Progress in Medicine: Compensation and medical negligence in India: Does the system need a quick fix or an overhaul?

In a recent judgment on medical negligence, the Supreme Court awarded compensation amounting to Rs. 11 crore to a victim, which was to be paid by the doctors and the private hospital deemed responsible for the wrongful death of a patient. This landmark decision was by far the largest compensation award in the history of Indian medical negligence litigation. Hence, the process of calculating compensation for medical negligence has received great attention and debate, largely due to the impact that it is going to have on the practice of medicine within the country, in the near future. However, the method of calculation of compensation is unpredictable as it varies hugely across different cases, courts and tribunals resulting, in a loss of faith in the system, protracted litigation, and frequent appeals. With over 80% of India's healthcare being provided by the private sector, predictability and uniformity in the regulation of compensation in medical negligence would benefit the victims and the doctors concerned. A basic knowledge of how medical negligence compensation is calculated and adjudicated in the judicial courts of India will aid a doctor in planning his/her professional indemnity insurance, as well as in practicing his/her profession without undue worry about facing litigation for alleged medical negligence. This article addresses the merits and demerits of large compensation awards, and also discusses whether the system is broken, needs a quick fix, or a massive overhaul

Under graduate nursing students′ knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of health professionals′ role related to tobacco control and cessation

Background: Tobacco use is a public health issue throughout the world. Research related to information about tobacco control and cessation among nursing students is limited from India. Aim: To assess nursing students′ knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of health professionals′ role regarding tobacco control and cessation. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was adopted among purposively selected (N = 178) undergraduate nursing students. Data was collected using self-reported questionnaires. Results: Our findings revealed that students′ knowledge related to tobacco diseases was adequate as mean score of this domain was (M ± SD) 18.0 ± 1.48. Almost all participants agreed to support strict legislation (92.1%): Ban on "public use of tobacco" (91.6%), "tobacco sales to children and adolescents" (95.5%), and "advertising of tobacco products" (93.9%). Almost the entire sample felt that health professionals should serve as "role models" for their patients and the public (97.2%). However, curriculum related to smoking cessation techniques (51.6%) reasons why people smoke (48.8%) and nicotine replacement therapies were the areas found to be inadequate. Conclusion: There is an urgent need to sensitize nurse educators and nurse administrators involved in curriculum preparation to incorporate specific education modules related to tobacco control and cessation at an undergraduate level