What gives

The lockdown is nearing three months now.Covid 19 has changed the way we do a lot of things.For one it has not killed as many people in the third world as it has in the west. Two main causes for death have been attributed to blood clots and severe hypoxia  leading to organ dysfunction.In the west ,blood clots are just rampant even otherwise. However,in India, I realise that thrombosis is not common.Therefore I wonder if that accounts for lesser number of deaths in India.,because the fact remains that the quality of care is much more organised and evidence based in the West as compared to our country. There is the reality that there is much more accountability as far as human lives are concerned in the West as compared to the South Asian countries. Allthough there have been studies done in the recent past to try and prove otherwise , we hardly get any patient with complaints suggestive of thrombosis in a normal outpatient department in India as compared to the west where it is...

It has been a surreal two and half months.I have never looked at life this close .The barrage of reports of the migrants ,just everywhere,the reality of India,the poor India has hit everyone on the face. The migrants on the road,walking,dying,tiny children marching through the length of our country is a nightmare for any sound thinking person let alone those who are responsible. Farmers committing suicide in some parts of India and just plain inaction ...I am at a loss of words. There is no section of society which has not been hit in one way or the other by this mamoth catastrophe.    My sibling who has stayed long enough    in Sikkim finds it amusing to see me taking a social history of everyone who walks in through our gate . Amidst all this conundrum our washing machine conked off so we had to call the mechanic to fix it.He was a youngish chap from somewhere near Patna who had been educated in a shakha .He seemed absolutely at peace and had a ready made...

1.I am learning to take care of the family.My mother is getting a respite because of a Bell’s palsy.ThankGod I was home or the family would have panicked .I am actually up bright and early to do the chores since we are not allowing anyone from outside to help in the kitchen.Welcome to adulthood .Now that was a revelation for me. 2.I    am the family barber and did a decent job with an electric rajor on my dad and my brother’s hair.Both of them look like professional footballers now.Not that they left me to it I functioned under a barrage of instruction.I also ended up nicking a tiny bit of my father’s nasal mucosa with the scissor. 3.I    have been noticing that I seem to have a passive left leg.I discovered this while exercising on a cycle.I reached my target for the day easily but was surprised by my left leg which preferred to let my right leg do most of the work. 4.One of the sad thing I realised was that I had left my musical instruments in the...

Almost fifteen years ago at the onset of my stint as a postgraduate doctor in medicine,I had the privellage to work in a tuberculosis project in one of the hospitals in Jharkhand.Whilst at it we had an effective programme which received a lot of support from the government and the other governing bodies in tuberculosis. Whilst running this programme we noticed that inspite of an extremely well oiled programme there seem to be some kind of leak.The cases kept coming although the block we were looking after was well covered.So we did what a well meaning medical personal would do under the circumstances.We did a study. What we concluded from the study was that the reinfection and reactivation happened amongst the migrants.It also opened a whole lot of Pandora’s box.The living conditions were horrid.There was overcrowding,waywardness in lifestyle,no medical facilities.One of them told us that 36 people lived in a single tin shed. Apparently healthy people go to the towns and cities...

The lockdown is nearing two months. It has been a restful near two months by    God’s grace. Every day I learn new things about the way of life in Mangan and it can only be about my returning and rest. Having restful parents tops the list.One day a few years ago I asked my mother if I could just stay home and do nothing and my mother said ‘yes’. This two months at home has been an internship with nature. There are so many things I have been learning but I remember a few things off hand and those I better write down so that I can go back to it from time to time.. 1.Farming requires a deep understanding of nature.It requires discipline,consistency,integrity and it moves to its own rythemn.You join it respectfully and move with it.If one lacks integrity and is unable to keep up with it,it shows. 2.Nature is a good teacher.It is forever flinging surprises at you like a flower which suddenly blooms and brings much joy to the heart. 3.Mornings are beautiful in a ...