It was at the Campbell Hospital that Dr Upendranath Brahmachari invented Urea Stibamine, a medicine for Kala–Azar.

The dreadful disease had taken the lives of thousands of people in undivided Bengal. Sukumar Ray, the father of Satyajit Ray, died of this disease a century ago. Dr Bramhachari’s medicine came as a blessing to the people living in the Indian subcontinent.

Dr Brahmachari had carried out experiments in the laboratory, which no longer exists. A bust of Dr Brahmachari has been installed, and a building has been named after him, said Dr Pit Baran Chakraborty, principal of Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College.

Campbell Hospital started in 1874. There were three medical colleges in Calcutta (now Kolkata), Calcutta Medical College, Carmichael Medical College (now RG Kar Medical College), and Campbell Medical College (now Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College). The college was renamed after him in 1948.

The college authorities have renamed the Boys’ Hostel after Dr Subhas Mukhopadhyay, inventor of test tube babies.

Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College, popularly known as NRS Medical College, has a long history and tradition.

Professor (Dr) Chakraborty said under the National Medical Commission, a family adoption programme has been taken. The medical students go to the villages and adopt four or five families. “They check the blood pressure of the family members and their blood sugar level. In the case of children, they ensure that the vaccination course is followed. They check the diet and well-being of would-be mothers. They ensure that family members use mosquito nets and so forth. The medical students ensure that family members wash their hands before eating. This helps to build close contact between the medical students and the villagers. The phone numbers of the medical students are given to the family, and in case any person in the family needs hospitalisation, they are admitted to the hospital, which is attached to the NRS Medical College.” He said the senior doctors oversee this exercise, and examining patients increases the confidence of the budding doctors. NRS Medical College has adopted villages in Baruipur in the South 24 Parganas.

Prof. (Dr) Chakraborty said a doctor, particularly one working in state-run hospitals, should understand the social background of the patient he or she is examining.

He said that to release stress and strain on medical students, yoga and meditation have been recommended by the National Medical Commission. “Meditation helps an individual enormously and maintains their well-being. It reduces stress, and doing it for 10 minutes a day is mandatory for those who are engaged in the stressful profession of a medical practitioner,” he said.

Dr Chakraborty said the students regularly take part in cultural programmes that are held at the college. They also take part in inter-college cultural programmes. “Unlike in the past, many medical students have musical bands, and along with their studies, they pursue music very seriously. Some students go for literary work as their hobby, some for painting. Previously, the majority of the students were busy with studies only; now they pursue their hobbies and continue with them even after they join a profession.”

He said that over the years, a tendency not to attend classes has been noticed among some students. “There is a general belief that having a mere MBBS degree is not enough. So, everyone is preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination. They take tuition from their undergraduate days, neglecting classes.”

To pass the MBBS examination, one has to study for four years. On getting medical registration, they do an internship, and while doing an internship, they can sit for the postgraduate entrance examination. “The old system of house staffing is a matter of the past. The students can sit for the PG entrance test or apply for jobs. This system, introduced in 1990, has many negative impacts. The old house staffing system had helped the doctors examine patients, and they used to spend hours at the ward, resulting in gathering hands-on experience. The doctors were attached to the senior doctors, and regular discussions were held between the senior doctors and their juniors. Under the new system, the doctors who join the PG course often come out with flying colours, but they lack experience, and this is going to affect medical treatment in the future. A doctor is a faithful friend, and how to talk to the relatives of the patients who are suffering for a long time or have died is an art, and he learns this from their seniors during their house staffship,” regretted Professor (Dr) Chakraborty.