Articles by Vaishnavi Vittal

With the BBMP polls scheduled to be held this later year, Citizen Matters has obtained a copy of the draft reservation of seats for Schedule Caste (SC), Schedule Tribe (ST), Backward Classes (BC) communities and Women. While the release of the final list is understood to be imminent, this unpublished version was received via Citizens' Action Forum (CAF), a group of citizens and members of Residents Welfare Associations (RWA). Puttanna Chetty Town Hall on JC Road. Pic: Venkatesan Perumal The new and expanded BBMP (city) council when fully constituted will have 198 seats, as opposed to the erstwhile BMP council,…

...so said a friend, partly in anguish, partly in jest, referring to the Principal Secretary of the Government of Karnataka, Department of Health and Family Welfare, IR Perumal! I happened to witness this gentleman speaking at a press conference recently. He was talking about swine flu. He was there to dispel the myths about swine flu and reduce the panic among the public. The one thing about him that would strike you (or anyone) is the capacity of his vocal chords. He's loud! And animated! Well, that's not a bad thing at all. At this particular press conference he was…

Symptoms in children * Fast breathing * Breathlessness* Wheezing * Blue skin or lips * Not drinking enough fluids * Irritable Excessive vomiting * SeizuresSymptoms in adults * Difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath * Chest pain * Dizziness * Confusion* Excessive vomiting * Convulsions Prevention* Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth* Avoid contact with those are ill * Avoid shaking hands, kissing and hugging when greeting * Avoid crowded places * Cover your nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing * Use a cotton handkerchief or tissue * Dispose used tissues properly * Wash your hands with…

The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) in Jayanagar is swarmed with people waiting in line outside the H1N1 flu ward. Wearing green masks, they wait for hours to get their nasal or throat swab sample collected. Most of them complain of a sore throat or a running nose or fever, afraid that they might have the H1N1 flu, more commonly known as swine flu. Dr Shashidhar of RGICD appeals to the public to go to a general physician first instead of getting a swab sample taken. Pic: Vaishnavi Vittal. Dr Shashidhar Buggi, Director of RGICD, urges and pleads…

Recently I happened to go to Gandhi Bhavan to cover an event. It was only a couple of months ago that I heard that Bangalore has something called the Gandhi Bhavan but had no idea where it was located. Neither did my father when I asked him how to get there (we all expect dads to know everything, don’t we?). It’s unfortunate that on Kumarakrupa Road, Chitra Kala Parishad (CKP), Sindhi High School or even the Janata Dal office are the only names that come up but never Gandhi Bhavan which is right next to CKP and opposite Sindhi High…

Last week I was working on a health-related story that required me to visit several hospitals in the city. They were, as expected, overflowing with sick patients, all thanks to the mosquito menace that Bangalore has been crying about.   I happened to visit both public and private hospitals. The rich-poor divide is so blatantly clear at these hospitals. At the private hospitals it wasn't so bad. Waiting rooms were packed, they were clean, and it all looked ok.  It's the government hospitals that are a sight. People lying on the floor, spitting in corners, broken chairs, wailing babies. It's…

Joint pain, body ache, fever. This monsoon season, Bangaloreans have been hit by the viral. City hospitals are packed as patients line up to get themselves checked for dengue fever and chikungunya. Symptoms of Dengue Cause: Aedes aegypti mosquito, a day-biter High fever Severe headache Pain in the back of the eyes Body aches & joint pains Nausea or vomiting Skin rash Symptoms of Chikungunya Cause: Aedes aegypti mosquito, a day-biter High fever Severe pain & swelling in joints Skin rash Dengue fever, also known as break bone fever or bonecrusher disease is characterised by severe headache, muscle and joint…

Thirteen-year-old Rohan (name changed on request) was admitted to a private hospital around two weeks back after being down with fever for more than five days. A Cox town-based doctor prescribed antibiotics, but when the fever did not subside, his parents took him to a pediatrician in Kammanahalli, who recommended that they get some blood tests done. The tests revealed a drop in his platelet count, a symptom of dengue, after which he was admitted to Mallya hospital on Vittal Mallya Road for platelet transfusion. Rohan received one unit B+ platelets after which his condition improved, much to the relief…

Z A Khan, an engineer living in a Cantonment neighbourhood, does not travel by bus, car or two-wheeler to his office in Electronic City. He takes the Salem Passenger. “I take the train from Bangalore East at about 7:42 AM and get off at Heelalige (close to Chandapura) which is about 7 km from Electronic city. My company van picks me up at the station,” he says. Khan catches the same train back home in the evening at about 5:30 PM. “This is a much more convenient way to travel compared to enduring the ride through the city and traffic…

On 31st March 2009, Citizen Matters reported about a proposal for a cycle track around Madiwala Lake (see here). Initiated by RideACycle Foundation (RAC-F), the proposal was submitted to the Bangalore Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) on 17th February 2009. Former BMLTA Commissioner Gaurav Gupta got the sanction of the Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao for this project during his tenure. Madiwala lake (pic: Meera K) On speaking to Gaurav Gupta (when he was the BMLTA Commissioner) about this project, he said it would be carried out by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) with BMLTA providing technical expertise. “We have requested…