ತಟಸ್ತ ಹೃದಯಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ಸ್ಪಂದಿಸುವ ಹೃದಯ
ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ 1986 ರಲ್ಲಿ HIV -ಸೋಂಕನ್ನು ಪತ್ತೆ ಹಚ್ಚಲಾಯಿತು, 25 ವರ್ಷ ಕಳೆದರು ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ HIV -ಸೋಂಕಿತರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಇರುವ ಕಳಂಕ ಮತ್ತು ತಾರತಮ್ಯ ಅಷ್ಟೇನೂ ಕಡಿಮೆಯಾಗಿಲ್ಲ, ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಾಕಸ್ಟು ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗಳಿವೆ, HIV-ಯಿಂದ ಗಂಡ ಮರಣಹೊಂದಿದ ವಿದವೆಯನ್ನೂ ಮನೆಯಿಂದ ಹೊರಹಾಕುವುದು ಗ್ರಾಮವನ್ನು ಬಿಡುವಂತೆ ಒತ್ತಾಯ ಮಾಡುವದು,...
BPM & DPM training (Tumkur)
On 12th April 2005, the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was launched in India with a goal towards reforming and strengthening the basic health care delivery system of the country. Out of the many innovations under the program, a new cadre of district and block...
Tuberculosis and DOTS
For decades, the country has been striving towards decreasing the burden of Tuberculosis (TB) on its population. The introduction of Directly Observed Treatment Strategy (DOTS) through the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) was expected to bring...
Several Ganeshas – One platform?
The last month had been Ramadan, and many practitioners of the Islamic faith could not make it to the meeting. Now it was the turn of Ganesha, that ‘remover of all obstacles’ and what we had not forseen, was that today the idols would be taken in a procession to the...
The end to a challenge and a new beginning for urban health Team!!
Call it the light at the end of the tunnel, or the pure relief that comes when the hoped-for, unexpected unfolds; but the urban health team experienced the adrenaline rush that goes with all this on August 8th at KG Halli’s community centre as we gathered for the...
ಬದಲಾವಣೆಗೆ ನಿಲುಕದ ಅ೦ಗನವಾಡಿ ಟೀಚರ್
ವಾರ್ಡ ಸ೦ಖ್ಯೆ ೩೦ರಲ್ಲಿ ನಾವು ಸುಮಾರು ಎರಡು ವರುಷಗಳಿ೦ದ ಕೆಲ್ಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇವೆ, ನಮ್ಮ ಗುರಿ ಸಮುದಾಯದ ಆರೋಗ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಗುಣಮಟ್ಟ ತರುವುದಾಗಿದೆ. ಈ ವಾರ್ಡನಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾರತಮಾತ ಸ್ಲ೦ ಇದೆ, ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಒ೦ದು ಅ೦ಗನವಾಡಿ ಸಹ ಇದೆ. . ನಾವು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುವ ಸ೦ದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಆ ಅ೦ಗನವಾಡಿಯು ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ ಎ೦ದು...
Whose life is it anyway ?
11 July began like any other Monday in KG Halli, meant to be a quick review of the last week and a plan for the one to come, but unfolded otherwise. We were interrupted by a phone call from Bharatmata slum; and another, and a third, until it became clear that we...
Why Juliet is reluctant to visit Public Hospital?
Is Juliet’s fear of going to a health provider justified? Are health providers sensitive to an unusual patient like Juliet ? Let us explore the Issues further Juliet is 13 years old and married to Narayana who is 15 years old. She lives in a congested small house...
A platform between the community and social services
The Bharathmatha slum community was facing a huge garbage problem. There was incomplete garbage collection in the area which had given rise to multiple health problems to the community. The IPH team working in the urban health project decided to meet health inspector...
In search of Indian medical education
The most exciting day of my undergraduate life at medical college was the day when I put the stethoscope on a patient’s chest and asked ‘can you take a deep breath’. Through the years at college, life completely revolved around patients and their diseases. In fact,...
Who decides when WIFE becomes MOTHER???
Another day in the field, accompanied by community health assistants (CHA) we started walking under burning sun for house visit. We visited few houses and left with many questions. But one of the issues made me think who decides when wife becomes mother?? CHA’s took...
Drug situation in Tumkur district 2010 -11
Government hospitals in Tumkur district are facing shortages of drugs today. This was an issue that emerged during a recent field visit to the district in mid-April by the Institute of Public Health (IPH), Bengaluru. While most primary health centres and taluka...
Latest Publication
A critique of Draft National Health Research Policy 2011 Health systems research and the Gadchiroli debate: a plea for universal and equitable ethics Good governance in health care: the Karnataka experience Health Financing:...
A New Beginning …..
On a busy OPD day, a surprise visit by the supervisor was least expected. Pushing away all the regular responsibilities of the day, the Primary Health Centre Medical Officer [PHC MO], for the next few hours had to devote all his time and attention answering queries of...
Reflections from the field
Another day of immense learning and many unanswered questions in mind!!! My brief today in KG Halli as part of the urban health team was to help one of my colleagues, unravel the tangle she found herself in……this time thanks to our training and interventions in the...
My illness is not cured, I don’t know what to do, where to go?
This is the story of Munithayamma, a 35-year-old woman from Devanahalli village near Bangalore. She has no to formal education and her family is below poverty line. She is also a part of the dairy cooperative. Membership of the cooperative society automatically enrols her in the Yeshashvini Health Insurance Scheme while being a Below Poverty Line
Misconceptions: In one’s head, and around………..
Yesterday I set off to train Health workers at KG Halli – a clean and bright training centre in the midst of a large slum. The health workers were enthusiastic and raring to go. I started off – slowly, testing their knowledge and understanding. They seemed keen to...
Piliagamma
Every year the residents of Adugodi celebrate the festival of Piliagamma in the month of February. The menu of the day in all the homes is strictly non vegetarian.Since 3 years of being married into this part of the city, I have been an active part of the event...
The intellectual rationale for inhuman medical practices
Doctors have long since moved from the realms of godliness and humaneness to a cut-throat competitiveness for power, money and position. To be ill in current times when one is poor amounts to nothing more than gross stupidity. Only a very, very stupid poor person...
A powerful experience!!!
IPH’s urban health team has begun the training of community health workers. This is a three month training. Classroom sessions will be three days a week alternated with field exercises. The objective of the training is to prepare community members to become community...
Our first footsteps – Multilingual Training in KG Halli!!
12th July felt like an important morning, as we wended our way to the IPH community centre in Tannery road, inaugurating the training for the seven new health worker-trainees from the locality. Last week the meetings had finalized the participants, so when only four...
Self-motivation a demotivator?
Mary had a little lamb, Its fleece was white as snow, And everywhere that Mary went, The lamb was sure to go……. What if one day the lamb decided not to follow Mary? Would it be a crime? A major part of most individual’s lives is spent on FOLLOWING orders, ADHERING to...
Of death and dying – Reflections on visiting our colleague’s home
Antonyamma, fondly known as Antu is our key community health worker, our anchor in the IPH urban health operational area of KG Halli. On Wednesday afternoon, Munna and myself went to her house to spend some time with her after hearing of her mother-in-law’s passing...
Engaging with Media: Is it a ‘scary’, ‘showy’ and ‘not so good thing to do’ for public health professionals?
As a part of the 3rd South Asian Regional Symposium on 'Evidence Informed Health Care' at CMC Vellore, I had an opportunity to listen to Dr. Norman Swan, a pediatrician turned journalist, who is currently working as a health correspondent with Australian Broadcasting...
An Unforgettable Journey
The most common reaction of laymen is that of raised eyebrows when you announce that you have a degree from the west. Having been through various such acquaintances, I was shocked when a colleague of mine, at a new course I was pursing, remarked ‘what’s there in a...
Follow the leader…
The auditorium at Tumkur was abuzz with expectation. The district and sub-district health officials from the government health services had congregated for a training session organised by Swasthya Karnataka on administrative procedures. The resource person for the day...
Notes from distant Bilaspur
On a recent visit to Chattisgarh, I had the opportunity of visiting the Jan Swasthya Sangha (JSS). This is a NGO launched by doctors in 1999. Currently there are 5 doctor couples and between them, they cover the following specialities - Medicine, Paediatrics, Surgery,...
life in a district hospital through the eyes of the CHD
The Institute of Public Health has taken on the responsibility of running a Citizens Help Desk (CHD) in the district hospitals of Bijapur and Bagalkot in North Karnataka. These CHDs are part of the innovations under the National Rural Health Mission.
Why are my patients not happy with my hospital?
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. - Jiddu Krishnamurti Gubbi is a small town in Tumkur district in Southern Karnataka. Gubbi Veeranna, one of the well-known theatre personalities from Karnataka who started the first Kannada...
Micro health insurance in India
Full Citation: Devadasan N, Nagpal S. Perspectives and prospects in micro health insurance: the Indian scenario. IRDA Journal 2007; 5(12):12-17Year: 2007 Type: Journal Abstract: Not available Availability: Available full text at IRDA Journal