The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Happy Doctors’ Day!

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Tuesday, Jul 01, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Happy Doctors’ Day!

Doctors’ Day is an opportunity to further good public relations for the medicos and gives patients a chance to express gratitute towards doctors

We pray god everyday for his blessings who gave us this life but the god we see are the doctors, so we have to show the gratitude and remember their service rendered to the human community sacrificing their personal preferences. So to honor them the First of July has been designated as Doctors’ Day in India..

It is indeed important that both doctors and patients be made aware of the existence of this day and at the same time, of its relevance and significance in the larger context of healthcare in this country.

The first Doctors’ Day was observed in the US on March 30, 1933. The idea came from Eudora Brown Almond, wife of Dr Cha Almond, and the date was the anniversary of the use of general anaesthetic in surgery. On March 30, 1842, Dr Crawford Long used ether to remove a tumour from a patient’s neck.

Now, coming closer home, how did first of July get to be designated Doctors’ Day in India.

First of July happens to be the birthday of a very famous Physician of India, Dr B C Roy. Thus July 1st was considered an appropriate day to be designated as Doctors’ Day- a tribute to Dr B C Roy and the entire medical profession.

There are two reasons why we as doctors need to heighten interest in Doctors’ Day. Firstly, Doctors’ Day affords an excellent opportunity to further good public relations for the medical profession.

And to say that there is a need for the same will be an understatement. Hence, it would be a good idea to mark Doctors’ Day with some type of community service projects and activities.

For instance, organising Cancer awareness programmes, CPR classes, blood donation drives, organ donation awareness, anti-smoking campaigns, medical aid to senior citizens, among others. All these can only create a fund of goodwill for the profession. However, it is essential to ensure that these projects are initiated and conducted by medical associations/organisations and not left to some NGOs or service organisations.

The second benefit of promoting Doctors Day will be obvious if you were to ponder on the following: it is worth while trying to wake up this silent majority of patients who have a prayer in their hearts for doctors but don’t speak out and let the world know.

Mangalam Nursing Home Diabetes & Related Disorders

Diabetes is a huge public health time – bomb that is exploding across the world. The number of people in the world with diabetes is expected to double in another 10 years. Increasing levels of obesity (over weight) and the increasingly sedentary lifestyle of many people in the world is the main factor for developing diabetes.

Diabetes is now the leading cause of blindness, renal failure and heart disease. Diabetes complications are preventable. Good quality diabetes care can reduce the burden of the condition and its complications. Every person with diabetes needs a comprehensive annual review to monitor control and check for complications.

People with diabetes need the knowledge, skill and motivation to assess their risks, to understand what they will gain from changing their behaviour or life style and to act accordingly by engaging in appropriate behaviours.

Diabetes Mellitus has a two fold to four fold increased risk of heart disease and nearly twice the early mortality from acute myocardial infarction (Heart attack) compared with non-diabetic subjects.

Diabetes is a complex disease with three abnormalities often being present which can contribute to heart disease. The three abnormalities include high sugars, high blood pressure and abnormal lipids (high cholesterol). Thus it is important to treat all these abnormalities to help reduce the risk of heart disease. It is important to note that painless or ‘Silent’ heart attacks are common in diabetic patients.

Eat a small meal every 2-3 hours. Mini meals spread over the day may help control your hunger and caloric intake leading to better blood glucose control and weight loss. Always carry a snack with you in case of delayed meal or unexpected change in your Schedule. All Diabetic patients having good food on hand will save them from Hypoglycemia (low sugar level) and from having to settle for less nutritious fast foods.

Good diabetes control with proper food habits, regular exercise, recognition of associated risk factors, appropriate medications will greatly reduce or eliminate the serious diabetes related complications.

“Pray to God not for the life you want, but for the strength to live the life you have been given”

Dr. S. Sethuraman.

Recent Trends In Laboratory Diagnosis

Laboratory medicine plays a major role in Allopathy, which is the only evidence-based medicine, practiced all over the world. Of course other forms of medicine such as Homeopathy and Indian medicine are also turning towards the laboratory medicine for their diagnostic needs.

The modern laboratory medicine has been specializing in a big way and we have several branches of diagnostic medicine today.

Molecular diagnostics goes into DNA & RNA level to diagnose the minute pathogens such as HIV, Hepatitis virus, Herpes, Dengue, Chickungunya virus, etc., Molecular biology also is essential in diagnosis of various genetic disorders such as Thalasemia, cystic fibrosis and genetic defects found in various cancers. The major development in cancer therapy is using medicines which will affect the cancer genes within the cancer cells. This way of treatment will prevent the side effects such as their fall, marrow suppression, etc., caused by the previously employed drugs.

Cytogenetics also identifies many genetic defects by a new technology called FISH (Flouroscent In Situ Hybridisation). With this technology and other chromosomal study many inherited disorders can be diagnosed in parents before the pregnancy and in the unborn child. This diagnosis helps reduce the socioeconomic devastation to the family in particular and our nation in general.

Advanced Biochemistry gives accurate results through automation by removing the human errors. Now we are surer about the results because all quality Hi-tech Labs use validation for all tests performed. The major expenses incurred in doing the special & routine biochemical tests come from validating the results obtained on a daily and test to test basis.

Immunology plays a major role in diagnosis and therapy of many diseases. At lease 50% of the human diseases such as Diabetes, Thyroid problem, Kidney problems, etc., are due to random mistakes occurring in our immunological system (power). These can be diagnosed by tests based on identifying these abnormal molecules produced in our own immune system.

The technologies such as ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay), CLIA (Chemi Luminiscent Immuno Assay) Immuno turbidomentry, western blotting, Immunohistochemistry and Immunoflorescence are all based on identifying molecules very accurately based on antigen-antibody reaction. Not only have we mastered these technologies but we also have developed fully automated machineries which can give results in the shortest time possible. We can have hormone studies like Thyroid function tests, Fertility hormone studies, etc., in 15 minutes.

Diagnosing Cancer By Blood Tests:

Cancer markers are molecules present in tumour cells which are released into our blood when in excess. These can be measured and identified correctly. Their reduction in the body tells us that the cancer is cured or controlled. When it increases we know the cancer is not responding.

Frozen Section: We can diagnose cancer and plan the surgery accordingly while the patient is still in the operation theatre by frozen section biopsy. It also helps the surgeon and patient to identify whether the tumour has been completely removed or not.

All the above facilities are available in Doctors’ Diagnostic Centre, Trichy, the only referral Hi-tech laboratory. No longer need patient’s samples be sent to Bombay or Madras for testing. This facility created by doctors of this region offers all diagnostic tests under one roof. Dr.P.K.Rath MD.,

Trichy Cancer

And Daycare Centre

Many cancers are preventable by avoiding tobacco. There are vaccines (like polio drops) to per event few cancers

It is not infectious and it does not spread from one person to another like flu.

Cancer is not a hereditary disease. But we see cancer in many members of the same family. This is possibly because these members share similar environmental, social and dietary habits.

Pain is not an early complaint in most cancers usually it is a late symptom. Many patients wait for the pain to develop before they meet a doctor. So when they meet a doctor with pain, the disease is in advanced stage.

Better ways of diagnosing the disease could be early diagnosis. Do not keep changing doctors and don’t hesitate to consult a specialist. However it is preferable to have an additional opinion by another specialist.

When properly done cancer treatment produces only mild side effects. The problems produced by cancer are more toxic then the treatment. Sometimes the cancer worsening symptoms and appearance of new complaints from patients and family erroneously attribute this worsening to treatment. This leads to the myth that cancer treatment is toxic.

Treatment is available for Cancer but it is expensive. Now a days many treatment options are available to fit in the budget of a patient and family. Many times comprehensive cancer treatment is less expensive than unorganized symptom control preferable as it saves lot of time and money for patient and family.

Dr. R. Mathiazhagan MD (Med), DM (Onco) ESMO (Certified)

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