Santhosh's ramblings

We are a confused lot. We mean – Health care professionals. Well not all, but very many of us. There was a time when “call” was pre-eminent or rather the reason for any health care involvement….I mean Call of The King. The Call of the King has been replaced by call of My Desires. My desire for a good “career” supersedes all other calls. Career is a good call but it has replaced the better one – The call for a greater purpose. Some where we have forgotten – that seek first the Kingdom……added unto to you….. Verse. Those who keep the King’s Call as pre-eminent also are confused. For some, King’s call is for Soul and my call is for Body. Since Body is material and Soul is spiritual, the higher spiritual call supersedes the lower physical call and so Medical work becomes secondary to Spiritual work. One forgets that the Body Spirit and Soul are part of the same individual! There was an era when “compassion” was the inner motivation for caring, the constraint of Love…This constr

1.       This representation seeks to bring to the notice an issue of grave national importance and is an urgent demand for justice. This relates to the state of blood transfusion services in the country, and the need to conduct a review of the existing legislation and rules pertaining to the collection, storage, urgent supply and transfusion of blood and blood-products because of the difficulties encountered by both patients and medical service providers, particularly in rural areas.   2.       Blood is an essential component of the body, which provides sustenance to life. ‘ Blood to the needy patients’ is a subject of human life and death. Blood for transfusion can either be made available through services of Blood banks or can be taken from a donor and after doing all the tests, directly given to the patient without “banking” or storing. This is termed as Unbanked Directed Blood Transfusion                    (“ UDBT ”).   3.       The services of blood banks was started a

So – are there alternative solutions other than breaking the law or allowing people to explore accessing care elsewhere? Yes, a few… One – set up blood banks – 15 to 20 Lacs for building and equipment, trained manpower and a series of inspections and licenses, which need to be renewed every few years. Realistic – yes in potentially 15% of the current contexts where Blood is required… Two – Accredit yourself as Storage Centers of an existing Bank. Within a limited distance only, need to have Bank which can allow these storage centers. Need to keep “X” number of Blood always and return and replace….Realistic – tried but failed….. Three – collect blood from nearby banks in emergency – but if the nearest is 30 to 100 kms away…..will the patient remain alive till then….When the received blood has a PCV of less than 10 or Hb of 3 or 4, or when one finds that the received blood is HIV positive and or if the patient has to shell out anywhere between 2000 to 5000/- for one bottle of

  1       It is wrong…. It is legally wrong to possess blood bags, or at least found possessing the same. It is wrong to “create blood” by bleeding a donor, even if it is the wife or husband who wants to save his or her spouses life, is the donor. Not just wrong, but wrong enough to put few unsuspecting lab technicians to jail who just obeyed orders of Doctors who had no other option, than to bleed, when faced with a moral dilemma. It is wrong  to bleed and transfuse blood even if you see life ebbing away in front of you, though you as a trained Medical Practioner  knows what can be done. 2       it is not wrong…                        It is morally not wrong to save lives. It is not wrong to do all what you can, to prevent people who could have otherwise succumbed to the illness by  life giving treatment modalities. It is not wrong for a loving husband or wife to donate his or her blood to his or her spouse. 3       but when wrong is right and right is wrong…. But when

Anaesthetists - Be Aware.  I underwent an IOL implantation yesterday. I am not sure why the Anaesthetist decided on a concoction of Midazolam, Propofol and ? ketamine (I think I got all three - first two sure, third - presumption) to the well tested blocks! May be special treatment for a doctor colleague. But the experience was exhilarating. First phase - floating around in the midst of psychedelic colours, feeling on the top of the world, being transported to some kind of 'heaven' (not the real second or third as Paul would put it)....Second phase - down to earth after a loooong period of time (probably few minutes) doctors asking me to move up on the bed, feeling the pain in eye, and aware of what is happening around - the dissociative anaesthesia time, but all the time a longing to go back into phase one....Third phase, back in room, wondering why I am feeling low, yearning for phase 1! Like C S Lewis, who was surprised by Joy and was longing for it.... Anaesthetists

The three questions which one is challenged with are – questions of “Status” “Significance” and “Security”. Early and mid fifties (my age) is a good time in life especially if you are married and have elderly parents and teenage and early adulthood kids with you, to reflect on this……a sandwiched reflection…. Status     The young are asking – What can and should I become… My generation is reflecting…. Oh – what am I becoming…and carefully reflecting – what should I not become at all…! The aged parents are resting   – In the legacy of status are they are leaving…..and if we listen clearly – what we hear is – what they would like to leave behind is a “legacy of life well lived with long lasting relationships” – Status which emerges out of relationships - relationships which will be remembered long after they are gone…. Status out of relationships to God and each other – something which live beyond our life time….! Significance The young are asking - what can I contribute…