Virtues to attain perfection tends surgeon to work hard to relieve suffering of people with satisfaction and inner happiness. Time does not bind him. His passion to be with patients is not bounded by any wall but his desire to do more and better. He has no compulsion of any race and religion but of humanity only. His commitment to his profession is his virtue to pray for his patient and get in return the seductive satisfaction. Where else in any profession or individual you get all these qualities to serve the society and care for other but in medicine. What we get in return? Should we ask this question or to ask return for our service is sin as per philosophy of Buddha and teaching of Gita? This is what the society expects from us, which is not wrong as we deal with the human body a creation of God. What about Human soul? How treat this? Of course our religious centres and their Heads guide us to salvation and peace of mind with their spiritual thoughts and teaching from their holy books. Both have grown into Institutions big and bigger and still grooming. Saints taking bhiksha (alms) for survival is taken over by monumental worship places and their bowl is full of offerings and still pouring. This is faith. It brings folks of same discipline together to achieve peace and enlightenment. Material becomes secondary and the followers have desire to enlighten the society with their values to give a correct message to serve the almighty and serve humanity. Temples are crowded with disciples, Churches blossom in the area, and Mosque attracts people for prayers. Time is changing fast and so also character of all Professions. People want services in earnest with payment. Worship places and centres of high spiritual teaching and yoga’s are coming up big and bigger ways, serving society in more organized and commercial oriented. What is needed – a high quality service on reasonable payment and no exploitation. Medical profession still is a pious profession and we all should work hard to keep it up and prove ourselves beyond doubt, with commitment and service above all. Monetary gains will be always more then we deserve. Take this step further and cherish the happiness in your soul an enjoy enlightenment.
The spiritual teaching, meditation and rhythm of chorus make mind healthy and coordinate the body to be disciplined and avoid free of inner illnesses. This is truth, but bigger truth is the changing pace of life, emphasis on physical growth and universal competition, not of survival, but surpassing others. Medical Community is not away from this. Advance medical and surgical technique of golden days of Shushruta for thousands of years, eloped due to humor greed to achieve everything and aggression. Ayurvedic science though highly developed remained dormant for years. Change of Rulers from time to time invaded the cultures and different prevailing system also. Modern medical science came in India since British Raj and gradually developed to the present status. Few small Medical dispensaries in British ruled area in early 18th century to start of Medical Schools in early 1840’s, opened the gate of Western Medicine in India giving relief to million. We inherited this system from the developed system of allopathy in West and nurtured it truthfully with the help of devoted teachers and Institutions. Government commitment to provide health care to its citizen, though spending 3% of its GDP, failed miserably. Birth control, infant and mothers mortality and infective disorders are still a dilemma to control to international standard. On the other hand average age of India is close to 70 years. High economy growth rate, booming businesses in different sectors, and young Indians working around all over the world and even in space, has surprised every one. On the other hand a high population is still under poverty line. Lower, and middle lower class people are struggling for mere survival. Formers are not getting adequate return on their yield leading to even suicides, are few dilemmas to be answered.
Medical development similarly has meta morphorised the structure in the country with private hospitals coming up of international standard, attracting medical tourism. On the other hand Government and Municipal hospitals are overcrowded failing to provide total medical care to its citizen. 70% of our primary health centres do not have Doctors and lake even bear minimum facilities to deal with the usual medical problems. Somewhere is some problem in our policy and vision. To blame Doctors of not full filling their national obligation and duty to serve humanity is not correct. Politicians pay and perks have gone up many folds in last one decade only. While a Doctor has to work in a village without a house and proper facilities to run a hospital, is to ruin a young enthusiastic much talented Doctor in its bud only. We are all part of the system and can not blame Government all the time. The senior Doctors should come together in group and influence the Government and people who matters with their experiences to improve the system. The primary healthcare should be open for private participation under the guidance of senior Medical personnel working in Government Institution/ Private Institution / or Retired Person, in cooperation of the people in their areas. Let a basic policy is charted out regarding this public participation with some charges v/s full basic facilities, and start on experimental basis in few areas. Review the system after sometime and if successful, enlarge its working sphere, changing our health care policy.
Religion is a part of our life and every religion has one common feeling to love your fellows, kind to the humanity in general and be truthful in your actions and activities. Millions are spent every year on various discourses and ceremonies. A part of this if spent on medical care can bring big Hospitals in their areas providing service of high standard. It is faith again, vision changes the values of faith to serve humanity.
Long Journey of human evolution has seen many faces under various time and regimen. Lust and desires has always supervened. But some light in between always helped the society to survive and flourish. Change is the circle of life and every one has to pass through this. India is taking a lead now. Fortune favours brave and wise people. We have enough of them to take this circle to new height of glory and service. We were pioneer in medical field in the past and we will be pioneer in future is certain. What is needed is dedication above self, adaptation to new challenging procedures, involvement of fellow colleagues with harmony, and keeping mind open for innovations to improve performance. Continue basic teaching of medicine with a change as desired by time and develop our students to face the challenges of 21st century to lead the world with Glory.
The journals are the eye piece of its association and members activities and thinking. Association of Surgeons of India has grown in its membership and activities involving all specialties and state chapters to perform academically to fulfill aspiration of their members and help in teaching and improving performance to benefit humanity. Indian Journal of Surgery playing its role as a journal representing the scientific activities of its members in various fields, including basic and advance research. The active participation of members is key role in development of any organization/journal. There were 550 article submitted during 2006 and 300 article till date in 2007, still short of good original articles of International standard to give it a wattage as necessary. Medical Scientist presents their original papers in other Foreign Journal because, I.J.S. not indexed in Medical Index System, and to achieve this we need good high rated articles. How to break this dead lock? Who first? Is one article from you to I.J.S. make any difference in your curriculum vitae, or in your career? I suppose – not. Come forward and give one good original article to I.J.S. and fulfill the aspiration of thousand of surgeons of ASI in indexing this journal.
Springer (Pvt) Ltd. an International Publishing house of more then 150 years of its publishing experience, will be publishing I.J.S. in future now. The Springer has publishing offices all over the world, and four offices, in different cities in India and main office at New Delhi. Indian Office is working under direct supervision of its H.Q. at Germany and U.S.A. It has well trained staff in various field of publishing with professionalism. After one or two I.J.S. issues, the Springer’s effect will be seen clearly in all fields of its publication. Their team of staff is already in process to guide us in our academic endeavor and specifically in achieving the goal to Index it. The new era has started and surely will take us to our desired goal, keeping place with the development in surgical field and scientific research.
