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The Hindu
02-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
On Doctor's Day, remembering that the patient is a teacher par excellence
The word 'doctor' originates from the Latin word docere meaning 'to teach', highlighting our role in educating everyone, about health, disease and prevention. Learning however, is not unidirectional. Patients are a doctor's best teachers. Each patient encounter is unique. It was in January 1990 that I had taken my father to an ophthalmologist. My father paid the fees. Politely, but firmly refusing the fees, it was pointed out to him that it was a privilege to treat a colleague's father. The doctor then said, 'In fact, maybe we should pay the patient, for what we learn from them'. This set me thinking. Looking back, there have been scores of incidents where a patient's behaviour had a major influence in shaping my outlook and response to life. William Osler had once remarked, 'To study medicine without books is to sail an unchartered sea, but to study medicine without patients is not to go to sea at all'. Every time we bask in the glory of a well-received paper, do we realise that this was only because of our patients? Why we exist The raison d^etre for our existence is our patients. Encounters with patients expose us to a variety of emotions. The rich, the poor, the humble, the arrogant, the know-it-all, the uninformed – each patient is a different tale. Health conditions may be the same but patient responses are not. I once had to operate on an economically-challenged patient in a nursing home, as an emergency. Settling the subsidised hospital bill itself was a difficult task for the family. Professional fees had been waived; however, the patient insisted on settling my bill through EMIs. In another instance, on a visit to a university, I was accosted by a patient's attender who insisted that I have coffee with him, pointing out that I had operated on his daughter, years ago. Not wishing to hurt his feelings I complied. I learnt that the patient had died immediately. The attender thought we had done our best throughout the night in a government hospital, fate had decreed otherwise. Another instance was that of a postman with three adult intellectually disabled children all of whom suffered from seizures. His wife was calm, cool and composed - a personification of equanimity. In 1976, I had assisted in the surgery of a young baby with a spinal deformity. Over the next two years she underwent several corrective surgical procedures. 30 years later, paralysed below the waist, she was using used a motorised wheel chair, catheterizing herself intermittently. There was also the case of a musician with a tumour in the speech area of the brain. He preferred to avoid surgery, so that he could sing for longer. He died a contented man. Going beyond textbook learning Medical education stresses factual knowledge from books and journals, lectures, surgeries, workshops, seminars, conferences – the list is endless for a clinician's education and continuing education. If only there was, however, a structured, organised way in which we could recall and learn, what each single patient teaches us, we would be the greatest healers of the world. Thousands of patients pass through our hands – each one of them without exception – may have had something to tell us, beyond our ken. Alas, we seldom look upon the individual patient as a source of knowledge. Are we letting slip, an education, which no university could ever hope to provide - doctorates in the study of humankind? Satisfying our patients is what matters, not necessarily the results. On occasions, patients clutching a straw, have proved to be right, when I, endowed with technical knowledge had thought otherwise. How often has a patient been angry, cynical, cantankerous, churlish, cranky and cross when I tried to depict a realistic scenario that was not necessarily rosy? But as often, has the doctor not been deified, accompanied by scenes of joy, rapture, exaltation, ecstasy and bliss when there is an excellent outcome? A doctor today can effortlessly and permanently record for posterity, every single thought, every single interaction, every single investigation, of every single patient he will ever see, multiple times anywhere on the planet. Using AI-enabled smartphones, tablets, laptops and cloud storage one can store petabytes of information. Learnings from every individual patient whom you are able to identify with and relate to, will always be meaningful. Decision-making is unconsciously influenced by what happened to one's previous patient. A bad result following aggressive surgery would lead to subsequent conservative management. Acknowledging patients Today we have Mother's Day, Father's day, Teacher's day, Doctors' Day and hundreds of such remembrances to pay homage to those who shaped our lives. It is perhaps time that we have a Patient's Day. (Dr. K. Ganapathy is a distinguished professor at The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University and past president of the Neurological Society of India and the Telemedicine Society of India. drkganapathy@
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
The art and science of healing needs revival
July 1, Doctor's Day, asks society to take a sacred pause, a moment to honour the unwavering commitment of doctors who serve throughout their life, often silently. On behalf of the medical fraternity, I want to thank everyone. Accepting a knowledge gap or an omission is the most important form of humility, honesty. (REUTERS) Yet, beyond the accolades and achievements, this day calls for something deeper: a renewal of the spirit of the physician, rooted not just in knowledge and skill but also in compassion, ethics, and purity of purpose. In a world increasingly governed by materialism, technology, and speed, it is time we reboot the physician within us. William Osler, one of the founders of Johns Hopkins Hospital, had said, 'The practice of medicine is not a trade to be learned, but a calling to serve, to console, and to heal.' Between protocols and prescriptions, public or private health care, the art of medicine is under threat. The soul of the healer — the one who listens, who touches, who reassures — needs to be rekindled. A physician is not just a provider of treatment, but a custodian of hope, a sea of humanity. The art of physical examination is slowly vanishing. Doctors have started leaning on blood and X-ray reports and AI models. The healing touch of compassion is dying. Compassion is more than kindness — it is the ability to suffer with someone. It is conveyed through words, silences, presence, and most powerfully, through touch. Patients remember your holding their hand, offering comfort beyond cures. Science treats. Compassion heals. Heal with purpose, not pride, even if you are the topmost doctor. Doctors are faced with thousands of ethical questions every day. 'Doctor, my patient is admitted in a hospital, very sick. Doctors there don't know. Can you please transfer her under your care? You are God'. 'Doctor, my husband, is admitted with you. Please do not mention his alcohol habit in the case-sheet, else we will not get insurance claim. The other hospital did not.' There are thousands of ethical challenges faced by the doctors every day, perhaps more than in any other profession. There would be different responses from the physicians. I will only say that in an era of commercial pressures and systemic strain, ethical clarity is the shield that protects the sanctity of our profession. Do not publicly criticise your colleagues and do not allow yourself to be designated as God. Let us not compromise on honesty, even when it is hard. It is the compass of us, physicians. Bethikalism or 'be ethical' is the core of all -isms, dharmas. Treat medicine as a dharma. This Doctors' Day, let us reflect. Realign. Let us remember why we chose this path — not for money, but for service. Let us teach the young, besides science and skills, the T3 of medicine: truth, tenderness, and togetherness. Revive the physician in you — the healer who listens, the human who cares, the soul who serves. Be an inspiration to youngsters and teach them to accept failures with humility. Accepting a knowledge gap or an omission is the most important form of humility, honesty. A whitecoat reaffirmation ceremony should be undertaken to teach youngsters these aspects of medicine. Avoid over-investigation, unnecessary procedures and medications. Use simple language and involve the family and encourage shared decision-making. Reflect also on your knowledge base. Base decisions on updated knowledge and not hearsay or habits. Clinical decision-making is an art deeply embedded in science and skills. Patients need a C3 physician — competent, confident and calm. To reboot the overworked and ill-supported Indian physician, the responsibility has to be shared across the ecosystem. Society, regulatory bodies, judiciary and the government have to take full responsibility. We need competence-based, patient-centric, ethical training and futuristic AI based medical education. The judiciary has to ensure the dignity of the profession and protect the physicians, and punish severely any violence against doctors. Compensate generously those doctors dragged into frivolous cases by patients or the government. The government needs to provide modern infrastructure, tools and a non-bureaucratic and comfortable work environment. Of course, society must understand that physicians are human beings and not machines, and support them. Become health aware and not health blaming. Respect them for what they do, but don't blame them for what they can't do. Understand that all patients who go to the hospital cannot get better. Uphold dignity in death and suffering. Finally, physicians can only heal when the society around them protects their ability to think, care and serve freely and with rewards. Society has a responsibility to respect, support and partner with physicians. Respect the sacrifices and complexities of their work. How many workers would work day after day, year after year, without overtime compensation for night shifts or cancelled holidays? Pay the physicians their worth. You are willing to pay a top lawyer lakhs of rupees for one court appearance, but not a doctor who has saved your life. Just a WhatsApp message, 'Thank you, doc!' While the medical fraternity needs to reboot service and ethics, society, law keepers and the government should comprehensively support the physician at all costs. Pope Benedict XVI, Saudi king Salman, and popular Tamil Actor Vijayakanth had one thing in common. They needed timely advice and care of an astute and compassionate physician. Society should work hard to breed more efficient and compassionate physicians. We should initiate national awards for humanity and service, ethical excellence, and exemplary mentorship, among others. On Doctor's Day, let society start a My Doctor, My Hero campaign and work to heal the ecosystem. And we doctors should launch a campaign: Make the Physician Great Again. SK Sarin is professor of eminence, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi. The views expressed are personal.
Hans India
12-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Honouring Nurses on International Nurses Day 2025: Heartfelt Messages, Wishes, and Quotes
Observed annually on May 12, International Nurses Day marks the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of modern nursing. This day is dedicated to recognizing the selfless service, compassion, and expertise that nurses provide across the globe. They are essential pillars of the healthcare system, playing a crucial role in patient care, health education, and emotional support. This occasion also serves as a platform to raise awareness about the challenges nurses face and the importance of supporting their well-being and rights. Heartfelt Wishes for International Nurses Day 2025 work just as tirelessly as doctors and deserve equal appreciation. Wishing you a very Happy Nurses Day! day should be Nurses Day, as your hard work never stops. Happy International Nurses Day 2025! Nurses Day! Your dedication and compassion profoundly impact lives—thank you for your unwavering service. resilience and commitment bring healing and hope. Thank you for being an invaluable part of our care team. Nurses Day to the angels in scrubs who bring comfort and strength when we need it most. heartfelt thanks for your compassion and constant care—Happy Nurses Day! go the extra mile for your patients every day. Happy Nurses Day to our real-life heroes! sacrifices and efforts are deeply appreciated. Wishing you a Happy Nurses Day! you for making the world a better place through your care and kindness. Enjoy a well-deserved Nurses Day! inspire others through your dedication and spirit. Happy Nurses Day to an exceptional nurse! Messages to Appreciate Nurses on Their Special Day this Nurses Day bring you as much peace and joy as you bring to those you care for. are the lifeblood of healthcare, and your work sets the highest standards. Happy Nurses Day! those who bring healing through their touch and kindness—thank you and Happy Nurses Day! dedication and empathy go beyond words. We celebrate you today and always. you for choosing a profession that changes lives every day. Wishing you a Happy Nurses Day! presence brings comfort, and your care brings healing. Happy Nurses Day to a true professional. change the world—one patient at a time. Happy Nurses Day to our heroes in uniform! compassionate service never goes unnoticed. Happy Nurses Day, and thank you for everything you do. Inspirational Quotes to Celebrate Nurses 1.'The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest.' – William Osler 2.'Our job as nurses is to cushion the sorrow and celebrate the joy, every day, while we are 'just doing our jobs.'' – Christine Belle 3.'Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and caring without even a prescription.' – Val Saintsbury 4.'Every nurse was drawn to nursing because of a desire to care, to serve, or to help.' – Christina Feist-Heilmeier 5.'Nurses are the backbone of healthcare. They hold the keys to the healing process.' – Anonymous 6.'The most important practical lesson that can be given to nurses is to teach them what to observe.' – Florence Nightingale International Nurses Day is more than just a commemoration—it's a call to recognize, support, and celebrate the tireless efforts of nurses. Whether through a message, wish, or quote, take a moment today to express gratitude to these healthcare heroes who serve with unwavering dedication.
IOL News
26-04-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Medicine: a journey worth the challenge
Junior medical doctors in South Africa will be tested from the moment of their inception as they learn to survive, says Dr Ishq Pramchand Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability,"- Sir WilliamOsler, the Father of Modern Medicine JUNIOR medical doctors in South Africa will be tested from the moment of their inception as they learn to survive. The public healthcare system in South Africa is a high-pressure environment, fraught with many challenges, which initially may seem daunting to the 1st year intern. Such challenges, I feel, are integral to personal growth and significantly contribute to resilience in the field, which will carry you throughout your medical career and beyond. I have had the privilege of gaining invaluable exposure to our healthcare system at grass-roots level. Having graduated Summa Cum Laude and Top Achiever of the Class of 2021 at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, I pursued a rigorous 2 year Internship programme at King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban. I, thereafter, completed 1 more year as a community service medical doctor at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg. Now, I find myself "catching my breath" as I locum privately in Durban and await a registrar position in my specialty of choice. Medicine is not easy. The pathway may seem simple but is a complex, transformative process geared towards shaping a competent, safe medical doctor. Seemingly endless hours of studying, tough examinations and a dwindling social life set a strong foundation for the future: draining night shifts, life or death situations, and the optimism to keep going and never give up. The reality does not make it any easier. Nationally, South Africa faces a critical shortage of doctors, with less than one doctor for every 1 000 patients. This precarious imbalance places strain on the frontline doctors in the public health sector, exacerbated by the limited access to medical resources. While South African medical doctors are trained excellently in local institutions, which match international standards, poor patient outcomes are often the result of suboptimal care. Frustration, physician burnout and unfavourable team dynamics are a handful of common challenges faced by the young doctor with the potential to strongly influence patient outcomes, with catastrophic consequences if not recognised and addressed timeously. Even "breaking bad news" to patients and their families regarding a life changing diagnosis like cancer, or the death of a loved one, may also intimidate the junior medical intern, with grievous implications if managed inappropriately. How do we survive in the system? Is there a way? Resilience, in the context of a medical doctor, translates to your "toughness": your capacity to withstand and recover from difficult situations. This may be a particularly helpful attribute as a budding medical intern, who faces the daily, relentless onslaught on mind, body and soul with no appreciable time to recover. Interestingly, the field of medicine mirrors the battlefield, reflecting the crucial principles a young soldier in the heart of combat should follow to survive. Protection of the sick, damage control, and witnessing death at the frontline are overlapping features, which scratch the surface. Deeper psychological defences are at play: hope, love for the craft, and "true grit" which constitute honour for modern day martyrs and the safety of the patients they defend. Fortifying your resilience is a personal process, a culmination of years of experience. Everyone is not the same. However, the global literature emphasises the need for holistic well-being in demanding environments to deliver optimal results. A modern shift in social structures towards understanding mental health and overall happiness emphasise the need for the individual to develop himself not only physically, but psychologically and socially. This relates aptly to the medical practitioner where a "Biological-Psychological Social" approach to the patient translates to excellent, holistic patient outcomes, often curbing prevalent mental health conditions such as depression. Conversely, the same principles can be applied to the medical practitioner to not only improve daily practice, but to inspire passion in the art. Time is limited. As a junior medical officer, I understand that more, having navigated an exhausting yet exhilarating internship and community service. I also understand that effective time management is key to enjoying these tough incipient years. Starting small, and tackling life as a medical doctor in "bite-size" chunks, may help you find the balance you are looking for. Personally, I love reading. I try to reserve at least 10 to 15 minutes a day every day to consult the literature and read more to improve my practical medical knowledge. I'm also passionate about Kung Fu and music. I try to put some practice early in the morning before I get to work, getting a "kick" out of Kung Fu practice and finding my rhythm at the piano. When on call, I try to match the daily exercise quota by taking the stairs instead of the lift to get some extra steps in. Something is always better than nothing. Dedicating time and focus to these activities I enjoy have made me understand my life as a medical doctor better. Significantly, published literature highlights a plausible connection between a sound understanding of the arts and a higher degree of empathy towards patients, improving long term patient outcomes. The existing challenges seem easier, and I feel energised to tackle newer, more complex ones. Ultimately, medicine is not for the faint hearted and may be demanding at times. You will always be faced with challenges in the field, which may present themselves unexpectedly, often with no help available at the time. It is important to trust in your ability to learn from life's experiences holistically, manage every challenge with the patient's best interests at heart, and enjoy your journey as a medical doctor. How to survive as a junior doctor - Read a little everyday - Start small - Eat and drink well: healthy meals, snacks and drinks - Comfortable footwear - Take the stairs - Speak about your experiences - Sleep well - Hobbies - Laugh and smile often - Your teachers are everyone and everywhere - Dedicated time-out - There is always a good side to everything
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Is the HALT Fentanyl Act Delusional or Just Performance Art?
On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed the HALT (Halt All Lethal Trafficking) Fentanyl Act. The bill aims to make permanent a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) temporary emergency rule from 2018, which has been extended twice by Congress. This rule classifies derivatives of the synthetic opioid fentanyl not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration—known as "fentanyl-related substances"—as Schedule I controlled substances. This extended rule is set to expire in March. This is nothing new. Lawmakers are not fundamentally altering existing federal fentanyl policy; they are simply continuing a framework that has failed over the past seven years to stop sellers of illicit fentanyl from meeting market demand. Celebrating the passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act as a new effort to combat fentanyl trafficking and overdose deaths is merely an example of performance art. By classifying a drug as Schedule I, the DEA determines it to have "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse." The DEA categorizes cannabis, heroin, and psychedelic drugs as Schedule I. Cops may not see these substances as medically valuable, but many physicians might disagree. No reasonable person would argue that cannabis has "no currently accepted medical use." As early as 1916, William Osler, often referred to as the "father of modern medicine," recommended cannabis as the drug of choice for treating migraines. Cannabis's history of accepted medical use goes all the way back to at least 2,800 B.C. Heroin is a semisynthetic opioid that is considerably less potent than Schedule II hydromorphone and is included in the drug formularies of several affluent countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, and Germany, where it is used to manage pain and treat addiction. Nowadays, most people recognize the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, including some members of Congress. But the HALT Fentanyl Act is also delusional. For decades, Schedule I classification has done nothing to halt the flow and use of cannabis, heroin, or psychedelics. Cannabis and psychedelic use is at historic highs, and heroin use is making a significant comeback after fentanyl nearly replaced it during the COVID-19 pandemic. Why should lawmakers expect things to work out any differently for fentanyl-related substances? Classifying fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I will hinder progress in therapeutic research. Although the latest version of the HALT Fentanyl Act includes provisions intended to alleviate some burdens, it will not substantially lessen the multiple regulatory challenges that clinical researchers must overcome before the DEA allows them to conduct studies to determine whether Schedule I drugs can be used to treat certain conditions. We may never know if a currently banned fentanyl-related substance could help reverse overdoses or treat addiction. The HALT Fentanyl Act increases mandatory minimum sentences for the possession or distribution of illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances. Research indicates that this approach does not serve as an effective deterrent. Instead, it merely fills prisons, ruins the futures of drug users, disrupts their families, and provides aggressive prosecutors with coercive plea-bargaining strategies. Additionally, threatening drug dealers with life imprisonment or the death penalty is unlikely to deter the drug trade. Most drug dealers already consider the risk of death when entering the business and, realistically, fear being killed by rival cartels and dealers more than by the United States Department of Justice. Politicians often refer to the fentanyl overdose crisis as an "epidemic" or an "invasion." However, these metaphors are misleading. Drug trafficking organizations do not propel fentanyl into our country from launch pads in Mexico, soaring through the sky in search of innocent victims. The flow of fentanyl is a reaction to market demand. More importantly, fentanyl is simply the latest example of what drug policy analysts refer to as the iron law of prohibition: The harder the law enforcement, the harder the drug. Prohibition encourages those who sell banned substances to create stronger variations that they can smuggle more easily in smaller quantities and divide into more units for sale. Prohibition makes the black market dangerous because people who buy drugs on the black market can never be sure of the drug's purity, dosage, or even if it is the drug they think they are buying. If lawmakers continue to double down on the same prohibitionist policies they have used for over 50 years, deaths from illicit drug overdoses will keep rising. Repeating the same actions, with even more intensity this time, will not produce a different outcome. Until lawmakers abandon their tired rituals of prohibitionist theater, they will continue to fuel needless suffering and loss. The post Is the HALT Fentanyl Act Delusional or Just Performance Art? appeared first on
