Tuesday, March 29, 2011

INCREDIBLE JAPAN - 10 LESSONS TO LEARN FROM A GRIEVING BUT GREAT NATION!


1. THE CALM!

Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.

2. THE DIGNITY!

Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.

3. THE ABILITY!

The incredible architects, for instance. Many Buildings swayed but didn't fall.

4. THE GRACE!

People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.

5. THE ORDER!

No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.

6. THE SACRIFICE!

Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?

7. THE TENDERNESS!

Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.

8. THE TRAINING!

The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.

9. THE MEDIA!

They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.

10. THE CONSCIENCE!

When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly.

LET'S ALL  SALUTE THE SPIRIT OF JAPAN AND HER PEOPLE! THEY ARE IN OUR PRAYERS!
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Read more:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Monday, March 28, 2011

With a healthy diet and a balanced lifestyle irrational mood swings can be curbed


An unpredictable one day match can be an ideal showcase for mood swings of any individual. Whether it is the loss of a wicket that pushes the crowd into desolation or the caressed cover drive of Tendulkar bringing joy to millions; a human mind is on either extreme of the spectrum. As such the human mind wants to be tranquil in pursuit of happiness but few minor thoughts can swing and sway the emotions so that mood swings become inherent part of it. Negative emotions like anger, irritability, tearfulness and sadness are a normal part of day to day life but if they happen to go beyond the control of the human being and tend to affect work and personal relationships, it is a matter of concern and need to be looked into. The need becomes even more urgent, if the episodes are excessive and frequent.
This transition of emotions has been found to be more common in women than in men.
Mood swings have become much more common part of lifestyle when stress and strain of work, relationships and the anxiety to achieve are of utmost priority on the mind of individuals either young or old, men or women. This complex situation of imbalance in daily lifestyle with little time for family has been found to be the usual precipitating reason for the swings.
Fresh fruits and vegetables when taken regularly provides enough vitamins and minerals for the human metabolism whereas the lack of it can precipitate the issue.
Excessive sugar rich foods causes rise in sugar levels in the blood stream, even as it remains stranded can cause the emotional highs and lows and also the unexplained fatigue.
For that matter low levels of blood sugar can also cause the same issue too. Smokers and also alcoholics are more prone to it. Women are vulnerable because of the hormonal imbalances that occur during premenstrual phase, pregnancy, post delivery and menopausal phases of life.
These hormones have control over not just the reproductive organs but very subtly over the mind too, that makes a woman's life either pleasurable or cause havoc.
The lack of sufficient iron and haemoglobin in cases of anaemia is another cause for mood swings. But more often than not, if excessive and frequent emotions are the order of the day, it is most probably due to the chemical imbalance in the brain causing conditions like depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders and needs to be remedied at the earliest.
The first effort to fight the mood swings would be through lifestyle changes. Counseling sessions would be of help too.
Taking a deep breath and taking the mind away from the sensitivities of the moment can help reduce the negativity to a certain extent at that acute phase. It is not always possible to see reason when the emotions are overpowering but once the storm has passed, it should be the time for some rational thinking and also see that next time when one has to go through the same issue one's response could be more positive than before. That in itself helps temper down swinging emotion. Eating a balanced diet regularly, exercise and relaxation with enough sleep would go a way in tempering down the predicament.Original Article

Friday, March 25, 2011

IMA wants govt. to cancel introduction of rural health course, intensifies stir

 Continuing its protest against the government's decision to introduce a three-and-a-half-year-long Bachelor of Rural Health Course (BRHC) in the country, the Indian Medical Association has now called upon medical students and young doctors from across the country to join their agitation. The Association has also threatened to intensify its agitation by wearing black bands and going on an hour-long token strike in case the government does not pay heed to their demand of withdrawing the proposed course.ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Health and HRD Ministries agree on medical education jurisdiction

March 23, 2011

The expert group of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the task force of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) on Tuesday broadly agreed to settle their turf war over the jurisdiction of medical education.ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Changes in MBBS course puts doctors in a dilemma

An eight-member committee of medical experts has recommended several changes in the MBBS course curriculum. The committee has suggested that the Medical Council of India (MCI) restructure the course and the duration of the undergraduate medical programme.
Currently, the MBBS course is of four and a half year in addition to one-year internship. If the recommendations are accepted, the duration of MBBS course, in the future, will be of four years along with an internship of one year. In addition, a six-month elective course will be introduced at the end.
                                         Link: Original Article

Monday, March 21, 2011

Dearth of corpses is hampering medical education in the state of ODISHA.

BHUBANESWAR
March 11, 2011
BHUBANESWAR: Dearth of corpses is hampering medical education in the state. A proposed amendment by the department of medical education to change the Orissa Anatomy Act to facilitate body donations and reduce shortage of corpses has been pushed to the back burner. At present, the Orissa Anatomy Act 1975 has no provisions to facilitate pledging of bodies for medical research or donation of bodies by the relatives of a deceased person, unlike most other states. The Act...

New medical syllabus to stress practical skills

March 20, 2011

Medical education in India is all set for a massive overhaul. Medical Council of India (MCI) is close to finalising a brand new curriculum for both undergraduate (UG) and post-graduate (PG) medical education that gives utmost importance to "clinical acumen rather than just theoretical knowledge".
                                           Read the Complete Article......

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Health Ministry for driving licence to indicate desire to donate organ

March 07, 2011

If the Union Health Ministry has its way, driver’s licences will indicate if the holder wants to donate organs after death.
In an ambitious plan to decrease the gap between the demand and supply of organs, the government is considering earmarking a designated space, indicating “donor”, on the driving licence.

The idea, officials say, will soon be communicated to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The ministry has got a sample driving licence from the US so that the same design and matter could be replicated here.

“At least, the intention of a dying person will be known to doctors, who can thereafter convince the family,” said a senior ministry official.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/health-ministry-for-driving-licence-to-indicate-desire-to-donate-organ/746991/0

MCI planning entrance to enhance credibility quotient


India is mulling over a proposal to introduce the Indian Medical Graduate degree -- an examination that will be at par with MBBS -- which can be taken by all doctors passing out of medical school as an additional qualification.Read more at.....http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-02/india/28646536_1_mbbs-medical-colleges-mci

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Government to push doctors to prescribe generics .

Given the huge price difference between branded drugs and their generic versions, the government is mulling a policy to push doctors to prescribe drugs by their generic names rather than brand names.

"Branded drugs are not innovative. The poor can ill afford them," said Srikant Jena, minister of state for chemicals and fertilisers.

Jena said the recommendations will be prepared and presented to a group of ministers (GoM) on Friday. He was speaking on the sidelines of the India Pharma Summit 2010 in Mumbai, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in partnership with the Department of Pharmaceuticals.

Jena maintained that almost all common drugs, which were off patent, were available in their generic forms at almost all pharmacies and chemist stores in the country. "The state governments have been informed to ask doctors to prescribe generic drugs to cater to the needs of the poor who cannot afford the exorbitant prices of branded drugs," he added.

The government has been contemplating such a move for some time now. It is no secret that the cost of the branded versions of some widely used drugs are five to seven times the price of their generic counterparts. For example, Ciprofloxacin, a drug used for infections, is available for Rs 55 per tablet, five times the price of its generic version, which costs about Rs 11. Similarly, the generic version of Cetrizine, used to treat allergies, costs Rs 2.75 per tablet, compared to Rs 20 for the branded version.

The minister also said that the government is scrutinising and will review its essential drugs list, which currently includes 350 to 400 medications. These are drugs that are widely used and made easily available at affordable prices. He added that the government will soon regulate the prices of cancer drugs, which was a major point of discussion at a recent parliamentary meeting. Recently, the government is said to have been in talks with drug manufacturers for sourcing medicines to treat cancer at affordable rates. Jena explained that these drugs would be sold at its low-cost pharmacy chain Jan Aushadhi, which has stores across the country. Indian pharma major Cipla Ltd has also been in discussions with the Department of Pharmaceuticals to share the technological know-how for cancer drugs with state-owned companies.

Read More

Doctors cannot run private hospitals or nursing homes at their residential premises.

The Allahabad High Court on Monday ruled doctors cannot run private hospitals or nursing homes at their residential premises. They can, however, set up consultation clinics in residential areas, a Division Bench comprising Justice Sunil Ambawani and Justice Kashi Nath Pandey said.

Dismissing a bunch of writ petitions filed by doctors from Etawah district, it said the Constituion which provides every citizen of the country the right to livelihood also empowers governments to impose "reasonable restrictions".

The Court observed running private hospitals or nursing homes in residential premises amounted to violation of the provisions under which land was allotted to doctors.

However, doctors could set up clinics for providing medical consultation at their residential premises, the Bench said.

The Etawah doctors had challenged the order of the Awas Vikas Parishad and the District Chief Medical Officer asking them to wind up nursing homes functioning from their houses. Read more.......

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Docs-cannot-run-hospitals-at-residences-HC/Article1-574734.aspx