The Doctor Says..

P. S. M. is a Scam!

Internship started.
Department of Community Medicine.
Posted at a Rural Health Care Centre (RHTC), wholly owned by the college.

Big money.
Small talk.

Frankly speaking, it's a scam.
A sham.
Wastage of time.
An honest crime.

Aimless and clueless, we are instructed to roam around the village, door to door.
Do 'Family Health Surveys'.
Free medical counselling done.
Advice that nobody wishes to accept.
Ignorance is bliss, they say.

A pretty hectic OPD day implies 5 or more patients.
Trust in the system, nil.
Referrals are fun.

Yes, we do get some free time to study.
But for the constant fear of being called for a petty clerical task.

A compulsion to adhere to.
Constructive?  Nah!!!

An idle mind is a devil's workshop.
Hence, exchanging pale looks and staring at the ticking clock is what we perform with skill and class.

The walls of the compound seem intriguing at times.
I wonder many a times, are they creamish white or off-white?
Wish there was a fan installed in the Interns' room.
Would have loved to count the revolutions per minute.

Also, empty stomachs can't be fed properly in the 'restaurants' located near the RHTC.
Shame!

With the scorching sun sending blazing rays to graze our thick skins, we proudly adorn our aprons and beg the villagers to visit the centre for treatment and all.

At the end of it all, 4 hours down the drain.

Earnings : Attendance.
Losses : Time, self esteem, and body fluid & electrolytes.

*Everyday is a new story*

Miracle Anti TB Drug!

Bedaquiline, the “miracle drug” for the rising drug-resistant population in India, will soon be available as part of treatment for patients suffering from multi-drug-resistant (MDR) and extensively-drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB). Union health minister J.P. Nadda will launch the drug ahead of World TB day on March 21. Bedaquiline is the first new TB drug to be approved by the US Federal drug Administration in over 50 years.

To begin with, the drug will be launched in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Guwahati and Ahmedabad and will eventually be introduced all over the country for the patients who are found to be resistant to two vital primary drugs in the DOTS Plus regimen.

As per government records, nearly two million Indians develop TB each year. Mumbai is emerging as ground zero for MDR TB. The launch of the new drug, officials say, is likely to help over 600 patients.

Approved by the US regulator, bedaquiline is used for treatment of MDR TB as part of combination therapy for adults.

Earlier, results from randomised trials on the efficacy of bedaquiline, which was published in the Lancet, showed “significant reduction” in the infection period. Approval of the drug was also based on studies that showed it killed bacteria more quickly than a control group taking the standard regimen. FDA approval for a new TB drug discovered by scientists at Janssen, the pharmaceutical unit of Johnson & Johnson, comes after more than 50 years. Significantly, the drug also got a push from the World Health Organisation (WHO) which advised the inclusion of bedaquiline in the combination therapy for MDR TB in accordance with its existing guidelines.

While eradication of TB continues to be a major health challenge for India, based on the encouraging results on the efficacy of the drug the Indian Council of Medical Research and Central TB Division of DGHS recently convened an expert group for the introduction of bedaquiline in India. “It is proposed to introduce the drug in India under controlled conditions at 6 DOTS plus sites to assess its impact on multi-drug- and extensively-drug-resistant TB.”

Twenty-two countries, including South Africa, bear 80 per cent of the burden of TB worldwide.

According to WHO, there are around nine million new TB cases detected and close to two million people die of the disease yearly.

In India, TB is rated as a major public health problem and the country accounts for one-fifth of the global total.

It is estimated that annually around 3,30,000 Indians died of TB and emergence of MDR TB in recent years. In India, 12 EDR TB cases were detected at Mumbai’s Hinduja Hospital a few years ago.

Health ministry officials say the discovery of bedaquiline may provide new hope to patients suffering from the deadly disease.

http://www.asianage.com/india/miracle-drug-tb-will-be-available-india-soon-965

Alerting all Medicos!

#BreakingNews

Over 300 drugs banned, do you take these popular ones?
=============================================
Sumo, Zerodol P and Ace Proxyvan are among many drugs along with Corex and Phensedyl, which will go off the shelf from many chemist shops after the government move to ban about 344 fixed dose combination drugs.

The 344 banned drugs include the fixed dose combination of Chlopheniramine Maleate and Codeine syrup sold under the popular cough syrup brand Corex. Following the government ban, pharmaceutical major Pfizer has discontinued manufacture and sale of Corex with immediate effect.

According to Nomura, the government move is clearly an incremental negative for the companies affected. It however says that if companies can launch new products quickly, they may still be able to retain a large portion of sales.
Here is the list of companies and their products that could be affected :-
1. Abbott: Cough Syrup Phensedyl, Tossex and triple combination diabetes drug Tribet
2. Pfizer: Cough Syrup Corex
3. Macleods: Panderum Plus
4. Mankind: The impact is spread across multiple products
5. Alkem: Sumo (Nimesulide + Paracetamol) and Taxim AZ (Azithromycin + Cefixime)
6. Sun Pharma: The most impacted is triple anti diabetes combination drug Gemer P (Meltformin + pioglitazone + glimeperide)
7. Ipca: Zerodol P (Paracetamol + Aceclofenac)
8. Glenmark: Most of the impact is on account of Ascoril range of cough syrups
9. Wockhardt: Zedex cough syrups, Ace Proxyvan impacted
10. Lupin: Triple combination diabetes drug Gluconorm most impacted
11. Cipla: Triple combination diabetes drug Triexer most impacted
12. Procter and Gamble (P&G): Vicks Action 500 Extra

#AlertAlert

Then Why Worry?

Happily Passed!

#LatePost

Passssss!
What a feeling!
Truly overwhelming and a cocktail of emotions of sorts.
Gratitude spurting all over. And blessings of the Lord sought.

Nothing less than a roller-coaster ride. Ups and downs, and smiles and frowns.

Time was of ultimate essence. But lo! It flew.
Four years, six months.
Aged considerably.
As wine in a cellar.

Hardwork, agreed.
Passion, of course.
Dedication, utmost.
Concentration, max.
Confidence, galore.
Knowledge, at par.
Luck, OH YEAH!

There shall be a variety of sublime voices through the corridor..
"Attitude."
"Waste of life."
"Shrewd."
"Teachers' pet."
"Lucky son of a gun."
"Blah."

Who cares buddy? Why pay heed to the blabbering ducks?
I know I could sail through. So, I did.

Above all, I would like to mention the painstaking efforts of my family. Their support, cooperation, sacrifices and guidance is inexplicable.

Friends, colleagues and batchmates.. A-Team for the win!
Altogether, we simply killed it.

Journey of a lifetime?
Yes :)

Zeal can take you places.

Befriend a Doctor. Become a Doctor.