The Making and Story of a Rural Physician

Shahid Hospital featured in the BBC

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 16:31:00 +0530

I have been hearing stories about this hospital for some time. Recently met a doctor working in this hospital who is in his late fifties but appeared quiet young and enthusiastic of what he and his hospital do for the poor and needy there.

Thank you dear Shaheed Hospital (शहीद अस्पताल)!

Antimicrobial resistance surveillance

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 5 Oct 2013 10:22:00 +0530

Himanshi Dhawan of the Times of India reports that the health ministry has allocated INR 30 crore for surveillance on antimicrobial resistance. Personally, I welcome this step. This step will help us in long run to fight against the growing antibiotic resistance in India.

Surgey for depression is now in India

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 4 Oct 2013 09:15:00 +0530

The Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai has got many a firsts in their tag. They now have started duing Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for depression and other psychological conditions.

Link to the report here:

Surgery for depression – first time in India!

AADHAR and some issues

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 1 Oct 2013 17:04:00 +0530

‘Aadhaar infringes on our fundamental right to privacy’

A former justice explaining dangers of the UID scheme.

Courtsey:

India and China to cooperate to fight NTDs

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 1 Oct 2013 16:35:00 +0530

Advancing Sino-Indian Cooperation to Combat Tropical Diseases

This is to tell the tropical medicine people regarding this article.

To err is surgeon!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 1 Oct 2013 10:36:00 +0530

We know that to err is human! So is to surgeon!

But this is news!:

Indian doctors cut open man’s abdomen, instead of urethra

Happens in Tripura in India. Same name can sometimes kill us! Remember Dr. Atul Gawande saying about safe surgery!

Content warning: Some posts and/or pictures may be disturbing to the common people! All rights reserved.

HUGE cost of lifestyle diseases

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 8 Sep 2013 09:08:00 +0530

We know today that hypertension ('high BP' as it is commonly known) and diabetes ('sugar' as it is commonly known) are major public health problems

in India. We often see new patients with diabetes in our outdoor as well as inpatient departments. The level of awareness among the public to get them screened for diabetes is increasing but is still in infancy in smaller towns and many such patients get a late diagnosis when some complication has already set in.

Latest news report about lifestyle diseases:

Lifestyle diseases to cost India $6 trillion: study.

Some very common messages are:

Do not smoke
Daily physical exercise

Run; well better cycle!

Do some yoga!
Diet control

Make some good choices and better quit bad ones

Oh Yes! Personal favorite!

Olmesartan and Enteropathy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 7 Sep 2013 10:35:00 +0530

Olmesartan Medoximil is one of the highly efficacious anti-hypertensive drug of the class of molecules called Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB). They are recently reported by the FDA to cause Sprue-Like Enteropathy with symptoms of severe diarrhea and significant weight loss.

A highly significant information!

Doctor leaves needle inside the body

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 17 Aug 2013 13:12:00 +0530

A woman's agony! Can happen to any of us: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/delhi-doctor-leaves-needle-in-body-hospital-to-pay-rs-3.1-lakh-to-woman/1156172/ Content warning: Some posts and/or pictures may be disturbing to the common people! All rights reserved.

Long gap!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:28:00 +0530

It has been a long time since I posted in this blog! I recently (March 2012) joined the government of Jharkhand as a medical officer and am working in a educationally as well as economically backward block (as per Government of India's classification) as a medical officer in an upgraded Primary Health Centre. Content warning: Some posts and/or pictures may be disturbing to the common people! All rights reserved.

Rabies in India

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 5 Aug 2012 20:30:00 +0530

http://southasia.oneworld.net/todaysheadlines/half-of-global-rabies-deaths-occur-in-india-phfi India has half of global Rabies deaths! Content warning: Some posts and/or pictures may be disturbing to the common people! All rights reserved.

Rabies in India

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 5 Aug 2012 20:30:00 +0530

Abnormal uterine bleeding and its management

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 9 Jun 2012 20:12:00 +0530

Most of women have some of their menstrual cycles abnormal.
The most advocated step is a pelvic exam; a step which many of Indian women do not undergo and have to suffer irrational, and often times not medically or surgically indicated hysterectomy.
Steps advocated:
http://www.thewomens.org.au/uploads/downloads/HealthProfessionals/CPGs/AbnormalVaginalBleeding/Abnormal_Vaginal_Bleeding_Algorithm_050809.pdf

http://www.thewomens.org.au/uploads/downloads/HealthProfessionals/CPGs/AbnormalVaginalBleeding/Abnormal_Vaginal_Bleeding_Algorithm_050809.pdf

Business Line : Industry & Economy News : Bill Gates meet Akhilesh Yadav on healthcare in UP

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 4 Jun 2012 20:38:00 +0530

Business Line : Industry & Economy News : Bill Gates meet Akhilesh Yadav on healthcare in UP

Content warning: Some posts and/or pictures may be disturbing to the common people!All rights reserved.

National Library of Medicine Announces “Tropical Disease Motion Pictures”

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 4 Jun 2012 20:28:00 +0530

National Library of Medicine Announces “Tropical Disease Motion Pictures”

Developing world struggle hard to fight these diseases. They are still a problem to the travellers to these countries from the developed nations. It is a great effort to let knowledge spread.

Content warning: Some posts and/or pictures may be disturbing to the common people!All rights reserved.

Role of Cholestyramine in thyrotoxicosis

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 4 Jun 2012 17:59:00 +0530

It is interesting to learn about role of Cholestyramine in the management of thyrotoxicosis.
According to the article

Endocrine. 2008 Aug-Dec;34(1-3):52-5. Epub 2008 Oct 23.

Low doses of cholestyramine in the treatment of hyperthyroidism.

Kaykhaei MA, Shams M, Sadegholvad A, Dabbaghmanesh MH, Omrani GR.

Low dose cholestyramine is an effective adjunt in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis, where the first line drugs are Methimazole and Propranolol.

Further resources:

Methimazole brands and prices in India
Propranolol brands and prices in India
Cholestyramine brands and prices in India

Tobacco control: Political parties flouting norms

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 4 Jun 2012 08:47:00 +0530

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120604/main2.htm

Picture this - Indian Tobacco Company (ITC Ltd), India’s leading cigarette manufacturer, made financial contributions to political parties in 2010 and 2011 and disclosed these in its annual reports as required under electoral reform processes.
Out of Rs 6.78 crore political funding made by the ITC in the last two years, the ruling Congress received Rs 3 crore; its allies in the UPA government received the following contributions: Samajwadi Party (0.42 crores); Rashtriya Janata Dal (0.33 crores), DMK (0.22 crores), and NCP (0.14 crore). Among Opposition parties, BJP got Rs 2.5 crore and Shiv Sena Rs 0.17 crore.

As of March 31, 2011, five among the top 10 shareholders of ITC were government insurance companies which held 20.36 pc shares in the firm. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), LIC also has debentures with a book value of Rs 50 crore in Dharmpal Satyapal Ltd, a leading smokeless tobacco company, documents in possession of The Tribune show.

These investments are against the spirit of World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the first ever global public health treaty negotiated under the UN, which India ratified way back in 2003. The treaty requires signatories to avoid conflicts of interests with tobacco industry and have near negligible interaction with them.

Article 5.3 of the convention says: “Government institutions and their bodies should have no financial interest in the tobacco industry unless they are responsible for managing the country’s ownership in a state-owned tobacco company. Parties should not allow any official of the government of any semi/quasi government body to accept payments from industry. Taking into account national laws, parties should have effective measures to prohibit contributions from the tobacco industry…to political parties…”

Courtsey: The Tribune article

Content warning: Some posts and/or pictures may be disturbing to the common people! All rights reserved.

Strengthen primary care: USA

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 3 Jun 2012 07:19:00 +0530

http://newsatjama.jama.com/2012/06/01/jama-forum-primary-care-rebuilding-a-foundation-for-reforming-health-care-delivery/

The takers of primary care among the medical students have been declining in the USA. Institutions as well as medical students are interested more in high income specialities and sub-specialities. This is happening despite evidence that medical services with strong primary care is more affordable, equitable and cost effective in all respects.

This JAMA article describes that there is a renewed interest in strengthening primary care. This makes sense. Nations like Australia, Canada, the UK and many other European nations have strong prmary care and much better health indicators with costs much lesser than that invested by the USA.

Once India also develops genuine indigenous health care services research and cost analysis; it is destivned to favor primary care and family medicine strengthening.

Shramajivi hospital inaugurates 220 bed unit - The Sunday Indian

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 May 2012 13:41:00 +0530

‘Bihar govt to employ 1 lakh health workers’

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 May 2012 12:50:00 +0530

‘Bihar govt to employ 1 lakh health workers’

The Nitish Kumar government would employ one lakh health workers and 5,000 doctors during the next financial year, state Health Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey said on Thursday.

Apart from appointing the doctors, the government would recruit about 55,000 paramedic staff, 35,000 nurses and 10,000 swasthya mitras, Choubey said.

http://zeenews.india.com/news/bihar/bihar-govt-to-employ-1-lakh-health-workers_749357.html

=======
Wow! After a long gap, Bihar government is seriously considering this. Many a doctors in Bihar are focussing on privatte practice and doing (fudging/absenting) from govt medical job position in Bihar has recently become more difficult than before; a strong public health initiative.

The Hindu : News / International : Indian-origin doctor jailed for death of woman

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 May 2012 11:59:00 +0530

Does Healthcare Need Healing?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 May 2012 11:29:00 +0530

This video is 4th in the series of documentary "Satyamev Jayate" (in English, the Truth prevails) produced by an Indian actor Aamir Khan. In this episode he talks some points about corruption in medical practice in India.

If you manage to h(b)ear the whole episode, it is good!

Solution is to train more family doctors at good and ethical hospitals.

Few are criminal by birth. It is our environment or situations which make us so. Why we talk about these issues? Why are not such issues heard of in developed nations, especially European ones.

Many people competing for small amount of resources have tougher competition! Medical school training itself is highly flawed. Only a small number of doctors remain ethical by the time they come out of the medical college, this proportion depends which medical college are you trained in.

Odón Device - Device

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 27 May 2012 21:23:00 +0530

Odón Device - Device

Getting Better: 200 Years of Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 27 May 2012 19:19:00 +0530

Courtsey New England Journal of Medicine for this nice video! A must see for all (health-care professionals).

In the Indian context, it is not far that we may see (rural/tribal) Indians enjoy little better health care services.

Azithromycin and the Risk of Cardiovascular Death — NEJM

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 27 May 2012 18:59:00 +0530

Azithromycin and the Risk of Cardiovascular Death — NEJM

While this sudy says about the ripling of mortality risk when compared to no (antibiotic) therapy; if we recall, few years back macrolides were proposed to be cardioprotective which was disproved later and further research was proposed not to be useful in terms of usage of antibiotic to prevent coronary artery disease!