Santhosh's ramblings

Observing the health care systems going through changes in the current pandemic is déjà vu if you know the history of health care. There was a day, when we had leprosy hospitals, TB hospitals and in the recent past HIV hospitals because we were afraid that these patients will infect others or there was stigma associated! Soon the mainstreaming concept came in and slowly TB, HIV and to some extend Leprosy got mainstreamed, of course with infection control practices, isolation wards for MDR TB etc. being part of regular health care system. This season is one for creating COVID-19 wards, hospitals, and care centers. I am sure once COVID-19 becomes an endemic, we will get back into mainstreaming of COVID19 care and setting up systems for infection control, respiratory illness isolation systems etc. Similarly, there is the déjà vu of health care systems. With increasing complexity of care, in COVID19, nurses are coming to the forefront and wards and systems are being managed by nurses.

There are few realties that we need to hold on as we go through this season. One – the Present painful reality of this season - reality of pain and suffering in our midst. The pain of bereavement, and loss many families are going through. The post covid infection challenges, the ongoing disease related and larger impacts of the pandemic on lives of many.  Especially the families from lower socio economic strata, whose stories that hardly reach the media. Numbers should not numb us https://santhoshsramblings.blogspot.com/2021/05/let-not-numbers-numb.html , but should move us with compassion. I am reminded of 2 quotes from Henry Nouwen “ Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not, 'How can we hide our wounds?' so we don't have to be embarrassed, but 'How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?' When our wounds cease to be a source of shame, and become

The spat between the international media and powers that be in our nation is quite disturbing. Yes, it is about who is right who is wrong, but in their spats, it appears as if these “numbers” about which they are fighting about had no life in them! They are just statistics. I am talking about two reports on  numbers of death in our nation. See links to the reports here. Just How Big Could India’s True Covid-19 Case and Death Toll Be? - The New York Times (nytimes.com) And the rebuttal from the authorities  today. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/no-basis-at-all-centre-trashes-new-york-times-report-on-covid-deaths-2450596?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll Statements like these ” …. asserted that a strong mortality tracking system was in place and "a so-called prestigious newspaper" should not have published such a piece. ”, "There may be some late reporting of deaths but there's no intent of any state or the Centre . ” are made to convey reality from the data that is

  This season, I see myself having the mind of the three Simons! And a desire to have the mind of the 4 th Simon…. Simon the Leper One who had experienced Jesus’ healing touch but that does not seem to have changed his perspectives of looking at others. Experienced Christ, but looking at issues from logic, legalistic judgmental and rational perspective, economy and cost effectiveness, looking at issues from intellectual spirituality, armchair planning for caring for poor etc. Not able to see from a heart and spirit perspective, the heart and spirit of Mary. Mary who was moved in her heart, and spirt by a sense of gratitude, overwhelming gratefulness to Jesus for what He had done…. You can experience Christ and what Christ does for you, but you cannot take the Pharisee out of you…. The logical, legalistic and judgmental mind…. I have the mind of Simon – when I see others and their responses, when I see the contexts around me – I see it through my intellect, logic and legalist

Nostalgia is good, but one need to realize that the world around is no more like of the past. Traveling and visiting my parent’s friends, KV Mathew and M J Joseph Achan and Kochamma, brought back nostalgic memories from my father and mother. For those who may not know us, my parents were Thomas Mathew Achan and Kochamma, passed away in 2016, and 2014, respectively, after many years of serving the church and other ministries.  I was taken back in my memories to November 2016, when I came back 3 months after my father’s funeral, to wind up some issues at home and meet all my parent’s friends. That trip back home was special. This was a time to listen to my parent’s friends. I have written about this in another blog, and I quote from that – “ But as I continued to listen, especially to friends and relatives about my parents lives and their contributions, what I was left with was, not cash, concrete mansion, their contributions or career. Yes, there is some cash left. The concrete house is

  A friend who just turned 61, has put this up in his web page, as a reminder to self and others. “Autumn has come; my dream is for it to ripple. It will be a gentle moving away from the intense productivity of summer - one of accolades, awards and ascend...Towards Generative, Spacious. Descent, Falling upwards, a rippling effect. I see an Autumn which ripples to a broader, wider, more gentle, more spacious, quieter, and softer season, for people and communities which I am a part of. A season of receiving, non-achieving and descending - a burst of brilliant and vibrant colours. As autumn leaves fall to the ground, it brings nourishment to the younger saplings. Yet the tree is alive and well because of its deep, deep roots…” https://www.weileong.xyz  A beautiful reminder of what to expect from his life in the next couple of decades. Some of the words and phrases are very poignant. Let me dwell on some of the phrases… Autumn Seasons of life. Recognizing seasons of life, is the begi

As we look around, and listen to the global, national, and systemic and structural discussions, there are a few words that seems to describe the “spirit of this age” in which we are living. Uniformity - the quality or state of being the same : the quality or state of being uniform or identical, Conformity - behaviour in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards, Singularity   - the state, fact, quality, or condition of being singular, though this word is also uses for a hypothetical moment in time when artificial intelligence and other technologies have become so advanced that humanity undergoes a dramatic and irreversible change: These three emerges out of the desire to have a Predictability – which is the degree to which a correct prediction or forecast of a system's state can be made either qualitatively or quantitatively. Ultimately these emerge from a need to be in Control - the power to influence or direct people's behaviour or the course of eve