Tirunelveli Medical College Alumni Association - Nellaimedicos

Dr.Dorai 1992 to 1998 Batch, letters to the editor

2012-01-14T17:23:00.001+05:30

From http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/letters/article2799258.ece

A 50-year-old woman was brought in a state of septic shock to the hospital where I worked. An emergency surgery was performed and everyone was shocked to find a ripe coconut in her uterus. Enquiries revealed that the patient suffered from uterine prolapse and was treated by a quack in Kanyakumari. The coconut had held the uterus in position for some time but eventually created a life-threatening sepsis.

Similarly, using irritants like alum for treating piles and fistula; making a burn injury on the forearm with a heated coin for viral hepatitis; and pouring fish oil in the nose for bronchial asthma are some of the tricks of quacks. They exploit the ignorance of the common man. The switch from holistic to ‘evidence-based medicine' by allopathic doctors — confirming diagnoses after costly investigations to save themselves from legal action — has made health care costlier, which is the main reason for quacks flourishing.

P. Durai,

Tirunelveli

Message from Dr.Sampath, 1974 to 1980 Batch of TvMC

2011-11-22T00:41:00.002+05:30

Message from Dr.Sampath, 1974 to 1980 Batch of TvMC

I am Dr.Sampath of 1974 Batch-I am Trivandrum.Just happened to see this page and want to thank those who have really took the pain to make a page like this and appreciate them from the depth of my heart.I am in Trivandrum practicing on my own as well as a part of ISRO,Terumopenpal an MNC and Abhaya a charitable institution for the mentally handicapped and deranged.Wd like to include the photo of my batch mates. Love and regards to all those good old pals of mine from all the batches of my time.

Hello,I am Dr.Sampathof 1974 batch was a footballer sportsman and a musician of my time at campus.I just happened to see this page.An wonderful job and hats off to those dear souls who had took the pain to establish a page like this.I am at Trivandrum.What should I do to include the photo of my batchmates? Regards to all of you.

I belong to the 1974 Batch.I express my sincere thanks to all tose who took the pain to make a page like this. I really appreciate your work.i accidently found this when I was brouwsing for some this else. I am at Trivandrum. Love to all my batch mates and all who know me.

Dear Sir,

Please send your photos to bruno@nellaimedicos.com

Message from Dr.Nagarajan - 1965 to 1971 Batch- Reunion March 2012

2011-11-10T00:04:00.001+05:30

We are planning to have a reunion for 1st batch[1965-1971] students of TVMC. It will be held at Courtallum in early part of March 2012. For info. call me.U.S.phone 352 596 7815,[eMail- nagarajanvp@yahoo.com] You may also call.Dr.Balagurusamy 9842158257, Dr.E.M,Mohamed Ismail 9600095067,Dr.Amaladevi 9443928218. Posted by Nagarajan

Message from Dr.P.S.Narayanan (Octavians)

2011-11-10T00:03:00.000+05:30

hi , i am p. s.narayanan from 1st batch of tvmc (octavians).i would like to b in touch with all my tvmc friends.i am now in dubai since 1985 as a traumatologist.kindly tell me how to go about to do so.my mail id is drpsn@hotmail.com & mobile no is 00 971 50 6501200.i would b too happy if any tvmcian will pick up my link to go further. regards & best wishes dr.p.s.narayanan

A doctor? nay, a saviour

2011-09-25T10:10:00.002+05:30

From http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/article2482366.ece

Medical teachers of yesteryear enjoyed a demigod status among students not merely for teaching skills but also for their inspiring personality. Clinical acumen, knowledge, experience, ethics, and demeanour in various proportions contributed to the charisma of the doyens. But the ability to inspire, an attribute of a good teacher, is not happening regularly these days. Hence, the intention to emulate has taken a beating. The concept of mentor and apprentice is not natural anymore and has to be enforced in a curriculum. I could not believe when I was told that Chief Minister Kamaraj, who came to the Government General Hospital, Madras (now Chennai), to meet Dr. Rathinavel Subramanian, waited until after he finished his class. Such stories are not only inspiring but epitomise the values of dignity and humility in great men.

A plethora of teachers

I was fortunate to be blessed with a plethora of inspiring teachers. I graduated from the Tirunelveli Medical College in Tamil Nadu in the late 1980s and we had a teacher Dr. Venugopal, fondly called by everyone VG. He must have inspired an entire generation of doctors who graduated from TVMC in the 1980s and 1990s. Dedication to the profession was so natural to him that he empathised with his patients.

I myself was a beneficiary of his empathy when I suffered from severe aphthous ulceration. Though a relatively minor ailment, the care he gave was amazing. The pleasure derived from healing others is enviable and incomparable. We have seen him giving money to very poor patients. The gesture was very natural and infectious. Such undocumented charity is essential for humanity to retain its sanity.

Once VG was heading a team of interns for a medical camp at a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee camp. Minor ailments were treated and patients needing admission referred to the medical college hospital. The last patient was a child suffering from acute gastroenteritis (diarrhoea). As an intern was about to prescribe oral rehydration solution, VG came on the scene. He quickly noticed the Bitot's spots in the eyes (vitamin A deficiency) of the child. Immediately, he told us that the child needed hospitalisation and vitamin A injection as otherwise the child would lose vision due to keratomalacia.

In normal circumstances, the mother would have been advised to take the child to hospital for admission. But VG himself took the child and the mother with us in the hospital van in spite of lack of space. On our way back, we stopped for snacks and as expected, VG paid for our gastronomical indulgence. I was moved, when I saw VG buying some biscuit packets for the mother and the child in the van. When we reached the hospital VG caught hold of me and instructed me to take personal responsibility of admitting the child. He gave me money to buy vitamin A injection from the pharmacy and ensured that I myself gave the injection without fail. He anticipated non-availability of the drug in the hospital and hence asked me to buy from the pharmacy. Such a passionate and dedicated approach to patient care was awesome and is not to be seen these days.

I understand VG has superannuated and is now rendering service in a rural hospital. He has not been decorated with any award but any TVMC alumnus will vouch for the unsung hero, our mentor.

(The writer is Professor & Head, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, SRMC&RI, Porur, Chennai. His email id is: drsshankar@gmail.com)

Official Web Site of TvMC

2011-09-18T18:53:00.001+05:30

The Official Web Site of TvMC is right now at the Alpha Stage . . . . It will be fully functional in a short whilePlease visit Official Web Site of TvMC for further details

DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE, TvMC CME-“MEDICINE UPDATE-2011”

2011-09-10T11:26:00.001+05:30

The Tamilnadu Dr.M.G.R.MedicalUniversity

ASSOCIATION OFPHYSICIANS

TIRUNELVELI- CHAPTER

DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE, TvMC

CME-“MEDICINE UPDATE-2011”

18.09.11

Programme

08:00am to 09:00 am –Registration

09:00am to 09:30 am –Inauguration

Dr.M.S.Ashraf,Chairman, API. Tamilnadu Chapter.

SESSION A

09:30am to 10:10 am- Management of CardiacArrhythmias. .

Dr.Krishnakumar,.Cardiologist, Thiruvananthapuram

Chair Person: Dr.Rajan

10:15am to10:55 am- UTI in Clinical Practice

Dr.MuthusethupathiM.A., Nephrologist ,Chennai.

Chair Person: Dr Selvaraj

10:55am to 11:05 am- Tea Break

SESSION B

11.05am to 11:45 am- Current trends inManagement of Hemophilia management.

Dr. Dr. Cecil Ross MD, Bengaluru

Chair Person: Dr Kaniraj Peter

11:50am to 12:30 pm- Non-alcoholic SteatoHepatitis.

Dr.Padmanaban,Gastro-enterologist,Chennai

Chair Person: : Dr.Vairamuthuraju

12:35pm to 01:15 pm-Diseases peculiar to women and pregnancy.

Dr.Geetha , Kovai

Chair Person: Dr Ramola Janet

01:15pm to 02:00 pm- Lunch Break

SESSION C :

02:00pm to 02:40 pm- Clinical Approach to Coma.

Dr.Bala murugan,Neurologist,Salem

Chair Person: Dr Alagesan

02:45pm to 03:25 pm-Newer Oral Anti diabeticDrugs

Dr.Vadivel MuruganS.,Diabetologist ,Madurai

Chair Person: Dr A KSrinivasan

03:30pm to 04:15 pm- Thyroid Emergencies.

Dr.Arun Kannan, Endocrinologist,Madurai

Chair Person: Dr Nallamuthusamy.

For Registration contact

Dr Arumugapandian @ S Mohan M D 9443869846

Organising Secretary

Medicine Update-2011

A-139, Ist Street

Rahmathnagar-627011

InauguralFunction

MEDICINE UPDATE-2011

Invitation

TheTamilnadu Dr M G R Medical University,

TheOffice Bearers and members of API Tirunelveli Chapter , The Department of Medicine and The OrganizingCommittee of

‘MEDICINE Update-2011’

Cordially invite you for the Inauguralfunction at 09:00 AM on 18.09.2011at the Auditorium,Tirunelveli Medical College.

Dr MManoharan

(Dean,TvMC)

Will preside overthe function

Dr.MS Ashraf,

(Chairman, API.Tamilnadu Chapter.)

will be the Chief Guest and willinaugurate the Conference .

Dr. Jimla Balachandar

(Medical Superintendent,Tv.M.C. H)

will release the Souvenir. Dr.J.Rajkumar Edwin Dr.Geetharani

Chairman Organizing Chairman

API,Tirunelveli

Dr.V.Manakavalaperumal Dr.A.S.Mohan Organizing Treasurer, API,Tirunelveli Organizing Secretary ,API,Tirunelveli

Programme

09:00AM

Tamil Thai Vazhthu

Physician’s Prayer Dr Marchwin

Welcome Address Dr A S Mohan

Organizing Chairman’s Address Dr R.Geetharani

Dean’sAddress Dr M Manoharan

Chief Guest’S Address Dr M S Ashraf,

Lighting of Kuthuvilakku DrJimla Balachandran

Release of Souvenir

Presentation of Memento

Vote of Thanks Dr VManakavalaperumal

Sleep well, so that you will be awake at work

2011-07-15T16:55:00.000+05:30

From http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/article2233678.ece

Sleep well, so that you will be awake at work

DR. P. DURAI

SHARE · COMMENT (5) · PRINT · T+

Sleeping at the roadside is better than sleeping at the wheel. File photo: S. RAMESH KURUP

A vast majority of road accidents result from drivers falling asleep at the wheels. Naturally, the death toll for every undiagnosed OSA syndrome in drivers is directly proportional to the size of the vehicle he drives. Imagine the magnitude of destruction that will result if men at nuclear power plants, dynamite factories and other scientifically tempered industries have this disorder.

It is often customary to say that a patient is in sound sleep if he snores. But snoring sometimes reaches unacceptable decibels, vitiating the serene night ambience, forcing neighbours to shut windowpanes and family members to frown on you.

“Snorers are not good sleepers,” medical researchers have said recently. The global medical fraternity was not fully acquainted with sleep-disordered breathing and sleep studies until the early 1990s. However, for most medical colleges and doctors in the Indian subcontinent, it still remains an alien terminology, for all sleep-related research and infrastructure remain confined to a few corporate hospitals and training in sleep medicine remains well within the precincts of few pharmaceutical majors.

Snoring during sleep may be a sign, or the first alarm, of a dangerous phantom that is lying in the airway and trying to spread its fiery tentacles to the brain and the heart. The phantom is named obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

What is this OSA? It is a condition where your upper airway (i.e., the pipe that connects your nose to your lungs) gets constricted during sleep, and airflow to the lungs is compromised. As a result, the patient puts an increased effort at breathing, gets agitated and wakes up frequently during sleep. The next day, he feels drowsy and confused, and is unable to concentrate. As the disease progresses, the urge to sleep during daytime while at work becomes irresistible. Gradually, these persons develop high blood pressure, resulting in damage to the brain and the heart.

In most instances, the patients themselves are not aware that the previous night was not peaceful. They regard themselves as good sleepers and sleep anywhere, for example, while in office, at a dinner feast, in a railway reservation queue, while waiting in a bank to deposit cash, etc., leading to a volley of errors — sometimes comical but mostly ending up in tragedies. Morbid obesity is pointed out as the main reason for all these deleterious events.

A vast majority of road accidents result from drivers falling asleep at the wheel. Naturally, the death toll for every undiagnosed OSA syndrome among drivers is directly proportional to the size of the vehicle one drives. Imagine the magnitude of destruction that will result if men at nuclear power plants, dynamite factories and other scientifically tempered industries have this disorder.

Several tragic events have occurred and are happening throughout the globe due to sleep disorders. A U.S. study estimates that roughly one in every 15 Americans is affected by at least a moderate degree of sleep apnoea. Sleep-related accidents comprise 15-20% of all motor vehicle crashes.

But in India we do not have any data relating to sleep apnoeas and related accidents. So it is high time we developed our own sleep labs in medical colleges and make it mandatory for men in high-risk areas to undergo sleep-study.

Medical and surgical management of OSA is really promising, but sadly about 80% of the patients are undiagnosed and untreated.

An appeal to men behind machines, men behind the wheel and those in the midst of scientifically critical junctures: try and find ways to fill your nights with peaceful sleep and help society for safe and secure days ahead.

(The writer is a postgraduate student in Thoracic Medicine, Thanjavur Medical College, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. His email is: drpdorai@yahoo.com)

Tvmc 1991 to 1997 Batch get together Hotel Kodai international, Kodaikanal on Dec 30th

2011-06-22T07:34:00.000+05:30

Arul Vijaykumar (1991 to 1997 Batch) writes

Our Tvmc 91 batch get together is organized at Hotel Kodai international, Kodaikanal on Dec 30th.

Message from Mehraj Beevi 1991 to 1997 Batch

2011-05-04T23:22:00.001+05:30

Hai i am Mehraj Beevi still i am in the same college doing my MD (GM)pray for my success May is our Final Exam ... tx

Message from Dr.Tamilkothai 1987 to 1993 Batch

2011-05-04T23:21:00.001+05:30

Hi TVMCians
I am Dr.THAMILKOTHAI belonging to YUPPIE batch(1987-1993).I am really happy to see this website.I am presently working as an assistant professor O&G in our college.

TVMC Family Get together 2011 - 14/05/2011 Saturday - 1200 to 2100hrs

2011-03-30T01:41:00.002+05:30

TVMC Family Get together 2011
Are you ready to see your friends and get more gossips
about TVMC and NHS?
We are meeting soon
Book your place

Venue: Community Centre: Woodlands, Winthorpe,
Newark. NG242NL
Date: 14/05/2011 Saturday
1200 to 2100hrs

Good food, entertainment for kids and family,
Games for boys and girls, Disco for everybody

GET READY, BLOCK YOUR DATES AND FURTHER DETAILS
WILL FOLLOW-SOON

PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL UK TVMCns YOU KNOW.
FOR FURTHER DETAILS GENERAL: R SRIRAMAN 07740594686, DRRSRIRAMAN@GMAIL.COM
REX 07930895844
FOOD: RAMESH SHANKAR 07960511427
ENTERTAINEMENT: RAGHAVAN, 07813003636
GAMES: BAVANA 07515817209 INDRASUJATHA 07859358558

Phonetics and phone tricks... doctor's dilemma

2011-03-27T10:43:00.000+05:30

DR. G. RAMANUJAM

From : http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/article1574365.ece

“Statutory warning: Getting prescriptions over phone is injurious to health.”

A phone call can become an acid test for one's language skill. Even though my wife doesn't rate my linguistic skills highly, I was thinking so. The first thing she does on receiving my romantic messages is to correct them. Of course, no man is hero to his wife.

Once, a school teacher received his wife's suicide note. It said, “As there is no love between you and me, I am going to commit suicide.” He immediately responded: “You should have written you and I, and not you and me. Me should be used as an object.”

Coming back to phone calls, so many times we are in a situation, having to spell some words on the phone. Be it our address, email ID, or website, spelling matters much.

Once I went through the ordeal of answering the customer centre of a bank. The honey-tongued girl asked me to spell almost every word. When I mentioned my degree as M.D, she asked for the spelling. When it comes to alpha-numerals like PAN, the confusion never ends. There is always the confusion whether it is zero or the letter O.

Just like for Radia-friendly politicians, a telephone conversation might become a nightmare for both the doctor and the patient.

Medical terms are neither tongue friendly nor telephone friendly. Many times, my relatives or friends would read a scan or laboratory report on the phone. Out of curiosity, they would spell every printed word, right from the scan centre's name to the reporting doctor's name. Of course, there would be terms like salphingo-oophoritis in between. By the time they finish reading, my hair would have grown two more inches. Nowadays, I ask them to e-mail them. Phone calls can never become a better alternative to personal appearances.

But there are things worse than this. As a doctor, I sometimes have to spell the names of drugs on the phone. I always discourage this practice. Of course, there is no remuneration for a phone consultation. It so happens that the drug that I have prescribed might not be available in the pharmacy and I could not be seen in person. Usually I ask the person to hand over the phone to a nearby pharmacist or doctor. Sometimes, you have no option other than spelling the names.

You cannot simply spell a drug name like “ASPRIN” and get away with it. The person at the other end usually wants to be very sure and immediately asks “A for?” or “P for?” It is only then I start experiencing word-finding difficulty. I have difficulty with at least 25 alphabets.

For some letters I use to think hard as if I were Samuel Johnson but only to remain clueless. Words with a silent first letter cause confusion like when I say “K for knight or T for tsunami.” Due to a lack of words, I sometimes give many phonetically funny statements like “B for bee” (a spelling bee question?) or “Q for queue.” Once a person asked, “W for what, sir?” I had to reply, “Yes! W for What!”

The final blow came one day. While I was spelling the name of a drug, I was searching for a word starting with the letter N. Neptune.. Nebula ..Nest.. not even ‘Nothing' came to mind. Suddenly, I said N for Nayanthara! The caller was an old religious man. I didn't know what he thought of me. But he never turned to me again. Maybe, he expected a Narayana from me or probably he is a Trisha fan!

In psychiatry, we use a test called ‘FAS' to test verbal fluency. It tests how many words a person can tell in one minute starting with these letters (F, A and S). I never dare to attempt it on myself.

With the advent of the mobile phone, now I have the option of sending an SMS. But, at times, I find my daughter's alphabet book handy. Never forget your basics!

(The writer's email is: ramsych@sify.com)

When doctor's prescription becomes injurious to health!

2011-03-27T10:42:00.000+05:30

DR. G. RAMANUJAM

From : http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/article1574291.ece

In many of the celebrity writer Dan Brown's novels, the famous Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon would be summoned to decode a symbol, the meaning of which only he can unearth on earth. But he too will meet his Waterloo deciphering some of the doctors' prescriptions.

Why do doctors pre-scribble? Handwriting itself is on the verge of extinction. But we find that most of the prescriptions are handwritten if not hand-scribbled. A prescription usually has two parts. The first part contains some notes about the disease and the patient .Next come the names of drugs per se.

Doctors usually like to keep some facts about the patient secret even though the latter fully deserves to and, invariably, is curious to know them. Of course, the doctor and the patient never tell each other the whole truth.

Once I worked under a doctor a decade ago. He used to write something like EO or AOO in his prescriptions. Even after referring to many international medical journals, I was not able to decode them. So I dared to ask him and came to know that the secret code stands for his fees. Alphabets represent numbers and thus EO becomes Rs. 50 and AOO, Rs. 100.

Many times doctors write something mystically to mask their limitations. I have heard patients saying that they suffer from a serious disease called NYD fever or NYD chest pain while, in fact, NYD stands for Not Yet Diagnosed!

Regarding drugs, essentially they have to be written in capital letters and any ambiguity can create serious problems. Unfortunately, some write in such a way that only a particular pharmacist, usually attached to the same hospital, can understand the drug names pre-scribbled. Probably, the doctor might have a noble ambition of getting his name included in the Forbes list of billionaires.

Some are too busy to spend time on writing legibly. But that cannot be taken as an excuse when it causes damage to a patient's health. But some are habitual poor in handwriting and they can better switch to typewriting or hire a ghost writer. Once, a pharmacist, failing to understand the name of a particular drug, substituted it with another drug. On cross-checking with the doctor, the patient was informed that it was not the name of a drug but was his own.

All doctors might have the experience of being woken up in their sleep and scribbling something in a trance-like state. Such somnambulistic errors may cause the danger of sending the patient to unwakable sleep.

A study by The Royal College of General Practitioners found that 3-5 per cent of doctors' prescriptions contain errors mostly harmless (grade D) but sometimes lethal (grade A). Stringent guidelines have been laid down but they need to be followed more vigilantly.

Interestingly, a doctor wrote a romantic letter to his lady love. It was the pre-email era and hence was handwritten. The poor girl could not identify even a single word. But she was very clever that she went to a pharmacist and got the letter read though at the expense of their privacy.

There are many ways of taking care of a patient, and prescribing legibly is certainly one of them. Luckily, I just have to e-mail this article, instead of writing!

Message from Dr.Mohan Kumar 1983-1989 Batch

2011-03-04T15:56:00.001+05:30

Hai,
I am Mohan Kumar 83-89 batch. I feel very happy to see and go through these postings. Kudus to the earnest efforts of the moderators. Wishing you all good luck

Epidemic musicitis - Dr.G.Ramanujam in Hindu 02 Jan 2011

2011-01-02T18:57:00.000+05:30

From http://www.hindu.com/op/2011/01/02/stories/2011010250011200.htm

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 02, 2011
.

Epidemic musicitis

DR. G. RAMANUJAM

New Delhi was recently the epicentre of a crisis involving NDM-1 bacteria. In Chennai too, there is a seasonal serious infection that is grossly under-diagnosed. It is caused by a resistant bacterium, Musicobacter, which has two species Musicobacter Carnatica — which is more common — and M.Hindustania. The infection peaks in winter, especially December and January. Though it is epidemic in Chennai, sporadic cases can be found in other cities or countries. It is probably the only bacterium that spreads through ears.

The affected individuals show the following symptoms and signs:

Selective amnesia: The person forgets exactly the name of the raga in which the singer sings and recollects a list of related albeit wrong ragas (Rathipathi priya or Rashtra pathi priya?). Sometimes, long-term memory will be hyper-active. He may say “I heard GNB singing this in 1948 at Academy on a Sunday evening when it was raining heavily.”

Violent epileptic-fits like movements: These include shaky movements of the head associated with uttering of words like “ Sabash! Besh Besh!” even though the concert has not yet started and the sound system person is checking the mikes. Sometimes violent, jerky, highly irregular movements of hands collide with each other and also on one's (sometimes the next person's) own lap. These movements are erroneously called talams.

Acalculia (difficulty in calculating): The above said movements are sometimes associated with chaotic counting of fingers or even toes! It may occur even during an Aalapana. There is always a perfect mismatch between their counting and the singer's.

Voracious appetite: The affected individuals have voracious appetite. They visit the canteens soon after a varnam (usual opening number) is sung. Not visiting the canteen during the thani avarthanam (solo percussion) is considered a sin.

Hypersomnia (Increased sleep): They are found sleeping with a snore that perfectly synchronises with the shruthi box's ‘SA Pa SA'. This is commonly seen in morning lecture demonstrations like ‘Simmendhra madhyamam and its Sisters'.

Hearing disturbances: The infected people have severe hearing disturbances. On hearing a music they may ask, “Is it Seshagopalan?” while, in fact, the tape may be a violin recording.

Praecox performances: The individuals develop intense belief of delusional proportion that their offspring is a prodigy. On hearing them sing ‘Ba ba black sheep,' they immediately identify an M.S. lying dormant inside. They arrange for praecox (premature) performances of their children, sometimes known as Arangettram.

Podio philia: This denotes the intense craving for occupying the podium. This is common among the chief guests who invariably talks at length about the singer to the extent that the audience may not at all get a chance to hear him sing. Sometimes the podiophilic chief guest sings a few lines to show his knowledge or even make a few choreographic steps in a dance concert.

Hyper logia: This refers to increased speech or loquacity. The persons talk uninhibitedly, over a wide variety of subjects like CAG, CWG, and ECG, especially when the singer is at his peak.

Treatment: As the disease is self-limiting it settles by mid January only to recur next year. Since the severity is inversely related to music knowledge improving good music appreciation is the best prevention.

Annex: One symptom that has not been mentioned is Hypergraphia or increased writing wherein everybody (including psychiatrists) becomes a music critic and starts writing about music and concerts.

( The writer's email id is: ramsych@sify.com)

Dr.G.Ramamujam;s previous article in Hindu : For a doctor, everything is in a name

For a doctor, everything is in a name - Dr.Ramanugam (1993 -1999 Batch) Article in Hindu

2010-11-21T07:51:00.000+05:30

From http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/article902026.ece

If you forget the patient's name, it is often taken as lack of concern for him.

Doctors are often expected to have a good memory. They memorise umpteen Greek and Latin terms like ‘pneumohydropericardium.' A doctor has to remember the names of at least 100 scientists given to the syndromes they discovered. They may range from names as easy as Down's tongue-twisters like the Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome.

Many scientists worked throughout their lifetime to describe syndromes which were named after them. With due respect to them, let us just see the lighter side of it.

Names haunt a medical student throughout. No day will dusk without a question about a named syndrome. Sometimes, your knowledge is measured in direct proportion to the number of names you know. Sometimes, the same person might have invented more than one disease. So the answer depends on whether you are appearing for the obstetrics or orthopaedics exam. It goes to the extent that a student wishes that he were born two or three centuries before so that only a few names needed to be remembered just like a history student's wish to have been born a millennium earlier!

To rub salt into the wound, almost all names are completely alien to our tongues, which are familiar to Ramaswamys and Subramaniams. There exist unique ways of pronouncing those names. (We even pronounce Shakespeare as ‘Jagapriyar' in an Indological way). I have heard 11 varieties of pronouncing the ‘Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser' syndrome. The student patriotically wishes that the Indians discover more syndromes to take revenge on foreigners.

Now coming to dysnomia, it is a difficulty in recollecting names (especially of persons and objects) or frankly forgetting names. Doctor's dysnomia does not stop with the student days.

When he starts practice, a doctor has to remember the names of his patients. You can make a grave mistake in diagnosing a patient's disease or probing his heart on the right side with a stethoscope. But if you forget the patient's name it is often taken as lack of concern for him.

During the golden period of family physicians, doctors remembered not only patients' names but also their complete psycho-social milieu. Patients felt completely reassured when they were greeted with something like, “Hello, Raju! How is your fever”?

But now not everybody expects his name to be remembered! Thanks to the era of specialists, patients are often seen as files with reports and prescriptions. There is an old aphorism: ‘Don't treat the lab report! Treat the patient!' I feel guilty whenever I am not able to remember a patient's name. But I have few tricks to cover myself up. If he has brought old prescriptions or reports, then the problem is over. But if he is unarmed, then I become clueless. I usually guess a few names which are invariably misnomers. When I stumble at Mr. or Mrs., many of them volunteer with their names, of course, some with a small tangible disappointment.

It is with tele-conversation that I stumble the most. People may just say their name and take my memory for granted. (There is a famous Tamil poem by Nakulan about a name that goes like neither I asked which Ramachandran he is nor did he say it). When the matter becomes so serious that it may jeopardise his health I usually admit that I do not recognise him.

But there are many whom I remember clearly and, invariably, they are the ones who introduce themselves every time in detail. Probably one more vignette to Murphy's laws! Sometimes they did not want me, a psychiatrist, to remember their names so as to avoid my calling them in a crowded mall. Juliet might have said “What is in a name?” But, to some at least, it matters. So I have resolved to do two things. Try still harder to remember names; and not to name any syndrome discovered by me Ramanujam's syndrome.

(The writer is a consultant psychiatrist. His email is: ramsych@sify.com)

Quit smoking, for heaven's sake - Dr.Dorai 1992 to 1998 Batch Article in Hindu

2010-11-21T07:49:00.001+05:30

From http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/article902024.ece

A 60-year-old man gets admitted to the intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital with complaints of fever and breathlessness for two days. He is diagnosed as a case of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) with respiratory failure, just hours before he knocks at the doors of death. Though he had troublesome respiratory symptoms for many years, and has been moving around consulting more than half-a-dozen doctors, none has made a precise diagnosis of COPD. Had the diagnosis been made earlier, it would have been possible to prolong his life, if not saving him permanently from the icy hands of death.

This is just one example. The bitter truth is that a large number of COPD cases (of course, a few other respiratory diseases too) go undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or under-diagnosed and get undertreated/mistreated in our country or rather throughout the globe, leading to permanent complications and poor quality of life thereafter. A simple test called spirometry would make a precise diagnosis of COPD.

According to the World Health Organisation's global estimates, 210 million people have COPD. The rate of morbidity and mortality from COPD will increase over the next 20 years and make COPD the third leading cause of death (currently the fourth) and the fifth leading cause of disability.

I do not underestimate the potential of the Indian medical fraternity, but the slackness with which it deals with respiratory care needs to be modified. This slackness has been utilised, rather misused, by the self-advertising and recently the legally insulated quacks (in the medical field) and the crude and brutal treatment administered by them has added to the burden of respiratory handicaps.

So what is this COPD? A condition where your airway loses its elasticity and becomes rigid, i.e., your airways which are like rubber tubes turn into plastic tubes.

As a result, there is airflow limitation in and out of the lungs, thereby compromising oxygen supply to the whole body. As a result, the person becomes breathless, coughs up, expectorates troubling himself and his loved ones for years before he dies a painful death.

Tobacco smoking is the main culprit behind the cruel damage. However, smoke from other sources has also been implicated but to a lesser extent. An exponential increase in cigarette smoking in the Indian subcontinent has alarmingly increased the prevalence of COPD.

With global warming, the risk of premature death among chronic respiratory patients is up to six times higher than in the rest of the population.

Hence, much has to be done to chase out this social evil. A mere pictorial warning on tobacco products will not help. Healthier lifestyles should be inculcated and reinforced as the kid grows.

Beware: if you kiss a cigarette, it reciprocates by biting your lungs. So those who smoke quit it today, and those who do not never ever think of starting it. Remember, “Lighting up a cigarette would darken your life permanently.” The theme for world COPD day ‘2010-The Year of the Lung: Measure your lung health-Ask your doctor about a simple breathing test called spirometry.'

(The writer is post-graduate student in Thoracic Medicine, Thanjavur Medical College, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. His email id is: drpdorai@yahoo.com)

Message from Dr.Kannan Bhaba 1993 to 99 Batch

2010-11-02T00:08:00.000+05:30

HI TVMCIANS. I AM Dr.V.KANNAN BHABA. 93-99 BATCH. PRESENTLY POST GRADUATE IN NEPHROLOGY KILPAUK MEDICAL COLLEGE. MY CONTACT NO 94431 58422

Buds : 1968 Batch Meet at Mahabalipuram

2010-10-27T16:46:00.000+05:30

Buds 68 met at mahabalipuram on 23rd and 24th of october 2010.Teachers of these buds Prof Dr V Venkatraman(DR VVR), Mrs Dr Mohana venkatraman, Prof Dr R Venkatakrishnan (Ortho)(RVK), Prof Dr Shahul hamed(Surgery), Mrs Dr Jamela hameed and Prof Dr Chandra Chelliah (Pediatrics) were felicitated in the get together.

1997 to !983 Batch Meet

2010-10-16T01:38:00.001+05:30

Dr.Dhanu Ezhil Writes

CARNIVAL Aurum 2010

TvMC 77 batchmeet on 1st, 2nd & 3rd October 2010 at Munnar.

We are having our batchmeet regularly once in 2 years.

We had our first reunion on the eve of 2000 ( Millenium gettoether at Tenkasi)

We had a break of 4 years

Reminiscence-77 (oct 2nd& 3rd 2004) AT Kodaikkanal

REJOICE 2006         at    Yercaud- FAMILY MEET
RESURGE 2008       at    TIRUNELVELI - HONOURED OUR PROFESSORS& TEACHERS
AURUM 2010           AT   MUNNAR - AS MANY OF US CELEBRATED OUR 50th birthday-golden jubilee
                            released a souvenir with full bio data & family photos of our classmates.

Dr.Jayalal Elected as General secretary of INDIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION TAMILNADU STATE

2010-09-23T19:19:00.004+05:30

We are happy and proud to inform that Dr.Ja.Jayalal (1984 to 1990 Batch) has been elected as General secretary of INDIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION TAMILNADU STATE

People of Pride(1985-91 Batch) Silver Jubilee Get together

2010-09-10T19:03:00.000+05:30

Dear Friends,

People of Pride(1985-91 Batch) Silver Jubilee Get together was held at Kodaikanal on14-15 Aug 2010 & nearly 50 batchmates attended the meet with their families.Please see attached group photo & it was so nice to catch up with each other after 19 years.Any of the batchmates reading this mail are interested to get in touch with the batch friends, please do join tvmc1985 yahoo group.

Our next meet is scheduled to be held in couple of years.Hoping to see many if God willing.

Regards

Mashil.UK

Medicine Update 2010

2010-09-10T00:01:00.002+05:30

It’s the birthright of your baby !!

2010-08-07T18:25:00.000+05:30

by Dr.P.Dorai (1992 to 1998 Batch) at http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/article558112.ece

Let's convince our young mothers that no mammal in the animal kingdom denies its kid breast milk.

Scenario 1: An air-conditioned consultation room with cozy interiors in a metropolitan city. Enters a young mother clad in an ultra modern dress. The consultant paediatrician examines her baby and asks her whether she breastfeeds her exclusively. She chuckles and names a popular brand of infant milk substitute. Will someone please explain how these brands become popular when The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes prevents any form of advertising? Her purse outweighs the doctor's advice and she walks out coolly just to make another ceremonial visit some time later.

Scenario 2: A semi-ventilated room with naked furniture and a bellowing fan in a rural area. A woman in dirty linen, embracing poverty as her religion visits her doctor. Here too, the same question is asked put up indeed with a tinge of nativity. The reply is almost the same, except that the latter utters it with a different accent and pronunciation.

The above instances are not rare phenomena, but rather a common observation in our diverse economic and social setup. In either case, the mother is neither guilty nor heavy-hearted to divulge that she couldn't or doesn't breastfeed her baby.

Irrespective of their social background, women are indeed ignorant of the fact that it is the baby's right to be breastfed. Of course, how can we expect our mothers to be aware of their child's right when they are ignorant of their own? (Does someone whisper that the women's reservation bill is in its final phase?)

How callous have we become over the years to deny a child its nature's share. What is more unfortunate, we are not even aware of the fact that we deny our little ones the right they deserve. I fear that the digitalised civilisation is turning nature's gift alien to our kids.

A woman's bosom (usually in a semi-naked pose) is projected by our media gurus to advertise anything from perfume to fabric, from necklace to automobile. What a ruthless, insensible perverted notion is this! Our silence has been taken as approval by these elements. Had any one cared to acknowledge that it is the organ nature has gifted to secrete elixir?

The transformation from home to house, from mother to mummy and from joint family to nuclear family dictated and maintained by the digital revolution has started taking its toll. In fact, I feel we have committed ethical and traditional suicide. Human values and culture are being constantly buried. A vast majority of our population is steeped in ignorance and subsist in ambiguity without being able to identify what is wrong and what is right.

Let us contemplate what best could be done to mitigate the situation. Is it not our duty to cut down the shackles which have tied up the minds of our fellow womenfolk? Are we not duty-bound to instil the importance of breastfeeding to our young mothers?

Is not breast milk the birthright of the baby? Let's convince our young mothers that no mammal in the animal kingdom denies its kid breast milk.

Our civilisation has learned the art of stealing — three-fourths of cow's milk and leaving one-fourth to the calf. Even with this reduced milk, the calf survives. So how healthy would be the kid, if the mother feeds the baby with her breast?

Goddess Parvathi breastfed baby Thirugnana Sambandhar, a Saivite saint of Tamil Nadu, when he cried out of hunger. The all-powerful almighty didn't find any other means to suppress hunger. She gave him her milk.

Let's remember these axiomatic truths:

Breast milk is a unique and precious gift of nature and has no price.

It helps the infant fight infection and diseases.

It is easily assimilated by the baby due to the perfect combination of protein, lactose and fat.

There are health benefits both for the mother and the child.

Breastfed infants are less prone to childhood obesity than others.

Breastfed infants have a higher IQ than those that are not.

Nursing mothers who breastfeed have a lower risk of acquiring premenopausal breast cancer and decreased risk of uterine and ovarian cancer.

Breast-fed infants are closer to their mothers and feel secure with them more than others. There is a special feeling of bonding between them which cannot be valued by any scale.

(The writer is a doctor based in Tirunelveli and his email is: drpdorai@yahoo.com)