Category: History of Medicine

Culture & Life · History · History of Medicine · Public health

The “oppressive” history of family planning and population control in India

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I wrote this for Swaddle on July 8 2018. Here is the original article. I based it primarily on the book ‘Reproductive Restraints: Birth Control in India, 1877-1947’ by historian Sanjam Ahluwalia of Northern Arizona University Below are some excerpts: Birth control began in India not as a free choice by individuals to manage their fertility, but as… Continue reading The “oppressive” history of family planning and population control in India

History · History of Medicine · Medicine & Doctors

Dr PK Sen in 1968 – India’s first heart transplant in the time of Nehruvian science and self-reliance

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This was published in thewire.in on 30th June 2018. Here is the full article, and below is an extract. “When Sen decided to make cardiovascular history around early 1968, large scientific projects had already entered public imagination as modern ‘temples’ a la Nehru. In fact he had previously performed India’s first ever operation on the heart… Continue reading Dr PK Sen in 1968 – India’s first heart transplant in the time of Nehruvian science and self-reliance

History of Medicine · Medicine & Doctors · Public health

Inviting doctors and patients to share experiences and thoughts

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A project on the history of the patient-doctor relationship in contemporary India: My name is Kiran Kumbhar. I am an MBBS graduate from BJ Govt Medical College, Pune (2010), and have previously worked in Pune, Ratnagiri, Mumbai, and Delhi as medical officer and non-PG resident doctor. Currently I am a PhD student at Harvard University,… Continue reading Inviting doctors and patients to share experiences and thoughts

History of Medicine · Medicine & Doctors

The medical gaze / clinical gaze concept by Michel Foucault

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Michel Foucault is well known to researchers and readers in several fields, esp sociology, anthropology, history, and philosophy. Many of his ideas also have to do with another field – medicine – though most doctors, nurses and other healthcare practitioners, at least in my home country India, have hardly heard about him. To be sure,… Continue reading The medical gaze / clinical gaze concept by Michel Foucault

History of Medicine · Medicine & Doctors · Public health

Understanding healthcare and medicine in India – by going above and beyond conventional sources

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I am a medical doctor currently studying the history of medicine and medical anthropology (PhD). After graduating (MBBS) in 2010, I worked as medical officer and resident doctor in some hospitals, both government and corporate, for four years, and then worked as a research assistant at the Public Health Foundation of India for a few months… Continue reading Understanding healthcare and medicine in India – by going above and beyond conventional sources