Musings Own Thoughts

 This post is grappling with the most fundamental issue of ageing and why we seem to deny its impact. As the years go hurtling along, suddenly the years, months, weeks and days move at a pace which is so fast that instead of galvanizing one into action it paralyses us into inaction as we look at missed opportunities. If there was a certainty and consistency in how we aged there would be no reason to write this blog.   As a number age can only increase but there is an important distinction between life span and health span. My recent readings seem to suggest that the medical profession and healthcare in general has failed spectacularly in increasing health span while it has increased life span significantly in last few decades    There is a decline in the person as he ages and the obvious decline is in the physical side of a person. Then there is also a slow but certain cognitive decline and or ability to remember and learn new skills or things. Also there an emo...

 Well the long awaited consecration of the Ramjanmabhoomi Temple has been completed. Ramayana the story of Lord Rama has held all of India spellbound. Even countries outside India like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia though predominantly Buddhist have had Lord Rama as part of their culture and folklore. Stories from this epic and the various characters especially Lord Rama and the protagonist Ravana along with so many characters like his father, mother, step-mother, brother, wife along with devotee Hanuman and the various sages , birds and animals have created a tapestry in which all of India and it’s people are woven. Region wise and community wise the tale has changed and got modified and enriched.  The images across the country were ones of celebration and pomp and glitter. The cries of Jai Shri Ram were heard. Jai was loud and aggressive Shri was soft and Ram was in a middle tone. It was almost like a war cry of the triumph of majority over a minority.  I a...

  I came across this acronym in a book I have read and reread entitled. "If Disney Ran your Hospital 9 1/2 Things You Would Do Differently" by Fred Lee. I have liked it so much that I tend to use it in every situation where I face a person who is angry offended or feels wronged. The question here is not of who is right or wrong but of a genuine belief by the wronged customer that he or she are right in feeling wronged.    Hospitals and healthcare are full of situations which lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety. This is because there is a power asymmetry in a doctor/hospital vs. patient relationship in terms of knowing the problem at hand. Modern medicine for all it's advances remains subjective and careful communication at every stage is the key to creating a satisfied loyal customer. The book has many chapters dealing with many aspects of healthcare and the situations encountered in a hospital. But the key thing that this book brings out is that there is no differ...

Homogenization of Marriages Ceremonies: This is marriage season and every year I get invited to marriages. These invitatins are for marriges of children who are from close family, some from friends whose children are getting married, some from our own students and some from professional colleagues whose children are getting married. There is a sense of deja vous in most wedding functions and the attendance is reduced to a ritualistic meaningless marking of one's presence and meeting and greeting. Dressing up and travelling to the familiar venue becomes a task in itself cause that is what is needed to be noticed in a crowd especially for the extroverted pesonalities among us. Going up on stage, giving gifts and posing for a picture with the couple and congratulating the parents are the compulsory to do items. This is followed by finding some common acquaintances among the other guests or bumping into someone who has been long lost and catching up with them. Casual banter punctuated ...

 The topic of this blog has been for many clinicians a subject of reflection. As many of my colleagues are well into the sixth decade of life, a time comes when we come home from work and looking at superspecialists adopting newer techniques think if it is time to stop working or at least phasing out.  The exponential increase in knowledge,technology, and techniques makes it extremely difficult to keep up even if one shows exemplary dedication to the field of expertise. Even as an undergraduate the training in the field of medicine in India is very variable and has a role to play in the way one practices medicine later as a consultant.  As a post graduate, Orthopedic surgeon I realized in the 1970's and 80's that we were on the cusp of major changes and getting a degree in the subject far from an end of training seemed to signal a beginning and a constant quest for improving and honing one's skill sets. From machine screws and plates along with K wires and conservative pl...