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Better Teaching, Training Methods and Services in Medical Microbiology

Emerging Need in Developing World

Dr.T.V.Rao M.D.

Email:tvraodoctor2000@yahoo.co.in

The greatest achievements in Medical Science are attributed to developments in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of several diseases. Among several branches of Medicine, Microbiology with fundamentals on infectious diseases, contributed immensely to the prevention and management of many communicable diseases which in turn reduced the mortality and morbidity. The explosion of population in several countries is highly dependent on control of infectious diseases.

Eradication of Small pox in 1978 by united efforts of WHO and several global contributions impressed everyone that we are in for breakthrough. The emergence of AIDS in 1981 made us to know that we are in trouble with emerging infections. After 25 years of AIDS pandemic, continues to be a challenge with few solutions and more hope to live long in with anti retroviral treatment. There are several other similar issues including the drug resistance with a question that drugs which saved several humans in the last half of the century will be thrown out of shelves. And will be replaced by more critical unaffordable new generation of antibiotics and on many occasions with unpredictable end results adding to competitive marketing. Many pharmaceutical industries push on new generation of antibiotics with luring offers to practicing physicians. Inspite of many advances in diagnostics and therapeutic options, the threat of infection looms over the best cared patients.

MICROBIOLOGY TEACHING IN DEVELOPING WORLD

Many schools in the developing world teach Microbiology as a core subject in the middle of undergraduate curriculum and students will be successful with theoretical knowledge and few teachers take interest to transform the theoretic knowledge to practical use of evaluation to control and treat infectious diseases. In the present Indian context under educational regulations Microbiology taught as a Fairy Tale, where we show few things which are not at all relevant to the challenges we are facing in 21st century. This in turn brought apathy among the students. This missing link has got great impact on understanding of several disease conditions and infections contributing to the missed Diagnosis. The in coordination among the Para clinical teachers (Microbiology, Pathology, and Pharmacology) with clinical practioners had made many young Doctors as prescribers and not true physicians. The consequences have lead to uncontrolled and unscientific prescriptions leading to increase cost in patient care and ever growing drug resistance making several drugs ineffective and many clinical laboratories have no fundamental facilities even to diagnose few life threatening conditions. It’s certain that problem of misuse of antibiotics should be tackled with appropriate training at undergraduate level or else we have few drugs left after primary treatments with higher generations of antibiotics. The explosion of medical practioners from all streams leads to unhealthy competition. On many occasions patients with trivial and no infectious conditions are subjected to latest generation of antibiotics. Current periodicals/journals are available to few and impracticable to practice in the third world countries to learn the consequences of misguided knowledge.

ROLE OF PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES

Today we are drawn by market economy. The pharmaceutical industry wishes to push the unnecessary formulations and combinations on helpless patients. National GDP is not taken to consideration in pricing drugs, with self interests of few in the Industry and Medical profession, patients left to pay and suffer with unethical practices.

SOLUTIONS TO TRAIN OUR MEDICAL STUDENTS

It is time to review our present training methods of our undergraduates in Microbiology and Pharmacology. These two subjects need immense revival of methodology of teaching. We should make them clinical Microbiology practioners rather than historians of Microbiology Many topics are taught as a matter of duty and not for real application. We have to delete several unnecessary topics. There should be many topics on implication of antibiotics on health and diseases.

There should be dedicated Microbiology laboratories under guidance of qualified Microbiologists to serve the clinicians or else we are heading to total collisions with microbes. The Medical Microbiology in developing world needs a helping hand from several sections of Medical establishments to improve the Diagnostic and Training facilities. Other wise we lose the advantages we have established in conquering the Microbial diseases in the last century

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