Health

File pic. Pic: Yograj S Mudalgi Let’s take a break from the “informed consent” conversation. Recently, a major hospital in Bengaluru was vandalised by a patient’s family. Equipment was broken, personnel were threatened and the care of other patients was disrupted. The incident generated an anxious response from the medical community. Several well-known healthcare professionals from Bengaluru expressed their concerns. As doctors, we work for the well-being of our patients. For most of us, a life saved, a morbidity avoided or a patient’s satisfaction at the end of the day is more rewarding than any amount of money. In fact,…

We will start this series by exploring the consent process in medical treatment processes—a process that is relatively new to the doctor-patient relationship in India. In the United States, the informed consent is nothing less than an extreme medico-legal document–not an ideal situation either. Well, what is the essence of an informed consent? Informed consent is a patient's acceptance of the procedure and/or the treatment to be performed by a given doctor or a team of healthcare professionals, after being fully informed about the pros and cons of the treatment by the doctors. There is no longer room for the…

We will start this series by exploring the consent process in medical treatment processes—a process that is relatively new to the doctor-patient relationship in India. In the United States, the informed consent is nothing less than an extreme medico-legal document–not an ideal situation either. Well, what is the essence of an informed consent? Informed consent is a patient's acceptance of the procedure and/or the treatment to be performed by a given doctor or a team of healthcare professionals, after being fully informed about the pros and cons of the treatment by the doctors. There is no longer room for the…

When trash seems to be strewn everywhere in our public spaces, it was heartening to see this sight at the Bannerghatta Zoo. Long may such initiatives last! Zoo, 18th January, 2015.

When trash seems to be strewn everywhere in our public spaces, it was heartening to see this sight at the Bannerghatta Zoo. Long may such initiatives last! Zoo, 18th January, 2015.

The recent tragic story of a three-year-old’s death after receiving dental care under local anesthesia in Bengaluru is heart-breaking. I am a surgeon who treats patients and performs procedures everyday. I am also a father of a three-year-old and an eight-month-old. The aftermath of the incident would have been unpleasant for the doctor and the family. I am sure this incident sent shivers down every patient that walked into a healthcare facility. I have received and delivered health care in India and in the United States. Where is it safer? What does quality mean? What does informed consent mean? How…

The recent tragic story of a three-year-old’s death after receiving dental care under local anesthesia in Bengaluru is heart-breaking. I am a surgeon who treats patients and performs procedures everyday. I am also a father of a three-year-old and an eight-month-old. The aftermath of the incident would have been unpleasant for the doctor and the family. I am sure this incident sent shivers down every patient that walked into a healthcare facility. I have received and delivered health care in India and in the United States. Where is it safer? What does quality mean? What does informed consent mean? How…

Our good friend Avinash is a relieved man these days. His elderly father is just back home from hospital, after a debilitating bout of dengue fever. Avinash's dad is lucky to be recovering, because in AECS Layout near Whitefield where he lives, there are increasing cases of dengue fever. “My parents' neighbour, a woman, died of the fever. Now her 18-year-old son is battling dengue,” says a worried Avinash. And I know of other people affected by the virus. In my son's school, his class teacher's five-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, are slowly recovering (as I write this),…

Our good friend Avinash is a relieved man these days. His elderly father is just back home from hospital, after a debilitating bout of dengue fever. Avinash's dad is lucky to be recovering, because in AECS Layout near Whitefield where he lives, there are increasing cases of dengue fever. “My parents' neighbour, a woman, died of the fever. Now her 18-year-old son is battling dengue,” says a worried Avinash. And I know of other people affected by the virus. In my son's school, his class teacher's five-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, are slowly recovering (as I write this),…

Another ‘Cycle Day’ was successfully conducted by Yelahanka United Environment Association (YUVA) in partnership with Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), Urban Development Department, Government of Karnataka and BCOS - in Yelahanka New Town next to Allalasandra Lake this 14th September 2014, Sunday morning (6:30 to 10:30 a.m.).   The last Cycle Day was held a couple of months ago and can be read about here. Cycle Days are being organized with the objective of popularizing cycling within the locality thereby helping in reducing motorized traffic, reduce pollution, reduce fuel consumption and improve health and fitness.   Around 4500 citizens including Honorable Speaker of…