Category: corona virus

Dead Body swap # Covid; unprecedented stress- Bizarre mistakes


Two incidents of dead body swaps have happened in last few months. Strangely two mistakes out of   correct millions  are enough to label hospitals, doctors  or health systems  as  callous. Covid times are  toughest times for health care staff and hospitals as well.

   Definitely it is sad and  painful  incident. Without doubt, swapping bodies and causing distress to relatives is really shocking.  There will be a  demand for exemplary  punishment to  health  care workers involved. There is a little doubt that they will meet the stringent punishment, as this is regarded as unpardonable, given the involvement of health care staff.

  But is that the right way? Will chopping the hands, that were trying to rescue, is of help?

          No one will like to see, how health workers have been  stressed. Under the unprecedented circumstances, how fewer number of frontline workers have been battling the pandemic.

      Armchair preachers cannot imagine the stress and the hard work, these   warriors are burdened with. There can be multiple ways to look at these unforeseen mistakes.

  1. Punish the health workers, make an example by taking away their jobs. So everyone  will learn.
  2. Check the faults in the system, make the whole system fool-proof by learning from the mistakes, so it becomes more robust with times to come.
  3. Counselling   of the personnel involved along with improving the system.
  4. Understand the stress and circumstances of front line workers and improving their working conditions, so as to reduce their  burden.
  5. Check the past record, if someone has done thousands right things, do not hang him for a single error, especially intoday’s unprecedented circumstances.  

Most desirable  at such crucial times will be encouragement and psychological support to front line workers.

Bodies swapped at private hospital in Delhi,

NEW DELHI: A private hospital in southwest Delhi’s Dwarka committed a grave error by handing over the body of a Christian woman to the family of a Covid-positive Hindu woman. The 69-year-old woman, Garikapati Parisuddam, was not infected with the novel coronavirus and had passed away on Monday morning.

AIIMS sacks one, suspends another for swapping of dead bodies

An ambulance with four corpses – including that of Anjum B – left from the hospital on Tuesday afternoon. Three of the persons who had died were Hindu and were taken to a crematorium before the van left for the ITO burial ground.

  Just  delivering professional death sentence for  single, system errors  or unforeseen mistakes will have  future implications.  It is like chopping the hands,  that were trying to help.

           As Corona has unmasked the real risk to health workers and society has dealt with heath workers shabbily. Next younger generation of aspiring doctors, who is a witness to the cruelty shown towards health staff, may be forced to think about their decisions to become health workers. Possibly the administrators need to ponder now, who will treat people  in next pandemic.

  Advantages-Disadvantage of being a doctor

   25 factors- why health care is expensive

   REEL Heroes Vs Real Heroes

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Doctor’s death: saved uncountable lives- still not counted


In an era, where Reel Heroes are worshipped and Real Heroes are not    counted even after sacrificing their lives, is an unfortunate  and disheartening for  the whole community of doctors and nurses. It is surprising that  doctors, who saved uncountable lives, did not move the administrators enough  to get them counted.  Such  incidents  are not only  painful to the medical fraternity but also expose the hypocritical  attitude of the administrators as well as  the insensitive approach of society towards health care workers, although everyone expects doctors and nurses to be sensitive towards everyone else. Such indifferent   attitude demoralizes and causes deep discouragement to the front line doctor and nurses, but sadly remains a routine business for administrators. The pain of being  treated like a dispensable disposable remains as  a deep hurt within.

         But at the same time, mere tokenism as an expression of concern is also not desirable. What is really required is a sincere effort to reduce the mortality of health care workers, to provide them better working conditions. An honest effort to find the cause of mortality among doctors and reducing it, help to the families of the health care workers is required. Due acknowledgement and true  respect to their sacrifice  is expected from civilized society.

“382 Doctors Died Of Covid”: Medical Body Says Centre “Abandoning” Heroes

Indian Medical Association has shown its displeasure over  the Government  statement on coronavirus in parliament, which had no word on the doctors who died in the line of duty, and the  statement that the Centre had no data as health is a state subject.  Accusing the government of “indifference”, “abdication” and “abandonment of heroes”, the country’s top body of medical practitioners said in such a circumstance, the government “loses the moral authority to administer the Epidemic Act 1897 and the Disaster Management Act”.

So far, 382 doctors have died of coronavirus, the IMA said. In the list it released, the youngest doctor to lose his life was 27 years old and the oldest was 85.

But while acknowledging the contribution of healthcare workers during the pandemic, the health minister made no mention of the medical professionals lost to the disease, the IMA said.  

“To feign that this information doesn’t merit the attention of the nation is abominable,” the IMA statement read. “It appears that they are dispensable. No nation has lost as many doctors and health care workers like India,” the statement added.

The IMA pointed to Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey’s statement that the Union government does not have any compensation data as public health and hospitals comes under the states.

“This amounts to abdication of duty and abandonment of the national heroes who have stood up for our people. IMA finds it strange that after having formulated an unfriendly partial insurance scheme for the bereaved families to struggle with the ignominy of the Government disowning them altogether stares at them,” the statement read.

Such a circumstance also exposes the “hypocrisy of calling them corona warriors on one hand and denying them and their families the status and benefits of martyrdom,” the IMA said.

Doctors and nurses dispensable disposables

Reel Heroes vs Real Heroes

25 factors, why medical treatments are expensive

Pros-cons of being a doctor

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Plasma therapy- life saving for Covid?


  Few months ago, there was a hope and  presumed scientific reason to believe that plasma therapy will be a wonderful option in Covid pandemic. But the said belief needed to be strengthened by robust trials. As trials continue, the belief that plasma therapy will save lives, have not been proved  clear. Now again there is a doubt in the mind of doctors, whether it will save lives or it may not. What ever future may hold, it is clear that it needs more trials, more evidence. Covid virus has again proved to be more smart.

Delhi: Plasma therapy’s life-saving abilities in question, doctors caution on its use (Times of India)

NEW DELHI: A day after TOI reported about an ICMR study that showed administering convalescent plasma to Covid-19 patients did not reduce death risk, top doctors of AIIMS, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) and Lok Nayak Hospital stressed the need to rethink who should get the therapy. In the trial by Indian Council of Medical Research, which involved 464 hospitalised, moderately-ill Covid-19 patients, researchers observed that some participants had higher antibody positivity than their plasma donors. “The difference in age and severity of illness, with donors being younger and having milder disease, could have driven this difference. While all Covid-19 survivors were encouraged to donate plasma, an overwhelming majority of the donors were only mildly sick, young survivors. Recovered patients who had moderate or severe disease were generally reluctant to return to hospitals for plasma donation,” the ICMR study noted.  Earlier the institutes  did not check the level of neutralising antibodies in the donor, which led to poorer outcomes. “The ICMR study re-affirms our assessment based on a trial conducted on 29 patients who received plasma therapy at ILBS. It showed no mortality benefit. However, there was significant benefit in terms of clearing of viral load in those who received the therapy in addition to standard care compared to who received only standard care,” he said. The ILBS director added that only patients with mild-to-moderate illness should be given convalescent plasma. “The therapy has to be given within 24 to 48 hours of diagnosis. Also, detailed assessment of presence of sufficient levels of neutralising antibodies in the donor should be mandatory,” Dr Sarin said. At least 100 Covid-19 patients at the state-run Lok Nayak Hospital have been given plasma therapy till date. Dr Suresh Kumar, its medical director, said larger studies might be needed to assess its benefits. “Remdesivir did not show significant benefit in Covid-19 treatment in some studies. Still, the drug is being used in select patients because it has certain benefits and there is no other known cure. Similarly, plasma therapy may not help reduce death risk but our experience shows it does help in faster recovery in a small subset of patients,” he said. ILBS and Lok Nayak Hospital are conducting a study involving 400 Covid patients to assess the benefits of plasma therapy. Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital is also taking part in the study. The ICMR study was conducted at 39 tertiary care hospitals — 29 teaching and 10 private — across the country. According to the study, released on MedRXIV, a preprint service for medicine and health sciences, mortality was documented in 13.6% patients who received plasma therapy in addition to standard care and 31 (14.6%) patients who received only standard care. The trial results also indicated that there was no difference in progression to severe disease among moderately ill patients treated with convalescent plasma along with the best standard of care.

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Covid pandemic to infected plastic pandemic


Now, while we are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, plastics use is increasing again. But, while the pandemic is just temporary, plastic pollution will be long lasting.  

For our current battle to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we see a dramatically increasing demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) which comprises various plastic and rubber items. Moreover, there are many other fresh, clean plastic items widely used in medical applications for creating a sterile environment, such as pill casings, disposal syringes, catheter, and blood bags. These items are also made of synthetic polymers such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and PP, which are not biodegradable. Therefore, it would be not surprising to see that the COVID-19 pandemic is generating tons of medical waste.

dumping Covid-19 infected waste in public places

               The Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, define biomedical waste as“any waste that is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunisation of human beings or animals or research activities pertaining thereto or in the production or testing of biological or in health camps.” Therefore, broadly, any waste generated from treating patients comes under the ambit of biomedical waste.

As per available data, India produced approximately 600 tonnes of biomedical waste per day before the coronavirus first hit.

However, ever since Covid-19 showed up on our shores, the amount of biomedical waste produced in India has increased exponentially. This is mainly due to two factors:

  • Medical facilities themselves are producing far more biomedical waste as they battle the virus. As of August 30th, more than 4.14 crore tests to check for the virus had been conducted in India. Further, with over 36 lakh persons having tested positive for the virus, medical facilities have also been producing a lot more medical waste as they treat these patients. Therefore, all of the cotton swabs, samples, injections among other medical inputs necessary to test and treat these patients become highly contagious bio-medical waste that needs to be treated and disposed of with utmost caution.
  • Due to the infectious nature of the coronavirus itself and the strategy of home quarantining of asymptomatic COVID-19 Positive patients, adopted by the country, a major part of affected household waste has now become biomedical waste. The amount of waste that is hazardous is large due to the fact that India has some of the worst waste segregation numbers in the world. This forces infrastructure that is already burdened beyond capacity to handle mixed waste that it is not equipped to handle.

Treatment facilities and growth in biomedical waste

A factor that infinitely complicates India’s fight against Covid-19 is that as per available data, India, a country of more than 1.3 billion people, has only 198 Biomedical Waste Treatment Centres (BMWTCs) and 225 medical centres in the country with captive waste treatment facilities. Simple maths tells us that India’s infrastructure to process biomedical waste was already inadequate during pre-Covid times. However, post-Covid, India is truly staring at a disaster of alarming proportions if it does not rapidly increase its biomedical waste treatment capacity.

There have already been multiple instances of Covid-19 infected waste being dumped in public places including in Delhi and Vijayawada. In addition to this, due to the rapid and sustained increase in biomedical waste due to Covid-19, most BMWTCs are running out of capacity to handle the waste. For instance, the two BMWTCs in Delhi have a combined capacity of handling 74 tonnes of biomedical waste in a day.

However, a report submitted by the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority to the Supreme Court of India showed that Delhi’s biomedical output had risen from 25 tonnes per day in May to 349 tonnes per day in July. Similarly, Covid-19 related waste in Mumbai rose from 12,200 kg per day in June to 24,889 kg per day in August, essentially doubling in three months. A similar situation has arisen in West Bengal as disposal facilities there too have reached maximum capacity.

Proper waste segregation and disposal is need of the hour. Disease burden may keep on rising, if proper steps are not followed.

     Advantages-Disadvantage of being a doctor

     25 factors- why health care is expensive

     REEL Heroes Vs Real Heroes

     21 occupational risks to doctors and nurses

     Covid paradox: salary cut for doctors other paid at home

   Medical-Consumer protection Act- Pros and Cons

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Covid paradox: salary cut for doctors, others paid at home


What a paradox!!  Firstly the doctors were employed on contract basis at meagre salary, only for Covid. At a time when other employees of government getting salaries while sitting at home while doing nothing, these contractual doctors were  drowned in pool of Covid patients, risking their lives.

        Cruel heights of insensitivity and  as an epitome of poor governance,  salaries of these 900 doctors were subjected to  massive deductions. They had no choice, but to resign.

       Ironically, on one hand every one appears to rue about  non-availability of doctors, but on other hand they are given a shabby treatment. For example everyone wants to employ doctors on contractual basis and hence paying them poorly and clearly with an intention to “ use and throw policy”.

Salary cut, 900 Kerala Covid doctors resign
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Nearly 870 doctors appointed to Covid first-line treatment centres (FLTCs) across Kerala have tendered their resignation over deductions in their salary. They were among the 1,080 MBBS graduates who passed out of government medical colleges this year and appointed on Covid duty on a temporary basis. While they were promised Rs 42,000 a month, what each finally gets is Rs 27,000. “From the amount, Rs 8,400 was deducted in the name of the government’s salary challenge, apart from TDS and professional tax. Now, we are getting only Rs 27,000,” said , state president of Kerala junior doctors association 2020-21. The association has fired letters to the chief minister and health minister seeking their urgent intervention.

being a doctor,a disadvantage

pros cons of medical profession

164

Covid-Death of Doctor, nurses: No uniform support mechanism for families


87k health staff infected with Covid, 573 dead

Society, administrators and  Governments prefer to ignore  the fact that doctor’s  and nurse  life is at as much risk as a soldier while treating   infectious diseases. Corona has merely unmasked the risk but the danger has always existed  with other disease like  HIV, hepatitis B, open tuberculosis, Ebola and  half a dozen more communicable diseases.

Doctors and nurses have continued to work along with such risks  but the apathy shown by everyone towards health care workers, have left them  demotivated and discouraged.  

Corona deaths among health care workers are causing tremendous  anxiety.  Conditions under which they are forced to work  are giving   them a feeling  of being  victimised.  All of their years  of accumulated   medical knowledge does not make them  either invincible or  confident  about the future, as there is no uniform mechanism to support their families. The courts have also  failed to give  assurance of any kind.

Once health care workers, doctors and nurses, become a patient  themselves, they realise that their resources are scanty and they are  neither rich nor VIPs, and their families are not assured of a decent compensation.  In such circumstances they realise that they have been made scape goats due to their call of duty and society has no gratitude. A feeling of deep hurt creeps in. A feeling hurt of being  no more than sacrificial lambs in the end.

They feel let down and  abandoned by the world for no fault of their own.

WHY SUCH APATHY? There needs to be a uniform law to support families of  health workers. Moreover, health workers are crucial  for the society, irrespective of their place of work. They may be in Government sector private or in isolated practices.  The  absence of uniform support mechanisms is becoming evident and is enough to dissuade the aspiring doctors to take up challenging roles.

 Compensation given to family members of doctors after their death because of communicable diseases are trivial and  non-uniform. It is little in monitory terms as well as in terms of respect. Death of doctors and nurses has been passed off as something routine and trivial matter. Just for example, it is less than course fee of private medical colleges  or usual  compensations sought by patients in malpractice suits.

      Future medical students should note the trend and count this factor, when they choose to be a doctor.

87k health staff infected with Covid, 573 dead

NEW DELHI: More than 87,000 healthcare workers have been infected with Covid-19, with just six states — Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, West Bengal and Gujarat — accounting for three-fourths (around 74%) of the case burden and over 86% of the 573 deaths due to the infection, official data showed. Maharashtra alone, with the highest number of over 7.3 lakh confirmed Covid-19 cases so far, accounts for around 28% of the infected healthcare workers and more than 50% of the total deaths, according to the data. While Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had tested more than 1 lakh healthcare workers each till August 28, Karnataka reported only 12,260 infected healthcare workers — almost half the burden in Maharashtra. Tamil Nadu reported 11,169 cases that included doctors, nurses and Asha workers. The three states together accounted for 55% of the total cases among health workers. A large number of Covid-19 infections and even deaths of healthcare workers in particular states is being viewed with concern by officials and public health experts, who say risks to frontline workers can jeopardise India’s fight against the pandemic.

21 occupational risk to doctor and nurses

Are doctors, nurses dispensable disposables

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Are Doctor & Nurses Dispensable Disposables?


 

It is surprising that  doctors and nurses, who can save many lives, have to put their own lives at risk for the want of proper PPE’s. The cost of PPE’s is not more than few hundred rupees.  Even such a cheap facility is not available to the saviors for their own protection. Such episodes are not only  painful to the medical fraternity but also expose the hypocritical  attitude of the administrators as well as  the insensitive approach of society towards health care workers, although everyone expects doctors and nurses to be sensitive towards every one. Such incidents demoralizes and causes deep discouragement to the front line doctor and nurses, but sadly remains a routine business for administrators. The pain of being  treated like a dispensable disposables remains as  a deep hurt within.

10 govt docs, 70 private nurses have quit in Telangana over safety, hospital infra.   (Times of India)

 

At least 10 senior resident doctors deputed on Covid-19 duty at government hospitals and 70 nurses in private facilities have quit their jobs, with most citing poor protective gear to combat the virus as a reason.

While the senior residents said they were dejected with the poor state-of affairs at hospitals and the looming threat of contracting the infection, some individual doctors and nurses took a break from the profession, until the pandemic, gets over. These doctors are from the Osmania Medical College (OMC) and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) hospital Warangal among other government hospitals. So far, 300 doctors and other medical personnel in the government sector alone have contracted the virus, with worries of sub-standard protective gear and long working hours, forcing doctors to even go on strike. Some senior resident doctors deputed from the OMC to the Chest Hospital never reported for duty, while others served for one or two months before putting in their papers. “The problem is not just that there was a threat of infection and we didn’t get proper personal protection equipment (PPE) kits, it seemed like a waste of effort. Even if a patient was dying in front of me, I could do nothing at all,” said one of the senior resident doctor who had resigned from the OMC .

“We didn’t have staff, we didn’t have the infrastructure, we didn’t have proper PPE kits or any other provision required. It seemed like a futile effort,” he said. Despite the guilt of having resigned in the middle of an ongoing pandemic, the doctors said that their presence or absence hardly made any difference to the situation. Authorities ignored repeated complaints It was like there is everything wrong, but no one was there to take responsibility. I felt bad about resigning but after over a month of working and making repeated requests for additional doctors and nurses, there was no difference. It was just a blame game,” another doctor told TOI. From the medicine department at Osmania General Hospital (OGH), six senior residents have resigned, while few others have resigned at the MGM hospital, said Dr Mahesh Kumar, president, Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA). “At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a lot of issues with PPE kits and infrastructure and despite repeated representations they were not sorted out. Most of the residents resigned in the first two months of the pandemic, discouraged by the situation and fearing for their personal safety,” he added. Apart from doctors, 70 nurses who are at the frontline have gone missing from work too. “A least 30 of these nurses went missing from a single corporate hospital. Currently, there is a huge shortage of nurses as most are reluctant to do Covid-19 duties,” said Laxman Rudavath, president, Nursing Officers Association of Telangana.

 

25 factors, why health care is expansive

21 occupational risk factors for doctor and nurses

Altruistic professions are not cherished

Administrators refrain risk to doctor and nurses

REEL Heroes Vs REAL Heroes

5

Covid war- unhappy soldiers: says Supreme court


 

In present era, these are toughest times for health care staff and hospitals as well.  Warriors on the front lines are doctors and nurses, whereas hospitals are grappling with financial constraints.  What should have been most   desirable at this crucial time, was the   encouragement and psychological support to these warriors.  Administrators were supposed to give some moral boosting and financial support or at least, the rightful, so that health staff  should work willingly and inspire next generation for future catastrophe like this.  Instead of armchair preaching to health care staff, there should have been robust  rules and guidelines to protect health care staff and health systems as doctors and nurses are working under tremendous psychological pressure.

But the desired did not happen, as the chaotic management due to economical compulsions or just trying to be projected as an outstanding administrator turned out to be a real possibility rather than exception.

Moral and legal compulsions thus caused  immense pressure on health care workers  and  they became an  easy  subject  to moral and legal blackmail.  The  pressure to perform their duties in sub-optimal and below par conditions became a new norm.  

Every day when doctors and nurses, while going to work have this thought in mind. But still they continue to work amid their own tensions, worries about families.

The non-payment of salaries, disrespect to health care staff and being made to work in below par conditions, without PPE’s at some places has caused tremendous discouragement to the medical profession.

 

In war, you don’t make soldiers unhappy, says SC on non-payment of salaries to doctors

The courts should not be involved in the issue of non-payment of salary to health care workers and government should settle the issue, it said.

NEW DELHI: “In war, you do not make soldiers unhappy. Travel extra mile and channel some extra money to address their grievances,” the Supreme Court said on Friday taking serious note of non-payment of salary and lack of proper accommodation to doctors engaged in fight against Covid-19.

The courts should not be involved in the issue of non-payment of salary to health care workers and government should settle the issue, it said.

The top court was hearing a plea by a doctor, who alleged that front line healthcare workers engaged in fight against Covid-19 are not being paid salaries or their salaries are being cut or delayed.

The doctor also questioned the Centre’s new SOP making their 14-day quarantine non-mandatory.

“In war, you do not make soldiers unhappy. Travel extra mile and channel some extra money to address grievances. Country cannot afford to have dissatisfied soldiers in this war which is being fought against Corona,” said a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, S K Kaul and MR Shah.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that if there are better suggestions coming forward, they can be accommodated.

The bench said that there are reports coming that many areas doctors are not being paid.

“We saw report that doctors went on strike. In Delhi, some doctors have not been paid for past three months. These are concerns that should have been taken care off. It should not require court intervention.”

The bench further said, “You (Centre) need to do more. Must make sure their concerns are addressed”.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing next week.

On June 4, the Centre had told the top court that a “large number” of make-shift hospitals will have to be built in the near future to accommodate the constant rise in the number of newly infected people.

The Centre also contended that though hospitals are responsible for implementing the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) activities, the final responsibility lies with the health care workers to protect themselves from COVID-19.

It further said mandatory quarantine for 14 days after the duty of healthcare workers of 7/14 days is “not justified and warranted”.

“It is most respectfully submitted that number of cases of COVID-19 are constantly increasing and at some point of time in near future, apart from existing hospitals, large number of temporary make-shift hospitals will have to be created in order to accommodate COVID-19 patients requiring admission, medical care and treatment,” the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in an affidavit.

The affidavit was filed on a plea by Arushi Jain who questioned the Centre’s new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of May 15 for front line COVID-19 healthcare workers by which it ended the 14-day mandatory quarantine for them.

The ministry in its reply affidavit had said healthcare workers (HCW) are properly protected by Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) in workplace settings and carry no additional risk to their families or children.

It had said grievances raised by the petitioner alleging infirmities in the May 15 guidelines of the health ministry are completely presumptuous, vacuous, ill-founded and sans any empirical or medical evidence.

Justifying its advisory and SOPs, the health ministry said it is a step in the right direction and that the guidelines emphasise the role of taking adequate preventive measures by all health care workers in the hospital setting against the likelihood of contracting infection at their work place.

On April 8, the apex court had observed that the doctors and medical staff are the “first line of defence of the country” in the battle against COVID-19 pandemic, and directed the Centre to ensure that appropriate PPEs are made available to them for treating coronavirus patients.

Altruistic professions not cherished in present era

Enslavement of doctor and nurses

 

21 occupational risk to doctor and nurses

 

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Immunity business in corona times


About the medicines and substances, that  are consumed by masses under a false hope of immunity enhancement. Every substance, which claims to alter human physiological functions should undergo strict international neutral trials and not allowed to be sold by mere advertisements.

Tremendous misguidance is propagated by giving a false hope to people of doing some treatment.

Every day we read in media the various pronouncements claiming to enhance the immunity especially in the  days of Covid-19. It automatically implied  or interpreted that the said product will save  the people from Corona and hence a brisk business starts. No one has studied the real effectiveness, correct  doses or side effects of preparation in real sense.

 

A myth, that any plant extracted drug is useful, free of side effects, is a belief ingrained deep in the minds of people. Such unscrupulous  advice is followed blindly without even verifying the authenticity of the source. A hope of miracle is flashed to patients who perceive  a “no hope” by scientific medicine, are an  easy prey for such fraudsters.

Another major problem  is that medicines and syrups distributed in such manner often  are without name of drug, contents and doses. It is not uncommon to get lethal substances like steroids, hormones and heavy metals in dangerous doses.   Such acts  are  real crime to society, done with an intention to cheat rather than treating them.

Any one selling  medicines in name of alternative medicines, food supplements or medical advice of any kind, has to be registered with a council, for those particular medicines. advertisement of such drugs or products should be on some scientific basis and neutral trials.

 

Most of these are not validated at all by international or national authorities, not even considered as drugs. No impartial, neutral trials conducted about effects, side effects or toxicity. Mere media or social media words, which are paid, are considered as  Gospel  Truth  and substances are consumed by masses under a false hope of immunity enhancement. Most of them marketed as herbal or alternate medicines, which are advertised as harmless but beneficial. They are sold by propagated words of benefit  and advertisements rather than a solid proof.

Slowly these medicines become part of conventional wisdom rather than  considered as drugs and chemicals or heavy metals.  In reality, being a settled medical science issue, it remains a fake news at the basis.

There is no dearth of quacks, who sell unknown and unlabelled substances, merely  to earn money, but the dangers of such products are high and unassuming consumers remain oblivious to side effects.

   Any substance is considered effective only after rigorous testing through randomised clinical trials  and additional laboratory analyses.  The substances that are merely propagated on social media or claims of company or advised by quacks will not help and merely remain as part of immunity business. They provide a false hope and thereby earn money  because of fear in the minds of masses.

Times of India carries a report about the brisk business being done, while people are looking at ways to enhance their immunity.

Any substance which claims to alter the physiology of a person or patient, cannot be consumed  without undergoing rigorous, neutral and international  safety trials. If found to be good, all  homo sapiens in the world should be benefitted. If not,   let the gullible masses not be misguided and trapped into a false hope. There has to be a strict Government  control about the products to be consumed, which claim to alter human physiology.

Balancing immunity in Corona times

 

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Who will treat people in next Pandemic?


Pandemic has unmasked the real risk to doctor and nurses. The occupational risk of being among the diseases, that was known to them, has been unveiled to everyone. That should have generated respect for health workers in a civilized society. What was actually desirable, was the encouragement and psychological support to these warriors. Good administrators were supposed to give some moral boosting and financial support, so that health staff should work willingly and inspire next generation for future catastrophe like this. Instead of armchair preaching to health care staff, there should have been robust rules and guidelines to protect health care staff and health systems as doctors and nurses are working under tremendous psychological pressure.

More importantly, among this chaotic situation, whether rules are being followed or not, how administrators are doing can be at the most a guess work, rather than following a uniform system. The possibility of chaotic management due to economical compulsions or just trying to be projected as an outstanding administrator may be a real possibility rather than exception.

Health care workers can be easily subjected to moral and legal blackmail or pressure to perform their duties in sub-optimal and below par conditions. They can be subject to moral, legal, financial or even pressure of physical assaults. Such pressures can be tremendous in health sector because of financial complexities.

Is the payment made to them is commensurate to the risk to their life and work they do? Who will pay them and how much in case harm or death of health care worker, every one refrains to discuss?

Are they given the real respect, what they deserve and are worthy of?

Every day when doctors and nurses, while going to work have this thought in mind. But still they continue to work amid their own tensions, worries about families. While it is clear to them that administrators refrain to discuss the issues, which matter to them the most.

Times of India carries a report that the interns will be punished, if they become positivefor Covid, while doing duties. Although possibly the circular is withdrawn, but it reflects the deep seated and hidden mental frame of administrators, about the intention, how they wish to behave with doctors. Why such punishments are not for other Government functionaries or officials or even public, who test positive. It is just an example, but there are numerous examples of such kind.

MUMBAI: The department of community medicine at KEM Hospital issued a circular on Thursday asking interns to give a written explanation on how they had been exposed to the Covid-19 infection, after an increasing number of interns went into quarantine. It further said they will be liable to repeat their internship for the duration period of the quarantine if there was any negligence in following “Covid-19 discipline”. The circular was withdrawn within a few hours, after it faced criticism from many. Doctors and students termed the circular “insensitive” and “unwarranted” during a pandemic. Dr Sagar Mundada, psychiatrist and former president of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors, called the circular insensitive. “It is a pandemic. Why medical interns should be asked about the source of the infection?” An intern said some of them have been working for three months without stipend while their duty hours have been increased to 12. They collect swabs, blood and insert IV. 6/6/2020 Mumbai: KEM questions interns over quarantine, then backs off – dean Hemant Deshmukh said he had not signed the circular and it will not be implemented. Dr Gajanan Velhal, who signed it, said it was misunderstood. “No such action will be taken against any interns,” he said. Rajvi Bheda, a representative of the Association of State Medical Interns at KEM, said it seemed to be an attempt to ensure interns stay safe. “But it was unfair to the interns too, as it is difficult to identify the source of infection.

As Corona has unmasked the real risk to health workers and society has dealt with heath workers shabbily. Next younger generation of aspiring doctors, who is a witness to the cruelty shown towards health staff, may be forced to think about their decisions to become health workers. Possibly the administrators need to ponder now, who will treat people in next pandemic.

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