Category Archives: Medical Column

6.0 cr. The New Value of a Life and the Cost of Poor Communication

The Supreme Court day before yesterday, in a medical negligence case, awarded about Rs. 6 crores to the plaintiff, the highest ever in Indian medico-legal history. Eerily, it was just last week that I wrote about the “shidori” lecture I had given to the new 1st MBBS batch in GS Medical where I spoke about […]

October 26, 2013 – 4:50 am | By Bhavin Jankharia | Posted in Medical Column, Medicine, Mumbai Mirror Column | Tagged , , | Comments (17)

The No-Show

Some time back, the parents of an 8-years old Indian-origin boy from Dubai came to me to get a bone tumor in the left hip treated. A tentative date was fixed for the surgery after a detailed con-call with the parents who had returned to Dubai. My coordinator, S, took over and he was in […]

October 6, 2013 – 2:10 am | By Bhavin Jankharia | Posted in Medical Column, Medicine, Mumbai Mirror Column | Comments (18)

Our Frail Lives!

Mrigank Warrier is a 22-years old medical student who blogs to “let go”. His last piece, written after a few of his friends went abroad for further studies, is “…a vent to my apprehensions of the years to come”. Mrigank, here is what happens! All of you do well, some exceptionally so. Those who go […]

August 16, 2013 – 1:31 pm | By Bhavin Jankharia | Posted in Medical Column, Medicine, Mumbai Mirror Column | Comments (17)

Police Raj in Medicine

On Wednesday, private practice radiologists across the state went on a one-day token strike. Most of you would have missed it, since private practice radiology is not an essential service and public and private hospitals did not join the strike. Radiologists are doctors who perform and interpret x-ray studies, sonographies, CT scans, MRIs, angiograms and […]

August 9, 2013 – 2:40 pm | By Bhavin Jankharia | Posted in Medical Column, Mumbai Mirror Column, Peeves & Rants | Comments (24)

Questionable Cause and the Nocebo Effect of Mobile Towers

Many years ago, epidemiological studies showed that those on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had a reduced risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) [1]. However, subsequent randomized controlled studies showed an increased CAD risk of HRT. Researchers eventually figured out that those on HRT were typically from a higher socio-economic bracket, with better lifestyle risk control […]

August 2, 2013 – 3:15 pm | By Bhavin Jankharia | Posted in Medical Column, Mumbai Mirror Column | Comments (12)

No Turn-Backs Please

An important point that patients might like to remember is, “Don’t turn back and ask a question while leaving.” Here is how things can go badly wrong – a real-life incident narrated by a colleague as a letter to a patient! You came to me for a consultation. We went through all your problems in […]

July 12, 2013 – 11:56 pm | By Bhavin Jankharia | Posted in Medical Column, Medicine, Mumbai Mirror Column | Comments (26)

The Male Doctor and the Female Patient

Starting today, once a month or more frequently, I will also address the changing paradigms of the doctor-patient relationship. Last month, a family physician’s name was dragged into the spotlight when a female patient of his cried “rape” after a consultation, where he and she were alone in the consulting room for some time while […]

June 28, 2013 – 2:14 pm | By Bhavin Jankharia | Posted in General, Medical Column, Medicine, Mumbai Mirror Column | Tagged , | Comments (23)