Terribly sick

Sir ? The front page report, ?Doctors caught cheating at exam? (March 30), is a disgrace to the medical fraternity. The medical profession is supposed to be one of the noblest in the world and the 28 doctors who are involved in the paper-leak racket have stained it. In a country where men like Susruta and Charaka have been born, one cannot believe such a complete lack of commitment on the part of those who have chosen medicine as their profession. The men have ruined their medical career for petty monetary gains. Their registrations should be cancelled without further delay and strict punishments meted out to them so that such misdeeds do not recur.

Yours faithfully,
Devashis Mukherjee, Calcutta

Sir ? The report on cheating by doctors appearing for the all-India post-graduate medical entrance examination is an eye-opener to the uses technology is being put to and a warning about the future that lies ahead. After all, our lives depend on the efficiency of doctors. After this incident, we can safely assume that we will no longer be required to go to the movie halls to see Munnabhai MBBS as we have his real-life counterparts closer home. All of which means that now there is no reason to trust doctors with our lives. What is even more galling is the fact that such incidents are taking place in the South, which boasts of its high literacy rate and culture.

Yours faithfully,
Margaret Williams, Calcutta

Sir ? It is no surprise that in this hi-tech age, student doctors are employing superior technological devices to cheat in examinations (?Cuffs on 4 doctors with pen camera?, March 31). Why don?t we realize that the more advanced we get, the more unscrupulous we become. How can one feel smug in the knowledge that modernity will solve our problems? I am convinced that the present education system has left out something that is vital to young minds. Witness the sleaze and the scandal among the student community.

Yours faithfully,
Salil Gewali, Shillong

Sir ? An examination is conducted to know whether a student is well acquainted with the subject or not. I cannot understand what the doctors appearing for the entrance examination to the post-graduate medical course wanted to achieve by cheating? Do they want to play with the lives of their patients? Will it not be self-defeating in nature if they do not have the proper knowledge of the subject? Do they think patients will continue to make a beeline for their chambers if they find out that they do not have proper knowledge of medicine?

That the government had to ask the Central Bureau of Investigation to intervene itself shows how serious the situation is. I wonder what the invigilators were doing when the cheating was going on openly with mobile phones. The huge amount of money involved in the cheating scam shows that the invigilators were in connivance with those committing the crime. Those who run the racket from outside are even more guilty than those cheating inside the examination hall.

I would like to relate an incident to show what the medical profession should mean to students. A medical student I know came to India from the United States of America to work with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on some poverty-related diseases that are uncommon in the US. He had the option to take the training at AIIMS itself or in a village healthcare centre. He preferred to go to Ballabhgarh, a place near Delhi, to gain direct experience and knowledge of the diseases. This kind of commitment, unfortunately, is missing in our young breed of doctors.

Yours faithfully,
Govind Das Dujari, Calcutta

Sir ? It is shocking that Rs 2 to Rs 10 lakh were charged from the doctors who cheated at the all India postgraduate medical entrance examination. This proves that people in all spheres of life have become reckless and corrupt. The doctors in this case may no longer be able to practice, but thousands like them in other professions will continue to reap the benefits of their reckless acts.

Yours faithfully,
Govinda Bakshi, Budge Budge

Parting shot

Sir ? Sarmila Bose?s ?The truth about the Jessore massacre? (March 19), evoked painful memories. The article was a marvellous blend of well-gleaned facts and poignant pictures. Why the Bangladesh government has been unable to handle the truth despite the passage of time remains the big question. Why is there no hope for the family of Chandhan Sur, who with his infant, was killed by Pakistanis on March 26, 1971? After 35 years of independence, politicians and the present government in Bangladesh, instead of rendering lip service, should undertake the healing process towards the victims of the war of liberation without any further delay.

Yours faithfully,
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad