LETTERS
We don’t need corporate sponsorship for education
I draw your attention to a notice in the publication Asian
Cardiovascular and Thoracic Annals (1998; VI (4): 26A- 27A), announcing the
details of a new ‘educational programme’ in cardiovascular surgery to improve
capability in India and China for open heart surgery, cardiovascular
anaesthesia, perfusion and critical care nursing. Interestingly this programme
is initiated by M/ s Baxter Health Care Asia Pvt Ltd, a multinational
corporation based in the USA.
The programme does not involve any university, in India or abroad. Nor does
this programme mention affiliation to national educational bodies like the
Medical Council of India (MCI) or the National Board of Examinations (NBE). Some
private institutions - corporate or non- government organisations - may be
participating in this so- called training programme. I wonder on whose demand
the training programme was initiated and whether any national interests were
considered before such programme was started. Today this is being done for
cardiology and cardiac surgery. Tomorrow this could spread to other specialties
as well.
Most of us in the medical profession in India are students of Indian medical
schools, though some of us have also had some training abroad, in well-
established and renowned medical educational institutes. There are many teaching
institutions in India which impart firstrate training in cardiac surgery and
other branches of medicine to young doctors. It is with the help of our own
medical and surgical fraternity that we have been able to develop so far. Our
aim certainly should be to strengthen our own teaching and training programmes.
For this we do not have to take the support of any multinational corporate
industrial/bsiness organisation, which usually has its own interest in taking up
such programmes. This can land us in difficulties, for the nation as a whole and
in particular the 70 per cent of our population in the villages.
One cannot deny that there is much scope for improvement at all levels the
university, MCI, NBE, teaching and training institutions. However, this does not
mean that somebody from abroad -- and that too an industrial organisation -- has
to come here to take up such programmes without the permission of the government
of India and the organisations which control the teaching and training of
medical professionals. It is high time that the MCI, NBE and medical schools
came together and had a thorough discussion of our problems so that we can
improve ourselves without interference from outside. At the most we can take
help of some teaching and training institutions abroad. There is no reason why
this should not be possible provided we have the will, sincerity and honesty.
After all, we have demonstrated this in many fields.
My earnest appeal is that we should nip the problem in the bud.
G M Taori,Director, Central
India Institute of Medical Sciences. 88/ 2, Bajaj Nagar, Nagpur 440 010.
Put yourself in the patient’s shoes
I was very
pleased to read the article by Sarita Agrawal (1). I am glad that articulate
patients like her are finally making their voice heard.
Sometimes doctors forget that the centre of the medical universe should be
the patient – and not the doctor. Such articles, which describe the patient’s
viewpoint, can help doctors to become more empathetic and caring. After all,
putting yourself in the patient’s shoes can only improve your perspective for
the better. Patients in the West are becoming increasingly vocal, and are
letting their doctors know what they want, and since they can speak with their
wallets, their voices carry a lot of clout. This is all for the best. The
ultimate aim of the doctor is to help the patient.
Industries all over the world are becoming more consumer- responsive: the
customer is king. While the medical profession is the ultimate service industry,
unfortunately in India, doctors have lagged behind in putting the patient’s
interests first. It is all too common to see doctors being rude or arrogant; and
many routinely make patients and their relatives wait endlessly. Such rudeness
would be unpardonable in any other sector, so why do Indian patients allow
doctors to get away with it? The raison d’etre for a doctor is his patients, and
if patients refuse to put up with bad behaviour, the entire medical profession
will, one hopes, improve.
Unfortunately, medical students have few role models they can emulate. The
tragedy is that we need to be told to pull up our socks by our patients. I do
hope doctors will improve. Remember the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you.
Reference:
1. Agarwal Sarita: From the other side.
Issues in Medical Ethics 1999; VII (3): 94- 95.
Aniruddha Malpani, Medical
Director, Health Education Library for People, Om Chambers, Kemps Corner, Mumbai
400 036.
