by Dr. Mallikarjun V Jali
On the eve of Doctor’s Day in India, celebrated on July 1 of every year meant to recall our dedication in our services to the society. The legendary leader Late Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy who lived to the principles of ethical practice of medicine and served the needy people of the community amidst his duties as a chief minister of West Bengal is to be taken as a guiding light in our day to day professional commitment.
An emerging approach for disease prevention and treatment that takes into account people’s variations in genes, environment, and lifestyle
“Precision medicine is an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person.” State of the Union, January 20, 2015, quote: “Tonight, I’m launching a new Precision Medicine Initiative to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes, and all of us access to the personalised information we need to keep ourselves and our families healthier” unquote, Former President of the USA, Mr. Barak Obama said. It was, of course, the US Presidents’ Day — a perfect time to talk about the new initiative that former US President Barack Obama, unveiled to boost research that leads to better treatments (maybe even cures!) for many conditions like nerve disabilities, genetic conditions, cancer and diabetes and so forth. During his State of the Union address in January, President Obama briefly mentioned the Precision Medicine Initiative, a $215 million undertaking included in the country’s federal budget for 2016. It aimed at “pioneering a new model of patient-powered research that promises to accelerate biomedical discoveries and provide clinicians with new tools, knowledge, and therapies. ‘Personalized medicine is an evolving field in which physicians use diagnostic tests to determine which medical treatments will work best for each patient.’ The capability to “deliver the right treatments at the right time, every time, to the right person” could mean an entirely new era of medicine, the President said. “We should not just celebrate innovation; we must invest, nurture, encourage innovation.
The notion of personalized medicine and genetic-mapping is not entirely new; efforts have been underway globally for a long time. KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital & Medical Research Centre and the Diabetes Centre, its support groups, Indian Council of Medical Research, Medical Council of India, New Delhi and the National Diabetes Centre of Belagavi (Belgaum) Karnataka pioneered “New Frontiers in Diabetes Scientific Conclave’ regularly conducted every year since 2010. Dr. Balasubramanian, Ph.D., Dean of Research Studies, a Senior Scientist at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, Chennai, in his oration, addressed the integration of “OMICS”, the data key to personalized medicine, which is an ongoing revolution in the field of medicine. “Borderless Biology: Brightening Opportunities” is a big attraction amongst the students. Dr. Bala narrated Proteomics, Epigenetics; RNAi and miRNA, gut microbiome (metagenomics) and metabolomics aspects of diabetes. Dr. KA Shekar, Director, Karnataka Institute of Endocrinology and Research, Bengaluru, in his keynote address at the New Frontiers in Diabetes (NFD) narrated “The Tale of Two Paradigms” in the practice of precision diabetes. The conference emphasized the importance of precision care practice in the next decades. The beginning of Clinical Biomarker Centre in the hospital, one small step forward in the KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital, will be the beginning of OMICS science in our hospital.
Modi-Health Care initiation from the present Government introduces universal health insurance scheme for common man covering all significant ailments. The programme will bring a large volume of services to the private sector through public sector hospitals are also eligible to participate. The significant challenge for doctors will coordinate with patients and other stakeholders within the service providers very carefully so that they can achieve the clinical outcome at a lesser cost permissible under the scheme. The doctors have to efficiently use the resources as well as communicate with patients very carefully to avoid any duplication of efforts as well as wastage of resources including combining Internal Audits With Anti-corruption Compliance. A lot of responsibility falls on the medical profession, and this Doctor’s Dy should aim to take a pledge to know our aims to serve the public.
Doctor’s Day, celebrated in India, is a lesser known day as compared to the World Health Day, World Diabetes Day, World AIDS Day, National Youth Day (India) and so on—1 July, it marks the birth anniversary (and death anniversary) of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy (1882- 1962).
An excellent medical doctor, he has contributed significantly to the Indian medical scene. He established the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in 1928 and even the Medical Council of India (MCI). He also played a dynamic role in launching the Indian Institute of Mental Health, the Infectious Disease Hospital, and even Kolkata’s first-ever postgraduate medical college. In his younger days, Bidhan came across an inscription that read, “Whatever thy hands find to do, do it with your might”, and he thoroughly imbibed this in his life. Even when he joined politics in 1925, he ensured that his medical service was undisturbed. He devoted an hour every day to serve the poor with his medical knowledge.
He was Mahatma Gandhi’s close friend and doctor. Dr. Roy wanted to continue his profession when his name was proposed to be the second Chief Minister of West Bengal; it was on Gandhi’s advice that he took up the post. A Bharat Ratna award rewarded his contribution to the country in February 1961.
Long Live Doctors’ Day 2018.
About the author:
Dr. Mallikarjun V Jali, presently the medical director and Chief Executive of the prestigious KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital and Medical Research Centre in Belagavi (Belgaum), Karnataka State. He is also heading the KLE Society’s Belgaum Cancer Hospital. While studying MD medicine, he was the only student from the southern states of India to receive the prestigious centenary celebration year’s of Dr. B.C.Roy National Fellowship Award during 1982. He has over 35 years of committed services in the field of Diabetes and serves as the Professor of diabetology at the KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research (Deemed-to-be University).
He is the recipient of Dr. R V Sathe Award given by the Diabetes Association of India in 1985-86, Karnataka State’s Suvarna Rajyothsava Awardee in 2005 and distinguished service award by the Geriatric Association of India for his services to Elders in the country. He is a writer for many journals and newspapers and gives talks in All India Radio. He has established first diabetes specialty center in North Karnataka state, recognized at the 7th World Congress in Diabetes, New Delhi 2016-27 as the best of 40 centers in India for Diabetes Awareness and Educative Initiatives. He is a staunch devotee and volunteer at the local Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, and also its president of Local Committee.