Dr. S.P. Kalantri

Dr. S. P. Kalantri is a physician, teacher, and researcher who has spent over four decades practicing medicine in rural India. He is currently Professor of Medicine at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS), Sevagram. Through his memoir “Stetho in Sevagram,” he reflects on a lifetime of clinical practice, teaching, and the ethical challenges of delivering care in resource-limited settings. His work explores the intersection of medicine, society, and the everyday realities of patients and doctors in rural India. He has a longstanding interest in evidence-based medicine, medical ethics, and the social determinants of health, and has contributed extensively to clinical research and medical education.

Covid Vaccines

How are COVID-19 vaccines being developed? Several drugmakers have announced that they are moving to Phase 2 of COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials; the Oxford vaccine by Serum Institute of India backed by Adar Poonawala has started Phase 3 clinical trials. What do these phases mean? Should we think that we are close to a getting … Read more

Primum Non Nocere

No other drug, at least in the early phase of Covid pandemic, evoked as much interest, publicity, blind and demand as Hydroxychloroquine did. It took a couple of well -designed randomized controlled trials to indicate that the drug does not work, and is associated with serious adverse events when used to prevent or treat Covid. … Read more

Hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19: Can we go back to science?

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been the biggest buzzword across the world lately. Until December 2019, this was a meek drug, used mainly by rheumatologists, internists, and dermatologists for inflammatory diseases. Its cousin Chloroquine has been the most popular drug for malaria. We have known and used these drugs for decades. The antiviral properties of these drugs … Read more