Indian Journal of Surgery Medknow Publications on behalf of Association of Surgeons of India ISSN: 0972-2068 Vol. 65, Num. 2, 2003, pp. 199

Indian Journal of Surgery, Vol. 65, No. 2, March-April, 2003, pp. 199

Letter to Editor

Special issue on rural surgery

Payal Bansal

Department of Surgery, Bharati Veedyapeeth Deemed University Medical College, Dhanakwadi, Pune. E-mail: payal_pune2000@yahoo.com

Paper Received: April 2003, Paper Accepted: April 2003, Source of Support: Nil

Code Number: is03041

Sir,

Please accept my congratulations and thanks for bringing out the recent special issue of Indian Journal of Surgery on "rural surgery". This issue brings home the reality of the "Changing face of health care and our responsibilities" as Dr. Bose's presidential address has been aptly titled.¹

Rural surgeons represent the "excellent" those who have excelled in terms of not only clinical and teaching skills, innovation and application of knowledge but also in contribution towards fulfillment of the national objective of provision of health care to the remote and underserved rural areas.

As a teacher in a medical college, I see these surgeons as role models for both the postgraduate and undergraduate students. They represent the kind of people India needs to progress in the arena of health care. Their knowledge and experience represents the immense reservoir of knowledge and innovations that other doctors from India can tap into so that they too can organise and run their hospitals at minimum cost. Their work would be a revelation to our young students. It would help eliminate the misconception that to have a satisfying practice and good income one has to be located in a big city. Undoubtedly, these individuals are highly motivated and self-driven by an inner calling. What better mentors could we ask for?

It would be worthwhile sending our undergraduate students and interns to these centres during their rural posting as is being done in Nigeria.² It would be the ideal teaching situation for our future primary health care physicians and also expose them to the possibility of "rural surgery" as their area of specialisation. Such a placement would help sow the seeds of responsibility towards the country in the impressionable minds of our young undergraduate students, many of whom have never come face to face with the reality called rural India. At our institution, we recently undertook an experiment. Medical students from VI^th semester were posted for a period with general practitioners. The feedback from both the students and the practitioners was very positive. It seems like a promising step towards popularising the much needed institution of family practice.

I congratulate you once again for this special issue. I feel that this is far from a "step down gear";³ it is the coming home to our real roots.

Payal Bansal

Department of Surgery, Bharati Veedyapeeth Deemed University Medical College, Dhanakwadi, Pune.
E-mail: payal_pune2000@yahoo.com

REFERENCES

1. Bose SM. Changing face of health care and our responsibilities. Indian J Surg 2003;65:17-9.
2. Awojobi OA. Rural surgery in Nigeria. Indian J Surg 2003; 65:44-6.
3. Udwadia TE. Hence this special issue. Indian J Surg 2003; 65:20-1.

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