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NAGPUR: Cardiologists believe that many a times a heart patient can manage his health well by consulting his family physician rather than rushing to a specialist. Not only will this make treatment more cost-effective for the patients, but it will also help form a support system as the number of cardiologists in the country is small and patients are increasing exponentially.

This fact was stressed during a symposium organized by the Vidarbha chapter of Association of Physicians of India. Renowned cardiologists like Dr Ajit Bhagwat from Aurangabad, Dr Kaustubh Vaidya from Mumbai, city's Dr Mahesh Fulwani and Dr Neetin Deshpande updated the knowledge of the physicians during the event.

"Access to cardiologists, who are super specialists is very low as is their number, especially in smaller towns. It is not even cost effective for a person suffering from heart attack to visit a cardiologist time and again. In this situation, physicians can form a big support system to both the patients and doctors," said Dr Bhagwat. They can also help by recognizing the patients who may require certain procedures as preventive measures as they are well acquainted with a patient's personal and family medical history," he added.

Dr Fulwani said that there were only 30 cardiologists in Nagpur, though it serves as a medical hub for all the nearby states. "This itself shows the need to have physicians helping heart patients wherever possible," he said.

"About 80% of the job required to take care of a person after he has suffered from a heart attack can be handled by a general physician. It entails regular follow-ups, observing their medication and dosage, monitoring their lifestyle among other things," said Dr Bhagwat.

Agreed Dr Vaidya, giving an example of Mumbai where there was a separate system of Golden Hour Ambulances to deal with patients needing emergency care. "In cardiology, we say time is the only muscle that can save the heart muscle. Being the first people most families call in times of distress, a well trained physician can prove a boon to a heart patient," he said. This is especially needed when we look at the high number of heart patients many of whom are youngsters.

"The ratio of cardiologists to patients is not so bad in metros as it is in smaller towns and villages. This is mainly because there is a lot of infrastructure required to have a good cardiac care facility. Another problem is that we do not have documented studies that tell us the exact figures of those suffering from cardiac problems," he said.

LUCKNOW: New estimates from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show around 24 million adults require palliative care at the end of life each year and 66 per cent of these are over 60 years old. Despite this growing need, 42 per cent countries have still no identified hospice and palliative care service, while 80 per cent of people globally lack adequate access to medication for treatment of moderate to severe pain. This means millions of older people, especially in the developing world, are living and dying in unnecessary pain and distress.

The fact came to fore at an event to mark World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, organised by a private palliative care hospital here on Saturday. Chief guest director All India Institute on Medical Sciences Bhopal, Dr Sandeep Kumar said, "Millions of people die in needless suffering simply because they are denied access to appropriate pain relief and social support. This care is not expensive, and everyone has a right to it."

Geriatric physician Dr Abhishek Shukla, who runs the centre said, "There is a misconception that palliative care is primarily for people with cancer. But, this is not true. Those in need of palliative care dying from Alzheimer and other dementias, Parkinson disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, nephritis and nephrosis and cancer are predominantly in the over-60 age group and need palliative care."

The focus of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day this year included universal access to hospice and palliative care for older people living with and dying from, life-limiting conditions, including non-communicable conditions, adequate support, training, supplies and equipment.

AHMEDABAD: Medical Council of India (MCI) has suspended the registration of 25 doctors from all over the country including one from Gujarat. The suspension will bar the doctors from practising anywhere in India. The doctors were accused of giving false information regarding their status as permanent faculty at colleges and investigations were carried out by CBI.

Dr Bhuva Bhavin Ambavibhai was registered with Gujarat Medical Council. He completed his MBBS in 2000 and earned the MS degree in general surgery in 2003.

MCI officials said that his name was on the official records of a Tamil Nadu-based medical college as a fulltime assistant professor. However, there were complaints that he used to practise in Rajkot and did not function as a fulltime faculty.

Officials of the MCI Ethics Committee said that they had received complaints against 32 doctors for giving misleading information regarding their work as fulltime faculties.

A showcause notice was issued to all 32 doctors following which they were found guilty of violating the Medical Code of Ethics. "After taking into consideration the allegation contained in the CBI report, oral testimony and written statement of 25 doctors, the committee has concluded that the said doctors gave false and misleading information regarding their working in medical college to the assessors during the college assessment," says the ethics committee report.

These doctors have committed professional misconduct, contravening the terms of Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002. The committee accordingly recommended "the punishment of removal of names of the erring doctors from the register maintained by the concerned State Medical Councils and subsequently from the Indian Medical Register for a period ranging three to five years."