I read the article by Dr. Yousuf Kanjwal (GK  Dec 24, 2010). First I must mention that I am not retired from medical practice as mentioned by the writer. I moved out of SKIMS in 1995 (not by speaking lies, but for reasons boldly spoken out in article “My Journey back to Kashmir- GK April 2, 2005) and returned back in 2005 and now I am running a “Tertiary care Digestive Diseases Centre”.  I had all the reasons to use my forced exile to settle for good in one of the greatest centre of the World but choose to be back with society on reasons I understood for myself. For the last five years, this centre has (without Govt: support and budget) has done patient care, teaching and research, which needs mention. This centre has some of the gadgets which the writer may have difficulty in findings even in many centres in USA. This includes mentioning few advanced diagnostic and interventional video-endoscopic equipment, capsule endoscopy (a wonder tool for gut luminal imaging), non-invasive H. pylori testing (14C-UBT) and physiological luminal assessment (advanced Breath tests, pH and manometry etc). These tools have yet not been either introduced or updated in Kashmir and in many other centres in India. For our educational contributions he should access our website and YouTube and patient/physician related material for local distribution. The centre is publishing actively and in 2010, we have published 10 major publications and written book chapters from research wok done in the centre itself. The centre addresses national and international conferences regularly. Even Kashmiri physicians who do attend American meetings will see the impact of the work we continue to do.
Second, he has mentioned about infamous fight of SKIMS and dragged me in this. I had no connection with this even from miles (the same question was raised in the earlier mail and that time also I did write this answer to GK). If you as senior faculty member/s tell Medical Council India team not to inspect SKIMS or join a SKIMS dinner (for reasons open in the air now), watch dogs will take action.  A similar episode by another faculty recently has met with same yardstick.  His alleged extremely hard work for 10 years at SKIMS (I am not a witness to that) seems to have gone in vain as he saw only one department growing and flourishing. May I remind him, departments flourish by extra-ordinary vision of the team leader, through his personal hard work, extensively training the medical professionals in his team by practicing what you preach, and having innovative thoughts and contributing to society by excellent patient care, education and research? This envious behavior of his was addressed by me in an earlier GK communications under title “Do not Envy; It is a great sin in Islam”.  He has again terribly deformed the episode of my resignation as Dean Medical Faculty. Yes, I resigned as “Dean Medical Faculty” after holding this office for over one year once Dr. Farooq Abdullah made a casual remark about Dean Office in one of the functions in SKIMS. This resignation was not accepted and the letter was sent back to me (torn in four pieces) through the then DG police. But I never took back my resignation to keep dignity of the high office and also to lessen my interference in clinical and research work. Forget me, he has not even left his own colleague (a renowned intervention cardiologist) working in USA. Many may hate or love this medical legend for his temper, but, even his critics recognize him as one who has contributed significantly to interventional cardiology in the World. The writer has advised us stop writing on Institute policies and to respect what it has been delivering. However, in the same breath he has made direct and derogatory remarks about cardiac services (of which I believe he worked sometimes), alleged faculty private practice, alleged nepotism and favouritism in SKIMS about faculty appointments, alleged forced loss of faculty members by SKIMS administration over the years.
In my article on “SKIMS” I had given an in-depth analysis of following policies of SKIMS and how these could be looked at and improved: (i) primary care policy, (ii) vertical versus lateral appointments, (iii) internal policy procedures and regulations, (iv) hospital practices, (v) In-service training to medical professionals, to mention a few. The article was written without any conflict of interests, without ill-will and without mentioning any person or department. The response is just the opposite.
After analyzing the derogatory remarks about me, SKIMS as an Institution, SKIMS clinical departments, SKIMS faculty, SKIMS policies, an acclaimed interventional cardiologist settled in USA, and of course those politicians who must be abused, let us analyze what he offered to SKIMS to improve.   He has been very critical of SKIMS faculty appointments and strongly recommended it on basis of merit rather than alleged nepotism, and alleged favouritism. He spoke of “Hospitalists” as commodities, who manage inpatients admissions in many hospitals in USA, but a primary care physician policy yet exists in USA as well as Europe and many corporate hospitals in India. In addition he went in detail why private practice must be stopped in SKIMS and I would refer him to my earlier reference on this subject.    I did not find any other substance in his address to SKIMS to develop as an Institution which can deliver its missions, whatever they are.
I would advise the writer to apologize from the society on his “lie” about his moving to USA for his career. I believe strongly he has right to settle any where he or his family wishes to and one does not need to lie on that score. Secondly pen is a powerful and sacred tool which God has gifted us and must be used to pass message without conflict of interests and without any ill-will or envy to anybody even to your critics or enemies, not to speak of your fellow colleagues. If not used, it can spread ill-will, and hatred and this we do not want pen to do. I have written more than 100 articles in GK about common topics mostly related to health, health Institution, medical legends, my teachers and topics on Islam, medical discoveries, medical miracles and so on. I believe that pen is a sacred tool which must not be abused

  (Prof. Muhammad Sultan Khuroo, MD, DM, FRCP (Edin), FACP, Master American College of Physicians (MACP, Emeritus), is Director, Digestive Diseases Centre, Srinagar, Kashmir. Feedback at khuroo@yahoo.com)

Lastupdate on : Sun, 26 Dec 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 26 Dec 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:00:00 IST