Health

Youngsters living in paying guest (PG) accommodations in Bengaluru suffer from a high incidence of mental and substance use disorders, according to a study by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS). The study was conducted across 25 PG accommodations in the eight BBMP zones of the city, among 315 individuals between the ages of 18 and 39. Around 90% of the respondents were between 18 and 29 years. The participants included both students and working professionals in an almost equal ratio. Two thirds of the respondents were previously living in urban settings (cities and small towns) in…

With some health experts predicting an increase in COVID-19 cases during January, the next 40 days could well be crucial in assessing the spread and effects of the Omicron sub-variant BF.7  in the country. Bengalureans appear to once again be experiencing COVID-19 anxiety as the city is seeing a small uptick in cases. Citizen Matters reported about the immediate COVID-19 protocols taken in December 2022. However, in the past week, cases in the city increased on an average of 32 cases per day, while active cases stood at 266. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya have…

Fears of a new wave of COVID-19 are spreading through the country leading to several recent government directives. We take a look at what has sparked new concerns and what this means for Bengaluru.  COVID-19 is back in the news because China is currently facing a new wave of COVID- 19 infections. Cases have also been on the rise in Japan, South Korea, and the US. The infections appear to be largely of the Omicron subvariant BF. 7, which appears to escape immune responses more successfully, is more infectious, i.e., spread to more people than the original Omicron variant, and…

It is a balmy Wednesday morning. Having arranged the chairs in rows and set the required vaccines ready on a wooden table, Selvi G, the Urban Health Nurse (UHN) of Valasaravakkam Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) in Chennai, awaits mothers scheduled to come in for the immunisation of their children. As the first of them arrive, Selvi gives them a heads-up that it is only normal for the child to cry after the injection and there is nothing to panic about. She tells them not to rub the injected area and to administer the medicine which will be given to…

Are you someone who knocks on the doors of private clinics or large private hospitals even for a fever or minor ailments? Do you know there are government-run Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHC) in Chennai with facilities to treat minor ailments and for the diagnosis of major illnesses? The city's public healthcare infrastructure came under the spotlight during the pandemic as it was at the forefront of fighting the virus. The major government hospitals took in patients while the UPHCs served as points for screening and vaccination. It was only then that a majority of residents came into contact with…

On December 1st, Mumbai’s King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital became the first civic facility in the city to get approval for a 24x7 cardiac catheterisation lab. The approval comes a month after the announcement was first made in November. A cardiac cath lab functions as a centre for doctors to perform minimally invasive tests and procedures to diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease. It is the alarming rise in deaths due to heart attacks in 2021 that prompted Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) health officials to start a pilot 24x7 cath lab at KEM. Last year, Mumbai recorded a total of 17,880…

"A couple of weeks ago, my son told me that he felt an itch in his eye. When I checked, I found his eyes to be red. So, we went to the doctor and found that he had Madras Eye. Eventually, our entire family got the virus," says Priya Chandru, a resident of Adambakkam. "My son and I are better now. But my husband's eyes are still red." Priya's family was among the many that were affected by Madras Eye this past month in Chennai. Doctors say there is a daily load of around 4500 cases per day in government hospitals.  "In…

Rani has had debilitatingly painful periods ever since she started relying on injectable contraceptives. When she reached out to her doctor for help, she was told to be patient and that “this happens, it is quite normal.” But it does make it very difficult for her to manage her periods. Not only does she have to take care of household responsibilities, but she also has to go do her job as a door-to-door garbage collector in the hilly terrains of Shimla. But however painful or uncomfortable it gets, she knows she cannot afford to take menstrual leave. For door-to-door garbage collectors…

When one asks about the recent incident where three children in Mumbai’s Rafi Nagar lost their lives to a measles outbreak, the common response from residents in the area is: What is measles? The disease is either known by its local name gobri or is commonly confused with chicken pox. What is measles, really? A measles rash is flat and is accompanied with high grade fever along with runny nose, sore throat, cough, and even conjunctivitis. The symptoms can last for several weeks. On the other hand, chicken pox comes with raised bumps, low grade fever and symptoms generally last…

Visualise this: Many stalls are put up in an area. A number of people visit each of these stalls. Many more people move from one stall to another, peeping in, observing the displays, interacting with those manning the stalls, and may be even transacting. People meeting strangers, striking up conversations, exchanging information and thoughts, and exploring the things that are available there. A familiar face here, a known person there – the hand waves, the ‘Hi’s!, and the catching up. If a market place came to mind, you are not wrong. For indeed, the above was my experience at the…