IDSP and Doctors' role in it

If every Doctor knows about this IDSP and follows its guidelines, Dengue, and all other infectious diseases with the Non-Communicable diseases also, could be effectively prevented and eliminated. Read about it here.

Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) is the component of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) of India. This programme was started in November 2004. Under this programme the disease case detection at all levels is simpler by using simpler case definitions.With it, diseases incidence data can be retrieved on all levels from Primary Health centre areas to all India level through District and State levels.

Objectives of IDSP:

1) District-based surveillance for Communicable and Non-Communicable diseases.

2) Integration of all existing surveillance programmes.

3) Forecasting of any impending epidemic.

4) Analyzing data and planning for control or eradication of Communicable and Non-Communicable diseases.

   

Uses of IDSP:

1) Linking all health systems - Primary, Secondary, Tertiary care institutions and Private institutions provides high quality IDSP data collection.

2) Informing the immediately superior health personnel avoids the delay in receiving orders from higher authourities for early action to prevent effectively any impending epidemic and thereby for the prevention of resultant morbidity and mortality in the area concerned. 

3) Instant retrieval of surveillance data by Central Government health authourities through the website of IDSP portal for analyzing the health problems in States. This avoids the delay in getting reports from the concerned States.  

   

Expected role of Hospital Doctors in IDSP:

1) Doctors must write provisional diagnosis legibly in the OPD register.

2) They should report about the suspected cases to District Surveillance Officer (Deputy Director of Health Services) over phone; they should also write the addresses of such cases in OPD register. 

3) Doctors should refer such suspected cases to laboratory for the relevant investigations.

Courtesy: Dr.S.Balasubramanian M.B.,B.S., D.P.H.

Batch-mate receiving Best Doctor Award

Our Batch-mate, Dr.T.S.Chandrasekar has received the Best Doctor Award from Tamil Nadu Government for his outstanding services to the Differently Abled Persons, on Independence Day of this year, 2012:

Editor in Poet's Valley

Read here the lines of our batch-mate, Dr.N.Sridhar, the editor of our College Magazine, 1978:

 

Courtesy: Madurai Medical College 1978 College Magazine Editors

Our College Surgeons' views

View here the photos of our college days teaching faculties of our college:

                          Dr.Andappan, Chief, Thoracic Surgery

Courtesy: A.Anandi

Dr.Sathiyavan, Chief, Surgery

(and our batch-mate, Dr.Janardhanan)

Courtesy: 'Madurai Medicos'

Find our batch-mate in this photo

Identify our batch-mate/s here in this photo. The audience seen here in this photo were clicked during the Silver Jubilee Meet of the First Fifty Madurai Medicos belonging to 1954 batch, that was conducted in 1979. (Click on the photo to see it in a larger size).

One of our batch-mates is Dr.Jaffar Ali Shaikh MRCP (UK), DCH (Lond), FAAP (US). Then, could you find others, seated beside and behind him? Reply by clicking on 'comments' seen below.

Courtesy: 'Madurai Medicos'

Identifying our College Seniors

Batch-mates, without our Seniors we could not have been formed or carved as efficient Medical graduates out of our College. We got their guidance in all, whether they were a Hosteler or a Day scholar. Here let us identify our Seniors belonging to the 1970 batch of our Medical College, as they were seen in the College days (click on to view the photo in a larger size):

Poet's Valley - from 1978 College Magazine

Again from our batch-mates' production, 1978 Madurai Medical College Magazine:
Read here the lines on Nature seen around atop the hostel, on that cool morning!

                                                               - :)
                                                                           

Search Data predicts Epidemic!

Social Media Networks utilities now cover up medical side too. Google, FaceBook, Twitter, Chatrooms, and Blogs are emerging now as powerful tools to collect data globally to predict disease outbreaks. This new aspect of Infectious Disease Surveillance now plays important role in planning for adoption of precautions to prevent epidemics and check the progression of any disease. Webserches and Microblogging record health events in all locations of the world in their websites. For example, someone with symptoms of a disease may use Search engines like Google for finding out the disease he/she is having with the help of Internet (self diagnosis). Such search data are collected geographically from search engines and used to predict epidemics! Read more about this here by clicking on:

'Keeping Tabs on Diseases' - (from Science Reporter).

Courtesy: Science Reporter

Demise of our Pathology Teacher

Dr.S.Subramanian M.D.(Pathology), our Pathology lecturer of our College days, expired on 10th September 2012.

Photo courtesy: Dinamalar

Award Winners!

 Our batch-mates have received awards for their work:

Our batch-mate, T.S.Chandrasekaran M.D., D.M. has been awarded with "The Best Doctor Award" by Tamil Nadu M.G.R. Medical University on 1.7.2012 at M.G.R. Medical University Campus on the ‘Doctors Day’ & ‘University Day’.

Our batch-mate, Dr. N. Balasubramanian M.D.,  D.CH., HOD & Professor of Paediatrics, Perundurai , Erode has also been awarded with "The Best Teacher Award" by Tamil Nadu M.G.R. Medical University on 1.07.2012, at M.G.R. Medical University Campus on the ‘ Doctors Day’ & ‘University Day’.

 

Identifying Batch-mates in a group photo

Four of our batch-mates are found in this photo of Professor Dr.VVR Unit, Madurai Medical College 1985 - 1988. You could identify more of our seniors and juniors also here (place the pointer on the photo and click to view it in enlarged size):

Our Batch-mates: Dr.Anandan M.D., Dr.Karmegaraj M.D., Dr.P.S.Raveendran M.D., D.M., and Late Dr.V.Balasubramanian M.D. - along with Professor Dr.V.Venkata Raman, Assistants Dr.T.Kathiresan, Dr.Alagappan, Dr.Rengarajan and Dr.Kamarus Zaman.

Photo courtesy: T.K.Sankar

Appreciations to our Batch-mate

 

Our Batch-mate, Dr.Jebamani's Retirement Function invitation contains all the appreciating words from his friends, colleagues, relatives.

Our Batch-mates at Meeting with Unit Chief Dr.N.Kasirajan

Here are our batch-mates, Dr.Jeyapal and Dr.Sridhar with Dr.N.Kasirajan, Honorary Chief, Government Rajaji Hospital (Government Erskine Hospital), Madurai Medical College at a recent meeting of Sivakasi Doctors' Association held at Sivakasi.

Photo courtesy: Dr.N.Kanagavelrajan

Community participation in Dengue prevention

We read about the FAQs about Dengue prevention in the previously posted article. Community participation is the best and the foremost one in bringing down the Dengue incidence to zero/ providing and maintaining its totally prevented status - no Dengue in the community!  What is the sensible and active participation of entire community in the prevention of Dengue fever?

Awareness:

First the community must be aware of Dengue fever itself and the Aedes mosquitoes that spread it - Health Inspectors and Health Nurses provide IEC (Information, Education & Communication) to people to be aware of them.

Demanding fogging:

In case if mosquitoes are found in their locality, the community people must demand the health authourities to spray insecticide-fog to kill the mosquitoes. If this fogging is also started again just before any raining and repeated on the 7th day following the first one, it protects them not only from mosquito bites but also from Dengue fever.

Destroying breeding places:

They must cooperate with health staff in avoiding mosquito breeding in low level area where water collects to breed mosquitoes, by draining the stagnant water safely and leveling the ground with sand. They should also identify the locations both inside and nearby their houses where mosquito larvae can breed  in water collections - of such as water pots, flower pots, coconut shells. These containers must be periodically emptied or removed from the site. 

Killing larvae:

They must keep all the stored water containers covered and also allow health staff to add anti-larval liquid to the water stored to kill the larva. Health staff shall repeat this later on the 7th day. They can also breed fish in ponds that feast on the mosquito larvae.

Personal protection:

People shall cover their exposed body parts or apply mosquito repellant and sleep under medicated mosquito net to get ultimate protection from Dengue fever.

FAQs on Dengue Fever!

Dengue fever is known already by the population in the past unlike the recent Swine Flu [Influenza A (H1N1)]. But in the later years it didn't recur so much as of now. Why is it rampant now? It is said to be due to rapid urbanization, population increase, international travel and increased global warming. Find FAQs on it down here:

1) We, doctors, know that now there are three types of this fever: DF, DHF and DSS. Do public know about it?

     Answer: Yes/ No.

2) We know that there is no specific treatment or vaccine for preventing this fever. Do public know about it?

    Answer: Yes/ No.

3)  We know that there is no active and sensible community    participation in preventing the fever and instead there is only reporting of fever incidence. Do public know about it?

    Answer: Yes/ No.

4) We know that the members of the community rely totally on us, health staff, for its 'cure' and forget that prevention of it rests with them ultimately, as emptying stored water containers etc. is to be done daily like teeth brushing. Any such intervention with such measures is resented as affecting their privacy and rights. Do public know about it?

    Answer: Yes/ No.

5) We know that there are 4 types of  Dengue virus now and that they are carried by 4 species of Aedes mosquitoes now. Do public know about it?

    Answer: Yes/ No.

6) We know that Aedes mosquito can live only near or inside houses of human beings like our dependent pet dogs. And once infected with these viruses, they remain infected through out their lifetime; they also pass on the viruses to their progeny. Do public know about it?

    Answer: Yes/ No.

7) We know that the mortality due to this dengue fever is only less than 1% - with  hospitalization and treatment. And that by early detection of this fever and early access to proper medical care will lessen this mortality rate. Do public know about it?

    Answer: Yes/ No.

8) We know that the fever recurs again and after one or two days; now there may be bleeding from gastrointestinal tract or there may be shock. And treatment here in this condition is only by hospitalization and blood transfusion. Do public know about it?

    Answer: Yes/ No.

9) Again we know that the control of these mosquitoes, prevention of their bites and stopping their larval breeding in houses by emptying water containers etc. shall greatly reduce the further spread of Dengue fever and hence prevent deaths due to it. Do public know about it?

    Answer: Yes/ No.

10) We thus know that only referral of serious Dengue cases from OPD for proper hospitalized treatment can save the patient from his/ her death.  Do public know about it?

       Answer: Yes/ No.

If a person choose 'No" for all these questions, we, doctors and health care providing staff are doomed and Dengue fever shall not be controlled  and there may be high mortality from its spread. Let us all create all these awareness about Dengue fever among public and make all persons choose 'Yes' for all these questions.

Polio eradication in India declared by WHO

In 1990 our health authourities fixed the year 2000 as the target year within which Poliomyelities was expected to be eradicated from the children of our country, India. Now in 2012, Polio eradication has been achieved - for one year. Let us all do all, and wish that Polio incidence is maintained in this zero status forever. Read about our achievement of Polio eradication here:

One year of Polio-free India - WHO International
One year of Polio-free India - WHO India
One year of Polio-free India - UNICEF

News on Polio eradication    - CBS NEWS World
News on Polio eradication    - Hindustan Times

Preventing TB spread from Clinic to Public

We have been treating TB patients. But have we prevented TB spread from our environment in OPDs, Clinics, Wards and Hospitals? Read here in an article that appeared in February 2012 of Journal of Indian Medical Association (JIMA) that deals with how simple modification or arrangement can prevent TB from attacking people (seeking treatment for other diseases) - and ourselves:

Tuberculosis infection control practices in healthcare settings - page 112 of JIMA  Feb 2012

Tuberculosis infection control practices in healthcare settings - page 113 of JIMA Feb 2012

Tuberculosis infection control practices in healthcare settings - page 114 of JIMA Feb 2012

Tuberculosis infection control practices in healthcare settings - page 117 of JIMA Feb 2012

View directly these pages of JIMA here:

JIMA weblink - 1 

JIMA weblink - 2

JIMA weblink - 3

Movie provokes Epilepsy in viewers!

Can seeing a movie provoke Epilepsy? Click on the following lines one by one and read about the Photosensitive Epilepsy that viewers of 'Breaking Dawn' had!


ABC news on Breaking Dawn scene

Daily Telegraph on Breaking Dawn 

Photo Sensitive Epilepsy