Medical Representatives and Doctors

Smart ties, black bags and glib tongues. It has been more than four years since Kasturba hospital saw medical representatives on campus. We took this measure to counter the growing perception that interaction between doctors and medical sales representatives was harming our patients’ economic health. Not an easy decision. Some doctors clearly felt uncomfortable. “Medical … Read more

MD Theses sans acknowledgments

The MD theses, finally, are over. Focused research questions, great introductions, meticulous methods, well-laid out results and structured discussions. But what the theses won’t have this year is their most readable section – acknowledgements. The section, guides loved to leaf through in the close confines of their office. The section that boosted their self-esteem. The … Read more

CAT has nine lives

Every few years, our CAT scan machine drops dead- only to purr again. Bought about 10 years back, the machine has scanned about 20,000 heads, chests and bellies. At times, for some inexplicable reasons, the CAT stands still- a CATastrophic event in the hospital. And as engineers-flown from Bangalore- lay their hands on the CAT … Read more

Pile of Papers

Medical case records carry a story. They describe the journey of patients from the admission to the discharge. They tell us, chronologically, why were the patients admitted, how were they diagnosed, why doctors couldn’t fix their problems, how were they managed, what complications did they develop, what made them stay long and finally how did … Read more