Take a look at the latest issue of ‘Today’s Clinician’ (July, 2019)

By Our Special Correspondent

THE latest issue of the medical journal Today’s Clinician has some interesting articles for the medical fraternity of Goa and India. Apart from the cover story on “Advances in Medicine: How Biologics are Defining Treatment” and other stories to do with the pharmaceutical industry and medical research, there’s an article which should be of special interest to us — “Palliative Care in India: The Need of the Hour” by M A Muckaden.
It should interest many of us quite simply because there is so little focus on the quality of palliative care in India, even in Goa which has such a rich history vis-à-vis medical and health care. It is pharma giant Cesar Menezes of Wallace Pharma and Indy Pharma that we must thank for the revival of Today’s Clinician (formerly The Clinician) in its new avatar. He is the second son of the legendary Goan businessman Pascoal Menezes (of CMM group of companies fame).
Today’s Clinician is a fine quarterly journal offering a platform for doctors and researchers in the rapidly expanding field of medicine and pharmaceutical research, as also other related topics of larger interest for the interested lay person. It is edited by R G Wiseman Pinto and on the editorial board are Aadil S Chagla, Rajeev Satoskar, D A Neville Mascarenhas, L J D’Souza, all eminent doctors and men of medicine.
The current issue also has articles throwing light on sclerosing polycystic adenosis of the salivary gland, ecthyma gangrenosum in a healthy neonate, pseudopapillary tumour of the pancreas, the need for interactive teaching in medical education, myofibroblastoma of the breast (a rare case report) and other information worth noting if one is in the medical profession or pharmaceutical business. Some articles like “The Silent Patient” by E Miranda Prabhu on the subject of terminal disease and caretaking of patients as well as caregivers makes for pertinent and sensitive reading.
Palliative as well as hospice care has a long way to arrive in our country. There is too little of it, and the little there is, is starving for want of funds and qualitatively better infrastructure!