 1, January 2024, Indexed in IndMED, www.theantiseptic.in or https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2023/01/artificial-intelligence.html .
Good or bad is a part of the evolution. A tryst with destiny that wasn’t to be. Wish you all a NOBLE career. -- T. Rama Prasad.
The Ground Reality :
The MBBS degree is considered as a STATUS symbol and a stepping stone for PROSPERITY and ACADEMIC excellence, in India. That’s the reason why it has become a very expensive 'commodity'. And, a speciality is often chosen by many for its potential to generate name, fame and money.
The profession has an aura of affluence and superiority. Exuding a whiff of pride, one says : "I am studying MBBS / I am a doctor. My child is studying MBBS / My child is a doctor" It's for this flattering feeling of being on cloud nine that motivates many to opt for MBBS. Of course, there may be some students who are pushed into this course by the parents much against their interests. And, there are some parents and students who struggle to get into this course hoping to earn a lot of money.
And, especially after the introduction of the NEET system, the medical student is considered to be academically of a high standard at the national level, though many at the lower ranks in the NEET examination may become 'nobler professionals', if given the chance to study MBBS. NEET evaluates only one aspect -- theoretical knowledge through rote memorisation to answer multiple choice questions in a few hours. It doesn't assess the aptitude, attitude, kindness, empathy, commitment, caliber and dedication to serve the humanity which are more important to make a "noble professional." 720 marks out of 720 may not mean a potential Nobel Laureate or a good doctor; he may even become the 'infamous principal of the RG Kar Medical College' about whom you may read in the following pages ! The system seems to cultivate a generation of scholars more adept in passing examinations than at pushing the boundaries of a noble service. To read about the merits and demerits of NEET, go to my writing at https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/school-education_30.html -- NEET & School Education.
"Uttar Pradesh youth amputates his own foot to seek disability quota in admission to a medical college -- To avail admission under the disability quota, he allegedly devised a plan to become physically disabled by amputating his own foot in January 2026. Suraj Bhaskar, around 20 years of age, had twice failed the medical entrance exam, NEET, for admission into a government medical college, leading him to take the extreme step." -- news report - THE HINDU, Jan 24, 2026
IS IT WORTHWHILE ?
May 3, 2025
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GOOD or BAD ? The Government of India has approved 60 new medical colleges in September 2024 across India, an increase from 706 in 2023 to 766 in 2024. In 10 years, there had been a 98% increase in the number of medical colleges in the country -- from 387 in 2013 to 766 in 2024. And, it seems that 75,000 MBBS seats would be created in the next five years !! Surprisinngly the 'Board (MARB)' of the NMC which gives permission to create the new seats has just one part-time member instead of the full strength of five including the president. How many of the 'mushrooms' would be good ? Governments and private bodies vie with each other in establishing more medical colleges which may mostly be of a substandard quality. Read further below under the sub-heading "The RICKETY MEDICAL COLLEGES ... ".
In course of time, a day may come when medical colleges may meet the same fate of some of the engineering colleges of today -- many seats may not be filled up, and some private colleges may have to be closed.
The plan seems to be that of making 75,000 more doctors every year -- of 'factory-assembly-line production'. We seem to be more interested in the quantity rather than the quality. See the fate of the degree-holders -- PhD doctors and post-graduates applying for 'PEON posts' !!! Read about it in my writings titled "Dr. Peon, PhD" and "Devalued Degrees" -- https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/dr-peon-phd_30.html and https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/devalued-degrees_30.html .
The TRAVESTY of a PROFESSION
On September 23, 2024, the President of the Indian Medical Association of Tamil Nadu State, Dr. K. M. Abul Hasan, who was the 'Chief Guest' at the 'White Coat Ceremony' (symbolising the entry of the new batch of MBBS students of 2024) at the Saveetha Medical College, Chennai, in his address to the students, posed the question : "WHY DO YOU WANT TO BECOME DOCTORS ?" The right persons to answer this question are the parents of these students, for it is they who groomed and pushed the children into this race irrespective of their aptitude. A good deal of 'brainwashing' takes place. Some children happily pursue the course and some grudgingly go through the drill.
Read the following to know why one wants to become a doctor, and also why one may not like to become a doctor ! In India, mostly, it's the parents' ambition and decision that makes a child a doctor.
The 'HERD PRESSURE' and the 'GROUND REALITIES'
Studying hard to keep ahead in the rat-race of NEET itself is a humongous "pressure." The pressure is put on from the first standard of the school education !! Is the “HERD PRESSURE” due to “MONEY PRESSURE” ? No amount of spin or gloss would hide the bitter truth. In the prevailing economic situation, children are "pressurised" to get into a profession which is supposed to yield good economic returns. Medical profession is rated, at present, as one among the top of such ones. Hence, there are more than 20 lakh NEET candidates for one lakh MBBS seats in 2024. Not all these children are keen on studying medicine. It is mostly the parents' ambition that makes one as a doctor.
One may choose this profession for varying reasons -- to serve the suffering humanity; to excel in treating patients; to make a good name and fame; to enter into academics to find cures for incurable diseases; to teach in medical schools; to establish huge hospitals; to make enormous wealth; to just earn for a decent living; or to make a combination of some of these.
And the medical education is expensive. I used to pay an annual tuition fee of Rs. 365 during my MBBS study period (now, it's around 30 lakhs of rupees in some colleges), and my father used to send Rs. 100 per month for all my expenses -- hostel food, accommodation, etc. There were no private medical colleges at that time. Now, the cost of the MBBS medical education may range from many lakhs to a few crores of rupees in India. It is a great "pressure" to invest such an amount and to worry about the uncertainty of reasonable revenue returns after the graduation.
The "pressure" along with the associated STRESS is not over with getting the MBBS degree. In these days of specialisation and super-specialisation, people look down on MBBS graduates as fit only for giving some 'first aid' ! Then starts the "pressure" connected with the inevitable "post-graduate (PG)" education. Then again starts the stress of another NEET (PG). What after post-graduation and training which takes another five years or more ? Pressure, stress, age, expenses, responsibilities, expectations from parents and competition mount up !!!
The higher the qualification and training, the more is the dependency upon 'Corporate Hospitals' for rendering professional service or getting income. These gigantic hospitals constantly and even mercilessly put enormous pressure and unrealistic targets to earn money for the hospitals by the specialists (indirectly pressurising them to admit patients into hospitals unnecessarily and do unjustified investigations and procedures in the name of "EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE." So, they go on jumping from one hospital to the other with a huge pressure on the back, as it's too expensive and risky to have their own hospitals.
During the half-a-century after 1970, the enormously increased psychological stress in education and work had radically changed the lifestyle of people across all ages, making many of them lose their mental balance. The medical chief of the US (Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy) said (October 13, 2024) that social media has created mental health issues particularly among young
MODERN LIFESTYLE is loaded with fear, stress and mental imbalances. Most of the people know that FEAR may lead to STRESS and that stress may lead to various diseases including PSYCHOSIS. But, many may not know the extensiveness of the problem. Fear of not being able to accomplish according to the set goals and targets -- may be marks, work, promotions, earnings, achievements, expectations, etc -- may lead to STRESS. The stress may lead to anxiety, tension, depression, mental disorders, physical diseases, and even suicides.
People are increasingly afraid of numerous things, real and imaginary. Media contribute a lot to build up fear. "COVID FEAR" is an example. Did it do good or bad. It's debatable. "EXAMINATIONS FEAR" stressed both the students and their parents. "WORKPLACE FEAR" impacted both the employees and employers. Out of fear of death, during the COVID pandemic, STEROID drugs were used indiscriminately. Many died due to Mucormycosis promoted by the steroids !
WARS have been going on out of fear. "TERRITORIAL FEAR" and "EXISTENTIAL FEAR" launch wars. A huge geo-political issue. America is afraid of China, and China is afraid of America; Ukraine is afraid of Russia, and Russia is afraid of Ukraine, and so on. It resulted in all sorts of stress which is leading to widespread psychological illness. Politicians are no exception. They make aberrant and insane statements. And attack with bitter diatribes. See the news and cartoons below.
Yes, Mr Trump. Most of the people, including celebrities like you, are 'impaired' due to stress ! What happens when they are voted to power !
Many of the diseases which we see nowadays are due to psychological stress. They have been on the increase during and after the COVID pandemic. Often, we investigate those cases a lot and find no organic disease.
"The NATIONAL MEDICAL COMMISSION (NMC) has revealed in August 2024 that an alarming number of medical students have MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS and suicidal ideation. This problem is present among other students also, and also among the public. More so, after the onset of the COVID pandemic. This seems to be a part of the evolution due to the changes in mindset and lifestyle, and the resultant STRESS in life with increasingly unrealistic goals. It is inescapable. Is not TRUMP having mental health issues ? "Who is not, even Kamala Harris has," Donald Trump would say !!!" -- Dr. T. Rama Prasad. https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com
Why are the doctors stressed so much to do mistakes and malpractices ? And branded as BUTCHERS ? One needs to introspect and ruminate seriously on this burning issue. Doctors, in general, refrain from commenting as they work only in the narrow sphere of furthering their own interest, without stepping outside the bubble. This is what both society and our education system teaches us, that in order to get ahead, you put your blinkers on and focus only on the goal at hand, which is to get ahead of the other person.
MENTAL HEALTH issues are on the rise in almost all the walks of life, real or imaginary as depicted in the news and cartoons above.
Stress starts at LKG and ends at graveyard.
Go back to villages and lead a stress-free life. Not possible ? Then, learn to live with stress.
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METAMORPHOSIS
Modern medicine, which represents the epitome of technological innovation, has wiped out dreaded diseases like smallpox, and prevented epidemics and pandemics from wiping out populations.
There have been excellent doctors, drugs and hospitals in ‘modern medicine’ which saved the life of millions of people and alleviated the suffering of billions.
Thanks to the industry, the giant pharmaceutical establishments and the huge research institutions all over the world which have elevated the ‘modern medicine’ to the enviable position that it is today. They spend millions and millions on R & D to serve the humanity by producing better drugs, creating novel equipment and formulating new protocols in medicine. We should feel grateful for the service of all concerned with this.
Around 1970s, the business model seems to have infected the medical profession. Before that period, money was seen as a byproduct of medical practice. In the later decades, money is sought to be a staple part of the profession. Ominous clouds had been gathering over the profession, and certain shameful deviations have come to be considered as “normal”.
The ‘modern medicine’ could have remained entirely ‘noble’ except for the societal changes -- materialistic trends, business attitudes, moral degradation, value depreciation and egoistic ambitions. Doctors and researchers are part of the society and are also human beings, vulnerable to venality. What seems to be the bane of the system globally, after the 1970s, is the fact that some in the field have largely shed their “nobleness” and started living in the ‘dog-eat-dog’ world with all the grey economy and vested interests.
The industry is cleverly exploiting this ‘weakness’ through various kinds of ‘funding’, ‘grants’, ‘support’, ‘sponsorships’ and ‘offers’ – overt and covert. Many hospitals across the globe are profit-driven and run on business models now, and as such 'modern medicine' is often overused and misused. In the good old days, we used to take whatever was published in medical journals as the guiding truth. But in these days of "materialistic metamorphosis," we pause and ruminate. Read my articles titled "“COVID MEDICAL LITERATURE - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/03/medical-literature.html ) and the one titled "MEDICAL CONFERENCES" (https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/medical-conferences-clinical-meetings_30.html ), and the one titled “The Science and Nonsense about COVID” (https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/science-and-nonsense-about-covid.html ) .
Once you read these articles, you will find your head spinning.
. COVID medical literature – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly . I
In a very rare gesture of appreciation, the EDITOR of the journal published the following note at the end of my article:
“ From the Editor........
The Editor wishes to inform the Readers of ‘The Antiseptic’ who are interested in having correct, complete and comprehensive knowledge of the current literature on Covid, to read the above article by Dr. T. Rama Prasad, written as is usual, in beautiful, flawless and inimitable English, with numerous apt quotations.
He further wishes to thank Dr. T. Rama Prasad profusely for choosing to publish all his ‘very interesting to read’ articles on Covid in ‘The Antiseptic’ and hopes that he (Dr. T. Rama Prasad) continues his benevolence. ”
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The following is an excerpt from the observation of a Bench of Justices of a HIGH COURT in India - Chennai: “A study conducted by Support for Advocacy and Training to Health Intiatives (SATHI), an NGO, states that big pharmaceutical companies bribe doctors through high value bribes such as smart phones, credit cards, e-vouchers and even female companionship... Thus, patients are compelled to pay more unnecessarily because of overpricing of drugs,” the judges said.
Before I scribble something about the surrealistic subject of "MEDICAL FEAR" among the public and the professionals as well, let me pen a few lines about the ongoing gladiatorial combat in the Supreme Court between two systems of medicine in India.
BATTLE BETWEEN SYSTEMS OF MEDICINE
India provides various systems of medicine, official and unofficial.
Presently, in 2024, a legal war is being fought between ‘Allopathy’ (Indian Medical Association - IMA) and ‘Ayurveda’ (Patanjali Ayurved). (It is alleged that ‘Patanjali Ayurved’ discredited ‘Allopathy’ and made false claims of cure through ‘Ayurveda’.) A scrimmage of competitive accusations, fired from their canons, seemed to have irritated the judiciary. After a few hearings of the arguments, it seems that a little war broke out between the IMA and the Supreme Court. The court is reported to have criticised the practices of private doctors about “the phenomenon of inflated bills and doctors allegedly prescribing over-priced medicine brands in cahoots with pharmaceutical companies.” In turn, the IMA chief, R. V. Asokan, is reported to have said : “It does not behove the Supreme Court to take a broadside against the medical profession of the country which after all sacrificed so many lives for the Covid war.” Reacting to this, Justice Hima Kohli is reported to have asked the IMAlawyers : “Afterall this, you do this ? The IMA has not covered itself with glory … How can you decide which way we [Supreme Court] should go ?” (THE HINDU, May 1, 2024). At last, the Supreme Court has slammed both the parties. Whatever be the system, let’s call a spade a spade. The ‘Patanjali case’ seems to be a clear example of violation of checks and balances which called for stepping in of courts to regulate the regulators for actions without fear or favour. Let’s wait for the final verdict. Ultimately, it is the judgement of the PEOPLE that matters, not of the Supreme Court, not the Government, or the professional bodies. A majority of 44,000 out of 70,000 hospitals exist in the private sector in India. This apparently speaks good of the private hospitals as people voluntarily seek treatment at the private hospitals. No doubt, there are excellent hospitals and dedicated doctors in India. But, but, but … read the following.
SCARED of HOSPITALS
No, it’s not the fear of injections, procedures or ventilators when it came to ‘COVID hospitalizations’ especially during the ‘second wave’ in India. It’s the money factor – “a-lakh-a-day with 10 days-advance” in some hospitals. Fear of death forced even low income people (who ordinarily go to government hospitals) to seek in-patient treatment at private hospitals.
The story of ‘pandemic hospitalization’ goes like this – on the morning of April 10, 2022,I read a revealing article, related to the pandemic hospitalization, written by Anand Neelakantan (famous author of Asura, Ajaya Series, Vanara and Bahubali trilogy) that’s published in The New Sunday Express Magazine of April 10, 2022 -- https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2022/Apr/09/standardise-private-hospital-ratesto-stop-exploitation-of-patients-2439271.html . The following is an excerpt from that article 36 :
“ … The corporatisation of the medical profession is the greatest tragedy that occurred to Indians. The coronavirus pandemic laid bare the fangs of this monster for all to see. The private hospitals made a killing, literally and figuratively, during the pandemic, while the government hospitals gasped for breath. Most Indians are one medical crisis away from abjectpoverty, and the pandemic medical bills of both who survived or were dead stripped many of their life savings. Every PPE kit, every injection syringe and pills were used as a means to suck out money. It wasn’t that such exploitation was happening for the first time. Anyone who had the misfortune of being a patient or a patient’s relative would have experienced such heartlessavarice from private hospitals at least once in a lifetime. The pandemic presented an opportunity for a windfall for private hospitals. It was a bumper crop season, where they made money irrespective of whether the patients survived or died. Many doctors have now become no better than salesmen struggling to meet their monthly and quarterly revenue generation targets for the corporates who employ them. Every possible test is forced upon the hapless patients,whether they require it or not. …” 36
One may read the full article of Anand Neelakantan to know more about the scenario of the BIG hospitals in India which ratcheted up tariffs enormously. 36 The situation seems to be in stark contrast to my “PAY WHAT YOU CAN Clinic” where one may pay whatever one wishes for the service (https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/what-you-can-clinic_30.html).37 Of course, for running a clinic like this, I am respected as a FOOL or a PHILOSOPHER !!!
In addition, one may read my blog ‘scribblings’ titled “Modern Medicine – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly” ( https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/modern-medicine-good-bad-and-ugly_30.html ) 27 and the one titled “MEDICAL LITERATURE” (https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/03/medical-literature.html ) and the one titled “The Science and Nonsense about COVID” (https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/science-and-nonsense-about-covid.html ) .
FIASCO
Often, a spree of investigations, numbers, graphs, procedures, images and admissions could well find diseases where there are none. That makes one stay awake all night with wide glassy eyes, worrying about the future of his family ! Fraudulent research in MODERN MEDICINE. What a fiasco ! That’s the drama scripted by the BIG industry and the BIG insurers who chart the navigation of 'Modern Medicine' and Medical Education. Read about it in the articles cited above, and especially the text under the subheading “Modern Medicine Fiasco” in my article titled “HCQ, Ivermectin, Coronavirus and Frauds” :https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/hydroxychloroquine-hcq-and-coronavirus_29.html . The latest is of the retraction by the journal Drug Safety of a paper published on May 13, 2024 by researchers of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) , on the safety of COVAXIN. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) wrote on May18, 2024 to retract the paper because of the conclusions made without evidence, and the manufacturers of COVAXIN, Bharat Biotech, wanted Rs 5 crore as compensation for the "loss and injury caused by the defamatory research study."
IS THE SCIENTIFIC MEDICINE RESEARCHED, DOCUMENTED AND PRACTISED BY THE "NOBLE PROFESSION" ENTIRELY GENUINE AND BELIEVABLE ?
ART of MAKING MONEY
One COVID patient was billed $1.1 million in the US and another was billed Rs.16 lakh in India. These two bills may be genuine and reasonable for the service rendered, and the “seemingly high charges” may be necessary to make the hospitals economically viable and sustainable.
But the General Insurance Council moved the Supreme Court against alleged 'profiteering' by private hospitals in India. It was mentioned that, when objected, in one case, the bill of Rs.14 lakh was brought down to less than 4.5 lakhs ! 22 And it was reported that some laboratories and some private hospitals had an unholy nexus to promote hospital admissions -- by generating fake ‘COVID positive’ lab reports to drive patients, terrified by the lab results, into hospital beds for exploitation ! Not unexpectedly, clever people hurriedly started COVID HOSPITALS (“to make hay while the Corona shines !” – pun intended), many being certified without the requisite facilities (in the ‘License Raj’). Corona is the outermost part of the SUN which shines and also is the virus. And, oddly, a few had converted their hospitals into“COVID-FREE HOSPITALS” (meaning that no COVID patients are admitted to prevent spread of COVIDinfection to others in the hospital) to attract non-COVID patients. Let us hope that all this would be the 'swan song' of the avaricious elements. Yes, we did have our misfortunes, and let's hope that that's 'water under the bridge' now.
Here is an excerpt from my article titled “Disastrous Second COVID Wave in India” and published in the medical journal The Antiseptic of June 2021 – Vol. 118; No. 6; Indexed in IndMED; www.theantiseptic.in (This is one of my 28 published articles on the COVID-related subjects) :
“ … No doubt, there are kind-hearted souls who practise medicine with humanism and sacrifice, but the ‘second wave’ made the ‘once-upon-a- time-noble profession’ seem like an unholy business in India. This is the horrendous facet of the ‘second wave’. … Chaos and confusion prevailed everywhere with overwhelming demand for treatment, hospital beds, drugs, medical materials and burial space too. Acute shortage of oxygen took away numerouslives. People died in ambulances outside hospitals while waiting for beds. Heartrending and urgent appeals for help went in vain. Relatives couldn’t do anything but watching the dear ones gasping for air. … The ruthless black market that fends on the artificial demand, clamour and patronage by some professionals is mutating faster than the virus itself -- shameful exploitation in the times of despair. Greed has become more infectious than the virus itself.Even hospitals, hospital staff and doctors jumped on the bandwagon to swindle and exploit helpless and hapless patients and their desperate kith and kin. Getting a hospital bed through a ‘backdoor’ route in Bangalore costed more than Rs. 30,000 and it might cost a lakh or two per day for treatment, while people were standing on a bed of shrieking cadavers. Hefty bribes of Rs.2 lakh were demanded for a bed in ICU in Jaipur – a male nurse was arrested whorevealed his links with two doctors working at the hospital. People sold their assets, including their cattle and sheep, in an attempt to save their near and dear. Most of them mourned at graveyards.” 4 Read the full article to know more about the tragedy.  |
It’s the ‘HOSPITAL FEAR’ that has set in now -- huge bills, scary suggestions, needless investigations, medications, endos, echos, scopies, scans, operations -- all in the name of "EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE"; rackets of all sorts for insurance reimbursements, drugs, kidneys, livers, hearts, lungs, oocytes; replacements, transplants, etc. Go to my writing : https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2020/02/over-healthcare.html
SCARED of PATIENTS
Across the country, in recent times, people attacked doctors, even murdered a lady doctor (in Thoothukudi on Jan 2, 2012), and vandalized hospitals for alleged professional negligence (30 incidents in Tamil Nadu alone during the last 6 months of 2011). The rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, 2024 shocked the nation because of the brutality of what appears to be a planned crime. On November 13, 2024, at the government Kalaignar Centenary Super Specialty Hospital in Chennai, a patient's son pulled out a dagger and stabbed Dr. Balaji Jegannathan, an Oncologist, on his neck, head and chest. This is the cruelest manifestation of eroded 'patient-doctor relationship' of these modern days when many doctors have become professionals who clinically deal with 'cases' rather than 'human beings'. A prescription to restore 'doctor-patient relationship' seems to be urgently needed. I am writing this here to underscore the FEAR phenomenon among the public and the medical profession as well due to the rot in our systems. 27, 23 For further reading go to the last few pages of my BLOG scribbling titled “Modern Medicine – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly”-- https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/modern-medicine-good-bad-and-ugly_30.html .
Due to the fear induced by the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 and the landmark judgement on the 1995 case – Indian Medical Association v. V.P.Shantha -- some of the private doctors have been avoiding to treat “seriously ill” cases “out of wisdom.” The fear of public reaction makes them not to put themselves at risk. Due to this new phenomenon, several lives might have been lost. And, should doctors, like lawyers, be kept out of the Consumer Protection Act ? It needs to be revisited.
The doctors in the public sector can’t avoid treating. As many as 44,000 out of the 70,000 hospitals in India are in the private sector. Why don’t the people prefer to go to the 26,000 public hospitals? That’s a different story. It’s like missing the woods for the trees ! And, should doctors, like lawyers be kept out of the Consumer Protection Act ? It needs to be revisited.
The story of the government doctors is like this : “ … For the vast majority of people who cannot even dream of insurance, the only refuge is the government hospital. It would require loads of idealism for the harried government doctors, striving under the duress of overwork, fighting the system, dealing with the shortages and medicines to keep going without a nervous breakdown. Sooner or later, the lucrative private practice will tempt many of them. Thisvicious cycle is growing into a cyclone of social crisis.
… The trust between doctors and patients has broken irreparably. Being a doctor has become a thankless profession. It is also true that many doctors prefer to satiate their greed for money than gratitude from their patients. … (Neelakantan)”. Unfortunately, people gained the impression that popular specialists with a long bunch of alphabets after their names would rush through the crowd of patients and race from one hospital to another, where they look at the investigation results and not the patients' faces during the 'lightning visiting consultations'. Where is empathy, the 'doctor-patient relationship' and the nobleness ? Such doctors should find time to read the modern version of 'The Hippocratic Oath' (by Louis Lasagna in 1964) -- "
Consumer Protection Act, 1986;
The Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 & various other legislations;
Unfair criticism
Ridiculing cartoons in media
Should one get into “Medical Practice” to be burdened with all these “Non-medical Problems” ???
In the good old days, doctors had unfettered freedom to decide on medical matters, sans the present day 'Acts of Regulation'. Of course, they conducted in a noble way, in letter and spirit. ETHICS, that's what mattered. In contrast, see what happened in May 2024, despite a myriad of "Clinical Establishment Regulations." In Delhi, fire broke out in a "New Born Baby Care Hospital" killing six newborn infants and leaving five more battling for life. A police official said : "During inspection of hospital and examination of staff, it was found that there was no fire extinguisher, improper entry exit, absence of emergency exit, deployment of BAMS doctor etc. So, stringent sections were added to the FIR" (TOI, May 17, 2024). A healthy kidney was removed instead of a diseased one. Blood samples were swapped to protect a killer. Read below about them.
This painting may represent an artist’s surrealistic vision of a‘COVID HOSPITAL’. The picture looks like a WHIRLPOOL. One who getsinto a whirlpool gets sucked deeper and deeper into the waters and may never come out of it. Magnify the picture and see. There are blood stains all over, blood transfusion line, syringes, some 14 chambers, some people dancing, etc. How is this painting related to HUGE COVID HOSPITALS that Ananda Neelakantan may be referring to in his article cited above ?
One brainy staff member of a hospital answered in just one word : "RATHASARITHRAM" which may mean a surrealistic scenario of'bleeding' the patients through 14 and odd specialities of a giant corporate hospital, while the owners dance with joy and the patients dragged deeper into the whirlpool !!!
This could be the microcosm of the profit-oriented private medical sector in many countries, fueled by BIG INDUSTRIES. In countries like America, it is done in a sophisticated and “transparent” manner to the accompaniment of insurance companies while in some countries it is done through mastery of the art of accounting and fabrication. Much of the money comes from needless hospitalisation, unnecessary investigations and procedures
HIPPOCRATES, the ‘Father of Modern Medicine’,460-377 BCE, must be turning in his grave.
Doc was a god then; viewed with suspicion now.
Then sacred; now scared.
Treatment was simple and straightforward then; now it’s complex and confusing.
Why this change ? Who is at fault ? Where is the FAMILY DOCTOR ?
We need to ponder and cogitate.
Go to : https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/modern-medicine-good-bad-and-ugly_30.html and https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/hydroxychloroquine-hcq-and-coronavirus_29.html for answers.
NOBLE, INDEED
At the other end of the spectrum, there are many genuinely charitable hospitals and doctors rendering cost-free service of high standards. There is an odd one in Hyderabad which has an 80-bedded well-equipped and well-caring facility to give advanced palliative care to terminally ill cancer patients during the last lap of their journey, entirely free-of-cost ( https://www.kusumatrust.org/project/sparsh-hospice/ ).
And, there are noble doctors and hospitals renderingnyeoman service at a reasonable cost. But they are few and far between. On the whole, the scenario is a sea of mediocrity with a few islands of excellence. It would be a Herculean task to clean the stables of malpractice.
There are innumerable philanthropists, doctors, nurses and paramedical workers who sacrificed their life for the health of the people. Though they are of different groups, they are all part and parcel of the ‘NOBLE PROFESSION’. Their services must be remembered at least, if not rewarded and awarded. No doubt, there are numerous students who want to study MBBS course to do such charitable service, to do research or to advance academically, but the educational system is not praiseworthy for them to pursue as revealed below.
RICKETY MEDICAL EDUCATION & ETHICS
Deteriorating standards in medical education and ethics is a matter of grave concern. Recently, in March 2024, one State Health Department formed a committee to probe a flurry of complaints by students about POOR QUALITY of teaching at 11 medical colleges. And, it is reported (May, 2024) that the National Medical Commission had sent notices to several medical colleges (both private and government) across India of a fine for deficiencies in faculties and clinical material. It’s an open secret that over a very long period the deficiencies were made up by ‘ghost’ faculty members and patients as and when ‘Inspection Teams’ arrive (https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/state-of-medical-education-in-india .).
A year later, in May 2025, the following report gives the status :
GOOD or BAD ? The Government of India has approved 60 new medical colleges in September 2024 across India, an increase from 706 in 2023 to 766 in 2024. In 10 years, there had been a 98% increase in the number of medical colleges in the country -- from 387 in 2013 to 766 in 2024. And, it seems that 75,000 MBBS seats would be created in the next five years !! Surprisinngly the 'Board (MARB)' of the NMC which gives permission to create the new seats has just one part-time member instead of the full strength of five including the president. How many of the 'mushrooms' would be good ? Governments and private bodies vie with each other in establishing more medical colleges which may mostly be of a substandard quality. Read further below under the sub-heading "The RICKETY MEDICAL COLLEGES ... ".
When a similar situation arose in Korea in 2024 when an increase of 2,000 medical students each year from 2025 was declared by the governmennt, the Korean medical community had vehemently opposed for fear of sliding down of standards of education. So, a system called "Accreditation Standards of Korean Institute of Korean Medical Education and Evaluation (ASK2026), in line with World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) will come into force to maintain standards ( https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11164653/ ).
In course of time, a day may come when medical colleges in IIndia may meet the same fate of some of the engineering colleges of today -- many seats may not be filled up, and some private colleges may have to be closed.
