DOCTORS’ DAY
For 90-plus docs, age is just a number
Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com
Chennai:1.7.2019
For nearly seven decades, Dr M Natarajan has been listening to patients, not lab reports. The 94-year-old dermatologist is one of the oldest medical practitioners listed in the Tamil Nadu Medical Council registry and he continues to see patients every day between 10am and1.30pm at his clinic in Kilpauk.
“The medicine I practice is man-toman and soul-to-soul. I talk to my patients and do a thorough examination. I trust my stethoscope and my intuitions more than any other instrument,” said Dr Natarajan. The doctor who graduated from the Madras Medical College in 1947 joined medical service in the same college. A few years later, he travelled to London to do his post-graduation. He continued to work in the government sector after returning with a degree. “I don’t do cosmetology because I am not trained in it. I tell my patients that. But I have kept up with advances in medical sciences. I even do tele-consultations as follow-up for many of my patients who live abroad,” he said.
A few kilometres away, 93-year-old Dr V L Rangan, an ENT specialist, says he sees anywhere between 30 and 50 patients between 9.30am and 1.30pm. “Most of my patients come to me because I prescribe medicine only for the disease I diagnose. I believe it’s not worth it to make your patients invest on a broad spectrum of drugs just because you can’t make the diagnosis right,” he said.
Until some years ago, most patients did not raise their voice against doctors or even go for a second opinion because they never doubted their doctors. Doctors’ profession was considered noble and violence against a doctor or hospital was never heard of. “Things have changed,” Dr Rangan said. Cases of violence against doctors have increased and many states have a special legislation to protect doctors and hospitals.
That’s one of the reasons why, the state’s oldest doctor, Salem-based Dr A J Arunagiri, 99, hung up his boots in April this year. In 2018, Tamil Nadu Medical Council had asked doctors over the age of 70 to update their credentials by March 31. Dr Arunagiri sent his credentials and prefered to remain on the active medical list. “But he has a small clinic and he may not be able to fulfil the new norms mandated by the clinical establishments act. So, he has decided not to practice,” said his daughter Jayanthi Visanathan.
He continues to meet some of his patients and medical representatives, reads medical journals and sometimes offers expert opinion.
The oldest doctors in Tamil Nadu trust their instincts, are sure of their diagnoses and don’t prescribe a battery of tests and medicines
For 90-plus docs, age is just a number
Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com
Chennai:1.7.2019
For nearly seven decades, Dr M Natarajan has been listening to patients, not lab reports. The 94-year-old dermatologist is one of the oldest medical practitioners listed in the Tamil Nadu Medical Council registry and he continues to see patients every day between 10am and1.30pm at his clinic in Kilpauk.
“The medicine I practice is man-toman and soul-to-soul. I talk to my patients and do a thorough examination. I trust my stethoscope and my intuitions more than any other instrument,” said Dr Natarajan. The doctor who graduated from the Madras Medical College in 1947 joined medical service in the same college. A few years later, he travelled to London to do his post-graduation. He continued to work in the government sector after returning with a degree. “I don’t do cosmetology because I am not trained in it. I tell my patients that. But I have kept up with advances in medical sciences. I even do tele-consultations as follow-up for many of my patients who live abroad,” he said.
A few kilometres away, 93-year-old Dr V L Rangan, an ENT specialist, says he sees anywhere between 30 and 50 patients between 9.30am and 1.30pm. “Most of my patients come to me because I prescribe medicine only for the disease I diagnose. I believe it’s not worth it to make your patients invest on a broad spectrum of drugs just because you can’t make the diagnosis right,” he said.
Until some years ago, most patients did not raise their voice against doctors or even go for a second opinion because they never doubted their doctors. Doctors’ profession was considered noble and violence against a doctor or hospital was never heard of. “Things have changed,” Dr Rangan said. Cases of violence against doctors have increased and many states have a special legislation to protect doctors and hospitals.
That’s one of the reasons why, the state’s oldest doctor, Salem-based Dr A J Arunagiri, 99, hung up his boots in April this year. In 2018, Tamil Nadu Medical Council had asked doctors over the age of 70 to update their credentials by March 31. Dr Arunagiri sent his credentials and prefered to remain on the active medical list. “But he has a small clinic and he may not be able to fulfil the new norms mandated by the clinical establishments act. So, he has decided not to practice,” said his daughter Jayanthi Visanathan.
He continues to meet some of his patients and medical representatives, reads medical journals and sometimes offers expert opinion.
The oldest doctors in Tamil Nadu trust their instincts, are sure of their diagnoses and don’t prescribe a battery of tests and medicines
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