Bitter medicine

It is not given to everybody to do extraordinary things. It is more important to do ordinary things in an extraordinary way Dr P K Sethi There have been two people who have impressed me in my life, who have shaped my personality and character in a substantial way. One was my teacher,’ my friend philosopher and guide ‘as the cliché goes, Dr P K Sethi. The other was Dr B Mukhopadhya. Dr Mukhopadhya, an orthopedic surgeon and one time Dean of Patna Medical College, was an extraordinary man of extraordinary accomplishments. He was the first Indian Hunterian Lecturer of Royal college of Surgeons, England, and was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1970 and the B C Roy award in 1989.He was a Rockefeller and Smith and Nephew fellow and the founder secretary and President of I O A, as also the founder fellow of the Indian Academy of Medical Sciences . However, it’s not his tremendous achievements which impressed me. I belong to that genre of non-achievers who when confronted with such exalted accomplish...

The Times of India in its edition of 29th March published a news item on how the doctors are making huge profits by prescribing vaccines received by them at discounted prices from the companies.It is alleged that these are prescribed even when not required. There are two basic issues involved here Is it appropriate for Doctors to get vaccines, or medicines,at discounted prices? The company fixes an MRP. It gives a percentage discount to the wholesaler and another certain percentage to the retailer.If it "sells" the same drug to the doctor directly and passes on this wholesalers and retailers margin to the doctor, it is nothing more than pure direct marketing strategy.Any number of well established reputed firms do it.AMWAY for instance markets all its Healthcare and other products likewise. and so do many others.This could not possibly be an issue What seems to irk is the other issue that 'doctors prescribe these vaccines even when not needed' The WHO schedule for vac...

Preface: Years ago Robert Louis Stevenson wrote a classic masterpiece Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on the dual personality of human beings. His contention was that every person has a good and a bad guy within, and, which predominates when determines individual behaviour. My contention is slightly different, and that is, that this is not always a subconscious involuntary psychological transition. I believe each person essentially chooses good or bad as a personality cult, conscientiously and in full cognizance. What he chooses may have a rational or irrational basis, but nevertheless his belief in his righteousness is complete and firm. Just as “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” was received with much skepticism and awe, the logic and rhetoric of these Mr. Hydes in Dr. Jekylls is equally hard to accept or digest, but just once, may be for a moment, be tempted to pause and think “Is there some truth in this, is this justifiable, or is this possible?” Did I hear a “Why n...