YOU ARE HIRED !

[Guest guest]

muthu muthu muthu !!!!!!

you are hired --

to be the next CEO of mgims ltd, sewagram, INDIA

only few ( your close friends) gotta see the serious side of muthu !!

we from the other batches just saw his goofy side and his mischief --

hoping he will get time to do this more often.

am i praising him more because he said a few kind words for me unlike the

bashing i get from this group of 'like minded' individuals ??

go figure )

ashok 1984

muthutamilan wrote:

NEPOTISM

1. Nepotism is a well developed Indian art in many fields from

politics to movies to sport and is equally rampant in education and

in medicine. It is not appropriate to blame the events in MGIMS as a

system error, as that would encompass many blameless people. A chosen

few however have indulged in this nasty habit. I don't think they

understood the implications of the actions on the tender minds of the

17 year old medical students, but that is an issue they have to

square with their conscience.

2. It is undeniable that instances of abuse of power and

position has occurred in Sewagram – these range from obtaining a MBBS

seat, tweaking of attendance records, awarding marks and medals,

suitable venue for rural service, and PG seats. While some instances

of misdemeanour can be proven, it would serve no purpose to pursue

this course other than to sully the image of MGIMS. It is more

pertinent to spend some thought on why this has occurred and ways of

eradication. We could also clarify a few misconceptions along the way.

3. The offering of MBBS seat to staff children is not something

for `outsiders' to discuss. It is a negotiated perk in the job

contract and does not demean either the staff or their children. Many

companies offer this and more for retaining their talented and

experienced staff. It is not right to directly equate this offer as

the sole reason for staff to stay on, as there are other

considerations, both positive and negative.

4. The definition of staff does not mean medical teachers. It

includes the whole spectrum to the Class IV employees. There are some

Class IV employee children who have benefited from this largesse of

Dr. Nayar.

5. While previously at management discretion, as far as I am

aware it is now not a simple walk-through, as currently all staff

children also have to compete for these `quota' seats. Whether this

competition is further tweaked in the favour of the strong and

powerful is a moot point.

6. Dr. Nayar had single handedly changed the socio-politico-

economic and health status of the region around Sewagram by

establishing the Kasturba hospital. The nursing college and then

MGIMS as a medical college arose an offshoot of this. The hospital is

the foundation for the college and not vice versa, with the whole

idea being to serve the rural populace.

7. Many of our great clinicians and then teachers joined her at

that point or subsequently to share her vision and make today a

reality. Many still live by this ideology, but there are instances

where a few have taken a short `vacation' from the ideology to

indulge their passion. Others have joined later, some for ideology

and others for a quick rise up the academic ladder. Making a quick

buck was never an option, as the bucks are so far and between.

8. It is a matter of truth that any ideology, save religion,

becomes diluted with passage of time. So it is not inconceivable that

Dr. Nayar's vision would be subjected to storms and we should not be

surprised at that. There could be positive changes and negative

changes in the grand plan, but the greatness of leadership at this

stage lies in steering the ship safely through the chaos of change to

our planned future goals. The plan would be to keep alive and nurture

the core vision, adapt with the requirements of the circumstance and

weed out evil practices which have crept in. There is no reason to

suspect that the current management is not up to the task. Nepotism

is one such needing eradicaton and the CET should somewhat ease that

task. Regular audit and monitoring would ensure fairness for all.

9. Why favour one's and other staff children is not a mystery at

all. It is to provide a favourable step up the ladder. The close knit

society of MGIMS lends itself to such incestuous practice thereby

creating a network of mutual back scratching society. In such a

nepotistic culture, there are the winners and surprise, surprise,

there are losers as well. Should we sympathise with the losers?

10. While some may claim the favouritism as just reward for their

services and sacrifices, it does pour water on their ideological

aspirations. If one can sell sacrifices for patronage, why not sell

the soul for thirteen pieces of silver?

11. Why does it have to be that a physician's ward has to become

a doctor, like carrying on the family business. It is a fallacy among

us Indians that the parents have to put their child through

professional (medical, engg, etc) education. In the UK, the child is

encouraged to seek the course and career of their aptitude. My

Professors' and colleagues' children are nurses, dentists, farmer,

etc. Very few of them actually are doctors.

12. This brings up the point that are doctors the most

intelligent? I would disagree with Ashok's insinuation that Sewagram

staff is the repository of the world's IQ (the last I heard, the

person with the highest IQ is a cabaret dancer in South America) and

that the staff children have it in them. [There is a famous Bernard

Shaw quote on beauty and brains, which I won't repeat]. Some staff

children have done well and there are quite a few duds along the

highway.

13. We are not the most intelligent. We are supposedly the caring

profession, intelligence is not necessary, but would do. In effect,

we work as glorified body mechanics, memorizing and regimentally

following protocols or mental check lists. Name any diagnostic or

treatment regimen, I can show you a protocol. [That's one bane of

evidence based medicine, which does suppress intelligent thought and

insight].

14. On the side, if we care to think about it, it does take hard

work and skill to practice nepotism. I wilfully admire the guys who

upfront shaft the system and say it. It is the `vacationing'

ideologues who deserve all the odium we can muster.

15. Nepotism is practised in other medical colleges in India, but

given the closeness of our Institute fabric and the fact that as

there is nothing much else, bitching is a prime source of

entertainment whereby such episodes flare up into gargantuan

proportions.

16. Finally, as long as we have managed to acknowledge the

existence of nepotism and that steps are in place to control it, we

can consider it a job done. Eradication will however remain a utopian

dream. We cannot undo the past events and for the few who wish it, I

can assure you that there can be no gain from retribution. Let us get

on and think positive.

17. Take a break, grab a hot cuppa, and then move on to my

monograph on inadequacy, this being quoted as a result of above

nepotism.

Regards, Muthukumar (1985)

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Website: www.mgims.org

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