KiranAcharya

TV channels ‘stay in the loop'

2012-02-09T16:42:00.000-08:00

The irony was unmistakable on news television across regional Kannada channels on Tuesday evening.

For, while news anchors pontificated on the “immoral” and “shameless” act of two ministers caught “enjoying” pornography on their small mobile screens, their channels aired, in a loop for at least five hours, close-up visuals of the video without so much as pixellating even sections of them.

The emphasis appeared to be more on the morality of watching porn, rather than the offense of watching these visuals in the Legislative Assembly where using mobile phones, even reading newspapers for that matter, is prohibited. Add to this tenor, the background score: at least two channels decided that images alone cannot titillate, and played music that appeared to be borrowed from a late-night soft porn movie segment.

So for hours on Tuesday evening, channels aired “fresh” — and of course, all “exclusive” — visuals, alternating between the two videos, one a soft porn video that appeared to be a strip tease, and the other, explicit pornographic images of a sexual act. Having made their point, some channels did blur the footage, but only after a good three hours. Notably, national television channels, which picked up the story from regional channels, blurred the footage right from the start.

Indeed, the channels did need to air these visuals to establish proof of content. But once the evidence had been established, did they go too far? For, the channels did not stop here. At least two leading channels, “traced the source” of the video (showing a woman in a ‘striptease’), downloaded it and played it in a loop. This footage — unlike the mobile screen shots from the assembly — occupied the entire TV screen, revealing the woman’s identity. This was a clear violation of her privacy.

The pretext was that the footage was being played to refute Minister Laxman Savadi's contention that he was trying to understand what a “rave party” was, or watching footage of exploitation in Iran or Egypt. This downloaded footage was aired for at least two hours, late into early hours of the morning.

Line crossed?

While channels can argue that it was in “public interest” and not with ‘intent to titilate’ -- making them not culpable -- did they cross a line by telecasting the downloaded video? In the second case, where close-up shots of the woman were aired, there is a violation of privacy, says Pranesh Prakash, legal expert. He points out that Courts have upheld an individual's right to privacy, barring only material in public domain or in public interest.

While there are several broadcasters; rules, most of which deal with self regulation, airing this footage indeed violates the Cable TV Act's programme code. The code prohibits content that “denigrates women through the depiction in any manner of the figure of a women, her form or body ... that is indecent, or derogatory to women”.

Media commentator, Sevanti Ninan, says, “That they showed footage without pixellating it, footage violated the Cable Act. Previously, too, for instance, in the telecast of the Swami Nityananda sex scandal video, the tape was not blurred and it is currently enshrined on YouTube, as this one doubtless will be.”

Death in hospital brings in money for “negotiators”

2011-11-12T06:34:00.000-08:00

This is a disturbing trend in DK & Udupi districts. Birth of a new profession: Patient death- hospital bill negotiator!

When a critically ill patient dies after best possible treatment by the hospital, a team of self proclaimed "social activists" are alerted by some hospital employees/ patients relatives (obviously for a tip).

Then mediamen are "invited" to the hospital. In the media presence "negotiators" make a grand entry, take up the charge of "reducing" the hospital charges for a fee from the patients relatives.

Hospital administrators are then threatened to waive the bill (again the negotiators make money here!)...if hospital authorities remain firm with their decision, they face vandalism at the hospital, negative publicity over media! The booty is shared by the “informants”, “mediamen” and “negotiators”…

This trend would result in hospitals insisting on deposit money upon arrival of the patient...precious lives may be lost in the waiting period. If such incidents continue, some of the hospitals may refuse to admit the patient in serious cases fearing chaos.

Please do not make the healthcare personnel insensitive by repeated publication of such news, which indirectly is an advertisement for "negotiators".

Self Restraint by the Media: a welcome development

2011-11-08T06:42:00.000-08:00

Finally...much awaited self restraint by the media houses comes into force...how the news channels and media houses respond to it, adhere to the guidelines? Wait & Watch!

For Aishwarya Rai's baby,
TV channels will 'behave'
An astonishing (as per TOI report)
guideline agreed upon by all news channels
could forever change the way
Indian television treats its celebrities
The self imposed guidelines are:
» No pre-coverage of the event.
» Story of the birth of the baby to run only after, and on the basis of, official announcement.
» Story not to run on breaking news band.
» No camera or OB vans at hospital or any other location (like the Bachchans' homes Pratiksha or Jalsa) related to the story.
» Channels will only go for photo-op or press conference if invited.
» Channels will not carry any MMS or photo of the child. We can carry if issued by the family
» No astrology show to be done on this issue.
» No 11.11.11 astro shows to be done.
» The duration of story to be around a minute/ninety seconds.
» Obviously, unauthorized entry into hospital not permitted.

Indeed it is a welcome change from "paparazzi" culture of present day media, where privacy of individuals and patients rights are violated routinely!
As a pioneer in advocating patients rights to privacy, this blog appreciates the gesture by the media houses. Hope this heralds the new era of "responsible" media of the future...

Lack of Privacy: Rajinikanth shifts to Singapore Hospital!

2011-05-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

Rajinikanth Admitted to Singapore's Top Hospital

Singapore, May 28 (PTI): Tamil superstar Rajinikanth has been admitted to Singapore's top hospital, the Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, according to medical sources.

The 61-year-old actor arrived here today with his wife and two daughters after he was discharged from a Chennai hospital where he spent two weeks being treated for respiratory problems.

He is now at the Mount Elizabeth centre which is considered one of the best hospitals in Asia. However the hospital has refused to comment on Rajinikanth's health saying that it was not obliged to disclose the identity of its patients when they request complete privacy.

Celebrities and even common man has no privacy at Indian hospitals. Details of admission, ailment, medication used, treatment done are routinely divulged to the lay press. Even photography of patients inside private areas/ ultra clean zones (!) of hospital are routinely permitted. Publicity hungry hospitals, doctors, ignorant mediamen, mediamen with "freedom of the press" are to be blamed for this menace.

However good the medical care may be, if it lacks respect for patients dignity & privacy, it has no meaning. A major hospital in New Delhi lost its JCI certification for divulging a patients lab report...A bangalore hospitals divulges MRI report of a film star...CNN IBN flashes the MRI images of Gautam Gambhirs shoulder...now it is the turn of Rajinikanth...fearing invasion of privacy, he has chosen Mt Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore. Shame on Indian healthcare system...which can`t ensure a basic right of the patient...that is Privacy.

Indian Media: an accessory for Crime?

2010-10-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

Something for the media to think about
Arundhati Roy on The Hindu

What is the nature of the agreement between these sections of the media and mobs and criminals in search of spectacle? Does the media which positions itself at the ‘scene' in advance have a guarantee that the attacks and demonstrations will be non-violent? What happens if there is criminal trespass (as there was today) or even something worse? Does the media then become accessory to the crime? This question is important, given that some TV channels and newspapers are in the process of brazenly inciting mob anger against me. In the race for sensationalism the line between reporting news and manufacturing news is becoming blurred. So what if a few people have to be sacrificed at the altar of TRP ratings? So, while the Government is showing a degree of maturity, are sections of the media and the infrastructure of democracy being rented out to those who believe in mob justice? But why are sections of the mainstream media doing the same? Is a writer with unpopular views more dangerous than a suspect in a bomb blast? Or is it a question of ideological alignment?

Flashback: Mangalore Amnesia Pub attack by the media & Moral Police

When a similar event happens in Mangalore, likes of Arundhati Roy cried hoarse on Women`s rights, Talibalization etc.,

None of the intellectuals protested against the media - an associate in the crime!
(instead of informing police and avoiding a "spectacle" local media chose to "encash" on "pub attack" by selling the "precious footage" and photos to national/international media houses)

Crime in Mangalore: Media is doing its job as per "freedom of the press"
Crime in New Delhi: Media acting as an accessory for Crime!!!

I have been advocating all the while on privacy and individual rights. Intellectuals like Arundhati Roy wake up, only when they become targets!

Air crash: a question for media

2010-05-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Uday Rodrigues/ Mediamirchi

MANGALORE is still in the shock of Air India Air crash in Mangalore. It is the most horrific incident happened in Mangalore as well as the biggest tragedy in Indian aviation history. The entire world stood and expressed their sympathy & condolences on all of the families who lost their beloved ones and prayed for the departed soul. The incident is still alive as the reason for this tragedy yet known & the investigation is in progress. The devastating air crash in Mangalore has raised many issues on AI, runway & the airport. I would like to raise the issue of publishing photographs of dead bodies in the print and virtual front pages of most major news papers & the online websites.

I think the media has got something very important to consider when deciding what photographs to publish. Publishing the photographs that are so grotesque that it's almost disrespectful to the person viewing the photograph may disturb the week hearted people. Image of carrying the body of an injured/dead baby seriously devastating, especially to someone who is young, woman or weak. Yet, I would assume that the photographer’s purpose in taking the picture is to show how completely devastating this event was but its is seriously awful to view. One of my friend who is working for the medical field, she expressed her views like this “We all are so close to this incident and the photographs still come to my mind, though I am a medical professional, I would definitely can’t see such painful scenes…huhhh!!’ One of my other friend said that he can’t see the local news papers in Mangalore, it gives pain. I am personally, not visiting the online news websites which I usually visit since i saw some photographs. Some people even went ahead & uploaded photographs of dead bodies in Facebook which they shot on the spot of the incident.

Now here are some possible questions to consider.

1. What purpose would you have in showing such images?

2. What consequences do you foresee from depicting such images?

3. What will it want and/or need to see to understand such death?

4. What impact will images of death have on the viewers?

5. Will such pictures help the viewers understand the truth(s) of this tragedy?

6. Will the images help to make the people more knowledgeable about this horrific incident?

7. Just imagine, if any of your loving person was in that flight, would you like to show his/her body into pieces?

I remember the tragic death of AP Chief Minister YSR; the photographs were available but never published in any TV channels. Respecting the dead is very much appreciated in the western media and the western world . For all the years that American and British soldiers have died in what many now accept was an illegitimate war in Iraq, I have never seen a picture of blown up bodies or pieces of those soldiers in the western media as an attempt to show the world how gruesome the war has been.

Local media in Mangalore has always done a great job. It may the church attack, pub attack and now the worst tragedy of air crash. But I do strongly feel, publishing the photographs of dead bodies was not a good idea or its like lack of respect for dead people and their families. News organizations should decide about showing images of death will help or hinder the public understanding of this tragedy or it will make them to feel more horrific. I do feel they should avoid publishing, or refuse to show, such images.

These are my views. You agree with me or do not agree, please don’t forget to leave your honest comments here. We can bring it to the attention of our local media and there can be a change. I thank some of my friends who supported me to write this short article. God bless Mangalore.

Ban entry of Media/ Politicians into hospitals during mass casualty management!

2010-02-23T16:06:00.000-08:00

Fire at Bangalore's Carlton Towers: Bangalore, Feb 23: A massive fire has hit the third floor of the Carlton Towers in Bangalore, killing three and trapping many office goers around the peak office hours this evening. At least five people may have died in the Carlton Towers since they jumped out from the fifth and sixth floors of their office building in Bangalore on Tuesday. Survivors were treated at Manipal Hospital

Mediamen barge into the hospital: minutes after the first patient was wheeled into the Manipal Hospital, harassment by mediamen started...they barged into no entry/ no photography zones of the hospital, started photographing/ videographing hapless victims, who were still under shock...They even tresspassed into sterile areas like Emergency ward/ ICU and even wards!

When some relatives/ patients requested them not to take photo, they did not bother...all that mattered for the mediamen was a crying face/ breaking news!

Useless Exercise by VIP`s: like visiting the victims in the hospital (in what way it helps?), which will not only hamper the medical management but also burdens the doctors & hospital staff (who should be treating the patients!). It also burdens the local administration and the police – who otherwise should be involved in relief measures/ investigations

What is the use of parading in the Hospitals, with mediamen? Will this "show" help in any way to any individual? The police personnel, who otherwise have other serious issues to tackle, will end up "escorting" these politicians! Rather than these publicity stunts, VIP`s should be busy in tactical planning! They should also order investigations by town planners/ fire personnel, to prevent future calamities...

NABH guidelines to Hospitals: NABH certified hospitals should have a disaster/ mass casualty protocol. According to the protocol, media management, information to relatives through media is essential. However mass casualty situation does not give any rights to mediamen, to barge into private/ secure/ sterile areas of the hospital. In fact this kind of unrestricted entry into hospital by those posing as mediamen can cause a serious security issue, apart from causing breach of infection control policy of the hospital.

Moral Policing by the Media?

2010-02-20T19:35:00.000-08:00

There is NO justification for Drunken Driving/ Assault on Police. If the charges are true, they should be punished according to the law of the land. However there is no justification either for trial by media, disclosing the identity of the accused.

When Police teams are performing routine checks with alcometer, why have the media presence? that too visual media? The Mediamen may record such images, may blackmail the person in question (even if he is a teetotaller!) later! It is highly condemnable to record images of police activity, and use it in the lay press for titillation! Why have mediamen record video/ photo in the Police station, before they are even charged with the crimes?

Counter Point:

Where is Justice Nayak, who is supposed to guard the Human Rights? It is well known that most muslim countries ban women from getting photo/ videographed...maybe these girls were shocked to see video cameras, so they must have tried to flee the scene...Later, the media was called to the police station too...where is the right to privacy? When underworld goons are arrested police provide them the luxury of black face masks...but hapless women caught in the middle of the night paraded in front of cameras...
Is it not moral policing by Media? How many drunken brawls by men get reported like this?...the same media houses which cried foul when pubs were raided last year, when the very same pink cheddy gangs which called for Pub Bharo...are now silent! (just because of the alleged attack on the media by these girls?)
Thank God, there was no one in the vicinity wearing any saffron clothes! Otherwise National Council for Women, Amnesty, Transparency..etc would have raised a hue and cry!

Privacy: one of the fundamental rights of every citizen

2010-02-17T16:00:00.000-08:00

Click on the image for full view
Courtesy: VijayaKarnataka/Mediamirchi

Terrorists get live coverage, Thanks to the Media

2010-02-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

This ghastly photo taken at a Trauma Center was published in The Hindu. The media has no regard for any privacy/ ethics. Where was the need to publish such gory image? What about the invasion of privacy? Loss of dignity?
A day may not be far when terror groups in the guise of Mediamen, enter hospitals, cause secondary bomb blasts in the hospitals! (To Read more click here)
Don't Talk to Blast Victims, Pune Police Chief to Media

IANS
Pune, Feb 14: The media should keep away from hospitals in Pune where victims of the eatery blast are recuperating, the city police chief warned Sunday. "This is not just a request, it is our official direction," he said.
Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh said at a press conference here that the media should not interview any blast victim, including those at hospitals.
"I want to appeal and request media persons not to go to hospitals where the injured are admitted or talk to them about the incident. This is against national interest.
"It is not just a request, it is also our official direction. Hospitals have also been directed to not allow anyone in the hospitals. Anyone violating this would have to face the consequences," Singh told reporters.
Nine people, including two foreign nationals were killed, while 60 people (48 Indians and 12 foreign nationals) were injured in the blast at the German Bakery Saturday evening.
While 19 of the injured have been discharged from hospitals, 41 are still undergoing treatment, Singh said.

But, as usual mediamen have already barged into the hospital, photographing, videographing hapless victims of terror bomb blast...so the terrorists get a live coverage of victims of their terror attack...thanks to the "terror friendly media" !
It is also a known phenomenon that Mediamen gate crash/ enter important venues without any pass/ identity card. Hence it becomes important to keep in mind the possibility of terrorist posing as a Journalist...especially when they are with electronic gadegets like cameras- which can easily conceal weapons/ explosives!

Privacy at Stake at Bangalore resorts?

2010-01-12T16:56:00.000-08:00

A waiter at Golden Palms Spa & Hotel tries to sell photos of a private meeting to the media houses! Scary but true!

How private are your moments spent at the resorts/ SPA?

Today it is just a few photos of a private meeting, tomorrow it could be the video recording of your private moments spent at the resort & SPA?

When contacted, the management of the resort is callous about this serious breach of privacy...or are they hand in glove with their employees? Or is it an official policy to record guests activities??

If you are concerned, please mail your response by clicking here

Illegal photo/videography, Tresspassing: journalist attacked!

2009-11-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

Journalists, who do not follow any code of ethics, barged into the courtroom in Bangalore high court. As usual while indulging in an alleged unauthorized videography through mobile phone, he was attacked by enraged lawyers...
(CNN IBN is known to show mobile videos on its prime news...when former CM Kumaraswamy was undergoing treatment at Jayadeva, they had beamed the mobile video images of the former CM at the entrance of an operation theater)

Paradox: When jounrlists tresspassed into an emergency ward at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal and photographed hapless patients, the doctor on duty had objected. The incident was blown out of proportion by the media as "attack on freedom of the press"...and the clever lawyers of Udupi bailed out the journalists from the case...Now, we have a situation, wherein the lawyers are upset over an alleged videography in the court hall...they could have filed a case of tresspassing/unauthorized videography...since they have so much faith in their own system, they have resorted to "direct punishment"!
Win Win situation: for journalist...if he gets the video grab it is a breaking news, if he gets beaten in the process, it is a breaking news anyway!
Whether this reporter was following ethics?

Televized Death: Live from a borewell

2009-09-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

Denying YSR "Death with Dignity"

2009-09-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

In the height of "breaking news" era, mediamen fail to provide "Death with Dignity" by publishing gory images of vicitims of accidents.

Questions:

1. What is the purpose of publishing such gory images?

2. In accidents, the victims body may not be covered well...thus denying "dignity"

3. Blood & brain pouring out of the body...do these editors have any idea of impact of such images on young minds?

4. Will the editor who approved this photo for publication, permit similar photos of his near and dear ones body?

(Photo of mangled body of Sri YSR, then CM of Andhra...published by most newspapers/ TV channels...clear violation of ethics of Journalism/ Forensic Medicine). Photo has been blurred to lessen the impact by this blogger.

===================
Related issue: Dead bodies & photography, an analysis...by Shakuntala Rao (a journalism ethics professor at SUNY University in Plattsburgh, New York) pointed out that in the case of showing graphic images of death, media in India are far more brazen.
She pointed to an example of a child who was abused at his school in an Indian village.
“This child goes to school and he’s beaten up by his teachers. He’s beaten up so severely that he dies,” she said. “So the parents actually bring the body for display to the cable channels.” The graphic images of the dead child became a major part of a news story about the abuse of children by untrained teachers at rural schools. read more
===================
Dignity in Death

Insensitive Media: Invasion of Privacy

2009-08-14T03:29:00.000-07:00

Family upset
Bangalore: High drama prevailed in front of the Karnataka`s first H1N1 victim’s house when mediapersons tried to speak to family members. When a cameraperson of an English news channel tried to barge into the house & shoot images of the house, the upset family members tried to shoo him away. But when he refused to back off, they threw a chair on him from within their compound. The cameraperson, who was injured in the face, lodged a police complaint.
Why is the media so insensitive towards privacy? Why do they think that it is their right to barge into homes/ hospitals without permission?

Patients beware: Photographers can Misuse your photo!

2009-08-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

Innocent mother child suffer, while the photographer and ad agency laugh their way to the Bank!

AIDS ad face sues for crore

Photograph of a mother and child from a video grab of a Pulse Polio program, sold to a photobanking agency...The agency sells the photo to an Ad agency, which uses the photo in a AIDS campaign!

Chennai, Aug. 4: A woman has sought damages of Rs 1 crore from the Tamil Nadu States AIDS Control Society which used her picture with her daughter in an AIDS poster allegedly without her permission.
The life of Kripa, 25, and her four-year-old daughter Akila (both names changed) turned topsy-turvy once the advertisement appeared in the form of posters, banners and hoardings with the slogan “Nambikkai Mayiathirkku Nandri” (Thanks to the AIDS counselling centres) around three months ago. They were meant to urge people to step into the state-run centres to test for HIV/AIDS.
The housewife has sought the Rs 1 crore for the mental agony caused to her family.
“I was shocked when neighbours told me that our photograph has been displayed in the government hospital near my house in Triplicane (an area in central Chennai). Within a few hours, a relative came to say that she had seen the poster at Egmore. Everyone suspected we had AIDS since our photo was used for an AIDS campaign,” Kripa claimed in her petition filed in Madras High Court seeking damages and a public apology from the society.
The court has issued a notice to the society and the matter will come up for hearing tomorrow.
Tamil Nadu health secretary V.K. Subbaraj said the ad agency which had been given the job for the campaign may be at fault, but added that he had ordered an inquiry into whether the woman’s consent was taken for using her and her child’s images. “Beyond that I can’t comment as the matter is before the court,” Subbaraj said.
Kripa said even her husband suspected she had gone to the counselling centre along with her child for taking the HIV/AIDS test. “It took a lot of pleading and convincing for her to make her husband overcome his suspicion,” said Kripa’s lawyer, G. Mohanakrishnan.
In her petition, Kripa said her neighbours started shunning her and kept their children away from her daughter. “I could not even admit my daughter in a school,” she said.
Her family, Kripa claimed, became social outcasts. She wanted the AIDS agency to remove the images from its campaign immediately, since they had taken them without her permission.
Mohanakrishnan said Kripa was first clueless as to when and where the photograph had been taken. “On repeated queries, she recalled that a foreign agency had taken a video of patients waiting in line at the Government Hospital for Women and Children at Triplicane. Our guess is the photo was taken from a frozen frame of that video,” he told The Telegraph.

HC orders removal of photo

Solution:

1. Ask any photographer to take your permission prior to photography

2. Ensure that your photograph would not be misused for financial gains

3. Protest if someone photographs/ videographs you without permission

Suffer from Flu: Lose your dignity & Rights

2009-08-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

In a shocking development, the identity of the Patients suffering from H1N1 were disclosed to the media. This is a GROSS violation of medical ethics, patients charter of rights as per NABH. Even the suspects names and addresses were revealed in a press conference. The unscrupulous mediamen even entered hospitals to photograph and videograph hapless patients in hospitals, using this opportunity to record some "file shots/bytes" which can be sold later!

It is high time the patients became aware of their rights and fight these issues legally.

(photo/ report: Mangalorean)

Added on 14.08.2009: Sadly the disclosure of information has been made by a doctor (not the treating doctor). If that doctor does not apologize, a formal complaint to the medical council of India is being prepared.

Update: 14.08.2009, 11:32 hrs: Official from Udupi District H1N1 team has responded! Read the response... "According to the guidelines of D.C. in press meet held on 10-08-09 ,D.H.O. has given press statement .I was only mailing their reports. Anyhow we have stopped giving the details to the press from 13-08-09 only. We ensure that we will keep the secrecy of patients details to the media".

Journalist sues hospital for taking photos !

2009-06-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

In an interesting news from Malaysia, a journalist has sued the hospital for photographing her, while undergoing some procedure.

And in India, her colleagues are happy clicking photos of innocent patients in Hospitals, day in and day out...

News from The Star/ Malaysian Bar association

Patients rights violation by State Human Rights Commission

2009-05-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

Human Rights Organizations unaware of Patients charter of Rights?
What is the need for Publicizing a health check camp? Why reveal patient identity?

Kiran Acharya: about me

2009-05-01T23:21:00.000-07:00

Dr Kiran K V Acharya
M,B;B,S. MS (ORTHOPAEDICS)

Professor, Orthopaedics

Arthroscopy, Sports Injuries & Arthroplasty Unit, Orthopaedics, Kasturba Medical College & Hospital, Manipal University

Star Sign: Scorpion

Address : Office: Orthopaedics, KMCH Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
Residence:Ravi Kiran, Katte Acharya Marg, Kunjibettu, Udupi 576 102

Phones : 9343130539/ 9448130539

Mail : manipalortho@gmail.com

Academic Qualifications/ Higher Training:
1.     MBBS: Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, 576 104, Karnataka, India
2.     MS Orthopaedics: Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, 576 104, Karnataka, India
3.     Diploma in Trauma Management: MOH Israel, Rambam Medical Center, Israel
4.     BLS/ ACLS certification from IIEMS
5.     Fellow: AO International
6.     Management Development Program for Medical Doctors: Manipal University
7.     Bio Skills Training: CAU, Kiel, Germany; SRMU, Chennai, India.
8. ACI, certified Autologous Cartilage Implantation Surgeon, RMS

Experience

Academic: Teacher for M.B.B.S., (15 years) MS (orthopaedics) B.E. (Biomedical Engineering), B.Sc., (Nursing), B. Physiotherapy, B. Occupational Therapy, B.Sc., MIT(12 years), PG students in Mass communication (2 years)Guide for postgraduate students in their thesis and related clinical research.Examiner for M. S (Orthopaedics), M.B.,B.S., Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, B.E (Biomedical Engineering), BSc (MIT)Teaching experience in KMC Manipal, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Malaysia, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Sikkim

Clinical: Arthroscopic Surgery, Trauma management, Sports injuries, Arthroplasty, Internal fixation of fractures according AO principles, Clinical photography.

Research: Multi ligament Injuries of the knee, Knee Biomechanics, Osteoarthrosis, Cartilage Injuries, Osteoporosis, Pain management, Fracture healing, Biomaterials, Stem cell therapy in Osteoarthrosis.

State/Regional conferences: 29; National conferences: 21; International conferences: 23 (in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Israel, Turkey, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Morocco, Hong Kong, USA, Greece, Italy, Germany, Sweden, UAE, Spain,Brazil, Austria, Czech Republic);

Trauma courses: ACLS/ BLS/ MCS, Diploma in Trauma & MCS (MOH Israel);

Arthroplasty:10; Workshops: 22; AO ASIF courses: 6 (Principles, Advance, LCP, Expert, Fellowship); Quiz master: 2;

Research projects: 9 ; Papers presented: 62
Chapters in books: 1 Textbook: in press

Conferences organized: 6 Awards conferred: 5 Academic CD ROMs: 3

Papers published: 20

1. A new Method of Internal Fixation in High tibial Osteotomy, Kerala orthopaedic Association Journal vol 11, No 2, 136, 1997

2. High Tibial Ostetomy for OA Knees. Journal of KOA 53 – 56 February 1998.

3. Arthroscopy Assisted Mini Incision Elmslie-Trillat Procedure for Patellar Stabilisation, Indian Journal of Orthopaedics , Nov. 1998.

4. The role of polymerase chain reaction in the management of osteoarticular tuberculosis, Vivek Pandey, Kiran Chawla, Kiran Acharya, Sripathi Rao and Sugandhi Rao; International Orthopaedics, November 2007.

5. Monocular blindness due to central retinal artery occlusion in bipolar hemireplacement arthroplasty of the hip. Pandey V, Rao P S, Rao S K, Acharya K K V

Singapore Med J 2008; 49(4) : pp96,97

6. Arthroscopic Synovectomy, chapter in Perspectives in Arthroscopy, with an interactive CD ROM. Rao P S, Acharya K K V, Orthopaedic Knowledge Forum; 2008. pp 12-15

7. Diagnostic Knee Arthroscopy, Rao P S, Acharya K K V; Textbook of Orthopaedics and Trauma, Edited by Kulkarni G S, 2008.

8. Is arthroscopic synovial biopsy helpful in clearing the diagnostic dilemma for chonic knee synovitis? R. Kaushal*, P.S. Rao, K.K.V. Acharya & V. Pandey, Indian Journal of Medical Research, June 2008.

9. Plain radiograph based screening tool for assessment of bone density, Acharya K K V, Prasad K; Osteoporosis International (2008) 19 (Suppl. 2).

10. A preliminary study of osteoporosis: prevalence in a tertiary care hospital in South India, Acharya K K V, Pandey V; Osteoporosis International (2008) 19 (Suppl. 2).

11. The pelvic digit ‘‘eleventh finger”, Vivek Pandey, Ajay Singh Thakur, Kiran KV Acharya, P Sripathi Rao, Indian Journal of Orthopaedics 2008; 43 (1); pp 97,98

12. Plain radiograph based screening tool for assessment of bone density, Acharya K K V, Prasad K; Osteoporosis International (2009) 20 (Suppl. 1).Pg S91

13. A preliminary study of osteoporosis: prevalence in a tertiary care hospital in South India, Acharya K K V, Pandey V; Osteoporosis International (2009) 20 (Suppl. 1).Pg S92

14. Burkholderia pseudomallei musculoskeletal infections (melioidosis) in India

Pandey Vivek, Rao Sripathi P, Rao Sugandhi, Acharya Kiran K.V, Chhabra Sarabjeet, Indian Journal of Orthopaedics 2010 44(2): 216-220

15. Ring meniscus mistaken for incomplete discoid meniscus: a case report and review of literature, Vivek Pandey, K. V. N. Dinesh, Kiran K. V. Acharya, P. Sripathi Rao^;Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, Volume 18, Number 4 / April, 2010

16. Retrospective study on the statistical association between Osteoporosis and Body Mass Index (BMI) in women, Acharya K K V, Bucktowersingh B; Osteoporosis International (2010) 21 (Suppl. 1).Pg S67

17. A double-blind, randomized, multicentric, placebo-controlled clinical trial of antarth, a phytomedicine, in the treatment of osteoarthritis, Anil K Gupta, Acharya K K V, Parag S Sancheti, Ramchandra S Joshi; Indian Journal of Pharmacology, Vol 43, No1, 2011:69-72.

18. Knee dislocation with multi-ligament injury: evaluation, treatment and results, Acharya K K V, Pandey V, Rao P S; Journal of Musculoskeletal Research, Vol. 13, No. 3, 2011:1- 8.

19. Significance of periodic screening to detect deterioration of bone health: a descriptive study from a tertiary care hospital in India. Acharya K K V, Vishal Gupta; Osteoporosis International (2011) 22 (Suppl. 1).Pg S282.

20. Set up of osteoporosis clinic in a tertiary care hospital: a descriptive report of three years of activity. Acharya K K V, Pandey V, Rao P S; Osteoporosis International (2011) 22 (Suppl. 1).Pg S 340.

21. Femoral tunnel – interference screw divergence in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using bone – patellar tendon – bone graft: a comparison of two techniques. Pandey V, Acharya K K V, Rao Sharath, Rao P S; Indian Journal of Orthopaedics 2011; 45:255-60.

End of patient privacy in our Hospitals?

2008-09-08T06:39:00.001-07:00

Presspersons at Udupi may be jubilant over aquittal in hospital tresspassing case...wherein they tried to invade the privacy of a patient undergoing treatment at the trauma center at Kasturba Hospital...all to make money by selling those photos to evening newspapers!
Questions unanswered are:
Will this mean end of privacy in hospitals?
Does Media have permission to enter a hospital & photograph patients at their will?
Will the press/ media, Judiciary, agree to be photographed, their illness made public when they visit the hospitals as patients?
Why does a patient lose his rights, when he enters a hospital???

Need for restraint on Media

2008-08-02T21:35:00.000-07:00

Need for restraint
AKHILA SIVADAS, Centre for Advocacy and Research, New Delhi
Will the disastrous coverage of the Aarushi murder case finally pave the way for a self-regulation mechanism?
Responsible coverage can only emerge from some level of self-regulation or making a common cause with concerned viewers and readers.
With the Central Bureau of Investigation clearing the dentist couple Rajesh Talwar and Nupur Talwar in the Aarushi and Hemraj murder case, their 59-day ordeal had come to an end. For the readers and viewers of the media also this has been a well-earned reprieve, for the time being at least. But the news didn’t go off the media focus without some after-tremors. Immediately after their release the media was eager to know what action the couple would take to undo all the wrongs that had been done to them. According to reports, the doctor couple was too dazed to speak. Instead, they chose to implore the media to “leave us alone” and be decent enough to “give us time to mourn the loss of our departed daughter.” This brief statement said it all.
Moment of introspection
Suddenly, the entire complexion of the debate changed. The shrillness of the drama vanished and the media found itself in the dock. It was a rare moment of introspection for them but not without its share of inconsistencies and the usual justifications. Weren’t they acting in the public interest, acting as a watchdog and exposing the ineffectiveness or veniality of the enforcement agencies, they asked.
But this is not the first instance when the media had been overreacting and sensationalising and floating theories and generally going overboard to keep the flock of their viewers and readers. This happened in the Nithari case, in a different way in the Jessica Lal case, when the media sat passively for seven long years, watching each witness turn hostile and give the most flimsy justification to do so and the investigations leading nowhere and suddenly post-judgment decided that enough was enough and went in for saturation coverage. Quite a few other high profile cases that had happened in and around Delhi also experienced the same sort of treatment.
In many of these cases there was the same high-pitched coverage, the wild theories, the showing of gory details from the scene of the crime; every rule of journalistic restraint was thrown to the wind. Can we state with some measure of confidence that many of these unethical practices are restricted to the so-called “unprofessional” media? The answer is probably not. In fact two years ago, many channels telecast news reports and interviews with Kohli, the suspected murderer of Hannah Foster. This was done in the presence of senior Police officers. In one channel the reporter was then asked by the news presenter what it felt like to be face to face with a person suspected to be prime-accused in the murder of Hannah Foster and she replied it was a “chilling” experience and something that brought her no professional satisfaction or comfort.
Intrusive methods
From this manifestation of voyeurism it soon descended into blatant inquisition, with leading channels holding their own signature style trial by the media. No angle was left unexplored in the Scarlett Keeling murder case. All sorts of theories were floated; that it was a conspiracy to malign the tourist destination, that it was a plot to sully the fair name of the people and contrary to popular perception, Goan society was deeply conservative and resented the tourists’ insensitivity to local mores. And from this it was finally surmised that the girl’s mother, Fiona should be held singularly responsible for the tragic happening. Then the media thought it necessary to unleash a collective outrage against the “irresponsible” mother. It is no consolation that this outrage emanated from Britain, where the tabloid press was scathing and grossly insensitive.
And on every occasion, when it seemed that the time had come for the media to set a benchmark and establish restraint, there has been no decisive effort to set strict norms to self-regulate. Consequently when many of these cases were solved or adjourned or disposed in some other way, the media, with the same swiftness, turned their gaze to new exciting events they could highlight or dramatise. Immediately, the media would respond by initiating yet another debate on whether this specific incident could be classified as the worst of the media excesses. The media has its own compulsions. It must debate, make known its non-partisan role, be the ever watchful recorder of the events happening around and give expression to public feelings.
In the final analysis, it would seem, the media lacks the will to apply the correctives or resist the temptation of dramatising the events and extracting all the benefits that go with it. It is equally evident that the much-needed judicial activism or demonstration of public protest is absent in a manner that matters. It is no surprise that the message is that it is possible to get away with anything. The contrast is stark when we look at other countries. Recently in a case almost similar to that of the Talwars, nearly a dozen British tabloids had to apologise and pay a hefty sum as damage to a doctor couple for falsely implicating them in the disappearance of their child in Portugal.
Sober note
In fact, curiously, this time around, in the debates that followed the CBI’s clean chit to the Talwar couple , their earlier confidence was missing. While earlier the media, and in particular television news channels, vied with each other to remind the viewers that they were the first to reach the spot or report the story or discover the much-needed new angle, now they were more contrite and introspective. Some went to the extent of saying sorry the “hardest word” and published an apology for the hurt and pain they had caused to the Talwar family.
But even in these lucid moments, the repentance has not been universal. One anchor even went to the extent of saying that there was “no question” of their tendering an apology to the aggrieved parties. In the hectic pace at which the news was developing it was possible they might have gone slightly overboard in their comments, he admitted. The medium was such that there was no time for thinking. It was like covering a tense cricket match.
Now the question that needs to be asked is how does one get around this problem? The media obviously cannot always exercise control over itself, it works under a lot of compulsions, even if sometimes it reflects the popular mood and in the process in many instances is able to expose the flaws in the system. Having said this, responsible coverage can only emerge from some level of self-regulation or making a common cause with concerned viewers and readers. When our team of researchers, which undertook an audience survey for the National Commission for Women, asked the readers and viewers about this, the uniform response was that such high pitched reporting, deconstruction of crimes, conducting media panchayats and intervening in the lives of ordinary women and gory visuals can safely be dispensed with. This, they felt, was particularly true for sexual crimes. Do not lower the dignity of the survivor of violence by re-constructing the assault or crime in a crude and stark manner, they emphasised.
Exceptions
When readers were asked whether they could cite instances when the media dealt with issues sensitively, they said that such sensitiveness was visible during the tsunami disaster. At this time, TV news shied clear of too much death and destruction and stressed on the relief and rehabilitation process. Similar was the case in the bomb blasts of 2006 in the local trains of Mumbai, and to a great extent, even during the pre-Diwali blast that occurred in Delhi in 2005. In both instances, the news channels stayed with the victims, sensitised viewers to the personal loss and emotional upheaval they experienced.
Another urgent and untapped solution would be to explore legal options and the need to set up robust legal precedence of people’s right to privacy and self-respect. There are enough legal safeguards in the system to challenge excesses by anyone, including the media. Well, like any other court battle, they could also consume time but setting a strong precedence would certainly bring the much-needed consensus on this concern.

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2008/08/03/stories/2008080350030100.htm

Medical Tourism: Bangalore on a losing ground?

2008-06-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

Media in Karnataka, violating patients rights...Patients images sold for publication in the media by "stringers"

Lack of privacy, Media/ paparazzi fear driving celebrities/politicians away from Bangalore hospitals!
(news courtesy: Times of India)

Ethics in Patient photography

2007-05-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

Indian Journal of Medical Ethics

Ethical considerations in medical photography
Avinash Supe

Do camera footage and still photographs depicting death, disease and injury represent an invasion of privacy, or are they appropriate forms of publicity? Recently, photographs of patients suspected to be suffering from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) were published in newspapers as well as shown on TV, causing inconvenience and social stigma to all patients. While there was a need to follow quarantine procedures, there was no necessity to widely publicise the pictures. That act has caused mental and social harm to these individuals.
A profession must observe ethical standards; otherwise it will lack respect, credibility and may also lay itself open to legal penalties. A medical photographer is part of a team working for the benefit of a patient and, thereby, the society. The end product of his activities is the photographic record. The photographer must ensure that the end product of his photography is treated with the same respect as is accorded to other records of the patient.
Permission of the patient
Informed written permission of the patient must be obtained before photography is undertaken. A simple explanation such as 'The doctor wants a picture as part of your confidential medical records to help him assess your treatment' is usually acceptable. If it is a part of a project, this must be mentioned in the consent form and approved by an ethics committee. In an educational institution, the photograph may be used for teaching or for reference in the treatment of similar cases. Care must be taken to respect the dignity and beliefs of the patient. Every patient has a right to refuse to be photographed or to withdraw consent. If a patient decides to withdraw consent, the records must not be used. Photographs of the unconscious patient may be taken, provided a written consent is obtained from the responsible person who has brought the patient and later, from the patient himself.For photography of internal organs at operation or in the post-mortem room as well as in endoscopic, pathological or microscopic documentation, permission of the patient is not necessary, as the identity is not revealed. To maintain the anonymity of these images, it may be wise not to record the patient's name with the stored image. Images are catalogued with an image number and date. The patient's name should not be shown in reproduction of X-rays, electrocardiogram (ECG) or encephalogram (EEG) tracings, temperature charts, etc. Negatives, master transparencies, original digital camera files and videotapes must be logged and stored appropriately.
Recording without consent may be prescribed in certain circumstances such as suspected non-accidental injury of a child where the recording of injuries is demonstrably to the benefit of the patient.
Relationship with patients
An individual has a fundamental right to privacy. Unauthorised publication may have social and legal repercussions for the patient concerned. For instance, disclosure of pregnancy, abortion, plastic surgery or the contraction of a sexually transmitted disease, if made known without express permission may cause embarrassment to the patient. It can result in legal proceedings against the hospital.
The medical photographer has a professional responsibility, both towards the patient and medical staff, to regard all the photographs taken as being confidential. He has no legal or moral right to display or publish photographs in a book or drug manual or film without the written permission of the patient and the doctor in charge of the treatment.
Digital photography of patients
The availability of digital cameras has now made recording and storing of images easy. However, there is tremendous scope for manipulation or tampering of digital images is tremendous. To maintain the integrity of the image, manipulation may only be carried out to the whole image, and must be limited to simple sharpening, adjustment of contrast and brightness, and correction of colour balance. Images of patients may be transferred to personal computers for use in connection with ethics committee-approved and data-registered research projects or for the preparation of teaching materials.
Relationship with the medical profession
The ethics of clinical practice are based on 'trust' in the doctor by the patient and other members of the healthcare team. If disagreement occurs between the medical photographer and members of the medical and nursing staff, the discord should never be referred to in front of the patient; difficulties should be quietly and reasonably resolved elsewhere. In teaching hospitals, the medical photographer also has a vital role to play in the production of teaching aids for the numerous professionals being trained within the hospital.
Hospital etiquette and negligence
The codes of practice in operating and post-mortem rooms must be learned before the medical photographer enters either of the areas and he must strictly observe them. Rules include requesting for permission to enter a ward, not disturbing a doctor while he is with a patient and not interrupting a nurse while she is dressing a patient's wound are based on the need for maximum care of the patient. It is advisable to have a female nurse present if a male photographer is photographing a female patient. The photographer has a moral responsibility to see that the records do not represent the patient in an undignified fashion.
There may be a possibility of causing harm to a patient if the photographer is not careful. This may occur if the lens hood falls into the operation field, or by causing burns to the mucous membranes due to photographic lamps. However, this is rare. Photographers should also be aware that a seizure might be precipitated by repeated electronic flash discharges. He must change into proper operation theatre attire to maintain asepsis. If necessary, cameras should be covered with disposable plastic. One of my teachers used to set up a sterile trolley, cover the camera with disposable sterile plastic and change his gloves to take photographs. Though this was time-consuming, it prevented harm to patients.
Copyright and reproduction rights
Advertisements in medical journals and the lay press regarding pharmaceutical products occasionally project patients' images. A medical photographer owns the rights to any medical photograph and can sell or give away the reproduction rights to a photograph. He may agree to allow reproduction of a photograph, for a specified purpose, without giving up the copyright. This action does not prevent the copyright owner from similarly granting reproduction rights of the same picture to other sources, unless the original recipient of reproduction rights has been given sole reproduction rights. Though the laws may be varied, their purpose is to see that 'fair play' is adhered to in relation to the end product of a photographer's skill and industry. However, in such situations, reasonable medical or monetary benefit must reach the patients.Disposal of any unwanted photographs is another aspect of confidentiality. Any well-run department of medical illustrations has strict rules concerning this and will deploy a shredding machine for the disposal of unwanted films and prints. With the increased use of digital formats, there is a need for good net security in hospitals so that these pictures are not easily accessed if there is no permission for display from the patient and doctor concerned.Thus, the words 'primum non nocere' (first of all, do no harm) apply even in medical photography.

Further reading1. Sharpe D. I wish I had a camera: legal and ethical implications of EMS photography. J Emerg Med Serv 2002; 27:76-82.2. Creighton S, Alderson J, Brown S, Minto CL. Medical photography: ethics, consent and the intersex patient. BJU Int 2002;89:67-71; discussion 71-72.3. Gilson CC. Ethical and legal aspects of illustrative clinical recording. Br J Hosp Med 1994;7-20;52:225-9.4. Hood CA, Hope T, Dove P. Videos, photographs, and patient consent. BMJ. 1998;316:1009-1011.5. Jones B. Ethics, morals and patient photography. J Audiov Media Med 1994;17:71-76.6. Anderson C. Easy-to-alter digital images raise fears of tampering. Science 1994; 21:263:317-18.7. Hayden JE. Digital manipulation in scientific images: some ethical considerations. J Biocommun 2000;27:11-19.8. Richardson ML, Frank MS, Stern EJ. Digital image manipulation: what constitutes acceptable alteration of a radiologic image? Am J Roentgenol 1995;164:228-229.
Avinash Supe,Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, 400012, India. e-mail:avisupe@vsnl.com