Health

Dr Aswath Narayan, MLA, Malleswaram, inaugurated the Bike Rally undertaken by Baduku project as part of its one-month campaign Spoorthi Jagruthi against stigma and discrimination against sex workers and HIV positive people here on Wednesday, 5th November.Addressing about 150 members from the sex workers’ collectives and staff of Baduku Project, he gave a call to treat the HIV affected with affection and human touch. Baduku is a community-based organisation formed by women in sex work who are also HIV positive. The three collectives of sex workers, who took part in the programme are Swathi Mahila Sangha, Jyothi Mahila Sangha and…

It was late on November 3rd afternoon when five men worked by the side of a lonely stretch of road in the as yet un-named land between Anjanapura and Kanakapura Road. The barefooted men silently hoed and shovelled the last dregs of a waste heap, shoving the plastic and other indistinct matter into a truck parked nearby, where one of the men stood next to the waste. This is near Avalahalli, about 2.5 kms east of Kanakapura Road. Stray dogs feasted on the roadside dump which had untreated biomedical waste mixed with kitchen waste. Pic: Angela Jain. At first glance,…

Sunita (assumed name *) was in the hospital for a long time. Diagnosed with cancer, she had undergone multiple rounds of chemotherapy. As a result, her immune system was severely stressed. A few weeks later, she developed an open chest wound that had to be operated upon. Soon after, her doctor noticed a stubborn bacterial infection that just would not go away, no matter what antibiotics they prescribed. The doctor conducted a few tests and found that Sunita was infected with Methycillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, a fatal drug-resistant bacterium that thrives in hospital wards all over the world (www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735).…

It was a huge argument allowed to run riot, while the ban over smoking in the public place was coming towards its implementation date, 2nd October, 2008. We could read and hear a lot spoken about it; all sorts of arguments supporting and disregarding it.It’s more than a week since the imposing of the ban and all the 'chimneys' have been relocated from office balconies, roof-tops, walking areas around the building and parking lots; to the roadsides, middle and not so middle of the road.I was surprised to notice that while the ban imposed would mean a lot of discomfort…

What happens if you don’t see light at the end of the tunnel? You don’t see the tunnel; you only see darkness. You reach around only to clutch at thin air. You seek help and you only see smiling faces that don’t really listen, friendly eyes that don’t really see. You see people around you who seem to be concerned, but don’t know how deep your anguish is; and the deeper you go, the lonelier you feel. You don’t know which way to head; you don’t know if the next step forward, is forward. You’re hopelessly lost, with no hope,…

Had a hectic week at office? Indulge yourself at Bangalore's spas and resorts.1. Angsana Spa & ResortDetails A perfect way to unwind and relax over the weekend after a hectic week. Angsana Spa & Resort is located on the Doddaballapur road near Rajankunte. This international chain is has an idyllic setting. The spa offers therapeutic massages and hydro therapy to rejuvenate your tired limbs. After a relaxing massage, you can indulge yourself on a sumptuous lunch that offers a diverse cuisine options. A pool, tennis and squash courts, yoga and aerobics, gym and a library are other facilities provided here.…

It is inappropriate to talk about this till another innocent kid is needlessly mauled. Since BBMP is most adept at knee-jerk reactions, they need to be constantly prodded with these two faces and their untimely end caused by a pack of stray dogs, however harrowing it may seem. Sridevi, 8 yrs old, Chandra layout (R.I.P since Jan 6 2007)Manjunath, 4 yrs old, BEML (R.I.P since March 1 2007) These are not isolated cases - over 100 dog-bite victims per day are admitted in Victoria hospital alone. The official census of rabies cases is not even known as it is not…

14 June is World Blood Donors' day. Many of us may have attended blood donation camps. But often, patients in need of blood are unable to get the service because their families cannot reach out to blood banks in time, or due to the unavailability of a particular blood group in the blood bank, and so on. How can we be sure that the donated blood reaches the person in need of it? A group of students from M S Ramaiah College have tried to do just that. To ensure that blood is made available - at the right time,…

India is the treasure house of knowledge on medicinal uses of more than 7,500 plant species. But, we are in danger of losing this knowledge through our indifference to these ancient systems unless there is a process of transferring this treasure trove to our future generations. It needs a continuous linkage to these healing plants. A Bangalore based organisation, The Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), has been focusing on bringing these systems within reach of households. "Health begins at home" is the concept that FRLHT has been promoting with their "Amruth Home Herbal Gardens" program for citizens…