Chief Editor : Dr. Aniruddha Malpani, M.D.

July2012
P
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Let us start a PINK REV-
OLUTION of HEALTH-
CARE in INDIA, by
investing 10% of GDP in
public healthcare by the
Govt now, from a shock-
ingly low 1%!. Only 7
countries all round the
world, spend less than we
do, to look after the health
of citizens! 230 Indian mothers die during child-
birth, compared to 50 per 1 lakh childbirths in
other BRIC countries. 66 Indian children under 5
yrs die in India, compared to 20 in other BRIC
countries. Excellent facilities in hospitals, Primary
Health Centres, for preventive & curative treat-
ments, in the Government sector can and should
be made possible with more funding and support.
400 million poor people need this kind of support
badly and immediately. Indians have a RIGHT
TO LIFE, and a RIGHT TO HEALTH is a vital part
of this constitutional right. It is a duty of the Govt
to provide good hospitals and medicines for all
citizens now.
Remember that we need to help the millions of
poor underprivileged citizens of our country, and
increasing and upgrading the Govt healthcare
system is vital and paramount to this goal. So
much suffering of the poor is due to illness, and
this needs to be sorted out now. Private health-
care will never be able to do so many of the
things the Govt healthcare system does in India,
and around the world. The recent plan to in-
crease spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2017 is too
little, too late, and totally inadequate. We can and
should do much more to help the 400 million In-
dians who are below the official poverty line of
Rs 32/day. Severe or moderate illness episode
in the life of these impoverished millions is
enough to set them back in life even more &
erase their already slim chances of improving
their living conditions.
And sanitation, clean water, health education,
also need to be improved side by side with this
also. A toilet in every house, clean drinking water,
sewage & electricity connections to each house
in India in needed now. Internet based and citi-
zen based monitoring of spending and other con-
trols can be implemented for effective funds
utilisation.
Yes, we have to also work towards prevention of
corruption in healthcare, as we do have to in
other sectors. But it should not stop investment
now. Corruption is not an excuse for the measly
healthcare allocation that we have tolerated in
india for so long. Let us all wake up and help our
poor fellow citizens by this awesome step of
vastly increased funding & healthcare up grada-
tion by the Govt.
Girish.K, Please sign the petition at
http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Pink_Revolu-
tion_of_Healthcare_in_India/?cIelYbb
Speaking at the event or-
ganized jointly by the Con-
federation of Indian
Industry (CII) and the Cen-
tre for Strategic and Inter-
national Studies (CSIS), Dr
Reddy lauded the ongoing
efforts in the US to digitize
healthcare data through Electronic Medical
Records and hoped that such techniques would be
brought to India as well.
He also acknowledged the tremendous contribu-
tions made by research organizations in the US in
diagnosis, methodology, innovation, research and
technology in the healthcare sector. Applying exist-
ing innovations from US, Europe and other parts to
countries like India is thus critical, said Dr Reddy
who pioneered the concept of corporate hospitals
in India in the eighties after returning from the US
where he had a very successful practice as a lead-
ing heart surgeon.
"The three biggest challenges India faces in the
healthcare sector are: paucity of hospital beds for
people; lack of skilled health human resources; and
rise in both infectious and non-communicable dis-
eases," he said.
India is facing alarming numbers of cases of heart
disease, cancer and diabetes, Dr Reddy said. For
example, the number of diabetes cases in India,
earlier projected at 36 million by 2020, has already
surpassed 75 million. Soon, one out of every five
diabetic patient in the world will be Indian.
Noting that comparable surgeries in India cost one-
tenth of the price in the US, he said high quality
healthcare and cost benefit is hence a major prior-
ity area.
Dr Prathap Reddy
Improving Patient & Family Health
Q. Is it safe to work with
someone infected with
HIV?
Ans. Yes. Most workers face
no risk of getting the virus
while doing their work. The virus is
mainly transmitted through the trans-
fer of blood or sexual fluids. Since
contact with blood or sexual fluids is
not part of most people's work, most
workers are safe.
Q. What about working every day
in close physical contact with an
infected person?
Ans. There are no risks involved. You
may share the same telephone with
other people in your office or work
side by side in a crowded factory with
other HIV infected persons, even
share the same cup of tea, but this
will not expose you to the risk of con-
tracting the infection. Being in contact
with dirt and sweat will also not give
you the infection.
Q. Who is at risk while at work?
Ans. Those who are likely to come
into contact with blood that contains
the virus are at risk. These include
healthcare workers - doctors, den-
tists, nurses, laboratory technicians,
and a few others. Such workers must
take special care against possible
contact with infected blood, as for ex-
ample by using gloves.
Q. If a worker has HIV infection,
should he or she be allowed to
continue work?
Ans. Workers with HIV infection who
are still healthy should be treated in
the same way as any other worker.
Those with AIDS or AIDS-related ill-
nesses should be treated in the same
way as any other worker who is ill. In-
fection with HIV is not a reason in it-
self for termination of employment.
Q. Does an employee infected with
the virus have to tell the employer
about it?
Ans. Anyone infected, or thought to
be infected, must be protected from
discrimination by employers, co-work-
ers, unions or clients. Employees
should not be required to inform their
employer about their infection. If cor-
rect information and education about
AIDS are available to employees, a
climate of understanding may
develop in the workplace pro-
tecting the rights of the HIV-in-
fected person.
Q. Should an employer test
a worker for HIV?
Ans. Testing for HIV should not be re-
quired of workers. Imagine that you
are a worker with HIV infection and
are healthy and able to work. As far
as your work is concerned, the infor-
mation about the infection is private.
If it is made public, you could be a tar-
get for discrimination. If AIDS-related
illness makes you unfit for a particular
job, you should be treated in the
same way as any other employee
with a chronic illness. A suitable alter-
native job can often be arranged by
the employer. The employers in differ-
ent parts of the world are beginning to
deal with these problems more hu-
manely. Their associations and work-
ers' unions can be consulted for
advice.
Q. What if you are already infected
with HIV? Can you still travel?
Ans. If you are already infected, con-
sult your healthcare provider for guid-
ance well before you plan to travel.
Some immigration officials insist on
an HIV free certificate. Your travel
counsellor will advise you.
Q. 'AIDS is mainly a problem of devel-
oping countries.' or 'No, AIDS is really
a problem of developed countries'.
SOURCE NACO
P
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HIV AND
WORKPLACE
The Speak Up Program in the USA
encourages patients to:
Speak up if you have questions or
concerns, and if you dont under-
stand, ask again. Its your body
and you have a right to know.
Pay attention to the care you are
receiving. Make sure youre get-
ting the right treatments and med-
ications by the right healthcare
professionals. Dont assume any-
thing.
Educate yourself about your diag-
nosis, the medical tests you are
undergoing, and your treatment
plan.
Ask a trusted family member or
friend to be your advocate.
Know what medications you take
and why you take them. Medica-
tion errors are the most common
healthcare mistakes.
Participate in all decisions about
your treatment. You are the center
of the healthcare team.
This does not mean that you ask
questions just for the sake of asking
after all, doctors are busy people
and do have other patients to see.
The trick is to be inquisitive and to
do your homework ! The only stupid
question is the one you did not ask.
Asking appropriate questions about
your treatment and medicines will
help you to acquire knowledge and
will also keep the doctors and hospital
staff on their toes ( which is good for
them as well !) . The more the ques-
tions you ask about your treatment,
the more careful they will be about
what medicines they are giving you
and how they treat you . Never take
any medicine without asking : what it
is, why it is used and what are its
side-effects. Remember, there are
lots of patients and your physician
sees many everyday. There are
chances that the staff may confuse
your details with another patient. So ,
the more involved you are in your
treatment, the more protection you
get from unintentional
errors. The more
knowledge you gain,
the more questions
you will able to ask,
and the more attention
you will get!
Thanks to the internet,
its become increas-
ingly easier for patients
to find answers to their
health-related ques-
tions online. Learn to
use the internet intelli-
gently, so this will help
you ask smarter ques-
tions and will also
save your doctor time,
because your routine
questions have already
been answered !
Dont worry if you do not understand
everything on the first reading or in
the first sitting. It takes time to absorb
this information, and analyse it. The
good news is that there are lots of re-
liable websites to help you with Infor-
mation Therapy. Even better, there
are now many expert patients online,
who can help you make sense of
what is happening to you
A lot of patients are scared to ask
their doctors questions. They are
worried that the doctor is too busy to
answer them, and they dont want to
waste his precious time. They are
also secretly worried that the doctor
may take offense at their questions,
because he may think that they are
questioning his judgment, and this
may cause him to get upset and pro-
vide poor medical care.
Please remember that your health de-
pends on good communication, and
asking questions and providing infor-
mation to your doctor and other care
providers can improve your care.
Talking with your doctor builds trust
and leads to better results, quality,
safety, and satisfaction.
Quality health care is a team effort
and you are the captain ! Because
time is limited during medical appoint-
ments, you will feel less rushed if you
prepare your questions before your
appointment.
Doctors are not mind-readers , and
good doctors want you to ask ques-
tions, because they know that the
more you know about your medical
care, the happier you are going to be
with your treatment. Being well-in-
formed will help you to have realistic
expectations of the treatment, and in-
crease your satisfaction with the care
you get. Remember that if you want
VIP care from your doctor, you need
to become a VIP Very well-Informed
patient !
Here are some useful questions
you can ask.
1. How will the results of this test
change my treatment options ?
2. What is the natural history of my
disease ?
3. Are there any other alternatives I
can explore ?
4. Which is the best center in the
world for this treatment ?
5. Can you refer to a website where
can I learn more about my prob-
lem ?
P
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E
d
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o
r

s
D
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s
k
Dr. Aniruddha Malpani, M.D.
Founder Director,
Health Education Library for
People (HELP)
SubSCRIbE TODAy
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he number of people with cancer is set to

surge by more than 75% across the world
by 2030, with par-
ticularly sharp rises in
poor countries as they
adopt unhealthy "West-
ernized" lifestyles, a
study said .
Many developing coun-
tries were expected to
see a rise in living stan-
dards in coming
decades, said the paper
from the World Health
Organisation's nternational Agency for Research
on Cancer in Lyon, France.
But those advances
could come at a cost -
an increase in cases of
cancers linked to poor
diet, lack of exercise
and other bad habits as-
sociated with affluence
and linked to diseases
like breast, prostate and
colorectal cancers, it
added.

icorette, manufacturer of
tobacco cessation prod-
ucts, announced the
launch of a National Tobacco
Cessation Quit Line-1800 227787
to mark the World No Tobacco
Day.
The national quitline is a dedi-
cated toll-free number that can be
reached daily from 9 am to 9 pm
from May 31 onwards. The quit-
line will provide free support and
guidance to tobacco
users to overcome their
addiction and increase
their chances of quit-
ting successfully. This
quitline is designed to
help tobacco users by
answering their
queries, formulating a
personalised quit plan
depending on their to-
bacco consumption
pattern (cigarettes,
beedis and other forms
of chewing tobacco)
and supporting them
through the entire 12
week journey of quitting
tobacco through a com-
bination of phone calls, text mes-
sages, emails and hand deliver-
ies.
Callers will receive tobacco ces-
sation counselling in English,
Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and Ben-
gali. This free of charge service
can be used by all tobacco users,
friends and families of tobacco
users and even healthcare prac-
titioners seeking to provide to-
bacco cessation therapy for their
patients. To support the tele-
phone counselling, callers want-
ing on-ground support will be
referred to a local Tobacco nter-
vention nitiative (T) center of
the ndian Dental Association
(DA). At each center, dentists
trained in tobacco cessation will
help tobacco users give up their
addiction and improve their
health. Currently there are 500 T
centers across ndia.
Chief Editor : Dr. Aniruddha Malpani, M.D.
July'2012, Rs.10
6l08l 080l8 81l 10 $086l 7 8f Z0J0
0ll 10 #0l1 108000
Smile More...
Walk More...
Live life More...

he number of people with cancer is set to

surge by more than 75% across the world
by 2030, with par-
ticularly sharp rises in
poor countries as they
adopt unhealthy "West-
ernized" lifestyles, a
study said .
Many developing coun-
tries were expected to
see a rise in living stan-
dards in coming
decades, said the paper
from the World Health
Organisation's nternational Agency for Research
on Cancer in Lyon, France.
But those advances
could come at a cost -
an increase in cases of
cancers linked to poor
diet, lack of exercise
and other bad habits as-
sociated with affluence
and linked to diseases
like breast, prostate and
colorectal cancers, it
added.

icorette, manufacturer of
tobacco cessation prod-
ucts, announced the
launch of a National Tobacco
Cessation Quit Line-1800 227787
to mark the World No Tobacco
Day.
The national quitline is a dedi-
cated toll-free number that can be
reached daily from 9 am to 9 pm
from May 31 onwards. The quit-
line will provide free support and
guidance to tobacco
users to overcome their
addiction and increase
their chances of quit-
ting successfully. This
quitline is designed to
help tobacco users by
answering their
queries, formulating a
personalised quit plan
depending on their to-
bacco consumption
pattern (cigarettes,
beedis and other forms
of chewing tobacco)
and supporting them
through the entire 12
week journey of quitting
tobacco through a com-
bination of phone calls, text mes-
sages, emails and hand deliver-
ies.
Callers will receive tobacco ces-
sation counselling in English,
Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and Ben-
gali. This free of charge service
can be used by all tobacco users,
friends and families of tobacco
users and even healthcare prac-
titioners seeking to provide to-
bacco cessation therapy for their
patients. To support the tele-
phone counselling, callers want-
ing on-ground support will be
referred to a local Tobacco nter-
vention nitiative (T) center of
the ndian Dental Association
(DA). At each center, dentists
trained in tobacco cessation will
help tobacco users give up their
addiction and improve their
health. Currently there are 500 T
centers across ndia.
Chief Editor : Dr. Aniruddha Malpani, M.D.
July'2012, Rs.10
6l08l 080l8 81l 10 $086l 7 8f Z0J0
0ll 10 #0l1 108000
Smile More...
Walk More...
Live life More...

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J
o
in
T
o
d
a
y
p
a
t
ie
n
t
f
ir
s
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P
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Pneumonia is the leading cause of
death in children worldwide.
Pneumonia kills an estimated 1.4
million children under the age of
five years every year more than
AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis
combined.
Pneumonia can be caused by
viruses, bacteria or fungi.
Pneumonia can be prevented by
immunization, adequate nutrition
and by addressing environmental
factors.
Pneumonia can be treated with
antibiotics, but around 30% of chil-
dren with pneumonia receive the
antibiotics they need.
Pneumonia is a form of acute respira-
tory infection that affects the
lungs. The lungs are made
up of small sacs called alve-
oli, which fill with air when a
healthy person breathes.
When an individual has
pneumonia, the alveoli are
filled with pus and fluid,
which makes breathing
painful and limits oxygen in-
take.
Pneumonia is the single
largest cause of death in
children worldwide. Every
year, it kills an estimated 1.4
million children under the
age of five years, accounting
for 18% of all deaths of chil-
dren under five years old worldwide.
Pneumonia affects children and fam-
ilies everywhere, but is most preva-
lent in South Asia and sub-Saharan
Africa. Children can be protected from
pneumonia, it can be preventedwith
simple interventions, and treated with
low-cost, low-tech medication and
care.
Causes
Pneumonia is caused by a number of
infectious agents, including viruses,
bacteria and fungi. The most common
are:
Streptococcus pneumoniae the
most common cause of bacterial
pneumonia in children;
Haemophilus influenzae type b
(Hib) the second most common
cause of bacterial pneumonia;
respiratory syncytial virus is the
most common viral cause of pneu-
monia;
in infants infected with HIV, Pneu-
mocystis jiroveci is one of the
commonest causes of pneumonia,
responsible for at least one quar-
ter of all pneumonia deaths in HIV-
infected infants.
Transmission
Pneumonia can be spread in a num-
ber of ways. The viruses and bacteria
that are commonly found in a child's
nose or throat, can infect the lungs if
they are inhaled. They may also
spread via air-borne droplets from a
cough or sneeze. In addition, pneu-
monia may spread through blood, es-
pecially during and shortly after birth.
More research needs to be done on
the different pathogens causing pneu-
monia and the ways they are trans-
mitted, as this has critical importance
for treatment and prevention.
Symptoms
The symptoms of viral and bacterial
pneumonia are similar. However, the
symptoms of viral pneumonia may be
more numerous than the symptoms
of bacterial pneumonia.
The symptoms of pneumonia include:
rapid or difficult breathing
cough
fever
chills
loss of appetite
wheezing (more common in
viral infections).
When pneumonia becomes severe,
children may experience lower chest
wall indrawing, where their chests
move in or retract during inhalation (in
a healthy person, the chest expands
during inhalation). Infants may be un-
able to feed or drink and may also ex-
perience unconsciousness,
hypothermia and convulsions.
Risk factors
While most healthy children can fight
the infection with their natural de-
fences, children whose immune sys-
tems are compromised are at higher
risk of developing pneumonia. A
child's immune system may be weak-
ened by malnutrition or undernourish-
ment, especially in infants who are
not exclusively breastfed.
Pre-existing illnesses, such as symp-
tomatic HIV infections and measles,
also increase a child's risk of contract-
ing pneumonia.
The following environmental factors
also increase a child's susceptibility to
pneumonia:
indoor air pollution caused by
cooking and heating with biomass
fuels (such as wood or dung)
living in crowded homes
parental smoking.
Treatment
Pneumonia can be treated
with antibiotics. These are
usually prescribed at a
health centre or hospital, but
the vast majority of cases of
childhood pneumonia can
be administered effectively
within the home. Hospital-
ization is recommended in
infants aged two months
and younger, and also in
very severe cases.
Prevention
Preventing pneumonia in
children is an essential com-
ponent of a strategy to re-
duce child mortality. Immunization
against Hib, pneumococcus, measles
and whooping cough (pertussis) is the
most effective way to prevent pneu-
monia.
Adequate nutrition is key to improving
children's natural defences, starting
with exclusive breastfeeding for the
first six months of life. In addition to
being effective in preventing pneumo-
nia, it also helps to reduce the length
of the illness if a child does become
ill.
Addressing environmental factors
such as indoor air pollution (by provid-
ing affordable clean indoor stoves, for
example) and encouraging good hy-
giene in crowded homes also reduces
the number of children who fall ill with
pneumonia.
In children infected with HIV, the an-
tibiotic cotrimoxazole is given daily to
decrease the risk of contracting pneu-
monia.
Source World Health Organization
PNEuMONIA
P
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1. Does excessive eating of salt in-
crease blood pressure?
Ans: Yes and No
Yes in certain individuals who are
salt sensitive, while this does not
happen in those who are salt insen-
sitive.
2. What are the foods to be avoided
by BP patients
Ans: (a) Salted snacks e.g. Potato
wafers
(b) Pickles and papads
(c) Ketchups
(d) Salted meat / salted sea
food
(e) Excess of fat
3. Will eating fruits cause
cold?
Ans: Cold is caused by a
virus. Most fruits rich in vita-
min C (like oranges), in fact
can protect against frequent
attacks of cold. Some people
may be allergic to certain
foods which may include
fruits. They should find out by trial
and error and try and avoid only
those fruits.
4. Is it good to drink water while eat-
ing? Will it reduce digestion?
Ans: There is no evidence to suggest
this. Some feel that it may dilute the
digestive enzymes, but this does not
occur, because the intestines pro-
duce several times more enzymes
than what is actually required for di-
gestion. Water intake may however
fill the stomach and thereby give a
feeling of fullness. This is common
among children.
5. Are artificial sweeteners harmful?
Ans: Scientific data does not indicate
that either saccharine or aspartame
are harmful to humans
6. Which is the best source of cal-
cium? Will calcium tablets prevent
fracture?
Ans: Best source of calcium is milk.
To a certain extent calcium tablets @
500 mg/day would help. Women
should take calcium well before
onset of menopause, as more than
50% of the calcium in the bones is
lost during the first 5 years of
menopause itself.
7. Which of the cooking oils are good
for health?
Ans: All oils are good in one way or
the other. Groundnut oil, mustard oil
are very good. It is always suggested
to use a combination of oils either
blended or by rotation. e.g. Ground-
nut oil, soya bean oil, sunflower oil,
rice bran oil so that you get the ben-
efit of all. Sunflower / any single oil
alone is not preferred.
8. Which is the best way to lose
weight?
Ans: A combination of physical activ-
ity of atleast a 30 minute walk per
day with a moderation in calorie in-
take would do wonders. Drastic
weight loss programs can be rarely
sustained. Just avoiding refined sug-
ars, disserts, deep fried foods, dairy
and bakery products, aerated
bottled drinks itself can cut
down a large amount of calo-
ries. Consuming at least 400
gms of fruits and vegetables
can also avoid the hunger.
9. Will eating tomatoes and
palak cause stones in the kid-
ney?
Ans: No! These are unfounded
fears. Eating tomatoes and
palak may be little harmful to
those who are prone to the
problem of formation of stones
in the kidneys.
10. Is alcohol drinking good for the
heart?
Ans: Alcohol in moderate i.e. 30-60
ml/day has been shown to be bene-
ficial. Red wines in addition has anti-
cancer effects. But if you are not
used to drinking, there is no advan-
tage in starting it now. If you are al-
ready used to it then limiting to 30-60
ml/day is beneficial and anything be-
yond has the opposite effects.
source-National Institute of Nutrition-
Hyderabad
Frequently Asked Questions on Nutrition
A popular TV program focus on Unethical practices in
medical profession caused discomfort to several med-
ical organizations
I only wish that medical organizations had taken the in-
formation as a feedback from the community and ap-
plied its collective mind to initiate corrective
measures to minimize the agony,
if not to totally eradicate the
menace of exploitation
in general.
I give further addi-
tional feedback that
might help in bettering
the system.
Well, with my close association
with the profession, observation and ex-
perience I feel the profession should adopt much more
transparency in practice:
1. Write the prescription in the way it
is taught in medical school: Name
with qualification, Reg No, adress,
prescriber's contact No, Patient's
name, age, sex, Special status like
Pregnancy, lactating mother etc,
Name of the medicine (in caps),
strength, dose and dosage regimen.
2. Prescribe the low priced brand or
generics to make treatment more affordable
3. Insist on the manufacturers that their product will be
prescribed only if their prices are competitive.
4. Shun the attitude that Doctors are no wrong doers
and cannot be questioned.
5.Referal doctor should come to the rescue
of the patient or their well-wish-
ers if there is a real med-
ical negligence.
6. There is a check
and counter check
for every system of
activity which is totally
absent in medical prac-
tice.
- Please understand that It is essential
for minimizing medication errors.
There were days when people
were never addressing or talking
of the doctors in singular.
There is a need to restore the old
glory and make the legendary
'VAIDHYO NARAYANO HARI'
true.
P.S.BHAGWAN
Registrar, Karnataka Pharmacy
Council, Bangalore
P
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'SATYAMEVA
JAYATE
P
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Arthritis means inflammation of the joint, which means
there is pain, swelling, tenderness around joint. This
simple looking disease arthritis is of many types. Its im-
portant to know which kind of Arthritis one is suffering
from. This will make you able to nip it in the bud and
control this deadly dis-
ease easily.
The fact that 15 per cent
of the Indian population
suffers from this crippling
disease is alarming and
arthritis deserves immedi-
ate attention.
In India osteoarthritis, i.e.
degenerative arthritis,
which affects the knee, is
more prevalent with every
third person above the
age of 70 years affected.
The incidence of rheumatoid arthritis is little less than in
the West.
More than 20 crore
Indians are suffer-
ing from arthritis.
Let us talk how to
manage os-
teoarthritis. Since
this is degenerative
in nature so we
should all under-
stand how to pre-
vent it. We can
prevent it by follow-
ings:
1. Reducing weight keeping weight in normal limit
according to age, height, sex and frame of body
(small, medium, large).
2. Regular physiotherapy strengthening muscles
around knee like quadriceps and hamstrings.
3. Maintaining strong bones by keeping normal
Bone Mineral Density
(Normal value is T score
1 and above). Regular
walking.
4. Maintaining normal
vitamin D 3 levels. A re-
cent survey showed that
health personnel are vita-
min D 3 deficient to the
tune of 65%. This is an
eye opener report as we
think that medical illness
is not meant for us.
In spite of all the preven-
tive measures osteoarthritis affects people and the af-
fected person feels the following features:
1. Pain while climbing stairs more on coming down.
The person looks for railing to catch hold.
2. Seeking for some support to get up from sitting
on ground.
3. Experiences some cracking sound while bending
knees.
4. Avoid going to Indian toilet and prefers western
commode.
5. Usually feels pain on inner side of knee joints.
6. Stiffness around knee joint.
Dr A K Agrawal, MS Ortho, MCH Ortho
Orthopedicand Joint replacement Surgeon
STMC & Krishna Hospital Kanpur
drakagrwak@yahoo.com
is a serious medical illness that in-
volves the brain. It's more than just a
feeling of being "down in the dumps"
or "blue" for a few days..Symptoms
persist and interfere with your every-
day life. Symptoms can include
Sadness
Loss of interest or pleasure in
activities you used to enjoy
Change in weight
Difficulty sleeping or oversleep-
ing
Energy loss
Feelings of worthlessness
Thoughts of death or suicide
Depression is a disorder of the brain.
There are a variety of causes, including
genetic, environmental, psychological,
and biochemical factors. Depression
usually starts between the ages of 15
and 30, and is much more common in
women. Women can also get postpar-
tum depression after the birth of a baby.
Some people get seasonal affective dis-
order in the winter. Depression is one
part of bipolar disorder.
There are effective treatments for de-
pression, including antidepressants
and talk therapy. Most people do best
by using both.
DEPRESSION
If you test positive for latent TB infection, your doctor may
advise you to take medications to reduce your risk of de-
veloping active tuberculosis. The only type of tuberculosis
that is contagious is the active variety, when it affects the
lungs. So if you can prevent your latent tuberculosis from
becoming active, you won't
transmit tuberculosis to any-
one else.
Protect your family and
friends
If you have active TB, keep
your germs to yourself. It gen-
erally takes a few weeks
of treatment with TB
medications before
you're not contagious
anymore. Follow these
tips to help keep your
friends and family from
getting sick:
Stay home. Don't
go to work or school or sleep in
a room with other people during the
first few weeks of treatment for active tuberculosis.
Ventilate the room. Tuberculosis germs spread
more easily in small closed spaces where air doesn't
move. If it's not too cold outdoors, open the windows and
use a fan to blow indoor air outside.
Cover your mouth. Use a tissue to cover your
mouth anytime you laugh, sneeze or cough. Put the dirty
tissue in a bag, seal it and throw it away.
Wear a mask. Wearing a surgical mask when
you're around other people during the first three weeks of
treatment may help lessen the risk of transmission.
Finish your entire course of medica-
tion
This is the most important step you
can take to protect yourself and
others from tuberculosis. When
you stop treatment early or
skip doses, TB bacteria
have a chance to develop
mutations that allow them
to survive the most potent
TB drugs. The resulting
drug-resistant strains are
much more deadly and dif-
ficult to treat.
Vaccinations
In countries where tuberculosis is more
common, infants are vaccinated with bacillus Calmette-
Guerin (BCG) vaccine because it can prevent severe tu-
berculosis in children. The BCG vaccine isn't
recommended for general use in the United States be-
cause it isn't very effective in adults and it causes a false-
positive result on a TB skin test. Researchers are working
on developing a more effective TB vaccine.
Source: Mayo Clinic
Tb PREVENTION
Vasavi Medical & Research Center is a 200 bed Mult Specialty Hospital, located
centrally in Lakdi ka pool, Khairtabad Hyderabad. The hospital strives to provide
quality medical care at aordable prices, serving all strata of the society. Special
focus is on service to people categorized as BPL, with care, compassion and love.
We have 4 operaton theaters, C.C.U, PICU. NICU, Step down ICU, Post Operatve
Wards with high technique equipments
VAsAVI MEDICAL AND REsEARCH CENtRE
(Vasavi Hospital)
#6-1-91, Lakdi-ka-pool, Khairtabad, Hyd.
RECOGNISED by AAROGyASRI, CGHS, bSNL,
STATE GOVT., ALL INSuRANCE TPAS
24hrs critcal care unit, PICU & NICU with ventlators
Round the clock Pediatricians, Pulmonologists and General Medicines
The hospital has experienced and renowned Doctors and sta in the following elds:
* Critcal Care Unit * General Surgery * Dental
* Nephrology * Obst.&Gynecology * Diagnostcs
* Pulmonology * Laparoscopy * Endocrinology
* Pediatric * Polytrauma * Neurology
* Peadiatric surgery * Orthopedic * Skin & VD
* Urology * Cardiology * Psychiatry
* Surg.Gastroentrology * Gastroenterology * Plastc Surgery
* General physician * PICU * NICU
The Insttute is geared to grow to greater heights in the near future, w ith the sole
moto of providing quality health care for all at aordable prices.
We have performed up to 5 thousand surgeries under Aarogyasri scheme with
99% success rate.
Sri. Ganji Rajmouli Gupta Sri.G.Chandraiah Sri.B.Dayanad Sri.K.Jayprakash Ram
Chairman Gen.Secretary Treasurer Convenor
IP-bLOCK
OP-bLOCK
Printed and Published by V.bHAVA NARAyANA for PHARMED TRADE NEWS, 3-3-62/A, New Gokhale Nagar, Ramantapur,
Hyderabad - 500013, Edited by Dr.Anirudhha Malpani MD and Printed at Sai Likhita Printers, Lakdikapool, Hyderabad.
Jammu: The country is facing a
shortage of 10 lakh MBBS doctors,
which is affecting healthcare delivery
system in rural areas, Union Health
and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam
Nabi Azad on Thursday said.
There are seven lakh doctors in the
country against a requirement of 17
lakh, leaving a deficit of 10 lakh doc-
tors. This is directly affecting the
healthcare delivery system in rural
areas, Azad said.
Speaking at a public meeting at Kil-
hotran in Gandoh tehsil of Doda dis-
trict, Azad said though the Centre
was providing adequate funds for
construction of hospitals, there was
shortage of MBBS doctors.
According to the minister, to provide
better healthcare in rural areas, the
syllabus of MBBS doctors is being
amended so as to ensure trainee
doctors serve in villages for one year
before getting the MBBS degree.
London: Doctors in Britain will have to appear in tests
every year to ensure they are fit to practise, a media re-
port said on Friday.
At present, doctors in the country can go for their entire
career without any formal assessment of their compe-
tency, the Daily Express reported.
But from December, they will be assessed to see if they
are fit to stay on the medical register, according to the
General Medical Council. The test would take the form of
an annual appraisal.
Doctors will be expected to demonstrate they meet clinical
standards and have kept up with the latest developments.
Appraisals will include feedback from patients and col-
leagues.
british doctors to face tests every year
The first point that I have on my agenda is
health insurance for all the poor people of
our country. We have 750 million Indians
spending Rs. 150/- per month just to speak
on the mobile phone. All we need is Rs. 10/-
out of this Rs. 150/- to ensure the best
health insurance program one can think of.
This can be implemented just by minor pol-
icy changes by the government and my sin-
cere belief is that our government will
definitely be willing to bring about required
regulatory changes to make this happen.
DR. DEVI PRAsAD
sHEtty
IndIA fAcIng ShorTAgE of 10
lAkh MBBS docTorS: AzAd