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Saturday, February 4, 2012

fast blood.....NOT a movie review

                                                                         My housesurgeoncy days as well as postgraduate radiology days were enjoyable days in my student days . Not only because we were able to see in action all the theory we learned during MBBS days but also when there was a good mix of people who had returned after a Russian MBBS (many of them became my close friends ) , many juniors (who overlapped our internship after 6 months ) and people who studied outside kerala (from private medical colleges ) . We learnt a lot during those days but also had so many social eatouts (every alternate day ) and because of so many people at least for my batch workload was not too much . 
                                                                          Though all were my friends there was a difference in the way we practised medicine . Russian MBBS was very cautious as they understood and clearly told us their system was different and wanted to learn from us . Juniors naturally looked upto us . While our colleagues from private medical colleges outside the state were nice and friendly but never discussed the clinical issues with us . I still remember the day when a pretty intern from a prominent private medical college who gave fast blood to a patient . She knew the most essential basics . She had watched people check grouping result before giving blood . But that was it . When we left for a coffee break and returned after 10 minutes we were shocked . The entire packet of blood transfusion had finished by the time we came back .Even common sense dictates that blood or any fluid for that matter should be introduced slowly into the body . Human body is not a petrol tank to fill up in 5-10 minutes . And the rsiks of a careless blood transfusion ranges from renal failure to heart failure . Luckily patient was ok ( Human body is remarkably forgiving ) .

I thought that this was a chance error but over the years i have observed this stark contrast in doctors (i wont say that government medical college educated doctors are perfect )  . There  was another friend as well as a distant family member of mine .Both of us worked in a hospital after our MBBS for a short while . While i was careful to give antibiotics only when needed and that too the antibiotics depending on the severity of illness , this friend used to give Ciprofloxacin for almost any patient be it indicated or not . Ciprofloxacin being a powerful antibiotic will cure many big and small infections but in doing so you are causing bacterial resistance to the antibiotic in the community .

Even last year , one of young radiologist friend of mine asked me  a lot about the latest ct scan techniques the physics behind it etc etc . I was happy for in this i am well versed as i focus also on the technical apect of radiology due to my work . At one instance he showed me a ct scan picture and pointed to a thing and sheepishly asked what it was . I was shocked . That structure was a thing we learnt in the 1st month of radiology training . I told him what it was , then asked casually where he studied . The answer was as expected . He had paid a lot of money and got a seat in a private medical college .

I am not against private medical colleges nor saying that government medical colleges are great . But the fact remains that there should be strict standards to be maintained in medical education . And compared to other fields human life is at stake .

P.S :  i dont know where is the pretty girl now but the ciprofloxacin doc is in UK now . And hope the UK system and the experience he gained later has made him better ......

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