Re: NACP III. Role of Medical Education

[Guest guest]

Hello Friends,

Sub: Need for Incorporating improved course on HIV disease in Undergraduate

Medical Education

Apropos the role of Medical Education in NACP III, I feel, as a just-passed

medical graduate from India,that the socio-economic aspects of HIV are extremely

inadequate in our syllabus. In fact I hardly

knew what constituted occupational post-exposure prophylaxis during my 5 years

as a student in my college.

Even now in certain quarters of health-care providers,fresh and old alike,we can

see doubts and taboos on HIV! At the same time, medical units specifically

devoted for HIV management often fail to inspire others adequately.

It is high time to introduce some useful interactive courses in undergraduate

medical education which would incorporate both bio-medical and socio-cultural

aspects of the HIV disease.

Some elective courses may prove to be useful.However,regular rather than

elective course would be better suited to serve the purpose of

greater good of the greater number.

Regards,

Dwaipayan Chakraborti

House-staff, Medical College,

Kolkata.

E-mail: <dwai_cha@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Ref: Dwaipayan Chakraborti's posting on the need for incorporating improved

course on HIV disease in Undergraduate Medical Education.

There is an urgent Need for Incorporating improved course on HIV disease in

Undergraduate Medical Education which should cover all aspects of programme in

an integrated manner. We at Maulana Azad Medical college in department of

community medicine used to have an integrated teaching of HIV/AIDS in

collaboration with departmetns of Microbiology, Medicine, paediatrics and OBS

gynae that focussed on critical areas such as epidemiology counselling,

managemetn of OIs,

Universal precautions, Hospital infection control, PPTCT programme (earlier

known as MTCT programme).

The training has to be ongoing as newer areas like ART,HIV and TB, National AIDS

policy and blood safety have also to be stressed upon.

Your point is extremely valid and needs to be taken as a matter of policy at

institutional level and endorsed by MCI and NACO

Prof Suneela Garg

E-mail: <gargs@...>

[Guest guest]

Hello members,

I agree in principle with the ideas puported by Dr.Chakraborti.

However I would like to mention imparting knowledge is not an end in

it self.

In my expirience at large A govt hospital in Mumbai the attitude of

health professionals toward HIV infected patients is of critical concern.

Discrimination and prejudice is prevalent and the students

here emulate what they observe in the out patient clinics and what

they see is the behavior and attitudes of of the health professionals right

from the doctors to the wardboys toward HIV

infected people which is pathetic to say the least.

Patients infected with HIV are made to feel like outcasts and one may recall

there were as many as 2 suicides in this Mumbai Hospital in the past few months

and although investigations are pending early reports stated the discriminatory

attitude of the health profesionals as the possible cause of committing the

suicide by

these HIV infected patients.

I think whats important for us to realize as profesionals is to model correct

behavior fo the medical students as we shape

this future genertaions of doctors and nurses who will be tackling the HIV

epidemic in the next decade.

However I am sorry to say niether I have seen a dramatic change in

peoples attitudes nor the government is making efforts to push through anti

discrimination laws toward HIV infected people.

I believe that any type of HIV training needs a hughe emphasis on the ethical

and moral issues. In that specifically teaching the students to be sensitive

toward the HIV infected patients and

treat them as fellow humans than as outcast untouchables.

I would appreciate hearing more from other members about what are

there expiriences uin this regard and I welcome constructive

criticism of my perspective.

Thanks,

Yogi

E-mail: <yogisamant@...>

[Guest guest]

Hello forum readers,

Yogi Samant has opened a can of worms. Treatment given to AIDS patients at

govt. run JJ hospital at Mumbai is pathetic is an understatement. And this

doesn't relate to discrimination alone. It is not only the patients who are

driven by few politically connected

doctors to take extreme step of suicide, these doctors also drive their juniors

to suicide.

Last month, one junior doctor was forced to take this drastic step because of

the same doctor. It will require a proper court inquiry to open up what all is

going on in the name of AIDS treatment at this

hospital.

And to say that same practice is happening in many hospitals around the country

is correct. Yogi has rightly said that we are teaching wrong practice to medical

students. Treatment of chronic disease like AIDS should be left to doctors who

have compassion and dedicated. Such doctors will be good trainers in medical

colleges.

Satish Palande

E-mail: <palandesatish@...>

[Guest guest]

Ref: Yogi Samant's views on (NACP III). Role of Medical Education,

In most circumstances it is ignorance of the individuals whether its the general

comminity or health care!

Health care professionals are expected to have more empathy and anti

discriminatory attitude to any patient particularly if they have HIV/AIDS.

This is an evolutionary issue-I have seen a remarkable change among health care

professionals in the past decade-this is mainly due to the awarness, education

and the avaialbility of anti retroviral

drugs!

There are still some who dont wish to have anything to do with PLWHA!.

In some situations they are abused particularly if you are seropositive and

pregnant!The attending OBGYN performs strelization without informed consent.

Some health care professionals dont wish to work with a positive person who is

good in his counselling to cite an example and hire a

seronegative who may not have similar expertise! Professionals working with

HIV/AIDS need to squeeze out their personal discrimination before entering the

field of HIV/AIDS

Thank you

Dr.N.M.

Professor, TN DR MGR Medical University

The Conference Secretariat. 4th International Conference on AIDS India, 69,

Salai, Chennai – 600 032, Tamilnadu, India.

Tel: 091 44 22354203 Fax: 091 44 22353698

E-mail: demaids@....

Web site: www.aidsindia2003.org