Drug Therapy in India: Critical Issues in the Quality of Care

Respected President of the Indian Psychiatric Society, Members of the Chair, Members of the Awards Committee, distinguished colleagues and friends, I wish to express my gratitude to the Chairperson and the members of the Awards Committee of the Indian Psychiatric Swiety for having bestowed upon me the honour of delivering the 1996 DLN Murti Rao Oration to this august audience. Prof. D.L.N. Murti Rao was a great clinician and a psychiatrist with far vision. He was also a dedicated teacher; I am proud to be able to say that I had been his student during 1958-1960. His concern for the postgraduate trainee was enormous, as I can vouch from my personal experience; I am deeply indebted to Dr. Murti Rao for his mentorship during my early days. Dr. Murti Rao laid emphasis on administrative and forensic aspects of psychiatry with a view to develop the mental health services in the country. He started the outpatient department in the Mental Hospital at Bangalore in the early 1950s, and also initiated an outpatient unit in Victoria Hospital, which is a government hospital in this same city. I also recall the zeal with which he identified postgraduate students in different places with a view to train them into senior psychiatrists in their respective states. In addition, Dr. Murti Rao was fundamentally a biologically-oriented cli.iician with a keen sense of observation. To the best of my knowledge, he was the first to use modified electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in this country; it is a matter of regret that the practice which he initiated is yet to become universal in India. In view of his commitment to the progress of biological psychiatry, I have selected 'Drug Therapy in India: Contemporary issues in the quality of care' as my topic for the oration dedicated to his name.