Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Missing ‘E’s

The article “The missing ‘E’s of medical education” by K. Srinath Reddy (June 25) was an extraordinary piece of writing that reflected the author’s warmth and respect for the noble profession of medicine. With knowledge come humility and dedication. This is more so in the medical profession, to which patients submit themselves with the utmost faith and expectation. Dr. Reddy has rightly called upon budding medicos to orient themselves towards service and humanism.

S.V. Venugopalan,

Chennai

Dr. Reddy has raised some of the most compelling issues in medical science. In a country where the vast majority is poor, it is unfortunate to see a phenomenal growth in the number of multi-specialty hospitals which charge astronomical fees to treat even a common cold. We find primary health centres vanishing from the face of the towns. The issues raised by Dr. Reddy should be studied by all those who feel medical science in India has lost its soul.

Anuradha Duda Reddy,

New Delhi

It was the Flexner report that introduced ‘medical elitism,’ a notion that doctors are above the common masses. In government hospitals, it is common to see groups of medical students led by a teacher surrounding a poor patient. A full lecture is delivered over him or her. Doctors in public hospitals need to give up the practice of referring to patients as ‘cases’ and ‘bed numbers.’

Anurag Mehrotra,

Chennai

Medical education needs to be revamped to meet the demands of the day, particularly by giving more space to the missing ‘E’s mentioned in the article. Today, a patient’s purse is more important than his pulse. Laboratory tests, which are at the most complementary to the diagnostic process, are prescribed mechanically. It will be appropriate for medical educators to ensure that a budding doctor is well sensitised to the social angle of a disease and his ethical responsibilities.

D.V.G. Sankararao,

Vizianagaram

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