The sale of donkey’s milk is now limited to a few pockets in the city such as Perambur, Royapuram and Mylapore. But the milk is expensive and a few millilitres cost Rs. 200 to Rs. 400. / Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu
Many continue to believe that donkey’s milk boosts immunity in newborns; doctors disagree
Vijaya, a resident of Perambur, recently gave her five-day-old great grandson donkey’s milk believing it would clear his throat and cure his cold. She said this was an accepted practice with her family.
Like Vijaya and her family, many others in the city hold on to this age-old “belief” that donkey’s milk boosts immunity and gives clarity of voice to newborns. Doctors decry this practice.
K. Githa, former professor of neonatology of Madras Medical College, said donkey’s milk had no proven benefits. Many other doctors agree with her. They have come across newborns with complaints of infections due to poor handling of the donkey’s milk administered to them.
“Some say donkey’s milk is equivalent to mother’s milk but unhygienic handling could lead to infections. I have heard of babies getting aspirated when the milk is forcibly fed by elders,” V. Kalaivani, superintendent of Government Raja Sir Ramaswamy Mudaliar (RSRM) Lying-in Hospital, said.
“Mothers should feed colostrum (first milk) to their babies. The constituents of donkey’s milk, such as proteins and sugar levels, vary. There are chances of the newborns developing infections. We advise them not to give donkey’s milk, sugar water and honey,” Dr. Githa said.
The infections could manifest as diarrhoea leading to dehydration especially if the baby was not exclusively breastfed, said T. Srikala Prasad, senior assistant professor of Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children.
The sale of donkey’s milk is now limited to a few pockets in the city such as Perambur, Royapuram and Mylapore. But the milk is expensive and a few millilitres cost Rs. 200 to Rs. 400.
The family of Duraikannu, who works at the Chennai Corporation’s dhobi ghat on Veeraperumal Koil Street in Mylapore, sells donkey’s milk regularly.
“My uncle’s son owns a donkey and we sell milk in the morning. A “paladai” (a small feeding device) of milk costs Rs. 350 to Rs. 400. On certain days, we get five customers and there are lean days when we get just two,” he said. He cautioned that some unscrupulous sellers mixed donkey’s milk with cow’s milk.
Porkodi of Washermenpet regularly sells donkey’s milk near RSRM Lying-in Hospital in Royapuram in the early hours of the day. “I milk the animal in front of the buyers. Sometimes, there are 10 customers, mainly from the nearby maternity hospital,” she said. She claimed the milk was good for children suffering from fits and cold.
A resident of Mylapore said two families owning donkeys regularly sold the milk on P.S. Sivasamy Salai, Mylapore, but stopped recently. “Several persons used to come for the milk. Some sellers purchase milk from Perambur and sell it here. Nobody knows if it is donkey’s milk,” he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Citites> Chennai / by Serena Jospehine. M / Chennai – October 24th, 2013
For Ambur General Hospital, this was the first time in 50 years that an orthopaedic surgery was performed on its premises on Wednesday. The hospital was earlier referring its orthopaedic surgery cases to the government hospital nearby as it had no anaesthetist.
A surgeon and anaesthetist were appointed last month. Wednesday’s surgery involved inserting a plate on the wrist of a coolie, Sridhar, who had injured himself while rising from the ground.
“This gives us the confidence to do more orthopaedic surgeries as we have plenty of resources available at the hospital,” said Dr Noor Syed, Chief Medical Officer.
The absence of an anaesthetist until now had kept the hospital’s infrastructure unused though the authorities had been attending on cases, such as hernia. With the appointment of Dr Suresh, an MBBS, D.Ortho, and Bharath, the anesthetist, the doctors were keen to perform the operation on Sridhar which proved to be successful.
Dr Syed is next keen that a gynaecologist be appointed at the hospital which would help women living in the neighbouring areas. The hospital does have a maternity ward that is being looked after by experienced doctors and nurses. However, critical cases are referred to the Thirupathur General Hospital or Vellore General Hospital.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / by N. Thyagarajan / June 21st, 2013
District livestock farm in Hosur where the cricket ground was developed by Lt Col T. Murari. —DC
Krishnagiri:
Hosur is known for its salubrious climate and rapid industrial growth; but how many of us know that cricket in the southern part of India started from the cattle farm here, asked B. Venkatasami, 80, elaborating on the history of cricket in Hosur, 55 km from Krishnagiri on the Chennai-Bengaluru national highway.
Venkatasami, former MLA of the Swatantra Party of Rajagopalachari – the first Indian to become governor general of India – added that “Cricket was first introduced here by Lt Col T. Murari following his appointment as superintendent of the livestock research centre formed in Hosur as army remount centre.”
The octogenarian continued, “Murari, prior to his appointment at the Hosur cattle farm, served in the Second World War under king’s commission and later rose to the rank of a major.”
He has several firsts to his credit like the first Indian to become officer for the veterinary department and the first Indian to become member of the Marylebone Cricket Club and Madras cricket club during British rule.
Venkatasami recalled the history as narrated to him by his father late M. Beere Gowda. “The lieutenant colonel, while studying veterinary science in Oxford University, was approached by Hilson, director of agriculture department, asking him to join the department as officer.”
Following his consent, the British appointed Murari as superintendent of the livestock research station in Hosur, the first Indian to become officer of the veterinary department following the formation of Madras Veterinary College.
Murari, while in Hosur, formed a cricket team by training people who did menial jobs in the cattle farm. The team regularly played matches against teams in Bengaluru and Mysore.
He was also the first Indian to become member of the prestigious United Services Club in Bengaluru and was a founder-member of the Karnataka state cricket association, formerly known as Mysore cricket association.
Venkatasami was concerned about the status of the historical cricket ground formed by Murari. “A ground with a small visitors gallery to watch the game was there for some time after Independence, but the historical monument was removed for development works,” he rued.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / by Sanjeevi Anandan / October 21st, 2013
INVIGORATING EXERCISE: Yoga session under way at Gandhi Memorial Museum./ Photos: G. Moorthy / The Hindu
True to the Gandhian ideology of empowering women, Gandhi Memorial Museum offers vocational training programmes
Thamilmozhi Jeyaseelan, a former software engineer, is a busy entrepreneur today. The success story of Mrs. Jeyaseelan, the mother of a four-year-old-girl, is awe-inspiring.
She had enrolled her child in a personality development course conducted by the education wing of the Gandhi Memorial Museum in April. To while away her time, she joined the self-employment course organised by the museum and underwent training in the manufacture of 15 household items such as floor cleaners, ink, ‘oma’ water, phenyl, washing and dish-wash powders. “The seven-hour training was a turning point in my life. It gave me the confidence to leave my job as a software engineer in a private hospital and start a business venture. Today, I am able to spend more time with my family and provide employment to six poor women,” Mrs. Jeyaseelan says. She is manufacturing and marketing phenyl, dish-wash powders and ‘oma’ water. “The ‘oma’ water has become an instant hit in the market. The profits are good and I am glad to provide employment and empower womenfolk,” she adds.
True to the Gandhian ideology of empowering women, the Gandhi Memorial Museum offers a slew of vocational training programmes, besides offering summer classes for school students, yoga and spoken Hindi classes throughout the year.
The museum, housed on the premises of the historic summer palace of Rani Mangammal, is one of the major tourist attractions in Madurai. As per its 2011-2012 annual report, the museum attracted more number of visitors than the National Gandhi Museum in Delhi. From the 2013 fiscal, the museum had drawn 1,94,846 visitors, of which 14,135 were foreign tourists. The museum has not restricted itself to just enthral the visitors, but has been indulging in activities that are fruitful to many. With an extensive library, a research and publication section, an Institute of Gandhian Studies and Research (IGSR) and an education section, there is no dearth of activities in the museum.
The library draws an average of 85 readers every day and has nearly 300 registered members, according to records available in the museum.
The IGSR is probably one of the few places in the country which offers courses on Gandhian Thought. “We offer free courses such as Certificate in Gandhian Thought, Diploma in Gandhian Thought, Diploma in Inter-Religious Dialogue and PG Diploma in Peace and Value Education. The courses are affiliated to Madurai Kamaraj University. Students from Gandhigram Rural Institute and Madurai Kamaraj University undertake research works here,” says S. Jayaraj, research officer at the museum.
Several volumes of books on Gandhian Thought have been translated in the research and publication section, which also documents newspaper reports that resonate Gandhian ideologies such as non-violence and peace, he adds.
According to Mr. Jayaraj, while handing over Rani Mangammal Palace for the establishment of the museum, the State had envisioned a centre where research would flourish. The research centre was established in 1997 and became an approved institute of Madurai Kamaraj University in 2003 and has been disseminating Gandhian Thought and related subjects to the public, he adds.
NO AGE LIMIT
But for the summer courses, the others offered by the museum such as spoken Hindi class do not specify any age limit. “We have been conducting various certificate courses, especially for women, for the past five years. Mostly women attend the tailoring, jewellery-making and household item manufacturing courses and quite a few of them are successful in their business ventures,” says R. Natarajan, education officer of the museum. The education wing also conducts value education courses in schools and colleges to spread the Gandhian values of life.
D. Sridharan, a retired pharmaceutical executive, who is taking the two-month Spoken Hindi lessons in the museum, says spending time learning in the serene atmosphere of the museum is a bliss. “Unlike other centres, the Gandhi Museum charges a nominal fee and teaches us even the fundamentals of the origin of the word. The museum is one of the best places in Madurai and could be spruced up,” Mr. Sridharan says.
ORGANIC FOOD CANTEEN
With the assistance from the State and the Centre, renovation work is under way at the museum. According to M.P. Gurusamy, museum secretary, an organic food canteen will be inaugurated in January. “We are planning to convert the open-air auditorium into an indoor facility. A museum and a park for the children will be constructed,” he says.
The open-air auditorium is given on nominal rent for purposes other than political, communal and religious-oriented events, he says. “The resource persons, who provide training in skill development programmes, are those who are interested in Gandhian ideology. The museum does not pay them and they are volunteers. They only demand a nominal fee of less than Rs. 200 from the participants to meet the expenses of the core materials,” Mr. Gurusamy adds.
According to K.R. Nanda Rao, curator of the museum, the main gallery will soon be refurbished with good lighting.
The yoga training centre, approved by the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University Centre, has been functioning since 1998. “As of now, those who take part in training come on the advice of the doctors. Yoga should become a lifestyle habit,” says K. P. Gangadharan, yoga coordinator in the museum. People between the age group of 35 and 70 undergo yoga training and at least 100 students enrol for the certificate programmes in yoga every year, he says.
For people such as M. Soundararajan, a retired BSNL employee, who grew up in Madurai, the museum needs better care. “The museum needs more staff to clean the premises. When I was in school, I remember the area behind the palace having beautiful plants. Now, we have trees and more saplings could be planted. A new toilet should be constructed,” concludes Mr. Soundararajan who is now a student of Spoken Hindi.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Madurai / by M. Vandhana / Madurai – October 21st, 2013
The Indian Red Cross Society, chennai celebrated World Mental Health Day recently with the launch of a de-addiction clinic for alcohol and substance abuse.Dr V Kanagasabai, Dean, Madras Medical College and RGGGH, and Dr R Ponnudurai, Honorary Psychiatrist at Red Cross, presided over the meeting. More than 500 people comprising students and staff from colleges in and around the city participated in the event.
The event was conducted with the aim to create awareness on mental health among the youth in society. Psychologists at the Indian Red Cross said that many people did not know what mental health was and often there were misconceptions about the term “mental health”. Dr Ponnudurai explained that depression, dementia and other psychiatric disorders affected the mental health of an individual. He said, “Mental health of elderly people depends on mental health of the youth.”
The de-addiction centre is located on the Indian Red Cross premises in Egmore and aims to cater to people addicted to alcohol and drugs. People can avail the facilities at this centre free of cost. Group therapies and sessions with psychologists, counselors and psychiatrists are also arranged. The centre also aims to incorporate research in the future.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service – Chennai / October 16th, 2013
The mom and her baby along with the team of doctors at the hospital . —DC
Salem:
In a rare feat for a taluk government hospital, doctors at the Thiruchengode taluk hospital in Namakkal district performed an ABO incompatible blood transfusion procedure on a newborn successfully. The baby, suffering from severe jaundice, is now stable and recovering fast, doctors at the hospital said.
Nandakumar (30) and Shobanavalli (25) from Konniayaru village near Thiruchengode had their first child on October 5, 2013. The infant, whose blood group was different from the mother’s, had a severe attack of newborn jaundice and was in a critical condition.
The child was rushed to the Thiruchengode government hospital on October 6 and a three-hour-long blood transfusion took place at the hospital. Doctors at the GH said they had replaced 480 mg of blood from the newborn through the navel following the procedure.
“Now the child is recovering very well and is stable. The jaundice is almost cured and the baby is healthy,” said Dr Prakash from the hospital. He pointed out that while patients usually have to go to bigger cities like Salem or Coimbatore to do these transfusions in the past, government taluk hospitals were now equipped with facilities to perform such complicated procedures.
“Thanks to the insurance scheme for poor, our hospital also gets paid for the treatment given to poor through insurance companies which has helped us procure latest equipment for care of mother and child,” he said.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current affairs / DC / October 13th, 2013
Four maize varieties have been recently released by the maize department of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) at the national level this year.
All of them have passed rigorous field trials held across various states. “These varieties have passed tests proving that they have a higher productivity than 4 high varieties,” said G Nallathambi, professor of maize breeding, department of millets at TNAU. These maize varieties were developed with the support of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). A variety tested successfully in 4 states can be released at the national level.
Nallathambi said that maize is considered to be a crop which would replace rice at the global level. “With temperature rise, paddy is becoming tough to cultivate, whereas maize is an ideal substitute,” he said. Moreover, without any support mechanisms, farmers are able to get attractive rates.
Thousands of products can be developed from maize. This includes food, poultry feed and industry products. “The uses of maize are growing. Glucose and starch can be made from maize. Maize is even used to build the outer body part of airplanes. United States is focusing on developing bio-fuels from maize. Maize takes around 75 to 110 days to mature.
In 2005-06, maize was cultivated across 2 lakh hectares in Tamil Nadu, generating an annual production of 2.41 lakh tonnes. In 2011-12, when the latest study was held, the cultivation area was 2.81 lakh hectares and productivity stood at 16.95 lakh tonnes. While in 2005-06, the average productivity was 1,189 kilos per hectare, it increased to 6,042 kilos per hectare in 2011-12. “This jump in the productivity levels can be attributed to improved varieties of crops from both the public and private sectors.
Nallathambi said that many crop varieties are in the pipeline. Meanwhile, one of their varieties released last year, CO6, which is known as CMH08-282 at the national level has begun to receive acceptance from other states. Two weeks ago they received a letter from the Gujarat State Seeds Corporation (GSSC) saying that they wanted to take up the production of CO6 variety of seeds and sought seeds from the centre. “We hope our efforts will help fulfill the food requirements of the nation,” he said.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore> Maize / by Arun P. Mathew, TNN / October 07th, 2013
Dr Mohan’s high fibre rice could be the answer to the rice craving of diabetics. | Martin Louis/File
The first thing that your doctor will do the minute your blood sugar levels inch above 120 mg/dL, is probably look at you reproachfully, shake his head and tell you to lay off rice for lunch and dinner.
In fact, most new diabetics will admit that laying off the rice in ‘meals’ and switching to chappatis is one of the most trying things about being a ‘sugar’ patient. All that could very well change, if diabetologist Dr V Mohan’s new variety of rice lives up to its promises.
Launched in the city on Wednesday, Dr Mohan’s Jeevan Dharini High Fibre Rice and Rice Rava could be the answer for the rice craving of diabetics. Though the carbohydrate content in Dr Mohan’s rice is just a shade lower than your regular Ponni varieties, the difference is in the glycemic index and the fibre content, says the diabetologist. “Where normal varieties of rice have only 0.8 gms of dietary fibre, our rice has 8.3 gms of fibre making it an extremely healthy and safe option,” says Dr V Mohan. For daily consumption? “Of course, with a little bit of smart moderation,” he adds.
This variety of rice has been developed after years of research and researching over 200 varieties of rice, he states. “We finally found this hybrid variety that comes from a cross with the local ponni variety that is extremely tasty and yet has some great nutritional numbers,” says Dr Mohan. This is the second rice product that they have rolled out – their brown rice variety didn’t quite set the ball rolling because it wasn’t quite attractive to look at nor was it exceptionally tasty, “People need rice to appeal to their senses – it has to be white, tasty, fragrant and still be healthy. That’s the combination we’ve managed to work out here,” said Dr R M Anjana, VP of Dr Mohan’s Institutions, as she rolled out a whole bunch of recipes that were moulded around this rice.
The rice varieties were tested and perfected at their research centre in collaboration with Dr M S Swaminathan’s Research Foundation (MSSRF), explaining why he was the first to receive the rice, “There are over 1.5 lakh varieties of rice in the world,” he says, “I know because I’ve worked with lots of them. Many of them are yet to be tapped for their true medicinal properties and their dietary structure. I hope that Dr Mohan will look into some more research in this field,” said Dr M S Swaminathan. Foodking Sarathbabu E and Bindu Sharma, patent attorney were also present.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service – Chennai / July 18th, 2013
Food items like ragi paniyaram, green gram fry, fenugreek mixed salad and green gram modak were among the food items cooked by the winner of the first prize in the diabetic cookery competition, conducted by the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism attached to the Christian Medical College here on Sunday.
According to Dr Nihal Thomas, head of the department, the competition was conducted to commemorate World Diabetes Day, to create awareness on the nutritional aspects of diabetes management.
A total of 10 teams presented their culinary skills in the cooking competition with the theme “Diabetic sweet and diabetic salads”. Maheshwari from the Dietary department, CMC Vellore, who prepared ragi paniyaram, green gram fry, fenugreek mixed salad and green gram modak, won the first prize. The judges for the event were Mahendri, Head of the Department of Dietetics (CMC), Dr Renu George from the Department of Dermatology (CMC) and Dr Anitha Alfred.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> TamilNadu / by Express News Service – Vellore / October 02nd, 2013
R. Kousalya Devi, Managing Trustee of Gandhigram Trust in Gandhigram, Madurai. / Photo: S. James / The Hindu
The oldest active gynaecologist at the Kasturba Hospital in Chinnalapatti near Dindigul, Dr. R. Kousalya Devi still goes on night calls and carries out her myriad duties from dawn till well past midnight.
What gives her so much energy at 83? “I am happily unmarried and still able to work by God’s grace,” she says with a warm smile. Having delivered three generations of babies and with people for miles around referring to her kai puniyam or blessed hands, she has quite a cult status in the region, but she doesn’t seem to notice it.
A 2009 file ohoto of Kousalya Devi with a child in Gandhigram. / Photo: S. James / The Hindu
Adviser to Kasturba Hospital and Managing Trustee of Gandhigram Trust, the apex body, Kousalya Devi initially came to this rural hospital in Tamil Nadu on a two-year deputation, quitting a secure government job, on the request of its founder, Dr. T. Soundaram, a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and the daughter of eminent industrialist T.V.S. Sundaram Iyengar.
When she joined the unpretentious hospital nestled between the Sirumalai and Kodai hills 44 years ago, it had just 22 beds and she was the only doctor with clinical expertise. Today, Kasturba Hospital is a 350-bed top referral centre for high-risk obstetric cases, premature babies, and ailing newborns. It does nearly 400 deliveries a month and 4,000 tubectomies a year.
Under Kausalya Devi’s stewardship, the hospital has won the State Award 14 times and the National Award twice for its contribution to family welfare services. “Working here is a great experience because you see the direct impact you make on peoples’ lives. Acceptance of family planning has gone up, birth rate has decreased, and birth intervals increased,” she says.
Deeply influenced by the founder’s ideals — it is said that despite being an affluent businessman’s daughter Soundaram owned just three saris, one to wear, one to wash, and one to spare — Kousalya Devi says, “I advocate and practise simplicity and whoever works here with me does so by choice and not for want of money and fame.”
Kousalya Devi has refused several awards including the Padma Shri. “It is team work,” she says, “we are serving the rural poor, not doing anything unique.” Kasturba Hospital has a record of treating every patient irrespective of the individual’s capacity to pay or not. For 25 years, the hospital has also run an orphanage and is one of the recognised institutions in Tamil Nadu for in-country adoption.
Over the years, she has busted several myths by introducing the path-breaking re-canalisation procedure, promoting artificial insemination, and raising awareness on hygiene. “Today,” she says, “when a girl from Chinnalapatti gets married, she first checks whether her marital home has a toilet. This is real achievement.”
A two-decade-old battle against breast cancer is another hardship she wears lightly. “God has been kind to me. He has not burdened me with worries,” says the self-effacing doctor.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> The Yin Thing / by Soma Basu / September 30th, 2013
