1: Jose Gama Pais wrote aboout the "honest old days" when his father was a doctor and how things have become so corrupt in the recent decades. COMMENT: I share the same feelings. I had the good fortune of knowing a good number of Escola Medica trained doctors, some of who were our teachers and seniors at Goa Medical College. The really good and honest seniors I can remember off-hand are Dr. Helecar (Santosh's father), Desai (Anatomy), Rodrigues (Aires' father) and Dhume (Pathology-St Inez). From my understanding ( and I accept that there will always be exceptions) Goa produced 'honrado' doctors during the Escola days.
Then came the Bandodcar era. Good Lord! I reserve my comments on the Aurangabad, Poona and Delhi chaps who came via Deputation et other procedures. There were some honest bright spots who taught us well. The ones I remember include Duarte Monteiro (Physiology-Dean), Victor Monteiro & Kurrane (Anatomy), Desai (Biochem), Suzzete (Pathology), Harry Mazumdar & the hapless Hussain(Peds), GJS Abraham; Gupta, Mrs. Parashar &Sharma ( Medicine), Wilfred de Souza & Parashar (Surgery); Tendulkar, Francis + Sicletica Rebello and Nataline de Souza (ObGyn) ........ but otherwise .... one could see evidence of blatant ghuspott and time spent in Politicking both Medical and Partisan. The latter (i.e. intentionally omitted) ones, I have chosen NOT to remember. I also choose to forget the coerced sterilization of females at GMC. 2: I am happy to read that Eugene (albeit through Alvino and Padma Barreto) got sorted out in Chennai without being ripped off. I wish him a full and speedy recover. I agree with his present assessment of GMC Bambolim. I can safely say .....Thank you for "liberation" Thank you for nothing.....especially for turning our once clean hospitals into garbage dumps ...and building more cow-sheds with transiently functioning but nearly always filthy high-tech chicken coops....paving the way for those other super-pricey ones to make poixe while the sun shines. I wish, however, that Eugene also remembers that despite this ghuspott, GMC produces some of the finest physicians one can find from the subcontinent. Like their Escola predecessors, a good number of GMC physicians continue to do the name GOAN proud. 3: I believe that Goa generates enough money from its natural resources and tourism to enable the Govt to provide top level healthcare, education and infrastructure for the residents of Goa, and Social Security and facilities for her senior citizens. Unfortunately, the 10% per Bus Ticket to Bombay wallas and other crooks will never let it happen. 4: Anybody remember a Bandh or Hunger strike for the above reasons? I do not. 5: Good Luck, I say, to the Ostriches, Hypocrites and other Crooks! You deserve each other. 6: I am not able to agree with Santosh Helekar that a doctor cannot refuse to treat a patient for any reason. But I agree that it would only amount to corruption if the doctor is lying to the patient for personal gain, such as offering a medically inappropriate treatment only because it is to his/her own benefit rather than the patient's, or ordering a medically unnecessary test because he/she receives a kickback from the laboratory. I would stress the corruption bit by adding the word Fraud. Just so that we know, in the US, there are very strict laws which affect doctors including: Anti-Kickback, Fraudulent Claims and the Prohibition of patient-referrals to facilities in which Doctors or their Families have 'interest' (One can look up these on the net ....as this post of mine is not meant to discuss it in detail). As far as Goa is concerned, I will certainly remember Dec 19, 1961. jc
