Issue 3, Semester I
Pilani, Sunday, 15 September, 2013
epc.bits -student.org
Semi -Column
BOSM ’13
BITS Open Sports Meet will be held for the 28th time this year with more events, improved participation and better funding. With a mascot of its own, this fest promises to transcend the standards achieved by past editions of BOSM, if only the rain Gods remain merciful to us. (continued on page 3)
BITSians disgruntled with medical facilities provided
Considering Pilani’s isolation from any semblance of civilization, it is imperative that this town and BITS in particular, has a reasonably self-sufficient medical setup so as to deal with any eventuality that may prop up, and also the more routine ailments that students and staff of this college face. In order to gauge the level of trust students have in Pilani’s medical facilities, a survey was conducted amongst the students of the institute. The results obtained are documented below, supplemented with the necessary figures. Demands were made for complete overhaul of the facilities by respondents who were victims of false diagnoses and found themselves in disheartening situations. Many feel that doctors and the pharmacists should try and be more approachable and affable. Flexibility of timings is a major issue, as someone who falls ill on a Saturday evening has to wait till Monday to have their ailment addressed in MedC. “People fall ill/get hurt on Sundays also. We know that doctors are also humans and need holidays, so I suggest that a slot wise division of doctors must be made so that they get required vacations also A brief look at the survey results tell us that the average BITSian and people do not complain that today is Sunday and hence we views the Medical Center with a great deal of apprehension. However, even the most cynical ones amongst us were taken aback by the unanimity with which BITSians shunned the facilities provided to them as a whole. 54% of the respondents stated that even for basic medical procedures they would prefer to go home and get treatment or wait it out, rather than give the facilities provided a shot; a clear reflection of MedC’s public perception. We asked the respondents to rate the Medical Centre and the Birla Sarvajanik hospital on various parameters on a scale of 1 to 6, where 1 represented poor and 6, excellent.
? The availability of doctor and other staff was rated 2.8 on average
Conquest 2013: A Preview
Conquest is India’s biggest startup challenge, or so we’re told. Find out how the annual prize for India’s hottest startup is decided, and how the entire event is organized with such efficiency by a small student body. (continued on page 3)
Internships 101
It’s probably that time of the year when BITSians, bolstered by their PS-1 experiences, decide to spend their following holidays in activities more productive than waiting for the next summer blockbuster. Here are some pointers on how to go about this whole process of internship hunting. (continued on page 4)
at MedC and 3.06 at Birla Sarvajanik Hospital. Quite a lot of respondents felt that increased flexibility in timings will go a long way in improving the general opinion on the medical facilities. ? Both places fare decently well in the ‘availability of medicines’ parameter, with MedC scoring a 3.6 and Sarvajanik a 3.69. Medicine availability doesn’t seem to be a concern to most people who took the survey. But the fact that one needs a prescription from a doctor to buy even Neosporin, as cited in one particular entry, is annoying and bothersome. “They make you buy a whole bottle of Betadine if you want to get a wound bandaged,” was
can’t go to MedC,” was one of the more useful comments among the ones addressing this issue. The present Medical Superintendent has held office at BITS Pilani for the past 15 years now, yet, an extraordinary amount of criticism has come his way from the comments section of the survey. Questions were raised about supposed impatience and hastiness in dealing with patients. “The doctor (at MedC) should treat the patients with some respect. He should listen to what the patient wants to say and not hurriedly try to get done with the patient, which he does often. Even if there is a long queue he is supposed to deal with everyone,” was one of the comments. “Falling ill is independent of when the patient's next evaluative is scheduled. The doctor’s apparent callosity is detestable. Questioning an ailing patient's veracity when he's barely able to think straight is not on The General Physician's Handbook,” said another one, probably disgruntled by the suspicion with which cases involving make-ups are treated. In summary, more than half of the students’ comments pointed in his direction as the root cause of their woes.
The BOSM English Press blog is now online!
Stay tuned for fixtures, play by play updates, medal tallies and the much needed weather updates for BOSM ‘13. Give it a read at http:// www.bits-bosm.org/blogs/ english/
Critical reactions seem to be the order of the day, with the responses lamenting the lack of essential services while claiming that the remedies prescribed did not have the desired effect, as far as the Medical Centre, or MedC, is concerned. Of the 240 responses received, an overwhelming majority polled against the adequacy of the facilities - with a fair number also feeling the need to return home in order to get better, due to the poor framework in place. The overall feeling is one of disconanother such instance mentioned in a comment. tent and anger, with many willing to wait and recuperate rather than ? Satisfaction with diagnosis is an extremely low 2.2 at MedC and seek better treatment. Birla Sarvajanik a marginally better 2.28. “I developed rashes on my entire body after consuming medicine that was supposed to cure my mild fever. I had to visit a skin specialist in Delhi and waste lots of money in the process,” was one of the more serious cases voiced in the comments section. ? MedC scores high on hygiene with a 3.66. Birla Sarvajanik lags behind on this count with only a 2.7. The hygiene graph is a tough one to read. But overall, it does look like more respondents are on the decadent side of the satisfaction scale. Close to 90% of the respondents had never availed the facilities of any specialist practitioner periodically visiting campus, but the ones who had pointed towards the erratic frequency of such visits.
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