May I inject a dissenting note? (1)

Public hospitals, especially those that are attached to medical colleges, perform invaluable services for their patients free of cost. They have three obligations: patient care, teaching and research.

Since all patients are treated free of cost, patients have an obligation towards the institution.

It has been the practice to use organs and tissues removed at surgery or at autopsy for teaching, research and mounting in museums. I see nothing wrong in using material obtained from patients for retrospective studies, especially since the confidentiality of patients is being respected.

Were we to deny this to teaching hospitals, they will suffer a major handicap in two of their three functions.

Remember that public hospitals attached to medical colleges have perennial problems obtaining funds, getting competent teachers and retaining them and generally carrying out their intended tasks.

Let us not add to their problems on grounds that really make no practical difference to the vast majority of patients seeking care in these hospitals.