Views & Reviews
No Holds Barred
Margaret McCartney: Why less confidence may be a good thing
BMJ 2015; 351 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h6321 (Published 25 November 2015)
Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h6321
Rapid response
Re: Margaret McCartney: Why less confidence may be a good thing
No Clinical Knowledge No Confidence in Clinical Practice
Before a drug is going to be prescribed to a patient a doctor should know the details of that drug dosage, its usage, its side effects, adverse effect in a particular age and gender including transgender. Then only will doctors get the confidence to prescribe and fulfill the patients need. So without proper pharmacological knowledge and the patient's history and the expected complication with hormone replacement therapy we may not give a excellent health care. So guidelines are important along with regular updates to get confidence in clinical practice.
Competing interests: No competing interests
27 November 2015
M A Aleem
Neurologist
ABC hospital
Annamalainagar Trichy 620018 Tamilnadu India
Friday, November 27, 2015
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Dr M A Aleem Elected as Vice President for TAN
The Hindu TIRUCHI, November 27, 2015
Elected
M.A. Aleem, neurologist, ABC hospital, Tiruchi, and former Vice Principal of KAPV Government Medical College, has been elected vice-president of the Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry Association of Neurologists. He will hold the office for 2015-2017.

More In: TAMIL NADU | NATIONAL
Elected
M.A. Aleem, neurologist, ABC hospital, Tiruchi, and former Vice Principal of KAPV Government Medical College, has been elected vice-president of the Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry Association of Neurologists. He will hold the office for 2015-2017.

More In: TAMIL NADU | NATIONAL
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women-25th November 2015: Prevention
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women-25th November 2015
Everyone has a responsibility to prevent and end violence against women and girls, starting by challenging the culture of discrimination that allows it to continue.
2015 Campaign
Prevention is the 2015 theme of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November and of the UNiTE to End Violence against Women Campaign’s 16 days call for action.
A staggering one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime—a pandemic of global proportions. Unlike an illness, however, perpetrators and even entire societies choose to commit violence—and can choose to stop. Violence is not inevitable – it can be prevented. But it’s not as straightforward as eradicating a virus. There is no vaccine, medication or cure. And there is no one single reason for why it happens.
As such, prevention strategies should be holistic, with multiple interventions undertaken in parallel in order to have long-lasting and permanent effects. Many sectors, actors and stakeholders need to be engaged. More evidence is emerging on what interventions work to prevent violence—from community mobilisation to change social norms, to comprehensive school interventions targeting staff and pupils, to economic empowerment and income supplements coupled with gender equality training.
16 days to “Orange the world”
From 25 November through 10 December, Human Rights Day, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence aim to raise public awareness and mobilising people everywhere to bring about change. This year, the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign invites you to “Orange the world,” using the colour designated by the UNiTE campaign to symbolise a brighter future without violence. Organise events to orange streets, schools and landmarks!
In India
A crime against a woman is committed every three minutes.
848 Indian Women Are Harassed, Raped, Killed Every Day
In 2013 over three lakh women were kidnapped, raped, molested—and in some extreme cases, killed—by men across the country. That's almost a 27 percent increase since 2012—and a year since
The picture in 2014 is no less grim. If you are a woman, whether you grew up in a rural or urban setting, lived at home or ventured into a new city away from family, work in an office or manage your house full-time—the fear of sexual harassment is real and constant.
According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau—the government agency that keeps track of the country’s crime rate—cases of violent abuse of women have steadily increased since 2009. By 2013, the number of such cases has increased by over 50 percent. That's over 848 women who are either harassed, raped or killed after abduction every single day. Some are sold off to traffickers.
Delhi is the worst offender in such cases. India's capital city is the epicenter of almost thrice the amount of sexual crimes against women than the national average. Though Andhra Pradesh in south India and Uttar Pradesh in the north register more than one-fifth of the total crimes against women, Delhi has by far the worst crime rate. It has also recorded the highest increase in percentage of rape cases across the country.
In 2013, almost 34,000 women were raped. That's a 35.2 percent rise from 2012, with the highest rate of increase in Delhi.
A sizeable portion of the rape survivors—over 13 percent—are under the age of 14 years. If you count all the women who are raped by the time they turn 18, that's almost 40 percent of the entire demographic of women rape survivors. Worse, almost all of these women are raped by their neighbours, parents, a close family member or other relatives. Rapes in 15 out of India's 35 states and Union Territories are only committed by people known to the survivor.
Delhi in the north, Assam and Tripura in the northeast, and Rajasthan in the west are the most unsafe states for women in India.
In December 2012, thousands of protesters flooded the streets of cities across India, demanding a safer environment for women. A 23-year-old female student had died from injuries sustained 13 days earlier, when six men raped and savagely beat her on a Delhi bus. The case gained international attention, and since then South Asian media have reported dozens more horrifying instances of violence against women, several involving tourists: a Danish woman was gang-raped in Delhi after asking for directions back to her hotel, and an American was raped while hitchhiking in the Himalayas.

These cases may reveal an increase in violence—or perhaps they reflect increased reporting by women to police, or heightened media attention. But they have certainly made a big impact on policy discourse in India.
In his first Independence Day speech, India’s current prime minister, Narendra Modi, chided the entire country, saying, “Today when we hear about these rapes, our heads hang in shame.” And since December 2012, numerous policies have been proposed (and several enacted) to stop this “war on women.”
In Tamilnadu
Violence against women in Tamil Nadu includes molestation, abduction, dowry-related violence, and domestic violence. In Usilampatti Taluk, around 6,000 female children were killed in a span of 2 years during 1987-88, accounting to the single largest instance of recorded female infanticide.
A major underlying cause of violence against women is the perception that married women are the property of their husbands. Alcohol use and the portrayal of women in the society and cinemas as sex objects are also believed to be major factors.
Tamil Nadu is the first Indian state to set up "all women police stations" to deal with crimes against women.
After the 2012 Delhi gang rape case in 2013, in which a girl was gang-raped in a moving bus, leading to her death, the Tamil Nadu government unveiled a 13-point action plan including installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in all public buildings and booking offenders in Goondas Act of 1982, that gives non-bailable retention up to 1 year.
Female infanticide
Female infanticide was more common during the 1980s in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. In Usilampatti taluk, a taluk in Madurai District, around 6,000 female children were killed in a span of 2 years during 1987-88. The crime was detected in one of the maternity homes that reported loss of 95% female children born during the period. The female infants were fed with the poisonous juice of oleander plant almost on the day of the birth of the child. The practice was reported even during 1993. The other districts which had prevalence were Salem, Dharmapuri, Vellore (formerly North Arcot), Erode, Dindigul and Madurai, with North Salem, South Dharmapuri, South Dindigul and West Madurai accounting for 70 per cent of all cases. The people considered marrying the girl in the future a menace on account of their financial constraints.
The then government headed by Jayalalitha launched a cradle baby scheme in 1992 in Salem district that urged the parents to drop the child in the cradles instead of killing them.
There were educational programmes launched by the child health and welfare department of the state to create awareness. Dharmapuri district recorded as many as 1,002 registered cases of infanticide, the highest in the state during the year and it reduced to one during 2012. During the simultaneous period, the cradles baby scheme had 1,338 children having 1,272 girls.
The Tamilnadu government also launched another campaign in which the parents of girls undergoing sterilisation were compensated and a gold ring was presented to the girl on her 20th birthday to ease her marriage expenses.
Acid attack
The attack involves throwing acid to dismember or mutilate women. As per a report published on the attacks between March 2014 to September 2015, 200 attacks were recorded, 70.2% were on women. The major reason cited for 51% of the cases involved disgruntled persons who were denied love by the women involved and 42% were attacked by anonymous persons. The state had three fatalities during the period of 2012-14.
Causes
An analysis by the government of Tamil Nadu states that a major underlying cause of violence against women is the perception that married women are the property of their husbands. Within this cultural context, suspicions of infidelity, alcoholism, antagonism over dowries, a couple's infertility, and instigation by a man's relatives can lead to episodes of violence against women. Violence in films and media portrayals of women as sex objects are also cited as contributing to violence against women. In Tamil Nadu's patriarchal society, women sometimes have been punished by men for not producing a male heir. .
Prevention of Violence against women In Tamilnadu
TamilNadu is the first state in India to set up "all women police stations" (AWPSs) to deal with crimes against women.
The scheme was initiated by the then-chief minister of the state, J Jayalalithaa, during her first tenure in 1991-95. As of 2003, the state had around 188 AWPSs all over the state, most of which were located in the same building as the regular police station.
The AWPSs were set to handle cases related to women like sexual harassment, marital discord, child abuse, eve teasing, trafficking, suicides and dowry harassment. Activists believed that after the establishment of AWPSs, women were able to come out and report dowry-related crimes freely to the police women. The police women also reported that they received complaints related to sex tortures, which otherwise went unreported to their male counterparts.
To prevent Crime against women J Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, announced in assembly on 23 February 2013 a 13 points program to prevent violence against women for first time in India. she said
"We will strictly implement the requirement of installing CCTV in key public places and buildings as it enables surveillance of sexual harassment against women and catching the culprits."
There is a wide consensus across the world that crime against women is often under-reported. It is also reported that every twenty minutes, a woman is sexually assaulted. Some sections believe that there is a skew in the reported crime data against women.
The Tamil Nadu police have reported that the awareness among women has improved and they were less afraid to file complaints. The 2012 Delhi gang rape case in 2013, where a girl was gang-raped in a moving bus leading to her fatal death, was reported to have increased the awareness. Activists in that state have reported that the police who were earlier not registering such cases, have started registering them.
The Chief Minister of the State, J Jayalalithaa, announced in the assembly that a 13 point action plan was unveiled by the government post the Delhi Gang Rape like installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) in all public buildings and booking offenders in Goondas Act of 1982, that provides for non-bailable retention up to one year. The government ruled that educational institutions, hospitals, cinema theatres, banks, ATM counters, shopping malls, petrol bunks and jewellery shops would be covered under the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies (Installation of Closed Circuit TV Units in Public Buildings) Rules, 2012. It also ruled that state and central government offices with 100 employees or more and having an area of 500 square metres (0.12 acres) or more would be covered under the rule. The rule also stipulated a time period of six months for the installation in existing buildings, failing which, the licenses would remain cancelled or suspended. During 2013, the state government also launched a 24 *7 women's helpline monitored by senior police officials. The government also ordered speedy investigation in all the pending cases related to crime against women and setting up of fast track district courts to speed justice. The state also proposed to the centre to modify existing rules to render heavy punishments to the offenders to the tune of death and chemical castration.
Violence Against Women is Preventable
Physical, sexual and psychological violence strikes women in epidemic proportions worldwide. It crosses every social and economic class, every religion, race and ethnicity. From domestic abuse to rape as a weapon of war, violence against women is a gross violation of their human rights. Not only does it threaten women's health and their social and economic well-being, violence also thwarts global efforts to reduce poverty.
Violence is, however, preventable. Although no silver bullet will eliminate it, a combination of efforts that address income, education, health, laws and infrastructure can significantly reduce violence and its tragic consequences. First and foremost, abusive behavior towards women must be viewed as unacceptable. Communities need to have an important role in defining solutions to violence and providing support to victims. And men must be engaged in the process too, as agents of change standing alongside women to end violence.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Workshop on Trichy Smart City
Workshop on Smart City organised by the Departments of Women Studies and Environment and Biotechnology, held at the Bharathidasan University here on Wednesday on 18.11.2015
Was
Inaugurated by Dr. V.M. Muthukumar, Vice-Chancellor, Bharathidasan University.
Dr. N. Manimekalai, Director and Head, Department of Women Studies Bharathidasan University
has welcome the gathering.
Dr. Gopinath Ganapathy, Director and Head, department of Computer Science, R. Mangaleswaran, Syndicate member, M. Krishnan, Syndicate Member, of Bharathidasan University, were delivered speech on that occasion.
Dr. M.A. Aleem, former Vice Principal, KAPV Government Medical College has delivered his view during the discussion session at the workshop
Was
Inaugurated by Dr. V.M. Muthukumar, Vice-Chancellor, Bharathidasan University.
Dr. N. Manimekalai, Director and Head, Department of Women Studies Bharathidasan University
has welcome the gathering.
Dr. Gopinath Ganapathy, Director and Head, department of Computer Science, R. Mangaleswaran, Syndicate member, M. Krishnan, Syndicate Member, of Bharathidasan University, were delivered speech on that occasion.
Dr. M.A. Aleem, former Vice Principal, KAPV Government Medical College has delivered his view during the discussion session at the workshop
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Trichy Smart City:Suggestions galore for Smart City- The Hindu Trichy
November 19, 2015
The Hindu Trichy
Suggestions galore for Smart City
C. Jaisankar

The plan should have enough provisions to offer basic amenities in under-developed areas of the city so as to take them on a par with developed areas of Tiruchi
ringing all underdeveloped areas under the retrofitting plan, introduction of metro rail service to reduce congestion, application of smart technology to improve sanitation, construction of multi-level houses to abolish urban slums and multi-level parking at various locations were among the suggestions aired at the consultative meeting on Smart City held at the Bharathidasan University here on Wednesday.
Inaugurating the programme, which was organised by the Departments of Women Studies and Environment and Biotechnology, V.M. Muthukumar, Vice-Chancellor, Bharathidasan University, said smart city plan was widely believed to be a game changer in providing basic amenities in urban civic bodies.
The plan should be smart enough to transfer all benefits to the targeted citizens without giving room for mismanagement. The plan should have enough provisions to offer basic amenities in under-developed areas of the city so as to take them on a par with developed areas of Tiruchi.
M. Krishnan, Syndicate Member, Bharathidasan University, said the smart city could not make real headway unless importance was given to increase the green cover of it.
Environment aspect could make a meaningful contribution to the making of smart city.
Citing the damage done to the urban infrastructure due to heavy rain in the State, R. Mangaleswaran, Syndicate member, Bharathidasan University, said the pan city approach should focus on creating a comprehensive underground drainage with provisions to prevent water logging and flooding during rainy season.
All congested and commercial areas should be included in the retrofitting plan to improve all basic amenities.
V. Ganapathy, Member, State Planning Commission subcommittee on Water and Sanitation, said the existing railway track from Tiruverumbur to Fort Station should be remodelled in order to allow metro railway service. It would decongest the road between Tiruverumbur and Main Guard Gate.
Stressing the need for protecting elders, M.A. Aleem, former Vice Principal, KAPV Government Medical College, said there was no full-fledge hospital or separate hostel for the elders in central region of the State.
A model city having such a facility would serve a model for the entire country. It would inspire many cities to have such facilities on the same line.
M. Subburaman, Director, SCOPE, said many areas particularly congested areas were still lagging behind in sanitation and solid waste management.
New technologies on providing sanitation had come up.
The plan should have provisions to make use of new technologies.
Gopinath Ganapathy, Head, Computer Science, Bharathidasan University, said the information and technology had been offering smart solutions to many issues. Steps must be taken to make use of IT solutions.
N. Manimekalai, Head, Department of Women Studies, said the University would join hands with the Tiruchi Corporation to prepare meaningful smart city proposal. It would submit a detailed report on suggestions made at the consultation meet to the Corporation shortly.
K. C. Neelamegam of Thaneer, a voluntary organisation, emphasised the importance of utilising the services of NGOs in greening the city and maintaining the saplings planted.
The plan should have enough provisions to offer basic amenities in under-developed areas of the city so as to take them on a par with developed areas of Tiruchi
More In: TAMIL NADU | NATIONAL
The Hindu Trichy
Suggestions galore for Smart City
C. Jaisankar

The plan should have enough provisions to offer basic amenities in under-developed areas of the city so as to take them on a par with developed areas of Tiruchi
ringing all underdeveloped areas under the retrofitting plan, introduction of metro rail service to reduce congestion, application of smart technology to improve sanitation, construction of multi-level houses to abolish urban slums and multi-level parking at various locations were among the suggestions aired at the consultative meeting on Smart City held at the Bharathidasan University here on Wednesday.
Inaugurating the programme, which was organised by the Departments of Women Studies and Environment and Biotechnology, V.M. Muthukumar, Vice-Chancellor, Bharathidasan University, said smart city plan was widely believed to be a game changer in providing basic amenities in urban civic bodies.
The plan should be smart enough to transfer all benefits to the targeted citizens without giving room for mismanagement. The plan should have enough provisions to offer basic amenities in under-developed areas of the city so as to take them on a par with developed areas of Tiruchi.
M. Krishnan, Syndicate Member, Bharathidasan University, said the smart city could not make real headway unless importance was given to increase the green cover of it.
Environment aspect could make a meaningful contribution to the making of smart city.
Citing the damage done to the urban infrastructure due to heavy rain in the State, R. Mangaleswaran, Syndicate member, Bharathidasan University, said the pan city approach should focus on creating a comprehensive underground drainage with provisions to prevent water logging and flooding during rainy season.
All congested and commercial areas should be included in the retrofitting plan to improve all basic amenities.
V. Ganapathy, Member, State Planning Commission subcommittee on Water and Sanitation, said the existing railway track from Tiruverumbur to Fort Station should be remodelled in order to allow metro railway service. It would decongest the road between Tiruverumbur and Main Guard Gate.
Stressing the need for protecting elders, M.A. Aleem, former Vice Principal, KAPV Government Medical College, said there was no full-fledge hospital or separate hostel for the elders in central region of the State.
A model city having such a facility would serve a model for the entire country. It would inspire many cities to have such facilities on the same line.
M. Subburaman, Director, SCOPE, said many areas particularly congested areas were still lagging behind in sanitation and solid waste management.
New technologies on providing sanitation had come up.
The plan should have provisions to make use of new technologies.
Gopinath Ganapathy, Head, Computer Science, Bharathidasan University, said the information and technology had been offering smart solutions to many issues. Steps must be taken to make use of IT solutions.
N. Manimekalai, Head, Department of Women Studies, said the University would join hands with the Tiruchi Corporation to prepare meaningful smart city proposal. It would submit a detailed report on suggestions made at the consultation meet to the Corporation shortly.
K. C. Neelamegam of Thaneer, a voluntary organisation, emphasised the importance of utilising the services of NGOs in greening the city and maintaining the saplings planted.
The plan should have enough provisions to offer basic amenities in under-developed areas of the city so as to take them on a par with developed areas of Tiruchi
More In: TAMIL NADU | NATIONAL
Trichy Smart City:Suggestions galore for Smart City- The Hindu Trichy
November 19, 2015
The Hindu Trichy
Suggestions galore for Smart City
C. Jaisankar

The plan should have enough provisions to offer basic amenities in under-developed areas of the city so as to take them on a par with developed areas of Tiruchi
ringing all underdeveloped areas under the retrofitting plan, introduction of metro rail service to reduce congestion, application of smart technology to improve sanitation, construction of multi-level houses to abolish urban slums and multi-level parking at various locations were among the suggestions aired at the consultative meeting on Smart City held at the Bharathidasan University here on Wednesday.
Inaugurating the programme, which was organised by the Departments of Women Studies and Environment and Biotechnology, V.M. Muthukumar, Vice-Chancellor, Bharathidasan University, said smart city plan was widely believed to be a game changer in providing basic amenities in urban civic bodies.
The plan should be smart enough to transfer all benefits to the targeted citizens without giving room for mismanagement. The plan should have enough provisions to offer basic amenities in under-developed areas of the city so as to take them on a par with developed areas of Tiruchi.
M. Krishnan, Syndicate Member, Bharathidasan University, said the smart city could not make real headway unless importance was given to increase the green cover of it.
Environment aspect could make a meaningful contribution to the making of smart city.
Citing the damage done to the urban infrastructure due to heavy rain in the State, R. Mangaleswaran, Syndicate member, Bharathidasan University, said the pan city approach should focus on creating a comprehensive underground drainage with provisions to prevent water logging and flooding during rainy season.
All congested and commercial areas should be included in the retrofitting plan to improve all basic amenities.
V. Ganapathy, Member, State Planning Commission subcommittee on Water and Sanitation, said the existing railway track from Tiruverumbur to Fort Station should be remodelled in order to allow metro railway service. It would decongest the road between Tiruverumbur and Main Guard Gate.
Stressing the need for protecting elders, M.A. Aleem, former Vice Principal, KAPV Government Medical College, said there was no full-fledge hospital or separate hostel for the elders in central region of the State.
A model city having such a facility would serve a model for the entire country. It would inspire many cities to have such facilities on the same line.
M. Subburaman, Director, SCOPE, said many areas particularly congested areas were still lagging behind in sanitation and solid waste management.
New technologies on providing sanitation had come up.
The plan should have provisions to make use of new technologies.
Gopinath Ganapathy, Head, Computer Science, Bharathidasan University, said the information and technology had been offering smart solutions to many issues. Steps must be taken to make use of IT solutions.
N. Manimekalai, Head, Department of Women Studies, said the University would join hands with the Tiruchi Corporation to prepare meaningful smart city proposal. It would submit a detailed report on suggestions made at the consultation meet to the Corporation shortly.
K. C. Neelamegam of Thaneer, a voluntary organisation, emphasised the importance of utilising the services of NGOs in greening the city and maintaining the saplings planted.
The plan should have enough provisions to offer basic amenities in under-developed areas of the city so as to take them on a par with developed areas of Tiruchi
More In: TAMIL NADU | NATIONAL
The Hindu Trichy
Suggestions galore for Smart City
C. Jaisankar

The plan should have enough provisions to offer basic amenities in under-developed areas of the city so as to take them on a par with developed areas of Tiruchi
ringing all underdeveloped areas under the retrofitting plan, introduction of metro rail service to reduce congestion, application of smart technology to improve sanitation, construction of multi-level houses to abolish urban slums and multi-level parking at various locations were among the suggestions aired at the consultative meeting on Smart City held at the Bharathidasan University here on Wednesday.
Inaugurating the programme, which was organised by the Departments of Women Studies and Environment and Biotechnology, V.M. Muthukumar, Vice-Chancellor, Bharathidasan University, said smart city plan was widely believed to be a game changer in providing basic amenities in urban civic bodies.
The plan should be smart enough to transfer all benefits to the targeted citizens without giving room for mismanagement. The plan should have enough provisions to offer basic amenities in under-developed areas of the city so as to take them on a par with developed areas of Tiruchi.
M. Krishnan, Syndicate Member, Bharathidasan University, said the smart city could not make real headway unless importance was given to increase the green cover of it.
Environment aspect could make a meaningful contribution to the making of smart city.
Citing the damage done to the urban infrastructure due to heavy rain in the State, R. Mangaleswaran, Syndicate member, Bharathidasan University, said the pan city approach should focus on creating a comprehensive underground drainage with provisions to prevent water logging and flooding during rainy season.
All congested and commercial areas should be included in the retrofitting plan to improve all basic amenities.
V. Ganapathy, Member, State Planning Commission subcommittee on Water and Sanitation, said the existing railway track from Tiruverumbur to Fort Station should be remodelled in order to allow metro railway service. It would decongest the road between Tiruverumbur and Main Guard Gate.
Stressing the need for protecting elders, M.A. Aleem, former Vice Principal, KAPV Government Medical College, said there was no full-fledge hospital or separate hostel for the elders in central region of the State.
A model city having such a facility would serve a model for the entire country. It would inspire many cities to have such facilities on the same line.
M. Subburaman, Director, SCOPE, said many areas particularly congested areas were still lagging behind in sanitation and solid waste management.
New technologies on providing sanitation had come up.
The plan should have provisions to make use of new technologies.
Gopinath Ganapathy, Head, Computer Science, Bharathidasan University, said the information and technology had been offering smart solutions to many issues. Steps must be taken to make use of IT solutions.
N. Manimekalai, Head, Department of Women Studies, said the University would join hands with the Tiruchi Corporation to prepare meaningful smart city proposal. It would submit a detailed report on suggestions made at the consultation meet to the Corporation shortly.
K. C. Neelamegam of Thaneer, a voluntary organisation, emphasised the importance of utilising the services of NGOs in greening the city and maintaining the saplings planted.
The plan should have enough provisions to offer basic amenities in under-developed areas of the city so as to take them on a par with developed areas of Tiruchi
More In: TAMIL NADU | NATIONAL
Don't prescribe drugs like Brufen, Aspirin: Corpn
Don't prescribe drugs like Brufen, Aspirin: Corpn
NSAID drugs act as pain-killers and bring down the fever to give instant and symptomatic relief to the patients.The recent cases of fever are being exploited by the quacks to cash-in on the outbreak.
TNN Trichy | 13 November 2015, 7:08 AM IST
ETHealthWorld
Trichy: As cases of fever are on the rise, the health wing of the Trichy Corporation has appealed to all allopathy doctors against prescribing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) to patients having fever and affected with pain in the joints, to avoid serious complications.
"NSAIDs like Diclofenac, Brufen and Aspirin are widely prescribed by quacks and some allopathy doctors to patients affected with fever, particularly dengue, for immediate relief from pain in the joints, even though it is not advisable in treating the fever," city health officer (CHO), Trichy corporation, Dr M Geetharani told ToI.
NSAID drugs act as pain-killers and bring down the fever to give instant and symptomatic relief to the patients. The recent cases of fever are being exploited by the quacks to cash-in on the outbreak.
Dr Geetharani warned that consumption of such drugs by dengue patients will lead to severe health complications. "It will lead to hemorrhaging and ray syndrome leading to indigestion and vomiting. Hence, we are sensitizing the doctors to handle the fever cases with utmost care," said CHO.
Former vice-principal of KAP Viswanatham government medical college, Dr MA Aleem also strongly opposed the prescription of NSAIDs to fever patients. "NSAIDs should not be prescribed to fever patients because it will aggravate the drop in platelets in case the patient has contracted dengue. Paracetamol tablets will act effectively to reduce the fever," he said.
The Trichy chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) also advised its members to be cautious while treating fever cases. "The health department officials are conducting periodical meeting with the members of IMA and discussing about this issue. NSAIDs are being prescribed before lab tests are performed to rule out dengue. We will continue to educate our members on this subject," IMA-Trichy president Dr S Sethuraman told ToI.
The IMA president also raised concern over the lack of authorized labs for conducting ELISA test to check for dengue. "There must be few more authorized labs to conduct ELISA test which is considered to be the authentic one to confirm dengue," said Dr Sethuraman.
NSAID drugs act as pain-killers and bring down the fever to give instant and symptomatic relief to the patients.The recent cases of fever are being exploited by the quacks to cash-in on the outbreak.
TNN Trichy | 13 November 2015, 7:08 AM IST
ETHealthWorld
Trichy: As cases of fever are on the rise, the health wing of the Trichy Corporation has appealed to all allopathy doctors against prescribing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) to patients having fever and affected with pain in the joints, to avoid serious complications.
"NSAIDs like Diclofenac, Brufen and Aspirin are widely prescribed by quacks and some allopathy doctors to patients affected with fever, particularly dengue, for immediate relief from pain in the joints, even though it is not advisable in treating the fever," city health officer (CHO), Trichy corporation, Dr M Geetharani told ToI.
NSAID drugs act as pain-killers and bring down the fever to give instant and symptomatic relief to the patients. The recent cases of fever are being exploited by the quacks to cash-in on the outbreak.
Dr Geetharani warned that consumption of such drugs by dengue patients will lead to severe health complications. "It will lead to hemorrhaging and ray syndrome leading to indigestion and vomiting. Hence, we are sensitizing the doctors to handle the fever cases with utmost care," said CHO.
Former vice-principal of KAP Viswanatham government medical college, Dr MA Aleem also strongly opposed the prescription of NSAIDs to fever patients. "NSAIDs should not be prescribed to fever patients because it will aggravate the drop in platelets in case the patient has contracted dengue. Paracetamol tablets will act effectively to reduce the fever," he said.
The Trichy chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) also advised its members to be cautious while treating fever cases. "The health department officials are conducting periodical meeting with the members of IMA and discussing about this issue. NSAIDs are being prescribed before lab tests are performed to rule out dengue. We will continue to educate our members on this subject," IMA-Trichy president Dr S Sethuraman told ToI.
The IMA president also raised concern over the lack of authorized labs for conducting ELISA test to check for dengue. "There must be few more authorized labs to conduct ELISA test which is considered to be the authentic one to confirm dengue," said Dr Sethuraman.
Trichy Smart city- Rock Fort area, consensus choice of retrofitting plan -The Hindu Trichy
The Hindu Trichy 18.11.2015
Rock Fort area, consensus choice of retrofitting plan
C. Jaisankar
The proposal to be submitted well before December 15

Of the four localities, Rock Fort area, Central Bus Stand area, Thillai Nagar and Srirangam, which are under consideration for retrofitting plan, Rock Fort area is said to have emerged as a consensus choice of all stakeholders including citizens, elected representatives, officials and town planners.
An aerial view of Rockfort area in Tiruchi.— Photo: B.Velankanni Raj
Though Central Bus Stand area and Srirangam are also preferred by a section of stakeholders, many of them have put their weight behind Rock Fort area considering the chronic issues confronted by the Rock Fort area. It has got the favour of many since the area is widely visited by hundreds of shoppers from all corners of the city daily.
Informed sources said the Rock Fort area would include Gandhi Market, Big Bazaar Street, Chinnakadai street, N.S.B Road, Nandi Koil Street, Main Guard Gate, Salai Road and Thillai Nagar main road. Though it was initially said that 500 acres of existing built up area in the city would be chosen for retrofitting plan, the Ministry of Urban Development had now allowed the Corporations to follow flexible approach to bring more acres under the retrofitting plan.
“The area from Gandhi Market to N.S.B road is used extensively by all people irrespective of their region when compared to other areas. It is the main commercial area. It is confronted many issues including poor drainage, haphazard parking, crisscross power lines, damaged pavements and others.
Chances are more for projecting Rock Fort area in the retrofitting plan,” said a person involved in the preparation of Smart City Proposal for Tiruchi.
He said the area had many issues. The idea was to find out ways and means to provide smart solutions by using Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Stating that the preparation of Smart City Challenge Mission Proposal was on right track, Tiruchi Corporation had emerged as one of the top contenders to be shortlisted in the first 20 Corporations out of 100 Corporations considering the excellent participation of all stakeholders in the preparation of SCCMP. The proposal would be submitted well before December 15. One or two more consultations with stakeholders would take place in Tiruchi shortly.
More In: TAMIL NADU | NATIONAL
Rock Fort area, consensus choice of retrofitting plan
C. Jaisankar
The proposal to be submitted well before December 15

Of the four localities, Rock Fort area, Central Bus Stand area, Thillai Nagar and Srirangam, which are under consideration for retrofitting plan, Rock Fort area is said to have emerged as a consensus choice of all stakeholders including citizens, elected representatives, officials and town planners.
An aerial view of Rockfort area in Tiruchi.— Photo: B.Velankanni Raj
Though Central Bus Stand area and Srirangam are also preferred by a section of stakeholders, many of them have put their weight behind Rock Fort area considering the chronic issues confronted by the Rock Fort area. It has got the favour of many since the area is widely visited by hundreds of shoppers from all corners of the city daily.
Informed sources said the Rock Fort area would include Gandhi Market, Big Bazaar Street, Chinnakadai street, N.S.B Road, Nandi Koil Street, Main Guard Gate, Salai Road and Thillai Nagar main road. Though it was initially said that 500 acres of existing built up area in the city would be chosen for retrofitting plan, the Ministry of Urban Development had now allowed the Corporations to follow flexible approach to bring more acres under the retrofitting plan.
“The area from Gandhi Market to N.S.B road is used extensively by all people irrespective of their region when compared to other areas. It is the main commercial area. It is confronted many issues including poor drainage, haphazard parking, crisscross power lines, damaged pavements and others.
Chances are more for projecting Rock Fort area in the retrofitting plan,” said a person involved in the preparation of Smart City Proposal for Tiruchi.
He said the area had many issues. The idea was to find out ways and means to provide smart solutions by using Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Stating that the preparation of Smart City Challenge Mission Proposal was on right track, Tiruchi Corporation had emerged as one of the top contenders to be shortlisted in the first 20 Corporations out of 100 Corporations considering the excellent participation of all stakeholders in the preparation of SCCMP. The proposal would be submitted well before December 15. One or two more consultations with stakeholders would take place in Tiruchi shortly.
More In: TAMIL NADU | NATIONAL
Monday, November 16, 2015
World Antibiotic Awareness Week 16 to 22 November 2015
World Antibiotic Awareness Week 16 to22
November 2015
The first World Antibiotic Awareness Week is adopted by WHO
from 16 to 22 November 2015. This campaign aims to increase awareness of global antibiotic resistance and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers, policy-makers and the agriculture sector to avoid the further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to the use of these medicines. Bacteria, not humans, become antibiotic resistant. These bacteria may then infect humans and are harder to treat than non-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality.
Antimicrobial resistance is occurring everywhere in the world, compromising our ability to treat infectious diseases, as well as undermining many other advances in health and medicine. The goal of the global action plan is to ensure, for as long as possible, continuity of successful treatment and prevention of infectious diseases with effective and safe medicines that are quality-assured, used in a responsible way, and accessible to all who need them.
Antibiotic resistance compromises the treatment of infectious diseases and undermining advances in health and medicine. Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, but misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the process. A new survey, released recently by World health organization, coincides with the launch of World Antibiotics Awareness Week — a global initiative to improve understanding of the problem and change the way antibiotics are used.
Antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health today. It can affect anyone, of any age, in any country including India.
Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, but misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the process.
A growing number of infections—such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and gonorrhoea—are becoming harder to treat as the antibiotics used to treat them become less effective.
Antibiotic resistance leads to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs and increased mortality.
Introduction
Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to the use of these medicines.
Bacteria, not humans, become antibiotic resistant. These bacteria may then infect humans and are harder to treat than non-resistant bacteria.
Antibiotic resistance leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality. In the European Union alone, drug-resistant bacteria are estimated to cause 25,000 deaths and cost more than US$1.5 billion every year in healthcare expenses and productivity losses. The world urgently needs to change the way we prescribe and use antibiotics. Even if new medicines are developed, without behaviour change, antibiotic resistance will remain a major threat. Behaviour changes must also include actions to reduce the spread of infections through vaccination, hand washing and good food hygiene.
Scope of the problem
Antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. New resistance mechanisms emerge and spread globally every day, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases. A growing list of infections—such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood poisoning and gonorrhoea—are becoming harder, and sometimes impossible, to treat as antibiotics become less effective.
In countries india where antibiotics can be bought without a prescription, emergence and spread of resistance is made worse. Similarly, in countries without standard treatment guidelines, antibiotics are often over-prescribed by health workers and over-used by the public.
Without urgent action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill.
Prevention and control
Antibiotic resistance is accelerated by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, as well as poor infection prevention and control. Steps can be taken at all levels of society to reduce the impact and limit the spread of resistance.
The general public can help by:
Preventing infections by regularly washing hands, practicing good food hygiene, avoiding close contact with sick people and keeping vaccinations up to date
Only using antibiotics when prescribed by a certified health professional
Always taking the full prescription
Never using left-over antibiotics
Never sharing antibiotics with others.
Health workers and pharmacists can help by:
Preventing infections by ensuring hands, instruments and environment are clean
Keeping patients’ vaccinations up to date
When a bacterial infection is suspected, perform bacterial cultures and testing to confirm
Only prescribing and dispensing antibiotics when they are truly needed
Prescribing and dispensing the right antibiotic at the right dose for the right duration.
Policymakers can help by:
Having a robust national action plan to tackle antibiotic resistance
Improving surveillance of antibiotic-resistant infections
Strengthening infection prevention and control measures
Regulating and promoting the appropriate use of quality medicines
Making information on the impact of antibiotic resistance available
Rewarding the development of new treatment options, vaccines and diagnostics.
The agricultural sector can help by:
Ensure that antibiotics given to animals - including food-producing and companion animals - are only used to treat infectious diseases and under veterinary supervision.
Vaccinate animals to reduce the need for antibiotics and develop alternatives to the use of antibiotics in plants.
Promote and apply good practices at all steps of production and processing of foods from animal and plant sources.
Adopt sustainable systems with improved hygiene, biosecurity and stress-free handling of animals.
Implement international standards for the responsible use of antibiotics, set out WHO.
The healthcare industry can help by:
Investing in new antibiotics, vaccines, and diagnostics.
Recent developments
While there are some new antibiotics in development, none of these are expected to be effective against the most dangerous forms of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Given the ease and frequency with which people now travel, antibiotic resistance is a global problem, requiring efforts from all nations.
Impact
When infections can no longer be treated by first-line antibiotics, more expensive medicines must be used. A longer duration of illness and treatment, often in hospitals, increases health care costs as well as the economic burden on families and societies.
Antibiotic resistance is putting the achievements of modern medicine at risk. Without effective antibiotics for the prevention and treatment of infections, organ transplantations, chemotherapy and surgeries such as caesarean sections become much more dangerous.
In india
India has one of the highest antibiotic resistance rates.
It's our own fault.
In India and elsewhere, we use antibiotics too much. We use them to treat coughs and colds — for which they're ineffective.
We are using antibiotics in animal feed in an attempt to prevent disease and to fatten cows and chickens. And the more we use antibiotics, the greater the likelihood that clever bacteria will evolve in ways that resist the attack of antibiotics. So once-treatable infections become difficult or impossible to cure.
Now we're learning that antibiotic resistance isn't just a rich-country issue.
Resistance is a problem everywhere. It's truly a global problem and requires an urgent response.
E. coli from contaminated water or food, for example, is resistant to many drug types in regions around the world. But India has the highest rates of resistance to nearly every drug available to treat it. Strains of E. coli tested in labs there were more than 80 percent resistant to three classes of drugs, and treatment options there are increasingly limited, the report found.
And MRSA, a dangerous staph infection often contracted in hospitals that does not respond to many antibiotics, is found at high rates in the United States, Romania, Portugal, Vietnam and India — rich, middle-income and poor countries alike.

Antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, hitching on trains, planes and ships, have made their way from wealthy countries to poor countries, and back again.
So why not just keep seeking and developing new antibiotics? In the race between new drug development and bacteria that evolve to outsmart even the latest last-resort drug, the bacteria will eventually win. That's because the bugs evolve to develop resistance to new drugs faster than science can make them.
And new drugs are increasingly expensive. Low-income countries will not be able to afford them.
It will take country-by-country education of patients, physicians and hospitals to bring down levels of inappropriate use around the world. Reducing the use of antibiotics can help the problem of resistance. "In the absence of antibiotics, resistant bacteria more easily die out. In many cases, if we stop overusing antibiotics, resistance will go substantially down.
But inappropriate use of antibiotics allows greater and greater numbers of bacteria to inherit genes resistant to particular antibiotics — and some bacteria are resistant to every such drug in the medical arsenal. "We wipe out the bacteria that aren't resistant, and we're left with the ones that survive.
Our countries has among the highest rates of antibiotic resistance for 12 common bacteria including Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella, Klebsiella and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the 30 countries studies.
The rates in India were particularly alarming. For example in 2014 in India 57% of the infections caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae, were found to be resistant to the last-resort antibiotic class of drugs carbapenems, up from 29% in 2008. This is particularly crucial as “Carbapenem antibiotics are for use in the most dire circumstances—when someone’s life is in danger and no other drug will cure the infection.
The Rampant rise in antibiotic use poses a major threat to public health in India, especially when there’s no oversight on appropriate prescribing.
This type of situation is another reminder for the country to quickly implement its new guidelines on antibiotic use .
Greater emphasis on hygiene for coughs, colds and other infectious diseases is needed amid growing antibiotic resistance across the world.
The guidelines should aimed at changing behaviour among the public on antibiotic use, advocates national and local campaigning on handwashing and other self-care techniques for preventing infectious diseases rather than taking antibiotics. It recommends teaching children and students on proper handwashing techniques as well as convincing people that self limiting conditions do not require antibiotics.
Given the critical public health challenge that antibiotic resistance in India poses, we have yet to see policy level recognition of building public awareness on the issue. The Indian guidelines so far have targeted physicians and pharmacists who are crucial stakeholders in tackling the problem. However, unless the public is part of the process, it would be impossible to holistically address the problem of antibiotic resistance in the country.
We are also in need for updating the existing laws of sale of over-the-counter drugs in India and more importantly enforcing them.
Overview
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi. An increasing number of governments around the world and India are devoting efforts to a problem so serious that it threatens the achievements of modern medicine. A post-antibiotic era – in which common infections and minor injuries can kill – far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is instead a very real possibility for the 21st Century.
This WHO report, produced in collaboration with Member States and other partners, provides for the first time, as accurate a picture as is presently possible of the magnitude of AMR and the current state of surveillance globally.
The report makes a clear case that resistance to common bacteria has reached alarming levels in many parts of the world and that in some settings, few, if any, of the available treatments options remain effective for common infections. Another important finding of the report is that surveillance of antibacterial resistance is neither coordinated nor harmonized and there are many gaps in information on bacteria of major public health importance.
Strengthening global AMR surveillance is critical as it is the basis for informing global strategies, monitoring the effectiveness of public health interventions and detecting new trends and threats. As WHO, along with partners across many sectors moves ahead in developing a global action plan to mitigate AMR, this report will serve as a baseline to measure future progress.
High background rates of infectious disease plus a large pharmaceutical industry plus an increasingly affluent population that can afford antibiotics. “You put all the things together and it’s this gigantic petri dish of experimentation that is resulting in highly pathogenic strains.”
Indian National Epilepsy Day 17th November 2015
Indian National Epilepsy Day 2015
In India It is estimated that the overall “incidence” of epilepsy (number of new cases observed over a fixed period of time) lies between 20 - 50 cases per year per 100,000 persons in a general population. The usual “prevalence” rate (number of persons with epilepsy during a specified time) is 500-1000 cases per 100,000 persons in the population. Going by these statistics, there will be about 200,000 to 500,000 new cases of epilepsy every year in the whole of India . Similarly at the present time there may be about 50-100 lakhs of epilepsy patients in whole of India respectively.
The following practical points need to be remembered:
One in 20 people will have an epileptic seizure at some point in their lives.
One in 100-200 people in a general population has epilepsy at any given time.
About 50–70% patients will develop epilepsy (have their first seizure) before the age of 18 years.
THEREFORE EPILEPSY IS CLEARLY A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM IN INDI
Epilepsy
Facts
Epilepsy is a chronic noncommunicable disorder of the brain that affects people of all ages.
Approximately 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally.
Nearly 80% of the people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries.
People with epilepsy respond to treatment approximately 70% of the time.
About three fourths of people with epilepsy living in low- and middle- income countries do not get the treatment they need.
In many parts of the world, people with epilepsy and their families suffer from stigma and discrimination.
Epilepsy is a chronic disorder of the brain that affects people worldwide. It is characterized by recurrent seizures, which are brief episodes of involuntary movement that may involve a part of the body (partial) or the entire body (generalized), and are sometimes accompanied by loss of consciousness and control of bowel or bladder function.
Seizure episodes are a result of excessive electrical discharges in a group of brain cells. Different parts of the brain can be the site of such discharges. Seizures can vary from the briefest lapses of attention or muscle jerks to severe and prolonged convulsions. Seizures can also vary in frequency, from less than 1 per year to several per day.
One seizure does not signify epilepsy (up to 10% of people worldwide have one seizure during their lifetime). Epilepsy is defined as having 2 or more unprovoked seizures. Epilepsy is one of the world’s oldest recognized conditions, with written records dating back to 4000 BC. Fear, misunderstanding, discrimination and social stigma have surrounded epilepsy for centuries. This stigma continues in many countries today and can impact on the quality of life for people with the disorder and their families.
Signs and symptoms
Characteristics of seizures vary and depend on where in the brain the disturbance first starts, and how far it spreads. Temporary symptoms occur, such as loss of awareness or consciousness, and disturbances of movement, sensation (including vision, hearing and taste), mood, or other cognitive functions.
People with seizures tend to have more physical problems (such as fractures and bruising from injuries related to seizures), as well as higher rates of psychological conditions, including anxiety and depression. Similarly, the risk of premature death in people with epilepsy is up to 3 times higher than the general population, with the highest rates found in low- and middle-income countries and rural versus urban areas.
A great proportion of the causes of death related to epilepsy in low- and middle-income countries are potentially preventable, such as falls, drowning, burns and prolonged seizures.
Rates of disease
Approximately 50 million people currently live with epilepsy worldwide. The estimated proportion of the general population with active epilepsy (i.e. continuing seizures or with the need for treatment) at a given time is between 4 and 10 per 1000 people. However, some studies in low- and middle-income countries suggest that the proportion is much higher, between 7 and 14 per 1000 people.
Globally, an estimated 2.4 million people are diagnosed with epilepsy each year. In high-income countries, annual new cases are between 30 and 50 per 100 000 people in the general population. In low- and middle-income countries, this figure can be up to two times higher.
This is likely due to the increased risk of endemic conditions such as malaria or neurocysticercosis; the higher incidence of road traffic injuries; birth-related injuries; and variations in medical infrastructure, availability of preventative health programmes and accessible care. Close to 80% of people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries.
Causes
Epilepsy is not contagious. The most common type of epilepsy, which affects 6 out of 10 people with the disorder, is called idiopathic epilepsy and has no identifiable cause.
Epilepsy with a known cause is called secondary epilepsy, or symptomatic epilepsy. The causes of secondary (or symptomatic) epilepsy could be:
brain damage from prenatal or perinatal injuries (e.g. a loss of oxygen or trauma during birth, low birth weight),
congenital abnormalities or genetic conditions with associated brain malformations,
a severe head injury,
a stroke that restricts the amount of oxygen to the brain,
an infection of the brain such as meningitis, encephalitis, neurocysticercosis,
certain genetic syndromes,
a brain tumor.
Treatment
Epilepsy can be treated easily and affordably with inexpensive daily medication that costs as little as US$ 5 per year. Recent studies in both low- and middle-income countries have shown that up to 70% of children and adults with epilepsy can be successfully treated (i.e. their seizures completely controlled) with anti¬epileptic drugs (AEDs). Furthermore, after 2 to 5 years of successful treatment and being seizure-free, drugs can be withdrawn in about 70% of children and 60% of adults without subsequent relapse.
In low- and middle-income countries, about three fourths of people with epilepsy may not receive the treatment they need. This is called the “treatment gap”.
In many low- and middle-income countries, there is low availability of AEDs. A recent study found the average availability of generic antiepileptic medicines in the public sector of low- and middle-income countries to be less than 50%. This may act as a barrier to accessing treatment.
It is possible to diagnose and treat most people with epilepsy at the primary health- care level without the use of sophisticated equipment.
WHO demonstration projects have indicated that training primary health-care providers to diagnose and treat epilepsy can effectively reduce the epilepsy treatment gap. However, the lack of trained health-care providers can act as a barrier to treatment for people with epilepsy.
Surgical therapy might be beneficial to patients who respond poorly to drug treatments.
Prevention
Idiopathic epilepsy is not preventable. However, preventive measures can be applied to the known causes of secondary epilepsy.
Preventing head injury is the most effective way to prevent post-traumatic epilepsy.
Adequate perinatal care can reduce new cases of epilepsy caused by birth injury.
The use of drugs and other methods to lower the body temperature of a feverish child can reduce the chance of febrile seizures.
Central nervous system infections are common causes of epilepsy in tropical areas, where many low- and middle-income countries are concentrated.
Elimination of parasites in these environments and education on how to avoid infections can be effective ways to reduce epilepsy worldwide, for example those cases due to neurocysticercosis.
Social and economic impacts
Epilepsy accounts for 0.75%, of the global burden of disease, a time-based measure that combines years of life lost due to premature mortality and time lived in less than full health. In 2012, epilepsy was responsible for approximately 20.6 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost. Epilepsy has significant economic implications in terms of health-¬care needs, premature death and lost work productivity.
An study in India conducted in 1998 calculated that the cost per patient of epilepsy treatment was as high as 88.2% of the country’s per capita gross national product (GNP), and epilepsy-related costs, which included medical costs, travel, and lost work time, exceeded US$ 1.7 billion per year.
Although the social effects vary from country to country, the discrimination and social stigma that surround epilepsy worldwide are often more difficult to overcome than the seizures themselves. People living with epilepsy can be targets of prejudice. The stigma of the disorder can discourage people from seeking treatment for symptoms, so as to avoid becoming identified with the disorder.
Human rights
People with epilepsy can experience reduced access to health and life insurance, a withholding of the opportunity to obtain a driving license, and barriers to enter particular occupations, among other limitations. In many countries legislation reflects centuries of misunderstanding about epilepsy. For example:
In both China and India, epilepsy is commonly viewed as a reason for prohibiting or annulling marriages.
In the United Kingdom, a law forbidding people with epilepsy to marry was repealed only in 1970.
In the United States of America, until the 1970s, it was legal to deny people with seizures access to restaurants, theatres, recreational centres and other public buildings.
Legislation based on internationally accepted human rights standards can prevent discrimination and rights violations, improve access to health-care services, and raise the quality of life for people with epilepsy.
Friday, November 13, 2015
World Diabetes Day November 14, 2015: Healthy living starts at breakfast
World Diabetes Day
Each year, World Diabetes Day, which is co-ordinated by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), carries a particular theme and between 2009 and 2013 the theme has been ‘education and prevention’.
World Diabetes Day November 14, 2015: Healthy living starts at breakfast
The theme of World Diabetes Day, from 2014 to 2016 will be healthy living and diabetes and this year (2015), there’s a focus on starting each day right by having a healthy breakfast.
A healthy breakfast should help blood sugar levels from getting too high and should keep you full through the morning. Whilst cereal and toast may be cheap, these options typically raise blood sugar levels rapidly and may leave you hungry again before lunch.
If you drink fruit juice for breakfast, consider cutting the juice out or having a smaller glass of it. For reference, a 150ml glass of unsweetened orange juice contains around 15g of carbohydrate and 13g of sugar.

Diabetes in India
 According to statistics from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), India has more diabetics than any other nation of the world. Current estimates peg the number of diabetics in the country at about 62 million – an increase of over 10 million from 2011 when estimates suggested that about 50.8 million people in the country were suffering from the disease. If you think the disease has already reached endemic proportions in the country, consider this. By the year 2030, over 100 million people in India are likely to suffer from diabetes, say researchers.
Why are Indians Susceptible to Diabetes?
A number of factors in combination make Indians highly susceptible to Diabetes.
Genetic factors are among the greatest contributors to the rapid spread of this disease. On an average, Indians are four times more likely to develop diabetes than Europeans, based solely on genetic outlook.
Looking at this scenario from the socio-economic perspective it is not difficult to understand why Indians are falling prey to diabetes en masse. Of all the states, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu seem to have the highest prevalence of diabetes. Apart from the health risks, diabetes pushes the masses to poverty. News reports say that about a fourth of a person’s income could be spent managing diabetes and diabetes related health issues.
Cultural and social factors are no less important. The Indian diet is rich in carbohydrates and saturated fats. A typical Indian diet is has more calories and sugar than required by the body. This is the cause of obesity, which in turn leads to diabetes.
Urban migration and change in lifestyle is another factor that must be considered in the study of diabetes in India. The younger generations are increasingly choosing a sedentary lifestyle. With rising standard of living comes the tendency to consume processed sugary foods.
Diabetes Awareness in India
Diabetes screening and identification is a very simple process requiring minimal effort on the part of patients. Cities and suburban regions have good number of screening and detection centres. Much of rural India, however, is not adequately equipped to detect diabetes early on. According to estimates, about 50 percent diabetics in India, mostly in rural areas, are not aware of their condition. While there have been nationwide campaigns, some involving celebrities, for the eradication of polio, TB, malaria, and small pox, no such awareness campaign has been undertaken either by the central government or the states to educate the masses about diabetes.
An estimated one million Indians die each year due to diabetes. Every adult over the age of 40 is at risk, but virtually, no awareness of the disease exists in the country.
The Ministry of Health has also failed in the past decades to commission a nationwide research into the prevalence and access to treatment. Some of the major research works on diabetes in India are undertaken by private institutions such as Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and Indian Diabetes Research Foundation. Some of these research programmes are undertaken independently while others in association with WHO, International Diabetes Research Foundation, etc. Other research projects are undertaken by educational institutions such as universities and pharmaceutical companies. Sadly, despite the precarious health scenario due to the spread of diabetes, the government has turned a blind eye.
The International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) has been running Project Hope since 2007. The project trains and educates health care profe
Current Treatment
Diabetes is usually not reversible. It is treated with insulin therapy. Early diabetes may be controlled by oral drugs but high levels of blood glucose require insulin shots to be administered. Diabetes drugs are easily available across the country in government hospitals and rural medical centres.
Treatment of other diseases caused by diabetes such as diabetic retinopathy and renal failure can be treated by medicine and surgery. Rural Indians can access these facilities at government health centres and hospitals. The Sankara Foundation Eye Hospital holds camps for screening and surgical treatment of diabetic retinopathy across the country.
Preventing Diabetes
The onset of Type 2 diabetes or Diabetes Mellitus may be delayed or altogether prevented in a great number of cases. Having a balanced diet is key to diabetes prevention. Exercising regularly and maintaining an ideal body weight is another major factor in prevention of diabetes. Obese people are at an elevated risk of developing diabetes. Avoidance of alcohol and tobacco also considerably reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Regular health checks to rule out diabetes are mandatory for everyone over the age of 40.
Diabetes Myths in India

The biggest diabetes myth is that people with diabetes can't eat sugar
There are a number of myths about diabetes that are all too commonly reported as facts. These misrepresentations of diabetes can sometimes be harmful and lead to an unfair stigma around the condition.
Diabetes information is widely available, both from healthcare professionals and the Internet, but not all of it is true.
It can be hard to know what is accurate, so this page aims to highlight the top ten of the most common diabetes myths.
As well as diabetes myths, you may be interested in these diabetes facts.
Myth 1: People with diabetes can’t eat sugar
This is one of the most common diabetes myths; that people with the condition have to eat a sugar-free diet.
People with diabetes need to eat a diet that is balanced, which can include some sugar in moderation.
People with diabetes can eat sugar.
Myth 2: Type 2 diabetes is mild

This diabetes myth is widely repeated, but of course it isn’t true.
No form of diabetes is mild.
If type 2 diabetes is poorly managed it can lead to serious (even life-threatening) complications.
Good control of diabetes can significantly decrease the risk of complications but this doesn’t mean the condition itself is not serious.
Myth 3: Type 2 diabetes only affects fat people
Whilst type 2 diabetes is often associated with being overweight and obese by the media, it is patently untrue that type 2 diabetes only affects overweight people.
Around 20% of people with type 2 diabetes are of a normal weight, or underweight.

Myth 4: People with diabetes should only eat diabetic food
Diabetic food is one of the most common myths of the last ten years. The label ‘diabetic’ is often used on sweets foods. Often sugar alcohols, or other sweeteners, will be used instead of sugar. Diabetic food will often still affect blood glucose levels, is expensive, and may also cause adverse side effects.

Diabetes charity Diabetes UK recommends that people with diabetes avoid diabetic food.
Myth 5: People with diabetes go blind and lose their legs
Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness and also causes many amputations each year. However, those people with diabetes that control blood pressure, glucose, weight and quit smoking all increase their chances of remaining complication free.
Blindness and amputation are therefore preventable and the vast majority of people with diabetes will avoid blindness and amputation, particularly if annual diabetic health checks are attended each year.

Myth 6: People with diabetes are dangerous drivers
This myth is based around an inaccurate generalisation. The main danger of driving for people with diabetes is if hypoglycemia occurs.
However, hypoglycemia is a preventable state and the vast majority of people with diabetes at risk of hypos exercise care to avoid hypos taking place whilst driving.
Statistics show that diabetics are no less safe on the road than anyone else with significant accidents being attributed to hypoglycemia affecting less 0.2% of drivers treated with insulin.
However, the myth that people with diabetes are dangerous drivers is ongoing.
Myth 7: People with diabetes shouldn’t play sport
High-prominence diabetic sportsmen and women have disproved this diabetes myth. People with diabetes should take part in exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
There are some factors worth considering before partaking in sport, but there is no reason why people with diabetes can’t participate in most cases.
Myth 8: People with diabetes can't do many jobs
Having diabetes won’t stop you from having a job and with the improvements that have been made in treatment of diabetes, the number of jobs that people with diabetes are ineligible for is now very small.
The armed forces is one profession which may prevent people with diabetes from entering specific roles, such as front line service, but many other positions will be accessible.
It’s worth noting that people with diabetes that cannot work, for individual sight or mobility reasons, may be entitled to specific benefits.
Myth 9: People with diabetes are more likely to be ill
People with diabetes are not more likely to have colds or other illnesses. The significance of illness for people with diabetes is that it can make the management of blood glucose levels more difficult which can increase the severity of an illness or infection. Prevention of illness is particularly important and therefore flu jabs are advisable and free.

Myth 10: Diabetes is contagious
Something of a classic playground myth, diabetes cannot be caught off someone else. Diabetes is categorised as being a non-communicable illness meaning it cannot be passed on by sneezing, through touch, nor via blood or any other person to person means.
The only way in which diabetes can be passed on is from parents to their own children but even this is only a genetic likelihood of diabetes and not the condition itself.


Each year, World Diabetes Day, which is co-ordinated by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), carries a particular theme and between 2009 and 2013 the theme has been ‘education and prevention’.
World Diabetes Day November 14, 2015: Healthy living starts at breakfast
The theme of World Diabetes Day, from 2014 to 2016 will be healthy living and diabetes and this year (2015), there’s a focus on starting each day right by having a healthy breakfast.
A healthy breakfast should help blood sugar levels from getting too high and should keep you full through the morning. Whilst cereal and toast may be cheap, these options typically raise blood sugar levels rapidly and may leave you hungry again before lunch.
If you drink fruit juice for breakfast, consider cutting the juice out or having a smaller glass of it. For reference, a 150ml glass of unsweetened orange juice contains around 15g of carbohydrate and 13g of sugar.

Diabetes in India
 According to statistics from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), India has more diabetics than any other nation of the world. Current estimates peg the number of diabetics in the country at about 62 million – an increase of over 10 million from 2011 when estimates suggested that about 50.8 million people in the country were suffering from the disease. If you think the disease has already reached endemic proportions in the country, consider this. By the year 2030, over 100 million people in India are likely to suffer from diabetes, say researchers.
Why are Indians Susceptible to Diabetes?
A number of factors in combination make Indians highly susceptible to Diabetes.
Genetic factors are among the greatest contributors to the rapid spread of this disease. On an average, Indians are four times more likely to develop diabetes than Europeans, based solely on genetic outlook.
Looking at this scenario from the socio-economic perspective it is not difficult to understand why Indians are falling prey to diabetes en masse. Of all the states, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu seem to have the highest prevalence of diabetes. Apart from the health risks, diabetes pushes the masses to poverty. News reports say that about a fourth of a person’s income could be spent managing diabetes and diabetes related health issues.
Cultural and social factors are no less important. The Indian diet is rich in carbohydrates and saturated fats. A typical Indian diet is has more calories and sugar than required by the body. This is the cause of obesity, which in turn leads to diabetes.
Urban migration and change in lifestyle is another factor that must be considered in the study of diabetes in India. The younger generations are increasingly choosing a sedentary lifestyle. With rising standard of living comes the tendency to consume processed sugary foods.
Diabetes Awareness in India
Diabetes screening and identification is a very simple process requiring minimal effort on the part of patients. Cities and suburban regions have good number of screening and detection centres. Much of rural India, however, is not adequately equipped to detect diabetes early on. According to estimates, about 50 percent diabetics in India, mostly in rural areas, are not aware of their condition. While there have been nationwide campaigns, some involving celebrities, for the eradication of polio, TB, malaria, and small pox, no such awareness campaign has been undertaken either by the central government or the states to educate the masses about diabetes.
An estimated one million Indians die each year due to diabetes. Every adult over the age of 40 is at risk, but virtually, no awareness of the disease exists in the country.
The Ministry of Health has also failed in the past decades to commission a nationwide research into the prevalence and access to treatment. Some of the major research works on diabetes in India are undertaken by private institutions such as Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and Indian Diabetes Research Foundation. Some of these research programmes are undertaken independently while others in association with WHO, International Diabetes Research Foundation, etc. Other research projects are undertaken by educational institutions such as universities and pharmaceutical companies. Sadly, despite the precarious health scenario due to the spread of diabetes, the government has turned a blind eye.
The International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) has been running Project Hope since 2007. The project trains and educates health care profe
Current Treatment
Diabetes is usually not reversible. It is treated with insulin therapy. Early diabetes may be controlled by oral drugs but high levels of blood glucose require insulin shots to be administered. Diabetes drugs are easily available across the country in government hospitals and rural medical centres.
Treatment of other diseases caused by diabetes such as diabetic retinopathy and renal failure can be treated by medicine and surgery. Rural Indians can access these facilities at government health centres and hospitals. The Sankara Foundation Eye Hospital holds camps for screening and surgical treatment of diabetic retinopathy across the country.
Preventing Diabetes
The onset of Type 2 diabetes or Diabetes Mellitus may be delayed or altogether prevented in a great number of cases. Having a balanced diet is key to diabetes prevention. Exercising regularly and maintaining an ideal body weight is another major factor in prevention of diabetes. Obese people are at an elevated risk of developing diabetes. Avoidance of alcohol and tobacco also considerably reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Regular health checks to rule out diabetes are mandatory for everyone over the age of 40.
Diabetes Myths in India

The biggest diabetes myth is that people with diabetes can't eat sugar
There are a number of myths about diabetes that are all too commonly reported as facts. These misrepresentations of diabetes can sometimes be harmful and lead to an unfair stigma around the condition.
Diabetes information is widely available, both from healthcare professionals and the Internet, but not all of it is true.
It can be hard to know what is accurate, so this page aims to highlight the top ten of the most common diabetes myths.
As well as diabetes myths, you may be interested in these diabetes facts.
Myth 1: People with diabetes can’t eat sugar
This is one of the most common diabetes myths; that people with the condition have to eat a sugar-free diet.
People with diabetes need to eat a diet that is balanced, which can include some sugar in moderation.
People with diabetes can eat sugar.
Myth 2: Type 2 diabetes is mild

This diabetes myth is widely repeated, but of course it isn’t true.
No form of diabetes is mild.
If type 2 diabetes is poorly managed it can lead to serious (even life-threatening) complications.
Good control of diabetes can significantly decrease the risk of complications but this doesn’t mean the condition itself is not serious.
Myth 3: Type 2 diabetes only affects fat people
Whilst type 2 diabetes is often associated with being overweight and obese by the media, it is patently untrue that type 2 diabetes only affects overweight people.
Around 20% of people with type 2 diabetes are of a normal weight, or underweight.

Myth 4: People with diabetes should only eat diabetic food
Diabetic food is one of the most common myths of the last ten years. The label ‘diabetic’ is often used on sweets foods. Often sugar alcohols, or other sweeteners, will be used instead of sugar. Diabetic food will often still affect blood glucose levels, is expensive, and may also cause adverse side effects.

Diabetes charity Diabetes UK recommends that people with diabetes avoid diabetic food.
Myth 5: People with diabetes go blind and lose their legs
Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness and also causes many amputations each year. However, those people with diabetes that control blood pressure, glucose, weight and quit smoking all increase their chances of remaining complication free.
Blindness and amputation are therefore preventable and the vast majority of people with diabetes will avoid blindness and amputation, particularly if annual diabetic health checks are attended each year.

Myth 6: People with diabetes are dangerous drivers
This myth is based around an inaccurate generalisation. The main danger of driving for people with diabetes is if hypoglycemia occurs.
However, hypoglycemia is a preventable state and the vast majority of people with diabetes at risk of hypos exercise care to avoid hypos taking place whilst driving.
Statistics show that diabetics are no less safe on the road than anyone else with significant accidents being attributed to hypoglycemia affecting less 0.2% of drivers treated with insulin.
However, the myth that people with diabetes are dangerous drivers is ongoing.
Myth 7: People with diabetes shouldn’t play sport
High-prominence diabetic sportsmen and women have disproved this diabetes myth. People with diabetes should take part in exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
There are some factors worth considering before partaking in sport, but there is no reason why people with diabetes can’t participate in most cases.
Myth 8: People with diabetes can't do many jobs
Having diabetes won’t stop you from having a job and with the improvements that have been made in treatment of diabetes, the number of jobs that people with diabetes are ineligible for is now very small.
The armed forces is one profession which may prevent people with diabetes from entering specific roles, such as front line service, but many other positions will be accessible.
It’s worth noting that people with diabetes that cannot work, for individual sight or mobility reasons, may be entitled to specific benefits.
Myth 9: People with diabetes are more likely to be ill
People with diabetes are not more likely to have colds or other illnesses. The significance of illness for people with diabetes is that it can make the management of blood glucose levels more difficult which can increase the severity of an illness or infection. Prevention of illness is particularly important and therefore flu jabs are advisable and free.

Myth 10: Diabetes is contagious
Something of a classic playground myth, diabetes cannot be caught off someone else. Diabetes is categorised as being a non-communicable illness meaning it cannot be passed on by sneezing, through touch, nor via blood or any other person to person means.
The only way in which diabetes can be passed on is from parents to their own children but even this is only a genetic likelihood of diabetes and not the condition itself.


World Diabetes Day November 14, 2015: Healthy living starts at breakfast
World Diabetes Day
Each year, World Diabetes Day, which is co-ordinated by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), carries a particular theme and between 2009 and 2013 the theme has been ‘education and prevention’.
World Diabetes Day November 14, 2015: Healthy living starts at breakfast
The theme of World Diabetes Day, from 2014 to 2016 will be healthy living and diabetes and this year (2015), there’s a focus on starting each day right by having a healthy breakfast.
A healthy breakfast should help blood sugar levels from getting too high and should keep you full through the morning. Whilst cereal and toast may be cheap, these options typically raise blood sugar levels rapidly and may leave you hungry again before lunch.
If you drink fruit juice for breakfast, consider cutting the juice out or having a smaller glass of it. For reference, a 150ml glass of unsweetened orange juice contains around 15g of carbohydrate and 13g of sugar.

Diabetes in India
 According to statistics from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), India has more diabetics than any other nation of the world. Current estimates peg the number of diabetics in the country at about 62 million – an increase of over 10 million from 2011 when estimates suggested that about 50.8 million people in the country were suffering from the disease. If you think the disease has already reached endemic proportions in the country, consider this. By the year 2030, over 100 million people in India are likely to suffer from diabetes, say researchers.
Why are Indians Susceptible to Diabetes?
A number of factors in combination make Indians highly susceptible to Diabetes.
Genetic factors are among the greatest contributors to the rapid spread of this disease. On an average, Indians are four times more likely to develop diabetes than Europeans, based solely on genetic outlook.
Looking at this scenario from the socio-economic perspective it is not difficult to understand why Indians are falling prey to diabetes en masse. Of all the states, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu seem to have the highest prevalence of diabetes. Apart from the health risks, diabetes pushes the masses to poverty. News reports say that about a fourth of a person’s income could be spent managing diabetes and diabetes related health issues.
Cultural and social factors are no less important. The Indian diet is rich in carbohydrates and saturated fats. A typical Indian diet is has more calories and sugar than required by the body. This is the cause of obesity, which in turn leads to diabetes.
Urban migration and change in lifestyle is another factor that must be considered in the study of diabetes in India. The younger generations are increasingly choosing a sedentary lifestyle. With rising standard of living comes the tendency to consume processed sugary foods.
Diabetes Awareness in India
Diabetes screening and identification is a very simple process requiring minimal effort on the part of patients. Cities and suburban regions have good number of screening and detection centres. Much of rural India, however, is not adequately equipped to detect diabetes early on. According to estimates, about 50 percent diabetics in India, mostly in rural areas, are not aware of their condition. While there have been nationwide campaigns, some involving celebrities, for the eradication of polio, TB, malaria, and small pox, no such awareness campaign has been undertaken either by the central government or the states to educate the masses about diabetes.
An estimated one million Indians die each year due to diabetes. Every adult over the age of 40 is at risk, but virtually, no awareness of the disease exists in the country.
The Ministry of Health has also failed in the past decades to commission a nationwide research into the prevalence and access to treatment. Some of the major research works on diabetes in India are undertaken by private institutions such as Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and Indian Diabetes Research Foundation. Some of these research programmes are undertaken independently while others in association with WHO, International Diabetes Research Foundation, etc. Other research projects are undertaken by educational institutions such as universities and pharmaceutical companies. Sadly, despite the precarious health scenario due to the spread of diabetes, the government has turned a blind eye.
The International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) has been running Project Hope since 2007. The project trains and educates health care profe
Current Treatment
Diabetes is usually not reversible. It is treated with insulin therapy. Early diabetes may be controlled by oral drugs but high levels of blood glucose require insulin shots to be administered. Diabetes drugs are easily available across the country in government hospitals and rural medical centres.
Treatment of other diseases caused by diabetes such as diabetic retinopathy and renal failure can be treated by medicine and surgery. Rural Indians can access these facilities at government health centres and hospitals. The Sankara Foundation Eye Hospital holds camps for screening and surgical treatment of diabetic retinopathy across the country.
Preventing Diabetes
The onset of Type 2 diabetes or Diabetes Mellitus may be delayed or altogether prevented in a great number of cases. Having a balanced diet is key to diabetes prevention. Exercising regularly and maintaining an ideal body weight is another major factor in prevention of diabetes. Obese people are at an elevated risk of developing diabetes. Avoidance of alcohol and tobacco also considerably reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Regular health checks to rule out diabetes are mandatory for everyone over the age of 40.
Diabetes Myths in India

The biggest diabetes myth is that people with diabetes can't eat sugar
There are a number of myths about diabetes that are all too commonly reported as facts. These misrepresentations of diabetes can sometimes be harmful and lead to an unfair stigma around the condition.
Diabetes information is widely available, both from healthcare professionals and the Internet, but not all of it is true.
It can be hard to know what is accurate, so this page aims to highlight the top ten of the most common diabetes myths.
As well as diabetes myths, you may be interested in these diabetes facts.
Myth 1: People with diabetes can’t eat sugar
This is one of the most common diabetes myths; that people with the condition have to eat a sugar-free diet.
People with diabetes need to eat a diet that is balanced, which can include some sugar in moderation.
People with diabetes can eat sugar.
Myth 2: Type 2 diabetes is mild

This diabetes myth is widely repeated, but of course it isn’t true.
No form of diabetes is mild.
If type 2 diabetes is poorly managed it can lead to serious (even life-threatening) complications.
Good control of diabetes can significantly decrease the risk of complications but this doesn’t mean the condition itself is not serious.
Myth 3: Type 2 diabetes only affects fat people
Whilst type 2 diabetes is often associated with being overweight and obese by the media, it is patently untrue that type 2 diabetes only affects overweight people.
Around 20% of people with type 2 diabetes are of a normal weight, or underweight.

Myth 4: People with diabetes should only eat diabetic food
Diabetic food is one of the most common myths of the last ten years. The label ‘diabetic’ is often used on sweets foods. Often sugar alcohols, or other sweeteners, will be used instead of sugar. Diabetic food will often still affect blood glucose levels, is expensive, and may also cause adverse side effects.

Diabetes charity Diabetes UK recommends that people with diabetes avoid diabetic food.
Myth 5: People with diabetes go blind and lose their legs
Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness and also causes many amputations each year. However, those people with diabetes that control blood pressure, glucose, weight and quit smoking all increase their chances of remaining complication free.
Blindness and amputation are therefore preventable and the vast majority of people with diabetes will avoid blindness and amputation, particularly if annual diabetic health checks are attended each year.

Myth 6: People with diabetes are dangerous drivers
This myth is based around an inaccurate generalisation. The main danger of driving for people with diabetes is if hypoglycemia occurs.
However, hypoglycemia is a preventable state and the vast majority of people with diabetes at risk of hypos exercise care to avoid hypos taking place whilst driving.
Statistics show that diabetics are no less safe on the road than anyone else with significant accidents being attributed to hypoglycemia affecting less 0.2% of drivers treated with insulin.
However, the myth that people with diabetes are dangerous drivers is ongoing.
Myth 7: People with diabetes shouldn’t play sport
High-prominence diabetic sportsmen and women have disproved this diabetes myth. People with diabetes should take part in exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
There are some factors worth considering before partaking in sport, but there is no reason why people with diabetes can’t participate in most cases.
Myth 8: People with diabetes can't do many jobs
Having diabetes won’t stop you from having a job and with the improvements that have been made in treatment of diabetes, the number of jobs that people with diabetes are ineligible for is now very small.
The armed forces is one profession which may prevent people with diabetes from entering specific roles, such as front line service, but many other positions will be accessible.
It’s worth noting that people with diabetes that cannot work, for individual sight or mobility reasons, may be entitled to specific benefits.
Myth 9: People with diabetes are more likely to be ill
People with diabetes are not more likely to have colds or other illnesses. The significance of illness for people with diabetes is that it can make the management of blood glucose levels more difficult which can increase the severity of an illness or infection. Prevention of illness is particularly important and therefore flu jabs are advisable and free.

Myth 10: Diabetes is contagious
Something of a classic playground myth, diabetes cannot be caught off someone else. Diabetes is categorised as being a non-communicable illness meaning it cannot be passed on by sneezing, through touch, nor via blood or any other person to person means.
The only way in which diabetes can be passed on is from parents to their own children but even this is only a genetic likelihood of diabetes and not the condition itself.


Each year, World Diabetes Day, which is co-ordinated by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), carries a particular theme and between 2009 and 2013 the theme has been ‘education and prevention’.
World Diabetes Day November 14, 2015: Healthy living starts at breakfast
The theme of World Diabetes Day, from 2014 to 2016 will be healthy living and diabetes and this year (2015), there’s a focus on starting each day right by having a healthy breakfast.
A healthy breakfast should help blood sugar levels from getting too high and should keep you full through the morning. Whilst cereal and toast may be cheap, these options typically raise blood sugar levels rapidly and may leave you hungry again before lunch.
If you drink fruit juice for breakfast, consider cutting the juice out or having a smaller glass of it. For reference, a 150ml glass of unsweetened orange juice contains around 15g of carbohydrate and 13g of sugar.

Diabetes in India
 According to statistics from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), India has more diabetics than any other nation of the world. Current estimates peg the number of diabetics in the country at about 62 million – an increase of over 10 million from 2011 when estimates suggested that about 50.8 million people in the country were suffering from the disease. If you think the disease has already reached endemic proportions in the country, consider this. By the year 2030, over 100 million people in India are likely to suffer from diabetes, say researchers.
Why are Indians Susceptible to Diabetes?
A number of factors in combination make Indians highly susceptible to Diabetes.
Genetic factors are among the greatest contributors to the rapid spread of this disease. On an average, Indians are four times more likely to develop diabetes than Europeans, based solely on genetic outlook.
Looking at this scenario from the socio-economic perspective it is not difficult to understand why Indians are falling prey to diabetes en masse. Of all the states, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu seem to have the highest prevalence of diabetes. Apart from the health risks, diabetes pushes the masses to poverty. News reports say that about a fourth of a person’s income could be spent managing diabetes and diabetes related health issues.
Cultural and social factors are no less important. The Indian diet is rich in carbohydrates and saturated fats. A typical Indian diet is has more calories and sugar than required by the body. This is the cause of obesity, which in turn leads to diabetes.
Urban migration and change in lifestyle is another factor that must be considered in the study of diabetes in India. The younger generations are increasingly choosing a sedentary lifestyle. With rising standard of living comes the tendency to consume processed sugary foods.
Diabetes Awareness in India
Diabetes screening and identification is a very simple process requiring minimal effort on the part of patients. Cities and suburban regions have good number of screening and detection centres. Much of rural India, however, is not adequately equipped to detect diabetes early on. According to estimates, about 50 percent diabetics in India, mostly in rural areas, are not aware of their condition. While there have been nationwide campaigns, some involving celebrities, for the eradication of polio, TB, malaria, and small pox, no such awareness campaign has been undertaken either by the central government or the states to educate the masses about diabetes.
An estimated one million Indians die each year due to diabetes. Every adult over the age of 40 is at risk, but virtually, no awareness of the disease exists in the country.
The Ministry of Health has also failed in the past decades to commission a nationwide research into the prevalence and access to treatment. Some of the major research works on diabetes in India are undertaken by private institutions such as Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and Indian Diabetes Research Foundation. Some of these research programmes are undertaken independently while others in association with WHO, International Diabetes Research Foundation, etc. Other research projects are undertaken by educational institutions such as universities and pharmaceutical companies. Sadly, despite the precarious health scenario due to the spread of diabetes, the government has turned a blind eye.
The International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) has been running Project Hope since 2007. The project trains and educates health care profe
Current Treatment
Diabetes is usually not reversible. It is treated with insulin therapy. Early diabetes may be controlled by oral drugs but high levels of blood glucose require insulin shots to be administered. Diabetes drugs are easily available across the country in government hospitals and rural medical centres.
Treatment of other diseases caused by diabetes such as diabetic retinopathy and renal failure can be treated by medicine and surgery. Rural Indians can access these facilities at government health centres and hospitals. The Sankara Foundation Eye Hospital holds camps for screening and surgical treatment of diabetic retinopathy across the country.
Preventing Diabetes
The onset of Type 2 diabetes or Diabetes Mellitus may be delayed or altogether prevented in a great number of cases. Having a balanced diet is key to diabetes prevention. Exercising regularly and maintaining an ideal body weight is another major factor in prevention of diabetes. Obese people are at an elevated risk of developing diabetes. Avoidance of alcohol and tobacco also considerably reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Regular health checks to rule out diabetes are mandatory for everyone over the age of 40.
Diabetes Myths in India

The biggest diabetes myth is that people with diabetes can't eat sugar
There are a number of myths about diabetes that are all too commonly reported as facts. These misrepresentations of diabetes can sometimes be harmful and lead to an unfair stigma around the condition.
Diabetes information is widely available, both from healthcare professionals and the Internet, but not all of it is true.
It can be hard to know what is accurate, so this page aims to highlight the top ten of the most common diabetes myths.
As well as diabetes myths, you may be interested in these diabetes facts.
Myth 1: People with diabetes can’t eat sugar
This is one of the most common diabetes myths; that people with the condition have to eat a sugar-free diet.
People with diabetes need to eat a diet that is balanced, which can include some sugar in moderation.
People with diabetes can eat sugar.
Myth 2: Type 2 diabetes is mild

This diabetes myth is widely repeated, but of course it isn’t true.
No form of diabetes is mild.
If type 2 diabetes is poorly managed it can lead to serious (even life-threatening) complications.
Good control of diabetes can significantly decrease the risk of complications but this doesn’t mean the condition itself is not serious.
Myth 3: Type 2 diabetes only affects fat people
Whilst type 2 diabetes is often associated with being overweight and obese by the media, it is patently untrue that type 2 diabetes only affects overweight people.
Around 20% of people with type 2 diabetes are of a normal weight, or underweight.

Myth 4: People with diabetes should only eat diabetic food
Diabetic food is one of the most common myths of the last ten years. The label ‘diabetic’ is often used on sweets foods. Often sugar alcohols, or other sweeteners, will be used instead of sugar. Diabetic food will often still affect blood glucose levels, is expensive, and may also cause adverse side effects.

Diabetes charity Diabetes UK recommends that people with diabetes avoid diabetic food.
Myth 5: People with diabetes go blind and lose their legs
Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness and also causes many amputations each year. However, those people with diabetes that control blood pressure, glucose, weight and quit smoking all increase their chances of remaining complication free.
Blindness and amputation are therefore preventable and the vast majority of people with diabetes will avoid blindness and amputation, particularly if annual diabetic health checks are attended each year.

Myth 6: People with diabetes are dangerous drivers
This myth is based around an inaccurate generalisation. The main danger of driving for people with diabetes is if hypoglycemia occurs.
However, hypoglycemia is a preventable state and the vast majority of people with diabetes at risk of hypos exercise care to avoid hypos taking place whilst driving.
Statistics show that diabetics are no less safe on the road than anyone else with significant accidents being attributed to hypoglycemia affecting less 0.2% of drivers treated with insulin.
However, the myth that people with diabetes are dangerous drivers is ongoing.
Myth 7: People with diabetes shouldn’t play sport
High-prominence diabetic sportsmen and women have disproved this diabetes myth. People with diabetes should take part in exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
There are some factors worth considering before partaking in sport, but there is no reason why people with diabetes can’t participate in most cases.
Myth 8: People with diabetes can't do many jobs
Having diabetes won’t stop you from having a job and with the improvements that have been made in treatment of diabetes, the number of jobs that people with diabetes are ineligible for is now very small.
The armed forces is one profession which may prevent people with diabetes from entering specific roles, such as front line service, but many other positions will be accessible.
It’s worth noting that people with diabetes that cannot work, for individual sight or mobility reasons, may be entitled to specific benefits.
Myth 9: People with diabetes are more likely to be ill
People with diabetes are not more likely to have colds or other illnesses. The significance of illness for people with diabetes is that it can make the management of blood glucose levels more difficult which can increase the severity of an illness or infection. Prevention of illness is particularly important and therefore flu jabs are advisable and free.

Myth 10: Diabetes is contagious
Something of a classic playground myth, diabetes cannot be caught off someone else. Diabetes is categorised as being a non-communicable illness meaning it cannot be passed on by sneezing, through touch, nor via blood or any other person to person means.
The only way in which diabetes can be passed on is from parents to their own children but even this is only a genetic likelihood of diabetes and not the condition itself.


Monday, November 9, 2015
Re: Should psychiatric hospitals completely ban smoking?Aleem M A BMJ 2015;351:h5654
Head To Head
Maudsley Debate
Should psychiatric hospitals completely ban smoking?
BMJ 2015; 351 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h5654 (Published 04 November 2015)
Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h5654
Rapid response

Re: Should psychiatric hospitals completely ban smoking?
Smoking should be banned in all hospital premises for all patients and staff including psychiatric patients. Patients with mental illness have two risks from smoking. Other than health hazards, fire accidents can happen intentionally or unintentionally due to smoking in mentally ill patients.
Competing interests: No competing interests
08 November 2015
M A Aleem
Neurologist
ABC Hospital
Annamalainagar Trichy 620018 Tamilnadu India
Maudsley Debate
Should psychiatric hospitals completely ban smoking?
BMJ 2015; 351 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h5654 (Published 04 November 2015)
Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h5654
Rapid response

Re: Should psychiatric hospitals completely ban smoking?
Smoking should be banned in all hospital premises for all patients and staff including psychiatric patients. Patients with mental illness have two risks from smoking. Other than health hazards, fire accidents can happen intentionally or unintentionally due to smoking in mentally ill patients.
Competing interests: No competing interests
08 November 2015
M A Aleem
Neurologist
ABC Hospital
Annamalainagar Trichy 620018 Tamilnadu India
Sunday, November 1, 2015
World Stroke Day Article in Trichy The Hindu -Spare a thought for the caregiver
The Hindu Trichy
October 30, 2015
Spare a thought for the caregiver
Staff Reporter


Clot-busting treatment given within three or four hours of stroke can minimise the debilitation in a patient
Women were the focus group on World Stroke Day (October 29) this year as they are at a higher risk of dying from the cerebrovascular disease than men, and less likely to receive acute care and rehabilitation than a man even though they respond equally well to treatment.
“Being always in the role of the caregiver, women, especially Indian homemakers, often lack support when they fall sick,” said M.A. Aleem, consultant neurologist and epileptologist, ABC Hospital, and president, Tiruchi Neuro Association.
“This is especially true in the case of strokes, because their symptoms are not easily recognisable. Unlike heart attacks, which are identified by the pain they cause, strokes are often painless, and can often go undiagnosed till much later,” he told The Hindu .
The use of birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, pregnancy-related diabetes and preeclampsia (high blood pressure and protein in urine during pregnancy) can increase the risk of strokes in women.
According to the World Health Organisation, stroke claims 6.2 million lives each year. One in five women faced a lifetime risk of stroke while the figure is one in six for men.
“Time is of essence when spotting a stroke,” said Dr. Aleem. “Ideally, a patient should reach the hospital within three or four hours of the stroke so that clot-busting treatment can be started as soon as possible. This is crucial to bring down the post-stroke disability risk in a patient.”
Increasing obesity among women was another contributory cause of stroke, said Dr. Aleem. “Dietary changes and convenience food have led to more women becoming obese at a young age. The rise of recreational drinking or tobacco use among women is a risk factor that medical professionals have to deal with,” he said while recommending a daily diet that contains less than five grams of salt.
Fruits and vegetables with high levels of potassium, phytochemicals and dietary fibre have been proven to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
At least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise per week is key to lowering the risk of stroke, said Dr. Aleem.
“Exercise has a beneficial effect on body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels. Women often get too caught up in the daily home and professional routine, and tend to neglect personal fitness,” he added.
Clot-busting treatment given within three or four hours of stroke can minimise the debilitation in a patient
More In: TAMIL NADU | NATIONAL