Flu shots for Indians

For five years now, my wife and I have been taking our annual flu shots regularly on the basis of a niece’s advice – she is a doctor in the US. We have been going to some big time hospital or other in Bangalore because flu shots were rarely available in other Bangalore pharmacies. We had talked to Indian doctors and found that it was not the practice in India to ask people to take annual flu shots.

In the US, the government recommends that everyone who is six months or older be given a flu shot. Visit http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/Flu/understandingFlu/Pages/seasonalVaccine.aspx
This site says that over the last 31 years, the number of influenza-associated-deaths in the U. S. have ranged from 3000 to 49,000 per year. 90% of these deaths have been among those above 65 years of age.

It had always puzzled us why Indian medical practice has not insisted that at least those above 65 should take a flu shot regularly.  It is well-known that immunity to flu does not last very long because the virus mutates fast and an annual immunization is necessary.

Things are changing this year. A domestic who works for us told us that some people living near her place are paying Rs 800 each to get some injection that is expected to protect them from swine flu. Should she take it? It is a difficult question to answer, not because of the money, but because whatever she gets has to be authentic. We would hate to see her being cheated by some hack giving her a vitamin injection and charging Rs 800 for it. Do government hospitals give flu shots? Are they stocked with adequate supplies? Which hospital should we contact?

A Web search took me to a website that lists hospitals authorized to treat swine flu cases: http://vaccineindia.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=395&Itemid=361

Later on in the day, we heard from a relative who was to get admitted today into a big hospital for a procedure tomorrow. However, admission this evening was impossible because of the pressure on hospital rooms from patients suspected to be suffering from swine flu. The patient has been told to fast at home and turn up tomorrow for the procedure.

Public health authorities, obviously, have a difficult task on their hands this year. The reason I write this post is, however, a concern for the long term. Unless reliable flu shots made in India become available in adequate quantity and unless Indian medical practice ensures that high-risk groups get immunization, we could have a major problem on our hands. H1N1 is not a new strain on the scene. It has been around for many years.  

Christian Medical College, Vellore

I had gone to Vellore to help a relative get medical care for a fractured hand. We visited the famous hospital at CMC, Vellore http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Medical_College_%26_Hospital

The experience left indelible memories and made me read up a little about what motivated the founding of such a great institution. One place that summarizes a lot of what is relevant is the Wikipedia article mentioned above. That article describes the moving experience that made Ida Scudder decide to earn a medical degree and come back to work in India.

I understand that the hospital treats approximately 7,000 patients a day. They come from all parts of India and speak all the national languages in this small town. It is not any freebie they come for; they pay what it costs, as far as I can observe. The credibility of the hospital and its reputation have gone far and wide; it gives them what they really need - a hospital they can trust, a hospital that does not rip off, a hospital that has treated generations of doctors whose behavior constantly reminds you about the values they have imbibed.  

Many Christian missionaries have contributed to education and healthcare in India. The idea of recognizing service to humanity as an important principle of religion has been a great development in human history. It is not my concern here whether this great idea originated in a single religion or if it existed in many religions simultaneously. 

Great Indian thinkers have taught us to adopt this principle. Gandhiji had written "If India adopted the doctrine of love as an active part of her religion and introduced it in her politics, Swaraj would descend upon India from heaven". According to Vivekananda, an important teaching he received from Ramakrishna was that Jiva is Shiva (each individual is divinity itself). So he stressed on Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva, (to serve common people considering them as manifestation of God). According to Vivekananda, man is potentially Divine, so, service to man is indeed service to God. (you can find both these quotes in the Wikipedia).

Coming back to CMC, I should mention the significant economic contribution it has made to district of Vellore and to the State of Tamil Nadu, through the number of jobs it has created directly and indirectly.

It is also worth noting that there is a CMC, Ludhiana, again founded by a woman, Dame Edith Mary Brown. Founded in 1894, CMC Ludhiana has contributed a lot in training women doctors during a critical time in Indian history. 

Undoubtedly, there are other institutions in India and elsewhere that contribute very significantly to education and healthcare. They are not limited to a single religion. 

I conclude this note with three thoughts: 

I wish that all religions will emphasize service to humanity as a major principle, and take effective steps to progress in that direction. Our instincts as human beings incorporate this basic principle; emphasizing it as a part of education is essential for the survival of our species. 

The notion of profit is said to be fundamental in economics, but a visit to CMC tells me that great hospitals do not necessarily have to be profit-oriented institutions. Not being profit-oriented is possibly a blessing for a teaching hospital. 

When we wish to build something in memory of a great soul, it is worth thinking if it could be in the form of a self-sustaining hospital and medical college. It could transform the economy of a district, in addition to providing education and healthcare. 

Srinivasan Ramani  

Poor maintenance of the sewage system in a temple town

I was in Sringeri, Karnataka earlier this week. While walking down the main street (I assume that this is the one that leads to the temple gopuram), I was revolted by the stench emanating from the badly maintained street drains. I noticed that a big event was planned for this week in this town, involving the announcement of the successor-designate by the Head of the famous Sharada Peetham (http://www.sringeri.net ).  Thousands have assembled to witness the event.

The local body responsible for the town (http://www.shringeritown.gov.in/ ) cannot be allowed to get away with poor management of the sewage system, particularly at a time like this. The badly maintained sewers create a health hazard in addition to insulting every devotee who comes to visit the Peetham, 

from all over the world. We are creating a very bad impression of our abilities to manage cities and towns by displaying shoddy public health ‘standards’.

Srinivasan Ramani 

Prof HN Mahabala - celebrating his 80th year

Best wishes to you for many more years of happy and healthy life, Prof Mahabala!

Srinivasan Ramani

Chair in the name of Prof. H.N. Mahabala at IIT Madras

Mr HR Mohan, President, Computer Society of India (CSI) has told a number of us that a Chair in the name of Prof. H.N. Mahabala is being instituted at IIT Madras, in the field of Computer Science and Technology.  This is an honour that is very well deserved, and all of Prof Mahabala's colleagues including CSI colleagues should rejoice on hearing this news. Congratulations, Prof!

But there is no harm in sharing a “joke” at Prof's expense at this moment, particularly when it is based on a true occurrence. Sometime, about 20 years ago, he and I were on a morning flight from Mumbai to Delhi.  We saw each other in the queue, and so got together to find two seats side by side. The take-off and the breakfast went on well; then came the coffee. Prof HNM took a look at the cup and pressed the "call staff" button. He showed the cup to the lady who turned up and asked "What is this?" Clearly marking the rim of the cup was a lipstick mark! 

The lady did a brilliant job of complaint handling, and asked him with a smile "What are you complaining about, Sir?" Many of us in that row and the next one burst out laughing! 

Srinivasan Ramani

Indian Innovation: “Masala Coke” and “Masala Sprite”

While traveling through the city (Bengaluru), I was surprised to read “Masala Coke” and “Masala Sprite” being advertised through a crudely lettered poster.  

I looked for any news item on the Web on this topic and saw this recipe:

http://www.rakskitchen.net/2014/06/masala-coke-recipe-masala-soda-drink.html

Doesn’t sound bad, does it? However, let me also mention that

https://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/coca-cola/coco-cola-classic-%2812-oz%29

tells me that you get 39 grams of sugar in a 12 oz drink! Garam Masala does not reduce sugar content in any way!

Srinivasan Ramani 

Blaming the developing world for climate change

During a show of the movie ‘Interstellar’, I sat up when there was a reference to an “Indian Air Force Drone”. The hero (Cooper) chases it with his car and shoots it down. He says that these drones carry excellent solar panels, as he proceeds to take out one from the shot-down drone. The whole reference to this drone is in the context of a dying earth facing the consequences of climate change, dramatically picturised through huge dust storms that ruin farming around the world. The only thing left for the human race, according to the script, is interstellar travel to a far-away planet. One of the characters in the movie refers to “six billion people who want everything!” I am quoting from memory, and so the words may be different; but the meaning of this comment was very clear to me. A lot of people in economically better off parts of the world worry about the developing world. With its large population, the developing world will need a lot of resources as its people improve their standards of life. Such large scale consumption, the worriers argue, may tip the world into irreversible climate change. The more developed countries expect the developing world to do with a lot less than what they themselves have and use, but the developing world will not take this lying down. The character making the comment was clearly echoing the sentiments of those who blame this phenomenon for climate change.

I am not going to discuss the merits of the worriers’ case here in this small blog post. I only wish to point the meaning and significance of the hero’s comment, as many participants in an online debate don’t seem to have taken note of this. Visit

http://www.quora.com/Why-did-Nolan-use-an-Indian-Air-Force-drone-in-Interstellar-Does-it-have-any-hidden-interpretation-like-reincarnation-or-something

Srinivasan Ramani