NEJM 27 Feb 2014 Vol 370 799 I’ve reached the age when people look back and sigh and cluck about the way the world has changed since they were children. In the 1950s, the world was actually a pretty nasty place, and at any moment the hydrogen bomb might bring it to an end. People […]
Welcome to this new blog category, The BMJ Today. We aim to post an update each weekday of recent articles and other content to have caught our eye. We hope it will function as an online editor’s choice, chosen by different members of The BMJ’s editorial team each day. Our first highlighted article is Drug treatment […]
NEJM 20 Feb 2014 Vol 370 699 This week, the NEJM is big on bevacizumab. Amongst the crowd of mabs, this is one of the best known: Avastin is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against vascular endothelial growth factor-A which has been on the market since 2004. It has had its ups and downs, and […]
Political parties often pitch intensively against a few individuals for maximum media bites. There is, however, no real discussion of the issues which affect the lives of scores of Indians. “Development” has recently become the buzzword of political parties. If development means economic and social transformation, then health should be seen as an essential component. Our country’s future will […]
In a couple of months India will hold parliamentary elections to determine its next central government. This administration, due to hold office from June, will also have responsibility for drafting India’s 13th five year plan, which is key to its direction of development from 2017. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that he will not […]
“Medical knowledge usually relegates history to an incidental and anecdotal role but always outside the boundary of development of pure scientific knowledge.” […]
In 2013, the National Health Service (NHS) celebrated 65 years of providing comprehensive healthcare, free at the point of delivery to UK citizens. There are a number of factors contributing to the success and longevity of the NHS, including the dedication of its workforce. The role of doctors and nurses from overseas should not be […]
The past month has seen the reputation of “Big Pharma” dented more than usual. The CEO of German pharmaceutical company Bayer, Marijn Dekkers, was reported as saying that the company didn’t develop a cancer drug for the Indian market, but rather “for Western patients who can afford it.” The comment summed up the attitude of […]
“Acupuncture boosts libido,” blared the headline of a leading Indian daily. “Acupuncture effective treatment for breast cancer,” proclaimed another. These are in effect reporting a study which examined if acupuncture is any better than drugs in treating hot flashes in breast cancer patients on anti-estrogen therapy, and found no difference. The study participants included 50 […]
The relationship between a physician and their patient is a sacred covenant which is fundamental to successful clinical outcomes. From Hippocratic times when there was a strong tinge of altruism associated with the practice of medicine, to the more recent provider-client model of healthcare, one thing that has remained constant has been an undercurrent of trust. […]