We are continually bombarded with Covid data, much of it incomprehensible. Yet when it comes to vital information about the processing and approval of vaccines, it seems too much to expect transparency from the powers that be. For authorities unwilling to reveal vital health information, citing “security concerns”, a swift reckoning may follow in the shape of a reluctant public. An editorial in this issue explains this in the context of vaccine hesitancy. Another reveals the obfuscation behind merging caste-based harassment and ragging in general, and suggests remedies for this toxic bane which keeps our society backward and oppressive. It is accompanied by a set of interesting commentaries.
Our Covid section contains a varied set, from vaccination ethics, to an outdated epidemic law groaning under the weight of modern challenges, to a flexible policy for healthcare providers coping with pandemic challenges, and a personal narrative on the experience of coping. One study presents a scale to measure observance of patient privacy and confidentiality in the wards; another examines how many conference presentations actually made it to publication. Still other articles discuss the ethics of surgical trials, the definition of euthanasia in a landmark Indian judgment, and much more.
We mourn the loss of the journal’s lifelong friend and supporter, Satish Kulkarni, after a sudden illness. After a traumatic 2020, we wish all our readers a safer, more fulfilling year ahead.
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Cover credit: “Catching the Sea” courtesy of Aman Bhargava (https://instagram.com/thedivtagguy)