NOVEMBER 2016

Year : 07 Pages : 19Volume : 87 New Delhi : 125

THE DOCTOR’S PEOPLETHE PURPOSE OF OUR LIVESIS TO BE HAPPY THE OF OUR

BE PURPOSE

HAPPYLIVES

IS TO- Dalai Lama

Beautiful lifein stories

Life isAwesome

Our regularFeatures

Editor’s Point of viewDr. Mahesh Baldwa

MedicoLegal writes

Dear doctor friends,We are disadvantaged in their desire and need to help protect vulnerable children from abuse. Other agencies "share concerns” and have lower thresholds for reporting, whilst all the training for doctors seems to focus on "referrals". Not surprisingly, many doctors are concerned whether something they see before them crosses that threshold of referral, which they fear will precipitate action and jeopardize future relations with the family, hence they don’t report.

The country’s largest non-government organization of allopathic doctors, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), is joining hands with United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to sensitize doctors on the issue.

“Doctors across the country are seeing an alarming rise in the number of child abuse cases. Most of the times they are not sure of the correct questions to ask in the case, how to document and collect evidence, reassure the child/parents and then the procedure to inform the correct authorities to take action in the matter. This article hopes to educate doctors in this regard. The aim is to identify and report abuse as early as possible to ensure that the child remains safe” “Despite the ban on corporal punishment we still get complaints of children being subjected to this kind of abuse that hits them physically, mentally and emotionally. What is worse is that it is being done by educated teachers and in some cases accepted even by parents.

The fact that it is often difficult to decide whether to report suspected abuse does not negate one's professional and legal responsibility to protect children by doing so. Physicians are not responsible for determining whether maltreatment occurred, only for reporting reasonable suspicion. The reporting decision is complicated by ambiguous definitions that vary across disciplines and by cultural differences in acceptable parenting practices. Many factors play a role in a physician's likelihood of reporting, including the relationship with the family, details surrounding the injury, consultation with colleagues, and previous experience with CPS. Physicians may reduce their

decisional burden and increase appropriate reporting byparticipating regularly in continuing education related to child maltreatment, familiarizing themselves withreporting laws. This article gives in depth details of prevailing laws.

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, came into force on November 14, 2012. This Act has strengthened the legal provisions for the protection of children from sexual abuse and exploitation. It has been passed to address issues of sexual offences against children in India. Section 21(1) of the Act, requires mandatory reporting of cases of child sexual abuse, hence the onus is on citizens, that is parents, doctors and school personnel to report cases to the law enforcement authorities. Failure to report a suspicion of child abuse is an offence under the Act and attracts legal action. Safeguarding children have become relevant this year 2014 with Nobel Prize winners Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yusufzai underling the issue. India is home to almost 19 percent of the world's children. More than one third of the country's population, around 440 million, is below 18 years. According to one assumption 40 percent of these children are in need of care and protection, which indicates the extent of the problem. In a country like India with its multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious population, the problems of socially marginalized and economically backward groups are immense. Within such groups the most vulnerable section is always the children. Traditionally in India, the responsibility of care and protection of children has been with families and communities. A strong knit patriarchal family that is meant to look after its children well has seldom had the realization that children are individuals with their own rights. While the Constitution of India guarantees many fundamental rights to the children, the approach to ensure the fulfilment of these rights was more needs based rather than rights based. The transition to the

Your’s truly,Dr. Mahesh BaldwaMBBS, MD, DCH, LLB, LLM, Phd, MBA

Editor’s Point Of View

INDEX

PUBLISHED BY MR. VIJAY ARORA, 54, VINOBA PURI, LAJPAT NAGAR - 2, NEW DELHI - 24,

PRINTED AT : D.R. OFFSET PRINTER, S - 533, SCHOOL BLOCK, SHAKKAR PUR, DELHI - 92

THE DOCTOR'S PEOPLE TEAM BRIEF

Graphics & Design

Advertising DirectorSanjay K. Sabran.

Monica Gosain.

Editorial AssetsVijay Arora. (M.B.A. L.L.B)Yatindra Singh Bisht.

Dr. Mahesh Baldwa

Design Accent

EditorBeautiful Life Through Stories

2

Life Is Awesome4

Medical News Update

6

Operational Support

Anurag Mishra.

Circulation ManagerDeepak Chabra.

Publication SupportRajan Kumar. & Pradeep Sodhi.

Beautiful Life in storiesBeautiful Life in storiesBeautiful Life in storiesA young guy met a pretty girl at a party. She was so outstanding, this sent many guys chasing after her, while he being average, nobody paid him attention.At the end of the party, he finally summoned courage to invite the girl to have coffee with him. She was surprised, but out of politeness, she promised. They both sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, waiting for coffee.. She kept on thinking, “Please, let it get over soon…let me go home….” she finally said. The coffee was brought and suddenly, he asked the waiter. “Would you please get me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee!” Everyone at the shop stared at him, so strange! His face turned red, but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, “Why this unusual habit?” He took a couple of sips and replied, “When I was still a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea! I can still remember the taste of the sea..

This salty coffee…every time I drink it, I always think of my childhood days, think of my hometown… Oh no! I miss my hometown so much… I miss my parents who are still out there.” While saying this, tears filled his eyes.

The pretty girl was deeply touched. A man who can tell out his homesickness, must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home. Pretty soon, she also started to speak, she spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. That was a really great date, also a beautiful beginning of their story.

This new pair continued to date. She got to discover that actually, he was a man who met all her expectations: he was tolerant, kind hearted, warm, caring. He was such a good man and had it not been for the salt in the coffee, she’d never have really known him!

The rest of the story was just like any other beautiful love story: they finally got married, and they lived a very happy married life. And sure! Every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, just the way he liked it! After 40 years of marital bliss, he died after a short illness. One day, she found a letter he had left for her: “My dearest, Please forgive me, but I lied to you.. Only once.. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous, I asked for salt instead of sugar! I was too embarrassed to admit it, so I just went ahead. I never thought that could bring about such a frank and intimate conversation between the two of us!

Later, I tried to tell you the truth so many times, but was afraid you’d think I was a liar and never again believe me … Now I’m dying, and am afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth: I don’t like salty coffee, as a matter of fact I hate it! What a strange bad taste.. But since you made it for me with so much love, I drank it all my life!

Please forgive me, darling.. for lying to you first in that Coffee Shop and then not telling you the truth everytime you made coffee for me! I am not lying now when I say, I couldn’t have that coffee any other way! – still madly in love with you”If anybody ask her: “How did that salted coffee taste?” “It’s sweet.” She always replied.

MESSAGES OF THE STORY1. Always learn to make the best of every situation. Also, be wise.2. A great disappointment might be a blessing in disguise, who knows.

He was dead--the head of a high tribunal, the upright magistrate whose irreproachable life was a proverb in all the courts of France. Advocates, young counsellors, judges had greeted him at sight of his large, thin, pale face lighted up by two sparkling deep-set eyes, bowing low in token of respect.

He had passed his life in pursuing crime and in protecting the weak. Swindlers and murderers had no more redoubtable enemy, for he seemed to read the most secret thoughts of their minds.

He was dead, now, at the age of eighty-two, honored by the homage and followed by the regrets of a whole people. Soldiers in red trousers had escorted him to the tomb and men in white cravats had spoken words and shed tears that seemed to be sincere beside his grave.But here is the strange paper found by the dismayed notary in the desk where he had kept the records of great criminals! It was entitled:

20th June, 1851. I have just left court. I have condemned Blondel to death! Now, why did this man kill his five children? Frequently, one meets with people to whom the destruction of life is a pleasure. Yes, yes, it should be a pleasure, the greatest of all, perhaps, for is not killing the next thing to creating? To make and to destroy! These two words contain the history of the universe, all the history of worlds, all that is, all! Why is it not intoxicating to kill?

25th June. To think that a being is there who lives, who walks, who runs. A being? What is a being? That animated thing, that bears in it the principle of motion and a will ruling that motion. It is attached to nothing, this thing. Its feet do not belong to the ground. It is a grain of life that moves on the earth, and this grain of life, coming I know not whence, one can destroy at one's will. Then nothing--nothing more. It perishes, it is finished.

26th June. Why then is it a crime to kill? Yes, why? On the contrary, it is the law of nature. The mission of every being is to kill; he kills to live, and he kills to kill. The beast kills without ceasing, all day, every instant of his existence. Man kills without ceasing, to nourish himself; but since he needs, besides, to kill for pleasure, he has invented hunting! The child kills the insects he finds, the little birds, all the little animals that come in his way. But this does not suffice for the irresistible need to massacre that is in us. It is not enough to kill beasts; we must kill man too. Long ago this need was satisfied by human sacrifices. Now the requirements of social life have made murder a crime. We condemn and punish the assassin! But as we cannot live without yielding to this natural and imperious instinct of death, we relieve ourselves, from time to time, by wars. Then a whole nation slaughters another nation. It is a feast of blood, a feast that maddens armies and that intoxicates civilians, women and children, who read, by lamplight at night, the feverish story of massacre.

One might suppose that those destined to accomplish these butcheries of men would be despised! No, they are loaded with honors. They are clad in gold and in resplendent garments; they wear plumes on their heads and ornaments on their breasts, and they are given crosses, rewards, titles of every kind. They are proud, respected, loved by women, cheered by the crowd, solely because their mission is to shed human blood; They drag through the streets their instruments of death, that the passer-by, clad in black, looks on with envy. For to kill is the great law set by nature in the heart of existence! There is nothing more beautiful and honorable than killing!

30th June. To kill is the law, because nature loves eternal youth. She seems to cry in all her unconscious acts: "Quick! Quick! Quick!" The more she destroys, the more she renews herself.

The Salted Coffee

The Diary of a Madman- Guy de Maupassant

WHY?

2d July. A human being--what is a human being? Through thought it is a reflection of all that is; through memory and science it is an abridged edition of the universe whose history it represents, a mirror of things and of nations, each human being becomes a microcosm in the macrocosm.

3d July. It must be a pleasure, unique and full of zest, to kill; to have there before one the living, thinking being; to make therein a little hole, nothing but a little hole, to see that red thing flow, which is the blood, which makes life; and to have before one only a heap of limp flesh, cold, inert, void of thought!5th August. I, who have passed my life in judging, condemning, killing by the spoken word, killing by the guillotine those who had killed by the knife, I, I, if I should do as all the assassins have done whom I have smitten, I--I--who would know it?

l0th August. Who would ever know? Who would ever suspect me, me, me, especially if I should choose a being I had no interest in doing away with?15th August. The temptation has come to me. It pervades my whole being; my hands tremble with the desire to kill.

22d August. I could resist no longer. I killed a little creature as an experiment, for a beginning. Jean, my servant, had a goldfinch in a cage hung in the office window. I sent him on an errand, and I took the little bird in my hand, in my hand where I felt its heart beat. It was warm. I went up to my room. From time to time I squeezed it tighter; its heart beats faster; this was atrocious and delicious. I was near choking it. But I could not see the blood.

Then I took scissors, short-nail scissors, and I cut its throat with three slits, quite gently. It opened its bill, it struggled to escape me, but I held it, oh! I held it--I could have held a mad dog--and I saw the blood trickle.

And then I did as assassins do--real ones. I washed the scissors, I washed my hands. I sprinkled water and took the body, the corpse, to the garden to hide it. I buried it under a strawberry-plant. It will never be found. Every day I shall eat a strawberry from that plant. How one can enjoy life when one knows how!

My servant cried; he thought his bird flown. How could he suspect me? Ah! Ah!25th August. I must kill a man! I must----

30th August. It is done. But what a little thing! I had gone for a walk in the forest of Vernes. I was thinking of nothing, literally nothing. A child was in the road, a little child eating a slice of bread and butter.

He stops to see me pass and says, "Good-day, Mr. President."And the thought enters my head, "Shall I kill him?"I answer: "You are alone, my boy?”

"Yes, sir.""All alone in the wood?""Yes, sir.”

The wish to kill him intoxicated me like wine. I approached him quite softly, persuaded that he was going to run away. And, suddenly, I seized him by the throat. He looked at me with terror in his eyes--such eyes! He held my wrists in his little hands and his body writhed like a feather over the fire. Then he moved no more. I threw the body in the ditch, and some weeds on top of it. I returned home, and dined well. What a little thing it was! In the evening I was very gay, light, rejuvenated; I passed the evening at the Prefect's. They found me witty. But I have not seen blood! I am tranquil.

31st August. The body has been discovered. They are hunting for the assassin. Ah! Ah!1st September. Two tramps have been arrested. Proofs are lacking.

2d September. The parents have been to see me. They wept! Ah! Ah!

6th October. Nothing has been discovered. Some strolling vagabond must have done the deed. Ah! Ah! If I had seen the blood flow, it seems to me I should be tranquil now! The desire to kill is in my blood; it is like the passion of youth at twenty.

20th October. Yet another. I was walking by the river, after breakfast. And I saw, under a willow, a fisherman asleep. It was noon. A spade was standing in a potato-field near by, as if expressly, for me.

I took it. I returned; I raised it like a club, and with one blow of the edge I cleft the fisherman's head. Oh! He bled, this one! Rose-colored blood. It flowed into the water, quite gently. And I went away with a grave step. If I had been seen! Ah! Ah! I should have made an excellent assassin.

25th October. The affair of the fisherman makes a great stir. His nephew, who fished with him, is charged with the murder.26th October. The examining magistrate affirms that the nephew is guilty. Everybody in town believes it. Ah! Ah!

27th October. The nephew makes a very poor witness. He had gone to the village to buy bread and cheese, he declared. He swore that his uncle had been killed in his absence! Who would believe him?

28th October. The nephew has all but confessed, they have badgered him so. Ah! Ah! Justice!15th November. There are overwhelming proofs against the nephew, who was his uncle's heir. I shall preside at the sessions.

25th January. To death! To death! To death! I have had him condemned to death! Ah! Ah! The advocate-general spoke like an angel! Ah! Ah! Yet another! I shall go to see him executed!

10th March. It is done. They guillotined him this morning. He died very well! Very well! That gave me pleasure! How fine it is to see a man's head cut off

Now, I shall wait, I can wait. It would take such a little thing to let myself be caught.

The manuscript contained yet other pages, but without relating any new crime.

Alienist physicians to whom the awful story has been submitted declare that there are in the world, many undiscovered madmen as adroit and as much to be feared as this monstrous lunatic.

Life Is AwesomeDoctors found that three of the man's arteries were 90% blocked and he was immediately rushed into surgery for a four hour operation

The bird has escaped from its owner near Watford, Herts. which could even target human babies

The pyramid, also known as the Pyramid of Khufu, is considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world

A patient whose heart stopped more than 40 times in one hour after triple heart bypass surgery came around singing folk songs when he regained consciousness.

Bekir Demirtas, 66, was rushed into surgery after he went to hospital complaining of chest pains in the city of Erzincan in north-eastern Turkey. Doctors at the Erzincan Mengucek Gazi Research and Training Hospital found that three of his main arteries were 90 per cent blocked.

The pensioner was immediately rushed into surgery for a four-hour operation and then transferred to intensive care after it was completed successfully.He seemed to be recovering well until his heart suddenly stopped beating. Doctors performed heart massage therapy to bring him back. But then they realised there was a recurring problem which caused his heart to stop beating 40 times in an hour.

Doctors opened up his chest again and massaged his heart by hand before taking him back into surgery for a second operation to have a heart pump fitted to keep it beating. This time, when Mr Demirtas came around he said he felt as fit as a fiddle, thanked doctors and nurses and sang them a folk song in the intensive care unit. He said: "Previously my heart would ache, I would have shortness of breath. Now I have no such a problem. I could wrestle and fight, and even dance.”

Dr Oruc Alper Onk, who led the surgical team, said he had never seen a case like it in more than 500 operations. Second operation to have a heart pump fitted to keep it beating. He said: "We opened the chest at the intensive care unit because we were afraid he wouldn't make it into surgery.

"His heart stopped more than 40 times. We did electroshock to the heart, in the meantime, we realised that the drainage was pressing on the heart and was causing bleeding, we removed it and cleaned the blood around the heart.

"The heart stopped and worked again in short periods of 20 to 30 seconds. We took the heart in our hands and continued massaging it, then we took our patient for a second operation.”

A neighbourhood is being terrorised by a huge swooping bird of prey which escaped from its owner.Police have advised residents to "stay under cover" after a golden eagle escaped four days ago.Helmet-wearing are urging people to stay away from the "extremely large" bird which flew from its home near Watford, Herts., on Friday.Golden eagles use their agility and speed combined with powerful feet and massive, sharp talons, which can grow up to three inches, to snatch up a variety of prey. Small animals such as foxes, lambs, rabbits, guinea pigs and even human babies could be at risk of becominThe frightening bird has been known to attempt to whisk babies from parks in Montreal, Canada.

The huge bird of prey, which made a break for freedom in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, is a one year old male weighing around 8lbs with a 6ft wing span and can be identified by the leather tethers hanging from its feet. Anyone who sees the bird is advised to stay under cover if they spot it and call Hertfordshire Police.

Cheryl O'Keeffe, administrator at RSPCA Middlesex North West, said: "Small animals, like rabbits and guinea pigs, are at risk. "We advise pet owners to make sure their pets' hutches are secure; that there are no loose panels and that they haven't been digging beneath their runs.”

Two secret chambers have been discovered in Egypt's 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza.Researchers confirmed they had found the mysterious cavaties after scanning the centuries old tomb using revolutionary radiography equipment. The Scan Pyramids project made the latest discovery after being able to demonstrate the efficiency of non-evasive Muons technology at the Bent Pyramid in Dahshour this May. Last year thermal scanning identified a major anomaly in the Great Pyramid, sparking a debate over whether there was a long-running network of tunnels hidden away inside. But now the mystery has been answered as the Ministry of Antiquities announced on Thursday that 'two anomalies' were found in the pyramid built under King Khufu. They are now looking to conduct further tests on the 146m-high monument to determine their function, nature and size.

The pyramid, also known as the Pyramid of Khufu, named after the son of Phara oh Snefru, is considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.Operation Scan Pyramids scientists said: "We are now able to confirm the existence of a 'void' hidden behind the north face, that could have the form of at least one corridor going inside the Great Pyramid."has three known chambers, and like other pyramids in Egypt was intended as a pharaoh's tomb.Another 'cavity' was discovered on the pyramid's northeast flank but there is currently no link between the two cavities, according to Mehdi Tayoubi, founder of the Heritage Innovation Preservation Institute (HIP).

He told Seeker : "Such void is shaped like a corridor and could go up inside the pyramid.”The international Scan Pyramids team is lead by the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University, and the Paris-based HIP Institute. The launched their mission in October last year to search for hidden rooms inside Khufu and its neighbour Khafre in Giza, as well as the Bent and Red pyramids in Dahshur, all south of Cairo. The project applies a mix of infrared thermography, muon radiography imaging and 3D reconstruction - all of which the researchers say are non-invasive and non-destructive techniques.

Pensioner whose heart stops 40 TIMES during triple bypass surgery, wakes up singing folk songs

Neighbours terrorised by huge golden eagle as people urged to 'stay under cover’

Two mysterious 'secret chambers' discovered inside Egypt's Great Pyramid using cosmic rays and space particles

Scan Pyramids explained in a statement that muons are "similar to X-rays which can penetrate the body and allow bone imaging' and 'can go through hundreds of metres of stone before being absorbed. "Judiciously placed detectors - for example inside a pyramid, below a potential, unknown chamber - can then record particle tracks and discern cavities from denser regions."

In May scientists from the project released images and details of what they found at the Bent Pyramid, located at the royal necropolis of Dahshur. They uncovered two entrances, one on the north side and one on the west side. They open onto two corridors, which in turn lead to a pair of burial chambers, one on top of the other. It is the earliest to be built under the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu and thought to be the first attempt at a smooth sided structure.

It had been thought the body of Pharaoh Sneferu was entombed inside the pyramid. However the scans scotched that theory - with no suitable chamber found inside the monument. But Mehdi Tayoubi, president of the Heritage Innovation Preservation Institute, told Discovery: "Nevertheless, this is indeed a scientific breakthrough as it validates the muography principle applied to Egyptian pyramids. "It paves the way to new investigations.

Ryan Williams, 19, was baffled when people told him he may need a lesson in biology after he declared tampons are a 'luxury item' because "it's all about self-control" A teenage 'meninist' has been sent death threats after telling women to just "control their bladders" in a row over the Tampon tax .

Ryan Williams sparked fury after he shared his questionable views on the female anatomy and feminine hygiene products on social media. The photography student, who has a girlfriend, believes tampons are a 'luxury item' and said if a woman "cannot hold in her period until she gets to a toilet" then it is her problem, not the taxpayers'.

But the 19-year-old, who says he works at Selfridges on Facebook , has been left baffled after people pointed out, maybe he needed to take a lesson in the female anatomy.

Since sharing his controversial views yesterday evening, Ryan's post - in which he calls women campaigning to end 'Tampon Tax' C"cheapskates" - has been shared by 1,965 people and liked by 1,938.

He also seems to be revelling his five minutes of fame after he wrote on Facebook tonight: "For any TV requests, please contact me directly. "Thanks #SelfControl #StopTheBlob ."

Ryan, from Canvey Island, Essex, said earlier in the day: "I saw a post about ending tampon tax and I was so annoyed I had to have my say. "People are saying tampons shouldn't be taxed because they are a necessity, but why can't those women just learn to control their bladders? "If they are going to bleed, then they should wait until they get to the toilet. It's all about self-control. "If you can't control your bladder then that's not the taxpayers' problem. I don't urinate everywhere and expect free nappies.

"If you make tampons free where do you draw the line? They'll be going about petitioning for toilet roll to be free next. "I think women who want an end on tampon tax are just cheapskates." The teen, who studies in Norwich and has been with his girlfriend Clare Kennedy, also 19, for 15 months, even set up a poll to find out how many people would support him.

But Ryan was shocked to find that 87 per cent of those who have responded to the poll think tampons should be free - and only 13 per cent agree women should 'hold their bladders'. Since sharing his opinions, Ryan has been criticised for his lack of knowledge of the female anatomy and claims he has even received death threats from feminists.

Ryan, whose favourite quote on Facebook is: "Just found out the world doesn't revolve around me. Shocked & upset" by Marina Diamandis, said: "The tweet has completely blown up and the responses I have had are absolutely stupid. "I can't believe that 87 per cent of people think tampons should be free - it is ludicrous. "People have told me that I must have skipped biology lessons, but I don't understand how that is relevant. I have even had death threats. "People are saying it isn't dirty, it's natural, but urine and faeces are natural and still dirty. It's utter hypocrisy.

"Some people have started comparing me to Donald Trump, but there is absolutely no comparison - to Zac Efron, yes, but not to Donald Trump." Although he has received a lot of negative responses Ryan is glad he has gone viral because he feels his post will serve as a 'real eye opener'.

The student, who was also an avid Brexit campaigner, feels it has all been worth it for the messages of support he has received from a lot of other men. Ryan said: "Even with the negative comments and death threats I am glad so many people have shared my tweet.

"I have had a lot of messages from men saying I am right. I think it has been a real eye-opener for them." The treasury vowed to axe the so-called Tampon Tax in January this year, and by March Parliament accepted an amendment by Paula Sherriff MP for VAT to be abolished on women’s sanitary products.

But following the Brexit vote the amendment is unlikely to be implemented until April 2018. More than 300,000 people have signed a Change.org petition calling for sanitary items to be exempted from tax, and Ms Sherriff has pledged to keep up the pressure until the reform is seen through.

She said: "There is no excuse not to act now, and reform is long overdue - 2017 should be a deadline not an aspiration. "In the meantime, the Chancellor should guarantee that essential women’s services won’t depend on a tax on essential women’s products.”

Courtesy: Mirror News

Teenage 'meninist' sparks fury with anti-tampon rant as he tells women to 'just control their bladders'- BYRACHEL BISHOP

Men diagnosed with prostate cancer often receive hormone-depleting therapy to help fight the tumor. But a new study suggests that the treatment may pose a risk to men who've previously suffered a heart attack.

"Patient age, cardiac risk, and disease recurrence risk should be considered when selecting candidates for hormone therapy in this patient population," lead researcher Dr. Nataniel Lester- Coll of

Yale University said in a Yale news release. He's a resident doctor at the Yale School of Medicine's department of therapeutic radiology in New Haven, Conn.

Because prostate tumors typically grow in the presence of hormones such as testosterone, doctors often recommend therapies that temporarily deplete hormone levels. But might that approach affect heart health?

To find out, the Yale team analyzed data from patients with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer. The investigators found that hormone therapy improved patient survival and quality of life.

There was one exception, however: the treatment decreased survival and quality of life in men with a prior history of heart attack, the findings showed.Younger patients with fewer cardiac risk factors had the most to gain from hormone therapy, Lester-Coll's team found.One prostate cancer expert said the study provides new "insight" into patient care.

"Men who had prior documented history of heart disease as demonstrated by prior heart attack were potentially harmed by the addition of hormonal therapy," said Dr. Manish Vira, vice chair for urologic research at The Arthur Smith Institute for Urology in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

Also, he said, the added cardiac risks that seem to accompany hormone therapy for these patients may outweigh any benefit in slowing the cancer.While numerous studies have shown that hormone therapy can help many types of prostate cancer patients, this study "suggests that additional factors such as cardiovascular medical problems should be taken into account in the treatment decisions," Vira said.

The study was presented Sept. 28 at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology meeting in Boston. Experts note that findings presented at medical meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Gene therapy might one day offer a way to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease, new research in mice suggests.Scientists at Imperial College London used a modified virus to deliver a gene called PGC1-alpha into the brain cells of mice. Previous research suggests this gene may prevent the formation of a protein called amyloid-beta peptide.

It's the main component of amyloid plaques, the sticky clumps of protein in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. These plaques are thought to cause brain cell death.

These very early findings could lead to a way of preventing Alzheimer's or stopping it in the early stages, according to study senior author Magdalena Sastre.

Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia. It causes memory loss, confusion, and changes in mood and personality. There is no cure.

"There are many hurdles to overcome, and at the moment the only way to deliver the gene is via an injection directly into the brain," Sastre said in a college news release.

It's also important to note that therapies that look promising in mice often don't work in humans."However, this proof-of-concept study shows this approach warrants further investigation," she added. Sastre is a senior lecturer in the department of medicine.

David Reynolds, chief scientific officer for Alzheimer's Research UK, said studies like this one are important because current treatments do not stop progression of Alzheimer's damage.

"This research sets a foundation for exploring gene therapy as a treatment strategy for Alzheimer's disease, but further studies are needed to establish whether gene therapy would be safe, effective and practical to use in people with the disease," Reynolds said in the news release.The study was published Oct. 10 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

High blood pressure, particularly in middle age, might open the door to dementia, the American Heart Association warns in a new scientific statement.Dementia affects some 30 million to 40 million people worldwide. That number is expected to triple by 2050, as the world's population ages and treatments remain elusive, the association noted.

"People with high blood pressure tend to have more dementia," said statement author Dr. Costantino Iadecola. He is a professor of neurology and neuroscience at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.

Whether controlling high blood pressure ("hypertension") reduces the odds of developing dementia, however, has not been scientifically proven, he said."There are a lot of small observational studies that looked at people who were treated for blood pressure and, generally, there was an improvement in cognition

NNEWSEWSMEDICALMEDICAL

UPDATESUPDATES

Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer Less Safefor Men With Prior Heart Attack

Animal Study Hints at Gene Therapy's Possible Promise for Alzheimer's

High Blood Pressure May Hike Dementia Risk

Source : HealthDay News

Source : HealthDay News

Source : HealthDay News

[thinking skills]," Iadecola said."However, what we really need is a trial that specifically addresses the link between hypertension and cognition. What we need is a big trial to really narrow this down," he suggested.

High blood pressure is "the worst possible thing for the brain," Iadecola said. First, high blood pressure damages the blood vessels in the brain and leads to hardening of the arteries. Second, it affects tiny blood vessels and the brain's ability to control blood flow, which is essential to keep it working normally, he explained.

"Although scientifically we don't have evidence, treating blood pressure is going to be important. It not only saves the brain, but also the heart and the kidney. So in the absence of evidence, the best thing to do is to control blood pressure," Iadecola suggested.

The AHA statement was published online Oct. 10 in the journal Hypertension.Most of the trials that the committee reviewed did not deal directly with the effects of high blood pressure on dementia, so it was impossible to come up with clear recommendations for doctors on how to treat patients with the condition, Iadecola said.

One of the problems is that years may elapse between the time high blood pressure is diagnosed and dementia starts. Long-term studies addressing questions -- such as when to start treatment to protect the brain, the ideal blood pressure to achieve, and which medications can help -- are badly needed, he said.

The SPRINT-MIND trial, a study designed to evaluate treating high blood pressure to stall dementia, may give the answers to some of these questions, Iadecola said. Results of that trial are expected to be available next year, the authors of the report noted.

Until then, Iadecola recommends treating high blood pressure on a patient-by-patient basis to protect brain, heart and kidneys.According to Dr. Sam Gandy, director of the Center for Cognitive Health at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, controlling blood pressure during midlife probably reduces risk for dementia in late life. "My instinct is to say that this is certainly true, but there is a qualification," he added.

"If hypertension is allowed to smolder along untreated through midlife, then initiating blood pressure control in late life may not show benefit, or may even be harmful," Gandy said.

It's becoming clear that dementia begins in midlife, and by the time the symptoms emerge, the patient is 70 or 80 or more, "and the horse is out of the barn, so closing the door at that point is just way, way too late," he explained.

"My guess is that we eventually will begin amyloid brain scans around age 50 and repeat them every two to five years," Gandy said."We are working hard on dementia, but we haven't made a meaningful dent. And that will probably hold until we realize that, at 65, it may be too late to have any impact on the dementia outcome. We might eventually have to begin interventions as early as age 45," he suggested.

Intense anger or heavy physical exertion may be triggers for a first heart attack in some people, new research suggests.In the study of more than 12,000 people, both intense activity and intense emotions each seemed to double the odds of suffering a heart attack in the next hour. That risk rose about threefold when people were upset and exerted themselves at the same time.

The study is far from the first to suggest -- and it does not prove -- that bouts of anger or physical exertion can trigger a heart attack.But, it's larger than past studies, and more diverse -- covering first-time heart attack patients in 52 countries, said Barry Jacobs, a spokesman for the American Heart Association who was not involved in the research.

"This confirms that blowing your top is not good -- for other people, or for you," Jacobs said.Do the findings mean that everyone who gets angry will see a similar spike in their heart attack risk?"Common sense says no," said Jacobs, director of behavioral sciences at the Crozer-Keystone Family Medicine Residency Program in Springfield, Pa.He pointed to the underlying biology of it all: Intense emotions or activity can drive up blood pressure and heart rate, and cause blood vessels to constrict. That, in turn, may cause any artery-clogging "plaques" to rupture and cut off blood flow to the heart -- prompting a heart attack.

But a person would have to harbor those plaques in the first place, Jacobs said.In the study, researchers asked the heart attack patients whether they had been angry or emotionally upset in the hour before their heart attack, or during the same hour the day before. They also asked about heavy physical exertion.

The study did not dig for details -- such as the type of physical activity, or whether a person had an angry outburst or silently simmered."What we felt was important was to ask the same person about two different time periods," said lead researcher Dr. Andrew Smyth, of the Population Health Research Center at McMaster University, in Canada.

On average, his team found, people were over two times more likely to suffer a heart attack in the hour after a bout of intense emotions or activity, versus the same hour a day before.

In all, almost 14 percent of study participants said they'd exerted themselves in the hour before their heart attack symptoms arose. A similar number said they'd been angry or upset.

Smyth said his team did look at other factors that affect heart attack risk -- but none of them changed the risks linked to exertion and intense emotions. Physical exertion, for example, raised people's heart attack risk whether they were normally sedentary or regularly exercised.

Still, the researchers said, people face "external triggers" like anger and exertion every day, without succumbing to a heart attack. So, it's likely that those triggers come into play only when a person has artery-clogging plaques that are particularly vulnerable to rupturing.

Anger, Heavy Exertion: Fast Track to a Heart Attack?Source : HealthDay News

The findings on heavy exertion do not negate the importance of regular exercise, Smyth said. It's well known, he noted, that exercise has many long-term health benefits -- including a reduced risk of heart disease.

But Smyth did advise avoiding "extremes" -- physical and emotional."I do appreciate the difficulty in doing this," he said. "There are times when exposure to extremes of either is unavoidable."However, people with risk factors for heart attack can limit heavy exertion when possible, and "employ strategies" to avoid extreme emotions, according to Smyth.

Jacobs agreed. He said he does not advocate "burying your emotions." But, he added, "people can learn more appropriate ways of dealing with their emotions.”Jacobs pointed to meditation, breathing and relaxation exercises, and anger and stress management programs as sources ofhelp. He suggested people talk to their doctor about resources in their community, or go online to learn simple techniques, such as breathing practices.The findings were published Oct. 11 in the journal Circulation.

President Barack Obama's declaration Tuesday to send astronauts to Mars and back by the 2030s might come with health risks to the space travelers, a new study suggests.

The study, which was done with rodents, suggests that astronauts traveling to Mars could be at risk for developing dementia because of high levels of cosmic ray exposure.

It's a condition the study authors have dubbed "space brain."Researchers found that rodents exposed to highly energetic charged particles -- similar to galactic cosmic ray exposure faced by astronauts on lengthy space flights -- developed long-term brain damage that led to mental impairment and dementia. The effects included significant levels of brain inflammation and damage to neurons, the researchers said.

It's important to note, however, that animal studies frequently fail to produce similar results in humans.The rodents also had lower levels of "fear extinction" -- a process in which the brain suppresses stressful associations, such as when someone who nearly drowned learns to enjoy water again.

"Deficits in fear extinction could make you prone to anxiety, which could become problematic over the course of a three-year trip to and from Mars," said study author Charles Limoli. He's a professor of radiation oncology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine.

The findings are "not positive news for astronauts deployed on a two- to three-year round trip to Mars," Limoli said in a university news release.Similar types of cognitive (thinking) problems often occur in brain cancer patients who have received high-dose, photon-based radiation treatments, he said.Limoli's work is part of NASA's Human Research Program. Research into space radiation, learning how it might affect astronauts and coming up with potential ways to offset the risks are "critical to further human exploration of space, and NASA needs to consider these risks as it plans for missions to Mars and beyond," the release said.

"The space environment poses unique hazards to astronauts," Limoli said. "Exposure to these particles can lead to a range of potential central nervous system complications that can occur during and persist long after actual space travel -- such as various performance decrements, memory deficits, anxiety, depression and impaired decision-making.”

Possible solutions might include designing spacecraft with areas that have increased shielding, such as those used for rest and sleep. Even so, "there is really no escaping" the cosmic rays on a spaceship, the researchers added.

Another potential option would be development of drugs to prevent brain damage from cosmic rays, the researchers said.The study results were published Oct. 10 in the journal Scientific Reports.Obama, writing in an opinion piece for CNN's website, said: "The next step is to reach beyond the bounds of Earth's orbit. I'm excited to announce that we are working with our commercial partners to build new habitats that can sustain and transport astronauts on long-duration missions in deep space. These missions will teach us how humans can live far from Earth -- something we'll need for the long journey to Mars.”

While many believe that a high-protein diet can help with weight loss, a new study finds it might actually prevent an important health benefit that comes with slimming down.

The research found that when you lose weight on a high-protein diet, there's no improvement in what doctors call "insulin sensitivity" -- a factor that could lower your risk for diabetes and heart disease.

In type 2 diabetes, cells gradually lose insulin sensitivity -- their ability to respond to the metabolic hormone.This often occurs with rising obesity, so improved insulin sensitivity can be one of the byproducts of weight loss.However, "we found that women who lost weight eating a high-protein diet didn't experience any improvements in insulin sensitivity," said study principal investigator Bettina Mittendorfer. She's a professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Mittendorfer's team tracked outcomes over seven months for 34 obese women aged 50 to 65, none of whom had diabetes at the study's outset. The women were divided into three groups: a no-dieting group where women simply maintained their weight; a dieting group that ate the recommended daily level of protein; and a dieting group that stuck to a high-protein regimen.

At the end of the study period, women who ate a high-protein diet did not show improvement in insulin sensitivity, an important factor in reducing diabetes and heart disease risk.

Mars-Bound Astronauts Could Face Dementia Risk, Study ContendsSource : HealthDay News

High-Protein Diets May Not Help Fend Off Diabetes: StudySource : HealthDay News

The women who dieted but ate the standard amount of protein had a 25 to 30 percent improvement in their insulin sensitivity, the researchers reported."Women who lost weight while eating less protein were significantly more sensitive to insulin at the conclusion of the study," Mittendorfer said in a university news release. "That's important because in many overweight and obese people, insulin does not effectively control blood-sugar levels, and eventually the result is type 2 diabetes," she explained.

The researchers also found that consuming high levels of protein offered little benefit in terms of preserving muscle while dieting."When you lose weight, about two-thirds of it tends to be fat tissue, and the other third is lean tissue," Mittendorfer noted. "The women who ate more protein did tend to lose a little bit less lean tissue, but the total difference was only about a pound. We question whether there's a significant clinical benefit to such a small difference.”

It's not known why insulin sensitivity didn't improve among women who ate high-protein diets, or if the same results would occur in men or in women already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the study authors said.

One expert nutritionist said the findings make sense, metabolically speaking."Your body needs protein. But consuming an amount of protein beyond your needs is unnecessary, may be harmful if you have kidney issues, and can lead to weight gain since excess calories from protein are stored as fat," explained Stephanie Schiff. She's a registered dietitian at Huntington Hospital in Huntington, N.Y.

"For obese, postmenopausal women, add in the factor of decreased insulin sensitivity and the perceived benefits from high-protein diets are lost," she said.Schiff believes the healthiest diet is a "balanced" one that includes complex carbohydrates as well as a recommended level of daily protein.However, one diabetes expert believes healthy weight loss is typically beneficial in terms of preventing diabetes -- even if it involves high-protein regimens.

"Most of the time people who lose weight become more insulin sensitive," said Dr. Gerald Bernstein, who coordinates the Friedman Diabetes Program at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

He believes exercise is key, too."A reasonable amount of physical activity can increase insulin sensitivity in muscles," Bernstein said, "and we generally work on caloric restriction and physical activity together.”The findings were published Oct. 11 in the journal Cell Reports.

A freezing technique known as cryoablation might be a viable alternative to lumpectomy for treating small, early stage breast cancers, researchers report.In the small study of 86 patients, "cryoablation was shown to successfully [treat] the majority of small breast cancers with few side effects or complications," said study co-author Dr. Deanna Attai. She's an assistant clinical professor of surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine.

Using this minimally invasive approach to destroy cancer cells, there should be little to no change in the appearance of the breast, said Attai, immediate past president of the American Society of Breast Surgeons.

The major risk, Attai said, is not killing all the cancerous cells.Another surgeon noted that although further research is still needed, cryoablation appears to be "a potential new tool that we can offer women.""This is promising data. It's the first step," said Dr. Laura Kruper, chief of the breast surgery service at the City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte, Calif. However, "it's certainly not going to be for everyone," she added.

For one thing, "the tumor can only be about a centimeter," Kruper said. That's less than half an inch.The freezing technique has been used for years to treat cancers of the liver, lung and kidney, as well as noncancerous breast tumors, Attai and her colleagues said.

For the new study, the researchers performed the freezing technique on breast cancer patients in 19 centers across the United States. The tumors had to be 2 centimeters (about three-quarters of an inch) or smaller.

Because the study was designed to assess the technique's effectiveness in advance of government approval, the researchers surgically removed the tumors 28 days after the extreme-cold treatment. Then they examined the tissue in a pathology lab.

Overall, freezing was successful for 92 percent of the cancers. And it worked for all tumors measuring less than 1 centimeter, the study found.The outpatient procedure is done with local anesthesia. A doctor uses ultrasound imaging to help guide a thin, needle-like probe into the tumors. There, the probe emits liquid nitrogen, which creates an ice ball that freezes the tissue, Attai said. The nitrogen doesn't touch the tissue, she said.

Afterward, the body gradually reabsorbs the "dead" tissue, said Attai, who added that the residual scar is small.Potential complications of cryoablation include infection, bleeding, cold damage to the skin, pain and scarring, Attai said. To prevent cold damage, tumors close to the skin surface should not be treated in this way, she said.

Some of the patients in the study told Attai they would have preferred to skip the surgery that followed cryoablation. However, she said a subset of patients probably would feel more comfortable with traditional surgery.

It could be years before the approach might be recommended for standard practice, Attai said."We know cryoablation will kill small tumors. In order to truly compare with lumpectomy, we need a study where the patients undergo ablation and then are not treated with surgery," Attai said.

"We need to follow them for at least five years to determine if recurrence rates are higher with ablation alone," she explained.

Also yet to be decided is if radiation therapy would be needed after the cryoablation, Attai said.City of Hope also plans to research the technique further, said Kruper, who wasn't involved in the current study.

"We need more long-term data," she agreed.The study was published recently in the Annals of Surgical Oncology.

Freeze Therapy: An Alternative to Breast Cancer Surgery?Source : HealthDay News

Medical undergraduate, post-graduate qualificationsgranted by medical institutions inside or outsideIndia may not be registrable with MCI

By Dr. (Prof.) Mahesh Baldwa,M.D, D.C.H, FIAP, MBA, LL.B, LL.M, PhD (law)SENIOR PEDIATRICIAN & MEDICOLEGAL ADVISORFormerly Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at T.N. Medical College andNair Hospital, Mumbai- 400008.Ex. Asst. Professor JJ Hosp, Grant medical college,Ex. Professor, paper setter & examiner of law to postgraduate studentsof the University Department of Law, University of Mumbai.Baldwa Hospital, Sumer Nagar, S.V. Road, Borivali (West) Mumbai 400 092.2. Dr. Sushila Baldwa, MBBS, MD, consultant,Apollo clinic (part of Apollo Hospital),Kandivali West, Mumbai 3. Dr Namita Padvi, MBBS, MD,DNB, PGDML,Fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesiology,Assistant Professor of Pediatric Medicals at T.N. Pediatric Medical Collegeand Nair Hospital, Mumbai-4000084. Dr Varsha Gupta, MBBS, MD, PGDML, Senior resident indepartment of pathology, Government medical college, Kota, Rajasthan

Introduction

There is plethora of Medical undergraduate qualifications granted by medical institutions inside or outside India may not be registrable with MCI. This is not related to Naturapathy , Alternative medicine, Homeo, Unani, Sidha, tibb pathy degrees, but related to proper modern medicine courses available in medical institutions inside or outside India may not be registrable with MCI. Hence, one may be prosecuted under IPC s. 467 read with 471 for fake qualification.

Unrecognized medical courses raises a very important question – what is the legal status of such courses?

The Health Ministry has also informed the state of Haryana that “As far as recognition of any system of medicine was concerned, only three councils under the Government of India — namely MCI, CCIM and CCH — are authorised to do so. No other council has any authority to recognise any degree related to medical sciences or register the medical practitioners and no other council can issue any registration certificate to practise any type of medicine anywhere in India”.

As per the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, no medical college can start a course without the Centres prior permission. Three apex bodies regulate post-graduate education in India: the Medical Council of India (MCI), the National Board of Examinations (NBE) and state medical councils (SMCs). By exact definition, "recognised" post-graduate qualifications are those that are recognized by MCI and are included in the first schedule of the Medical Council of India Act. Though MCI recognizes most of the post-graduate courses conducted by NBE, the qualifications offered by NBE on the subjects of Family Medicine, Maternal and Child Health, and Hospital and Health Administration are not recognized by MCI. However, that does not make these courses invalid, simply because NBE was established by an act of parliament for the very purpose of awarding post-graduate medical qualifications.

According to the respective state government resolutions, the diploma courses offered by College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS), Mumbai are recognized by the Maharashtra and Gujarat medical councils. At present, these CPS diplomas are not recognized by MCI.

The qualifications recognized by MCI automatically stand recognized by SMCs, but the reverse is not true. Therefore, for a qualification to be eligible to be registered as an "additional qualification" in the SMC register, it has to be recognized either by MCI or at least by that particular SMC. Diplomate of National Board (DNB) qualifications in subjects which are not recognized by MCI (which have been mentioned earlier above) are not eligible for registration as "additional qualifications" in the SMC register. But as stated previously, all qualifications bestowed by NBE are supported by the central government and are very much valid. Hence, it is better to use the term "valid" rather than "recognized" for post-graduate medical courses. In this letter, the term "recognized" means "valid".

Position of paid foreign undergraduate degree degrees

The Medical Council of India has made it clear it will not recognize any foreign medical degree anymore. The council, which regulates all

medical colleges in the country, has not permitted foreign universities either to start India campus or start a medical course leading to the degree equivalent to MBBS in India. As per regulation 9 of the screening test regulations under the Act, Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 the eligibility certificate is valid for candidates only to join a medical institution outside India and obtain a primary medical qualification. They have to undergo screening tests on return before they can be registered with any Medical Council. The certificate cannot be used by any student to join an institution in India saying the degrees are awarded by foreign universities.

So many non – MCI unrecognized allopathic degrees available as post graduate courses in form of diploma, degree for payment of fees or payment. Eg, MD from university of Seychelles and Indian citizens who had obtained medical qualifications from Tanzania, Philippines decided to consider the case of the Indian citizens who had obtained medical qualifications from

Seychelles on a similar basis in view of the law laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in Medical Council of India v. J. Saai Prasanna {Judgment dated 09/05/11}. The Medical Council of India in similar cases, namely, Priya Nair and Others before High Court ofDelhi and Shri Shivaji Dnyandeo Patil and other filed before the Hon’blE High Court of

Bombay has acceded to prayers and accordingly granted registration if the person has qualified the Screening Test. The Board also noted that in accordance with the provisions of

“Eligibility Requirement for taking admission in an undergraduate medical course in a Foreign Medical Institution Regulations, 2002 the candidates who have been admitted after 16/04/2010 amendment in any foreign medical institution the candidates must have studied for the entire duration of the course in the same foreign medical institution.

Medical diploma factories in IndiaReputed medical journals dedicated to advertisements endorsing unrecognized post-graduate diplomas, fellowship and certificate courses conducted by private institutions and hospitals for MBBS doctors.

Judgments make it amply clear that any post-graduate medical course conducted under any title (diploma, postgraduate diploma, certificate, fellowship, etc.) becomes illegal unless it is recognized by MCI and / or the central government.

Since three parallel bodies (MCI, NBE and SMCs) already conduct post-graduate courses independent of each other, the obvious question arises – can we have more? Let us try to understand the ethical and legal issues involved. According to the MCI ethics code regulation 7.20, a physician should not claim to be a specialist unless he / she has a special qualification in that branch. Practicing a Specialty, without having a qualification in that branch, amounts to flouting regulation 7.20 of the ethics code. In 2008, the Madras High Court quashed a State government order (GO) which had allowed a certificate course in Diabetology without the prior permission of MCI. The judges reasoned that the executive power of every State should be exercised ensuring compliance with the laws made by Parliament and any existing law applied in that State. Therefore, the GO was ruled unconstitutional and preventable in view of Entry 66 of List I of the constitution. The judges clearly stated that no course in medical education by any name could be started without the permission of MCI and the central government. In 2011, the Madras High Court declared 11 post-graduate diploma courses conducted by Tamil Nadu Dr MGR University as illegal since they were being conducted without the prior approval of MCI or the central government. Justice N Paul Vasantkumar said "The university is not empowered to grant permission to any institution or medical college to conduct any PG diploma course in medical sciences without prior approval of the central government as required under section 10A(1) of the Medical Council of India Act, 1956." The judge also pointed out that according to the MCI ethics code regulations, 2002, a physician is supposed to suffix only recognized qualifications. The honourable judge said that "Without such recognition, if any person is allowed to suffix PG diploma in medical sciences along with MBBS degree, the general public will definitely get an impression that the physician is a specialist. Special status can be claimed by any physician only after getting an approved PG diploma and not half-baked diploma courses offered by the university."

Advertisement for fake degrees

Want a medical degree? How about MBBS, BAMS, DAMS or even MD and that too without clearing any entrance exam or PMT test.The college even makes a rather profound claim that a “Doctor who has passed out from here is entitled to practice in any state without any restriction…’’

As an afterthought, it adds a rather cryptic proviso: “But the degrees are not for a government job.’’ But a closer look reveals that the degrees offered by the ‘college’ do not measure up to the acronyms. The stream of medicine that is taught here is neither allopathic nor Ayurvedic. Nor, for that matter, is it any known strand recognized in this country.

In fact, MBBS here stands for `Bachelor of Medicine in Biochenic System’, BAMS stands for `Bachelor of Allopathy patent Medical Specialities and for ̀ Bachelor of Allopathy patent Medicine and Surgery’. The all-time favourite MD (a one-year course) stands for ̀ Doctor of Medicine in a patent/Biochenic system of Alternative Medicine. The ‘medical college’ offering these degrees is located in the NIT area and is affiliated to the `Council of Patent Medicine, Patna, and the Medical Board of Biochenic System, also based at Patna. The college authorities claim that the system of medicine taught in the premises is an `alternative system’ of medicine; it is further contended that there are 153 alternative systems, which are duly recognized in various parts of the world. Union Health Department and various-

recognized bodies like the Medical Council of India (MCI), the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) and the Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH) reveal that the courses or degrees offered by the `college’ are not only unauthorized but also illegal and unrecognized.

Supreme Court in Yash Ahuja and others versus Medical Council of India and others, 2009 (12) Scale 687.

Even foreign MBBS degree holders from other countries in India without undergoing screening test are not about to practice allopathic medicine. When the Medical Council Act prohibits registration of MBBS degree holders from other countries in India without undergoing screening test, it is not open to the medical practitioners of other system of medicine to claim their right to practice in modern medicine without qualification in the said system. In fact, the conduct of screening test for foreign MBBS Degree holders to register in India was upheld by the Medical Council Act, 1956 was amended by the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Act, 2001. As per Section 13(4A), a person who is a citizen of India and obtains medical qualification granted by any medical institution in any country outside India recognized for enrollment as medical practitioner in that country after such date as may be specified by the Central Government under sub-Section(3) shall not be entitled to be enrolled on any medical register maintained by a State Medical Council or to have his name entered in the Indian Medical Register, unless he qualifies the screening test in India prescribed for such purpose and such foreign medical qualification after such person qualifies the said screening test shall be deemed to be the recognized medical qualification for the purpose of this Act for that person. The amendment made to the Indian Medical Council Act in introducing a screening test for those who qualified outside India also shows the concern of the Government in the matter of public health.

Position of paid foreign post graduate degree degrees

Recognized medical post graduate qualifications granted by medical institutions outside India not included in the second schedule

notification Dated 7th March, 2008 issued by Government of India Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (Department of Health & Family Welfare) New Delhi ,In exercise of the powers conferred by sub section 4 of the Section 13 of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 (102 of 1956), the Central Government, after consultation with the Medical Council of India, hereby makes following further amendments in Part II of the Third Schedule to the said Act, namely: - In the said Schedule under the heading “Part II recognized medical qualifications granted by medical institutions outside India not included in the second schedule”, after the entries relating to the qualification Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D.) in Medical Sciences (Dagastan Medical Institute), U.S.S.R.* and below the explanation of the asterisk (*), the following shall be added, namely:

a) “All postgraduate medical qualifications awarded in Australia and recognized for enrolment as medical practitioners in the concerned specialties in that country;

b) All postgraduate medical qualifications awarded in Canada and recognized for enrolment as medical practitioners in the concerned specialties in that country;

c) All postgraduate medical qualifications awarded in New Zealand and recognized for enrolment as medical practitioners in the concerned specialties in that country;

d) All postgraduate medical qualifications awarded in the United Kingdom and recognized for enrolment as medical practitioners in the concerned specialties in that country;

e) All postgraduate medical qualifications awarded in the United States of America and recognized for enrolment as medical practitioners in the concerned specialties in that country;

MCI unrecognized allopathic degrees – may land you in unnecessary prosecution

There are so many non – MCI unrecognized allopathic degrees available as post graduate courses in the form of diploma, degree and fellowship offered by Indian central and state universities, deemed universities and corpora hospital in collaboration of some foreign organization hospitals, IGNOU and some NGO’s but same are not registrable with MCI hence one may be prosecuted under IPC s. 467 read with 471 for fake qualification

Position of honorary degree

Position of honorary fellowship offered as member, fellow or honorary doctorate by IMA, IAP RCPH, RCOG, similar other royal colleges based abroad but same are not registrable with MCI hence one may be prosecuted under IPC s. 467 read with 471 for fake qualification like FRSH, MRSH,CGO,CCH etc.

Position of college of physicians and surgeon, Bombay degree and diploma

CPS Fellowships & Diploma Courses are notified by Government of Maharashtra vide notification no. MMC/1096/111/96/Act and vide GR Extraordinary 4-B through notification no. PGM.1010/CR-18 (Part 2)/10/EDU-2 and in the Maharashtra Medical Council Act 1965.

The Government of Gujarat has recognized all the Fellowships and Diplomas of CPS to strengthen the infrastructure of the medical fraternity in the state of Gujarat vide Gujarat Government Gazette no. GP-17-MCG-102011-2213-J dated 14th October 2011 notified by Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of Gujarat under the Gujarat Acts. CPS courses are recognized in the State of Rajasthan, Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

CPS is registrable since its existence in:

I. West Bengal Med Council vide Bengal Medical Act 1914. ii. Tamil Nadu Med. Council vide TN Medical Act 1914 iii. Punjab Med. Council vide Punjab Med. Reg. Act 1916 iv. Orissa Med. Council vide Orissa Medical Registration Act 1961

CPS is Recognized by Govt. of Malaysia at par with other university.

Do not use misleading qualifications like CCH, CGO, ARSH,MRSH,FRSH and FICA,MD(AM) on your letterheads.

Many of us write along with MBBS, CCH, CGO, ARSH,MRSH,FRSH and FICA,MD(AM) etc. and worst you do not any of such degrees and write the same on letterhead like Dr. Anirban Choudhury who got his MBBS degree from West Bengal. Later, he was registered as a medical practitioner with the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC). A few years ago, he shifted to Mumbai and was registered with the MMC.

A complaint was lodged with the MMC, saying Choudhury was an MBBS, but on his letterhead, he claimed to be a cardiologist. Moreover, he also claimed to have cleared a superspecialty examination. In the letterhead, he also stated that he was a Member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP).

The MMC had sent a show cause notice to him and during the course of the hearing; Choudhury admitted to his mistake and gave the assurance that he would rectify it at the earliest.

A month later, when the complainant brought to the notice of the MMC that Choudhury had still not changed his qualification on his letterhead, he was again summoned before the MMC. After being given a fresh hearing, the MMC passed an order, saying, his registration had been suspended for two months.

Writing CCH, CGO, ARSH,MRSH,FRSH and FICA,MD(AM) etc. degrees on letter head not only invite not only deregistration from medical council as in case of Dr. Anirban Choudhury, but also invite provisions of the Indian Penal code(IPC),415,420,S. 67 and 471,which simply means such people can be booked by police for cheating and fabricating documents or using fake degree documents as genuine, and courts may hear cases and convict them of such offences and may send to jails.

Does and Don’ts

1. Make a proper enquiry before undertaking Medical under graduate and post graduate qualifications granted by medical institutions inside or outside India are registerable with MCI or not.

2. Make a proper enquiry before undertaking Medical post graduate qualifications granted by medical institutions inside India are registerable with the state medical council and MCI or not.

3. So many alternative medicines courses are fake.5. So many institutional PG courses are fake.6. Practicing with UG or PG fake degree is a punishable offence under the Indian penal code.

MCQ

1. Following are fake degreea. ARSHb. MRSHc. MD(AM)d. All of the aboveAns: a.)

2. No medical college can start a course without the prior permission ofa. MCI b. CCIMc.CCHd. Central governmentAns: d.)

Medical and medico-legal field is always in a dynamic state, with a continuous influx of new knowledge, practices and judicial pronouncement. Everyday results of new researches new judicial pronouncements broaden our understanding of the subject, improve our medical and legal practices and change our approach and methods. Doctors should use their clinical acumen, experience, skill and knowledge in evaluating and using any information written in brochure supplied by drug manufacturers, techniques, procedures, equipment, but should not experiments without ICMR and institutional ethics committee approval. In clinically applying such knowledge or methods they should be careful of their own safety as well as that of others, including parties for whom they have a professional liability. When using any drug described herewith, readers are advised to check the most current information provided by the manufacturer. They should verify the recommended dose or formula, the method, route and duration of administration, side effects and contra-indications. The clinician should assess each patient individually and use their own knowledge, skill and experience to make a diagnosis and determine the best peri-operative or procedural anesthetic regime for each patient. Contributors are individually responsible for their respective opinions, views, information and figures assimilated in their respective chapters and are hereof individually responsible for the source of such information.

To the fullest extent of the law, neither the publisher, nor the authors, contributors nor editors assume any liability for any injury and / or damage to persons or property as a matter of product liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein.

Magazine

Disclaimer for

Doctor’s People