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Category: Letters
October 01, 2012
Infection with blood-borne pathogens has long been recognised as an occupational risk for healthcare workers (HCWs), particularly surgeons and anaesthetists whose work often involves breaching the cutaneous or mucosal barrier, exposing them to blood and other body fluids and putting them at risk ...
October 01, 2012
Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, criminalising consensual sexual activity between adults of the same sex, was framed during the British Raj and continued to govern Indian sexual relations until very recently. This law seems to reflect societal attitudes towards alternate sexualities. Such at...
October 01, 2012
In July 2011 Nature carried a Comment titled "Grand Challenges to Global Mental Health"announcing research priorities to benefit people with mental illness around the world. The essay called for urgent action and investment. However, many professionals, academics, and service user advocate organi...
October 01, 2012
The article by Sarin et alon the subject of psychiatric advance directives (PADs) raises new problems which are particularly challenging in the Indian context. The debate so far has focused on issues of competence, access, resources and legal dilemmas. What is missing is a discussion on the cultu...
October 01, 2012
I read with interest the articles in the latest issue of IJME. Most seem to advocate that teaching humanities to medical students would make them more humane and concerned doctors and would develop empathy towards their patients in their future careers as practising doctors.
October 01, 2012
Devnani et al discuss various ethical dimensions of the public health measures to be taken when planning for an influenza pandemic. In a developing country like India which is diverse, multicultural, over populated and undergoing rapid but unequal growth, ethical pandemic planning must address ex...
October 01, 2012
In the era of the Consumer Protection Act, doctors running small private hospitals in rural settings face unique ethical challenges, especially in acute medical emergencies. I would like to share a few such cases
July 01, 2012
The editorial by Dr Sanjay Nagral on the AMRI fire does not, amongst other things, point out the complicity of politics (in this case of the CPI(M) party and the Left Front government) with the private sector (in this case, the private health sector). It also does not point out the neglect of...
July 01, 2012
The study conducted by Shetty et al on the experiences of an ethics committee (EC) in developing an oversight mechanism is indeed an eye opener . The study has identified some crucial areas where good clinical practice (GCP) guidelines have been violated at investigator sites. These would prob...
July 01, 2012
Resident doctors often resort to strikes for reasons concerning safety at the workplace, better working conditions, better remuneration, and policy issues such as caste-based reservations and appointments to institute positions . Although many articles have discussed whether or not physicians sho...