Health

On April 14, BBMP war room bulletin had identified 38 wards as 'hotspots' for COVID-19 in the city. But the numbers have now come down to 32, as per the latest bulletins of April 15 and 16. A ward is declared as a hotspot, if: at least one COVID-19 patient was reported from there in the previous 28 days, or the ward has at least 50 people in quarantine. Below is a list of the 32 hotspot wards: Discrepancies in data; BBMP says new list is accurate After the initial hotspot list was released on April 14, the data changed…

COVID-19 has put the spotlight back on Bengaluru's government hospitals. When COVID-19 cases started to be reported in the city, authorities rushed to ensure that these hospitals were cleaned up and prepared to deal with the situation. But on an average day, how well-maintained is an average government hospital in the city? These hospitals are all spruced up now, but how do we ensure this becomes the norm? First, let's see how hospitals are supposed to be maintained. The Centre's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has issued several guidelines on this. Most recently, this January, the National Centre…

As Mumbai battles the Coronavirus pandemic, the first casualty seems to be the health care sector, both public and private, even before the battle has reached its half way mark. "The COVID-19 pandemic has struck a three-pronged attack on our health care sector,” said Dr Amar Jesani, editor of the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics and a teacher of bioethics and public health. “Firstly, it has infected health care professionals through patients; secondly, it has drastically reduced the health care work force and thirdly, these health care professionals are in turn infecting non-COVID patients under them.” The health care system’s…

As Mumbai battles the Coronavirus pandemic, the first casualty seems to be the health care sector, both public and private, even before the battle has reached its half way mark. "The COVID-19 pandemic has struck a three-pronged attack on our health care sector,” said Dr Amar Jesani, editor of the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics and a teacher of bioethics and public health. “Firstly, it has infected health care professionals through patients; secondly, it has drastically reduced the health care work force and thirdly, these health care professionals are in turn infecting non-COVID patients under them.” The health care system’s…

Translated by Sandhya Raju நாம் அனைவரும் நெருக்கடியான சூழலில் உள்ளோம், நம்மைச் சுற்றி அனைத்தும் இடப் பிழற்சி போன்ற நிலை உள்ளது. மனநல மருத்துவர் மற்றும் ரிச்மண்ட் பெல்லோஷிப் சொசைட்டியின் பெங்களூரு கிளையின் ஹானரரி ஆலோசகர் Dr  எஸ் கல்யாணசுந்தரம் அவர்களுடனான நம்முடைய முந்தைய உரையாடலில், மன நலம் சார்ந்த பிரச்சனைகள் வெகுவாக அதிகரித்துள்ளதை பார்த்தோம். Dr Kalyanasundaram S கொரோனா தொற்றால், நாம் இந்த பிரச்சனையின் நிலையை தற்போது உணர முடிகிறது - கார்ப்பரேட் நிறுவனத்தில் பணிபுரிவோர் அனைத்து வேலைகளையும் வீட்டிலிருந்தபடியே செய்ய சிரமப்படுவது, பெற்றோர்கள் தங்களின் குழந்தைகளை சமாளிப்பது, முதியோர்காளுக்கு தொற்றை பற்றியும் நிலைமையும் எடுத்துக் கூறுவது... இதையெல்லாம் விட இந்த சவாலான நேரத்தில் தொடர்ந்து பணி புரியும் மருத்துவர்கள், செவிலியர்கள், துணை மருத்துவ சேவை புரிபவர்கள் ஆகியோரின் முடிவில்லா வேலை! இத்தகைய சூழலை சமாளிப்பது எப்படி? Dr  எஸ் கல்யாணசுந்தரம் அவர்களிடம் உரையாடியதிலிருந்து: "மிகவும் மன உளைச்சலில்…

With the dairy sector falling under essential service, dairy farmers, milk collectors, manufacturers and distributors are functioning irrespective of the 21-day nation-wide lockdown that is being observed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. In fact, the chief suppliers are putting in more hours to ensure that the supply of milk during the period is not disrupted. The producers, however, are noticing erratic demand owing, perhaps, to reverse migration and shutting down of restaurants. The Bengaluru Urban, Rural and Ramanagara district Cooperative Milk Producers Societies Union Ltd (BAMUL), the city’s main supplier, is working overtime. Coming under the umbrella of the…

There is no doubt what we are facing today is a way of life that is alien to us and it is an undeniable fact that people are frightened under the current circumstances. It is important to be well informed and follow guidelines, but some of the anxiety exhibited in the past few weeks has been disproportionate. People are paranoid about touching their own furniture. Too much information leads to difficulty in processing all the information. I believe it is important for us to stop obsessing about Coronavirus and reading Corona news through the day....people read more and interpret what…

In an extreme incident, indicative of rising mental health afflictions in society, a youngster ran out naked and fatally bit an old woman in Theni of Tamil Nadu. Many cases of domestic abuse during quarantine have hit headlines recently. What often goes unreported, though, are the less severe mental health issues arising from insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty among citizens in this 21-day lockdown period mandated by the central government to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.  You can hear of a variety of such cases if you talk to Resident Welfare Associations in Chennai. “A software engineer became silent and has…

“I survived on bananas which I had stocked up in my bag,” Surendra Ram told me on the phone, about how he got through the ‘Janata Curfew’ of March 22. That day, when most of the shops and businesses in Mumbai shut down and those who could stay indoors locked themselves in, Surendra sat on the footpath near the Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel. Surendra is 37 years old and has oral cancer. That footpath had been his ‘home’ for a week by the day of the curfew – no ‘locking in’ for him and many other patients living on…

“I survived on bananas which I had stocked up in my bag,” Surendra Ram told me on the phone, about how he got through the ‘Janata Curfew’ of March 22. That day, when most of the shops and businesses in Mumbai shut down and those who could stay indoors locked themselves in, Surendra sat on the footpath near the Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel. Surendra is 37 years old and has oral cancer. That footpath had been his ‘home’ for a week by the day of the curfew – no ‘locking in’ for him and many other patients living on…