Health

Savitha was still recovering from a stressful premature delivery, when her doctors informed her that she wasn’t producing enough milk for her baby. “After the birth, I still had instances of heavy bleeding and clotting disorders for which I needed constant treatment. My body was exhausted. My baby, who was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) needed more milk than whatever little I was producing. I had no idea of what more I could do.” But Savitha’s doctors at Fortis La Femme did. Their solution? A breast milk bank. Breast milk banks aren’t a new phenomenon in India, but…

உறுப்பு தானத்தில் முன்னோடியாக திகழ்கிறது நம் தமிழ்நாடு. இங்கு தான் அதிகமாக உறுப்பு தானம் செய்பவர்கள் உள்ளனர். மருத்துவமனைகள், தன்னார்வ தொண்டு நிறுவனங்களின் கூட்டு முயற்சி மற்றும் மக்களின் விருப்பம் ஆகியவை இதற்கு காரணிகளாக இருக்கலாம். இருப்பினும் நம்மில் பலருக்கு உறுப்பு தானம் பற்றிய பல விஷயங்கள் தெரியாமல் தான் உள்ளது. இதுவே உறுப்பு தானத்திற்காக காத்திருக்க வேண்டிய அவகாசத்தை அதிகரிக்க செய்கிறது. ஒவ்வொரு வருடமும் உறுப்பு கிடைக்காததால் கிட்டதிட்ட ஐந்து லட்சம் பேர் இறந்து போவதாக என்டிடிவி-ஃபார்டிஸ் மோர் டூ கிவ் விழிப்புணர்வு பிரச்சாரம் கூறுகிறது. பல்வேறு தவறான புரிதல் காரணமாக உறுப்பு தானம் செய்வதில் மக்களுக்கு தயக்கம் இருப்பதையே இந்த பிரச்சாரம் உணர்த்துகிறது. மருத்துவர்கள் மற்றும் சுகாதார ஆர்வலர்களுடன் உரையாடியதிலிருந்து உறுப்பு தானம் குறித்த விளக்கமும், அது குறித்து பல சந்தேகங்களையும் இங்கே தெளிவு படுத்தியுள்ளோம். மேலும் ஏன் உறுப்பு தானம் செய்ய வேண்டும் என்ற முக்கிய கேள்விக்கான…

When you consider that India spends only 1.4% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health, the least among BRICS nations, the magnitude of its health problems are distressing, but not really surprising. Moreover, for five years till 2016, the National Health Mission (NHM) funds that were unspent by states even increased by 29%, according to a recently released audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. Almost 61% of deaths in India are due to non-communicable diseases, especially cardiovascular, cancer and diabetes, according to the World Health Organisation. As these are the “most common diseases” in India’s cities, noone is really…

Clued in Indian travelers have often swooned over the variety of street food available in Kolkata. Even celebrity chefs, such as Gordon Ramsay, have talked and savoured street food in the City of Joy and it is not uncommon to find teams from international channels like BBC and CNN filming the food in the city. But a recent Taste of Travel survey conducted by Booking.com ** has brought Kolkata up in the ranks on India’s food map all over again. Kolkata was named the best city to explore mouth-watering street food followed by Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. The research was…

“The recent scare due to the detection of formalin-laced fish across Goa, Kerala, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya points to a link between water quality and food safety. Fish traders find it cost-effective to use formalin, a carcinogen, instead of ice to prevent the decomposition of fish during transportation to distant markets. Consumer confidence has been hit hard and fish producers are having a bad time due to the import ban on fish in most of these states,” says Satish Sinha, associate director, Toxics Link, an organisation working for environmental justice and freedom from toxins, at a public lecture held…

The news on gender ratios in urban India is not only bad, it is also getting worse. In May 2018, a study published by Lancet disclosed that 239,000 girls below five die in India every year. Census 2011 documents that the worst Child Sex Ratios  are found in the cities.  The declining graph over the decades shows that urban Indian gender ratios are more skewed than rural Bharat's, with an average of 902 girls per 1,000 boys between 0-6 years in the cities, compared to 923 girls in rural India. The urban figures have pulled down the national average to 918.  The worst city…

Living and practising medicine around the IT corridor in Chennai, I get to see many young women, who come to me seeking help for their gynaecological problems. These are women whose educational qualifications would be, at the very least, a basic bachelor’s degree. Many of them hold responsible positions and have a promising career ahead. And yet the one thing that strikes me as completely discordant is their complete lack of education and awareness about their general health, and more specifically their reproductive health. I emphasize on reproductive health not simply because I am a gynaecologist, but because a majority…

If you happen to be in Chennai, visit the SDAT ground on a Saturday morning, and you will be greeted by an unusual but heartwarming sight! Seen playing football with the fervour of a youth who has just discovered the game is a group of former professional footballers, their ages ranging from 40 to over 60. You'll find them rolling back the years with their slick passes and exchanging banter that stems from years of camaraderie. Meet the members of the Phoenix Veterans FC, a club comprising players who have represented their country and the state at the highest level. Through the…

"I can do it with my eyes closed now. I can tell you what medicine is placed where, which doctor comes in when, and where my patients are at all times,” Leelamma says with a smile. Leelamma, the nurse staff-in charge at the St. John’s Medical College and Hospital in the Bengaluru hails from Kottayam. She has spent 22 years of her career here after stints in Assam and Saudi Arabia. Her faded, yet neatly pressed, white gown speaks of her longevity in service. This time around, she has a new challenge: handling panic. “Everyone with a fever is suddenly…

Fed up of viral WhatsApp posts regarding an eerie, deadly viral fever that spreads through fruits? Maybe. But don’t stop reading about it. Knowing is the first step to manage the virus and the disease it brings. This virus has the strange name of ‘Nipah’, quite a nippy character that is getting into all the open fruits and vegetables you are supposed to consume to keep yourself healthy. Why is Nipah in news now? Nipah hit the headlines because of recent deaths in Kerala, due to brain fever caused by this virus. Also called Henipavirus in the medical world, NiV…