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Category: Letters
January 01, 2013
Our country is moving fast towards becoming a developed nation; but are we able to follow the standards of conduct of a developed nation in our government hospitals? I am concerned with the behaviour of medical personnel in government hospitals.
January 01, 2013
There has been a gradual evolution of terminology commonly used in health-related or disability-related contexts. Not so long ago, we used the term "normal" thoughtlessly. Looking deeper, what is normal? Two people under the same circumstances behave differently. Who then decides what is "normal"?
January 01, 2013
After the arrest of the then president of the Medical Council of India (MCI) and president elect of the World Medical Association, Dr Ketan Desai, in April 2010, the MCI was superseded by a Board of Governors for one year under the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance 2010, notified in Th...
January 01, 2013
This is with reference to the article on the impact of UNCRPD on the status of persons with disabilities by Smitha Nizar. I appreciate the author's take on the controversial issue of disability-selective abortions. The article discusses the ethical dilemmas of using medical technologies to termin...
January 01, 2013
Disulfiram is one of the most important drugs used in the management of alcohol use disorders . It is of significance as a treatment modality especially in low and middle income countries like India, as it is a cheaper pharmacological option compared to other medications like naltrexone and acamp...
January 01, 2013
Of the many medical degrees available in our country, this letter focuses on the anomaly in two medical degrees (MD/DM), both of which expand into Doctor of Medicine, according to the Medical Council of India(MCI). The MCI offers DM/MCh and the National Board of Examinations offers DNB (super-spe...
October 01, 2012
Infection with blood-borne pathogens has long been recognised as an occupational risk for healthcare workers (HCWs), particularly surgeons and anaesthetists whose work often involves breaching the cutaneous or mucosal barrier, exposing them to blood and other body fluids and putting them at risk ...
October 01, 2012
Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, criminalising consensual sexual activity between adults of the same sex, was framed during the British Raj and continued to govern Indian sexual relations until very recently. This law seems to reflect societal attitudes towards alternate sexualities. Such at...
October 01, 2012
In July 2011 Nature carried a Comment titled "Grand Challenges to Global Mental Health"announcing research priorities to benefit people with mental illness around the world. The essay called for urgent action and investment. However, many professionals, academics, and service user advocate organi...
October 01, 2012
The article by Sarin et alon the subject of psychiatric advance directives (PADs) raises new problems which are particularly challenging in the Indian context. The debate so far has focused on issues of competence, access, resources and legal dilemmas. What is missing is a discussion on the cultu...