Santhosh's ramblings

Recently I was admitted to a medical college for a couple of days, with a medical emergency, that too amid the COVID19 scare. After 25 days I am still on a learning curve – the lessons I am learning through the ongoing reflections of my time at the other end of the system. I am quite confident and comfortable to be the care provider, the grey-haired senior person in the team supporting and encouraging the team and sorting out challenging issues. And to leave the normal routines to the rest of the team. But to be one of the many patients in the emergency department (ER) of a tertiary care system and subsequently go through the rest of the hospital stay was a new, challenging but rewarding learning experience. As I was wheeled into the emergency department in severe pain and with absolute dysphagia at about 8.30 pm,   (let me not keep you in suspense – I have a uncommon, not so serious disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis, (EoE) that could lead to food impaction and dysphagia,...

Facing pandemics – four more leadership principles In my previous blog on leadership in pandemics, I introduced six guiding principles: Do not give in to panic; Innovate if we don’t have resources; Be compassionate and protect the most vulnerable; Have faith in God and reflect and learn what he is teaching us; and Review and change things as new evidence emerges  As I investigate my own life and the context around, I observe a ‘continuing panic’. Why? Because of the myriad information coming from the nations that are severely affected. This information is creating a deep sense of anxiety, fear and panic not only among the public but also among health care professionals. This also emerges from a feeling of uncertainty. We in those countries yet to have a huge burden of coronavirus cases but locked down to prevent and mitigate, are overwhelmed by the predations and future potential of how bad the spread could be. The uncertainty is creating sleepless nights, and inability to t...

Christian Medical Comment: ‘Green zones’ for the vulnerable may be a cheap an... : US and Western Europe have so far been the hardest hit by the coronavirus with over 80% of cases worldwide - but there’s good reason to ...

It has been almost a week since the lock down and the steps taken for containment of the COVID19 was set in motion. I found it challenging, initially, to some extend even now! I was to have left the location where I was, to be with family, and was expected to meet up with the extended family and friends. I had 2 tickets booked, one on train and another on flight, making it sure that if one gets cancelled, I have an alternative option. But I never thought that all my doors will be closed, and I would not be able to move out. But that has happened. I am now slowly learning to be content in containment because I understand the bigger picture. I need to respect and support the nation and the steps the nation takes, till the storm passes over. I have nothing much to complain about – since I live in a protected environment though in one of the most impoverished parts of our nation, with my basic needs well taken care of. A good house to stay, food more then enough to eat, social co...

Much has been written and shared about COVID19 and ongoing responses. But mostly from places where the epidemic is quite advanced and more so, from resource rich contexts, struggling to contain and mitigate even with all their resources. The resources they have is not enough for the numbers they are facing. The resource limited nations thus far have much lesser numbers than the richer and developed nations. But for health care professionals in such contexts, this is not a time for complicity, but a time to refocus and reorganize for when we would face similar or many more numbers of patients with much lesser resources to respond with. This article considers some questions that health care professionals in resource limited settings and developing nations need to consider as we look ahead, with a lack of clarity, to what the future holds for COVID19 pandemic. Most of our nations are in lockdown. Experiences from countries that acted early and tried to contain the epidemic, show ...

The COVID19 epidemic has thrown nations into complete chaos.   Fear and panic have gripped   the world. Many nations are struggling with the impact of large numbers of people falling ill and increasing numbers of new infections. Many nations are preparing for an eventuality of such a context, but struggling, not knowing what they should be doing since the current generation of leaders in the world has not faced such a pandemic before. Health care Institutions and organizations are struggling with     questions of their own responses, and their staff safety. Institutions in the developing world, challenged with their resource constraints but with a desire to make a difference in such a context, are considering what they should do at this unprecedented time in the history of the world. How should leaders respond at such a time as this? If we listen to the media reports, we hear stories of leaders denying the problem, other leaders giving into panic, yet other...

A few questions that I am struggling with…. Yet another normal day in the hospital. All around the COVID19 fears, and home quarantines, closure of offices, social distancing and loud and clear media messages of prevention and mitigation.  As I walked around seeing a few those who have come to hospital, I realized for most who came to Outpatient Department it was yet another normal day. A few quick questions to some of them revealed that, they are there because they need their regular medicines. There is no “Amazon” that delivers their medicines at home! They need to check their sugars, their BP, their prescriptions must be filled.   (I put up the picture of the OPD somewhere and there was a suggestion that only essential services should be open!)   For this community, what is essential is their daily medicines, and they need a service which will provide that – could we close it down, because the urban well off can afford to get in online? And deprive regular tre...