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Category: Letters
July 04, 2016
The use of drugs to enhance cognitive function and academic performance is clearly a global phenomenon, with the reported prevalence of stimulant use among medical students ranging from 15-20%. A multi-institution study from the USA reported a 6.9% lifetime prevalence of non-prescription use of c...
October 10, 2016
Over-the-counter use of medication via chemists, including the use of psychiatric medication, has always been a cause of worry in the Indian subcontinent. Over the last two years, the rules on dispensing psychiatric medication have become stringent and chemists have to dispense the exact amount o...
October 10, 2016
In the wake of the Medical Council of India's (MCI) take on the promotion of faculty recently, it is clear that the faculty of medical institutions across the country are in a state of alarm. A situation in which the whole onus of research is put on the faculty is quite quirky when there is no co...
May 05, 2016
With reference to the article "Passive euthanasia in India: a critique", authored by Ms Rohini Shukla and published online on August 5, 2015, I would like to make a few comments and highlight the following points. First, the author notes that Section 309 IPC has been decriminalised. This is not s...
January 01, 2016
Indian cinema has progressed in the recent past. Many directors have broken the mould of the typical "masala" film and their cinema resonates with real life. However, the representation of psychiatric illnesses and psychiatrists in Indian films still reflects the populist melodrama.
January 01, 2016
This letter raises some serious issues about continuing dental education (CDE) points instituted by the Dental Council of India (DCI) – the apex body that regulates dental education. The DCI has recommended 150 CDE points over a period of 5 years with a minimum of 20 points a year and a maximum o...
May 05, 2016
Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are common across health settings. These are defined as "physical symptoms that prompt sufferer to seek healthcare but remain unexplained after an appropriate medical evaluation". Expectedly, MUS are often associated with significant health-seeking behaviours ...
March 31, 2016
We read with interest the editorial "Regressive trend: MCI's approach to assessment of medical teachers' performance". MCI is the holy cow of medical education, and we are yet to see a detailed critique of its various policies. India lags behind in evidence-based health policies as well as those ...
October 04, 2015
Recently, I was surprised at the number of pages in a reputed medical journal dedicated to advertisements endorsing unrecognised post-graduate diplomas, fellowship and certificate courses conducted by private institutions and hospitals for MBBS doctors. Obviously, the journal had also put in a di...
October 04, 2015
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971, lays down the existing guidelines and criteria for the "who, when, where, how and why" of the medical termination of pregnancy in India. Recently, the Draft MTP (Amendment) Bill was tabled for deliberations. The highlight of the bill ...