Readers’ comments: Medical colleges are producing graduates like a factory line

I found this article to be so well researched and it analysed the issue from multiple angles (“Maharashtra proves race to build new medical colleges is no fix for Indian healthcare”). It stated facts, without colouring it with propaganda and trying to brainwash. It made me really happy that such journalism still exists. As a fresh medical graduate, the ground reality I keep hearing from fellow professionals is the saturation of doctors in tier 1 and tier 2 cities and sometimes even tier 3.

But another ground reality happens to be the lack of them, or the stark lack of facilities without which a doctor can merely diagnose one’s disease but not treat it. Yet medical colleges keep springing up while lakhs to crores are charged as fees. Graduates are being produced like on a factory line, with a single college adding 250-300 doctors per year. But employment conditions are lacking.

Regular doctors bear the brunt of a bad healthcare system, while the strings are actually pulled by college and hospital management authorities and politician-owned hospitals. Some good does come out of it, that being the establishment of hospitals in lacking areas and provision of some care instead of no care. However, the gap between doctors thinking there is a saturation and the public thinking there is a lack should be explored more. Thank you for giving me a good article to read today. – Sucheta Ghosh

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Already the medical field is very saturated. Increasing seats is not the solution but providing good healthcare facilities and picking the best by limiting the seats to one doctor per 1,000 people. The situation has created more complications and led to poor healthcare. A time will come when people will not opt to study medicine. Medical students work hard through their youth and are still not earning well. This situation has been created because of the tremendous increase in seats with no learning. – Varun Wade

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In Uttar Pradesh too the condition is the same condition. Several new government medical colleges have been opened but their condition worse than even possibly a community healthcare clinic. – Shriram Rajput

New Year poetry

It is a lovely read for someone whose heart thrives on poetry (“‘How Do Poets Write?’: A poem by Karuna Ezara Parikh”). Readers are happy to see Scroll making room for some genuine poetry in times of ChatGPT. Someday, I hope to publish my poetry in your esteemed daily with your permission. – Rimi Phukan

Poorly done story

I have been a reader of Scroll for some time now and despite the recent accolades that you have received, have noticed that the depth of reporting and the crispness of the stories are on the wane. It may be my opinion, but six other members of a group I belong to that analyses the impact of stories published by the online media felt the same as well. Most of this story (“What is the link between Modi’s Christmas event and a network helping bolster his personality cult?”) was about how the event was organised and dignitaries were invited. A pitiful last bit was about dissenting voices from a couple of people, like activist John Dayal who said there was no political motive to the event.

Considering the recent censure in the United States where action against India is being contemplated, that is actually puzzling considering that everything that Narendra Modi does is aimed at one thing: the right optics to control the narrative of remaining in power forever. A more nuanced analysis of the impact, more in-depth interviews, voice of the common people, lower-rung clergymen, some voices from pro-Modi supporters on how they perceived this outreach, considering that some elements within have burned effigies of Santa Claus as well during this Christmas, would have balanced out the story and given it some depth. – Shuvam

Telugu culture

I had immense pleasure in reading the article about Telugu culture in Silicon Valley (“Coding Telugu culture into Silicon Valley”). Though my stay in Dublin California was for a short period, I still recall its pleasant and warm atmosphere. Thank you for the memories. – Rajarao Rayaprolu

Port project earns money

Ramachandra Guha is at any cost against the present government but he has ignored the fact that by operating this port (“Ramachandra Guha: From a Kerala port, a citizens’ report provides proof of ‘destructive development’”), a huge amount foreign currency that would otherwise have gone to Colombo or Singapore will be saved. His mindset is destructive in nature. – Tanmay Mandal