Bharat Rakshak

Another possible cause of rising infections. Possible 2nd order effects with untrained doctors graduating this year or next. A huge expansion in medical training intake will be needed to allow for some normal operations.

'Cannon fodder': Medical students in India feel betrayed

students work with COVID-19 patients one week and then go straight to working with patients in the general ward.

Students studying to be surgeons don’t know how to remove an appendix, lung specialists haven’t learned the first thing about lung cancer and biochemists are spending all their time doing PCR tests.

Kejri’s shenanigans being called out for a change:

https://indianexpress.com/article/citie ... 9-7291390/

Our confidence is shaken. Put your house in order,” the Delhi High Court on Tuesday told the Delhi government as it hauled it up for rampant black marketing of oxygen cylinders and essential drugs in the national capital. The court on Tuesday asked it to submit a report about the deaths which have taken place in Delhi on account of shortage of oxygen.
“Set your house in order. Enough is enough. If you cannot manage it, tell us then we will ask the central government to send their officers. We will ask them to take over. We cannot let people die like this,” the division bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said, as it asked the government to take over a cylinder distributor’s unit in Dwarka.

So Delhi govt decided to give 5 star facility for Ourlords. Ourlords never asked for that and rebuffed Kejru. Am I right?
Whose idea was that.........Parshant Bhushan?

vera_k wrote:Another possible cause of rising infections. Possible 2nd order effects with untrained doctors graduating this year or next. A huge expansion in medical training intake will be needed to allow for some normal operations.

'Cannon fodder': Medical students in India feel betrayed

students work with COVID-19 patients one week and then go straight to working with patients in the general ward.

Students studying to be surgeons don’t know how to remove an appendix, lung specialists haven’t learned the first thing about lung cancer and biochemists are spending all their time doing PCR tests.

I had written in detail about this practice last year after a 2nd death in my family from covid. We lost a 27yr old post-grad who was assigned to covid duty. Sadly this isn't just limited to deploying final year MBBS or post-grad students to care for critically ill patients, for many years now even corporate hospitals have been using ayurvedic practitioners as last shift doctors . IMA as usual makes some noise once in a while and then looks the other way. I had even named a government hospital in Karnataka which was and probably still is using dentists in covid wards.

The expansion of medical colleges alone is not a solution. In 2000s we rapidly expanded engineering colleges as more and more students wanted to take advantage of a booming IT scene, the result is in front of us. The quality of engineering grads has plummeted , many are unemployed or under-employed with BE and Mtech degrees, and now private engineering colleges are either closing courses or shuttering down colleges. Medical colleges too will go the same way with far more dangerous consequences if we allow substandard students to enroll in shady private colleges with inexperienced teaching staff. The goal should be first to eliminate all reservations from intake for medical courses and only permit new colleges to come up where institutes have a lengthy, proven record of providing quality education in other fields.

Narayan Dabhadkar gave up his bed and his life for a younger man with children.

"I'm 85 and have lived my life. you should offer the bed to this man instead, his children need him."

Tears are pouring from my eyes as I post this.

Remember him.

Om shanti.



https://mobile.twitter.com/ShefVaidya/s ... 9732440067

2.46 million vaccinations on Tuesday, total 147.7 million
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetai ... ID=1714449

chola wrote:Narayan Dabhadkar gave up his bed and his life for a younger man...

A great soul. My humble respects. To his family too, who understood and supported his decision.

Chola ji... it is good to have you back.

Hi my second post after years of lurking.

Anyways i am feeling pretty depressed here in NCR with deaths all around. Lost 4 relatives and one as young as 35. Several office mates and friends testing positive. I don't know how to deal with this.

Manish_P wrote:

chola wrote:Narayan Dabhadkar gave up his bed and his life for a younger man...

A great soul. My humble respects. To his family too, who understood and supported his decision.

Chola ji... it is good to have you back.

May the noble atma attain moksha. Om shanti shanti shanti.

Vipin,
dont know what to say except keep following precautions and try and help needier people around you. Abd stay strong, for yourself and for those who need you.

VipinM wrote:Hi my second post after years of lurking.

Anyways i am feeling pretty depressed here in NCR with deaths all around. Lost 4 relatives and one as young as 35. Several office mates and friends testing positive. I don't know how to deal with this.

Mental health is important. If you have family with you talk to them more about what you feel. Try keeping yourself busy in small things or hobbies. Most importantly stop watching TV or the internet. There are things that you cant control, so dont waste energy thinking about it.

VipinM, guard your mental health. Thanks to an incredibly irresponsible and immature press, Indians are being subjected to extreme mental stress. You can ride this out together. Help one another. Cheer each other up. Play something on a group zoom call, anything.

Also do yoga, meditation, breathing execises, pilates... Eat healthy and stay fit.

Recite shlokas if you know some, they do procure inner strength. Or are least listen to them from here for example:
https://youtube.com/c/TheGhanapati

Adding to the above points. If you feel overwhelmed or feel the regular ways aren't working then seek professional help. And talk to close family members frankly about the problem and ways to solve it. After the death of a relative of ours due to covid, my father had a severe BP problem ( was hospitalized) which was slowly healed through medicines and pranayama, yoga and brahma Kumari videos. And I would suggest to take a break from social media, news channels and take up more leisure activities like gaming, TV shows, movies etc.

In words of Dr Cristian Barnard, life is celebration of being alive. What you have lost is not important. What is left is important.

Those who are gone remember them as your guardian angels who protect you and remember the good times spent with them.
If you feel down remember the face of a smiling baby .it will cheer you up. Spread love, kindness , compassion along with forgiveness .You will feel good.
1 good moment is more important than 100 bad.

We are so weak, insignificant, still their is inherent strength ,peace and happiness.

In words of Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa think yourself as a good soul who came here to do good.

In short have faith.

VipinM wrote:Hi my second post after years of lurking.

Anyways i am feeling pretty depressed here in NCR with deaths all around. Lost 4 relatives and one as young as 35. Several office mates and friends testing positive. I don't know how to deal with this.

Drid nischay. Listen to Shiv Tandava Damru version and national anthem in morning. Come on. I am surviving with Diabet , sarcoidosis, liver transplant. Currently on dialysis and waiting for kidney transplant. Still standing for family. Sala one business related stress. Now I do not care. Living on my own and thinking of rejoining University to pursue phee eh dee.
Salam

VipinM wrote:Hi my second post after years of lurking.

Anyways i am feeling pretty depressed here in NCR with deaths all around. Lost 4 relatives and one as young as 35. Several office mates and friends testing positive. I don't know how to deal with this.

VipinM , stay strong.. i am in the same boat as you.

I see lot of portable oxygen concentrators available for purchase here in USA. will shipping them to India help the hospitals? Any pointers on which models will be of useful in this situation?

Below 85 oxymeter reading they are not useful. According to tv channel oxygen cylinder is required. Dr Ratnadip may better answer the above question.

sankum wrote:Below 85 oxymeter reading they are not useful. According to tv channel oxygen cylinder is required. Dr Ratnadip may better answer the above question.

Watch this RW Jaipur Dialogues video from roughly 1:21 onwards

Does anyone have an idea, why people in Delhi are running around looking for beds themselves?

Is there no centralised call center to call for ambulance?

nam wrote:Does anyone have an idea, why people in Delhi are running around looking for beds themselves?

Is there no centralised call center to call for ambulance?

No, Delhi has a hyper de-centralized system called Mohalla Clinics run by commie-jihadi nexus under the expert guidance of that beggar in chief whose name rhymes with fall. He used all his official power feeding the rioters at Singhu border while ignoring the needs of his constituents; most of whom are on free water and electricity.

http://udf-ngo.com/latest-projects/

vimal wrote: No, Delhi has a hyper de-centralized system called Mohalla Clinics run by commie-jihadi nexus under the expert guidance of that beggar in chief whose name rhymes with fall.

If so, can center not declare emergency, step in, and manage this pandemic better?

VipinM wrote:Hi my second post after years of lurking.

Anyways i am feeling pretty depressed here in NCR with deaths all around. Lost 4 relatives and one as young as 35. Several office mates and friends testing positive. I don't know how to deal with this.

My heart goes out to you!! Please be strong, refuge in Almighty helps during these times. I had my own brother, cousin, uncle's, aunts getting affected. What is probably saving them is all of them are vaccinated. Some have really poor health.

I have been a vaccination skeptic myself. It took my dad (who is a doctor himself, as are my brothers) and few friends here in the USA to convince me to take the vaccine. I was convinced that the vaccine will kill me (and if it can, the COVID virus may have killed me many times over), but anyway went ahead and had my second dose today.

The vaccine is indeed saving lives. I can say from what I have seen within my relatives.

Jay wrote:

vimal wrote: No, Delhi has a hyper de-centralized system called Mohalla Clinics run by commie-jihadi nexus under the expert guidance of that beggar in chief whose name rhymes with fall.

If so, can center not declare emergency, step in, and manage this pandemic better?

Jay Sir,

Read below, Delhi HC is on fire against Delhi Govt. They have flatly informed Kejri's govt that Delhi will be handed over to Central govt if they don't improve their situation.

https://twitter.com/LiveLawIndia/status ... 9139064839

"Get your house in order. Enough is enough. If you can't do it, tell us, we will ask Central govt to take over. People are dying!"
Read more: http://t.ly/YnZw
#DelhiHighCourt #OxygenCrisis #COVID19India

VipinM wrote:Hi my second post after years of lurking.

Anyways i am feeling pretty depressed here in NCR with deaths all around. Lost 4 relatives and one as young as 35. Several office mates and friends testing positive. I don't know how to deal with this.

Two things-
stop watching TV and web ‘news’. The constant drumbeat of visuals and sound bites is bad.
With 4 deaths in your extended family I can imagine even your home atmosphere must be somber. So they may not be able to help you .

If you are the devotional type listen to bhajans or something. On YouTube check out videos by either Sadhguru or Swami Sarvapriyanada specifically about Covid. If you are not the devotional type, use this time to continue on a hobby you always wanted to pursue. Bottomline- don’t watch TV news or any discussion/interview about Covid on any channel.

Sumeet wrote: Read below, Delhi HC is on fire against Delhi Govt. They have flatly informed Kejri's govt that Delhi will be handed over to Central govt if they don't improve their situation.

Summet ji, thanks for pointing it out. I'm just worried about the courts waiting too long to make a decision which will cause a ripple effect first in terms of lives lost, economy grinding back to a halt, and media minions using this opportunity to project the entire blame on Modi govt.

I guess there is no point in worrying but I hope we as a country are throwing everything at this problem to make sure lives are saved.

Punjab awaits SII nod, Maharashtra may get going with Covaxin

In a letter, Bharat Biotech has told Maharashtra it can supply 5 lakh doses in May, 10 lakh each in June and July, and 20 lakh each in August, September and October. A date for May has not been provided. The order for 85 lakh doses will cost the state around Rs 535.5 crore.

darshan wrote:

saip wrote:What is happening with Remidisivir? There seems to be huge black market. My brother in law's wife is in the hospital Guntur, AP and they can not get it. Someone has quoted 25k per injection (1.25 lakhs for five) and we have to arrange a car to get it from Hyderabad (180 km away).

Primus, DrRatnadip should chime in. Other alternatives have been introduced in the protocol. I have yet to find a concrete study that says that remidisvir is applicable to majority of cases. I have been on it since early March when GJ decided to stick with it and not change protocol. GJ eventually did change it to include others.

Darshan Ji, I do not manage COVID patients myself right now, but looking at the literature and talking to my colleagues who do, Remdesivir has not conclusively been proven to be of any benefit, but is still being used. The recommendation is grade 2C meaning it is a weak recommendation, the benefits being uncertain and grade C meaning evidence of benefit is based on observational studies and not clinical studies of the usual type for these things. Even then, in our local hospitals they are using it for hospitalized patients with O2 sats on room air falling to below 94% and who therefore require supplemental oxygen.

OTOH, dexamethasone is more likely to be of benefit as is some form of anticoagulation. This is all in hospitalized patients. For outpatient treatment Remdesivir is not indicated at all. The only thing useful as outpatient is monoclonal antibodies and possibly (not definite) convalescent plasma. Both require IV infusions and have their own set of problems - cost, availability etc.

Copying from teh American Lung Association's recommendations for breathing Improvement in general and also useful for COVID patients at home:

It has already been shown that 'proning', i.e. lying on your abdomen is beneficial in COVID because the larger portion of your lungs are in the back and get better aerated that way.

Breathing exercises that may help with dyspnea[

Pursed lip breathing exercises:
Sitting upright or slightly reclining, relax your neck and shoulder muscles.
With your mouth closed, inhale through the nose for 2 seconds, as if smelling a flower.
Exhale slowly (for 4 seconds if possible) through pursed lips, as if blowing out birthday candles. Repeat inhalation and exhalation cycles for 2 minutes, several times a day and when needed.

Deep breathing exercises:
Recline in bed or on a sofa with a pillow under your head and knees. If reclining is not possible, this may be done while sitting upright.
Place one hand on your belly, the other hand on your chest.
Slowly inhale through your nose; let your lungs fill with air, allowing your belly to rise. (The hand on the belly should move more than the hand on the chest.)
Breathe out through your nose, and as you exhale, feel your belly lower.
Repeat the inhalation and exhalation cycles for 2 to 5 minutes several times a day and when needed.

rsingh wrote:

VipinM wrote:Hi my second post after years of lurking.

Anyways i am feeling pretty depressed here in NCR with deaths all around. Lost 4 relatives and one as young as 35. Several office mates and friends testing positive. I don't know how to deal with this.

Drid nischay. Listen to Shiv Tandava Damru version and national anthem in morning. Come on. I am surviving with Diabet , sarcoidosis, liver transplant. Currently on dialysis and waiting for kidney transplant. Still standing for family. Sala one business related stress. Now I do not care. Living on my own and thinking of rejoining University to pursue phee eh dee.
Salam

RSingh Ji, my pranaams to your fortitude and courage. I too have gone through some major health related challenges in the past two years, still going on, as you say, ' I love my family and will live for them' is the attitude.

Vipin Ji, your story is sad and even more depressing is the fact that it is not unique today. A very close friend who lives here has lost three relatives in this week alone in India, her mother who is in her late 80s lives alone in Delhi and is also sick. These are trying times for anyone and especially if you are in the thick of it. My heart goes out to you and everybody here has made excellent suggestions.

My own technique is to do the pranayama type breathing - inhale for count of 4, hold for count of 7 and exhale for count of 8. Can be seconds or simply a count at any speed. During the exhalation I keep repeating 'There is no fear' and breathe out all my fear. During the inhalation I silently chant 'There is only love' and inhale all the love of my family, my friends, my isht devata, the Cosmos and everything around me.

Remember, Fear is limited and finite, Love is limitless and infinite.

Wishing you the very best from the BRF family.

India's Covaxin vaccine 'very important antidote' against Covid: Dr Fauci

Covaxin, India's home-grown COVID-19 vaccine, has been found to neutralise the 617 variant of the deadly virus, White House chief medical adviser and America's top pandemic expert Dr Anthony Fauci said in Washington.

"This is something where we're still gaining data on a daily basis. But the most recent data, was looking at convalescent Sera of COVID-19 cases and people who received the vaccine used in India, the Covaxin. It was found to neutralise the 617 variants," he said.

"So, despite the real difficulty that we're seeing in India, vaccination could be a very, very important antidote against this," Fauci said.

The New York Times on Tuesday said Covaxin works by teaching the immune system to make antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The antibodies attach to viral proteins, such as the so-called spike proteins that stud its surface.

Manish_P wrote:

chola wrote:Narayan Dabhadkar gave up his bed and his life for a younger man...

A great soul. My humble respects. To his family too, who understood and supported his decision.

Chola ji... it is good to have you back.

Manish ji, I have not gone away just very much less active. I am feeling an extra old oldie after these months. BRF has a been a home for two decades. The past year has been trying -- as it has been for everyone.

But reading of such a man as Narayan Dabhadkar, such a wonderful shining atma with such a dignity and such a heart, I felt I needed to post somewhere.

rsingh wrote:

VipinM wrote:Hi my second post after years of lurking.

Anyways i am feeling pretty depressed here in NCR with deaths all around. Lost 4 relatives and one as young as 35. Several office mates and friends testing positive. I don't know how to deal with this.

Drid nischay. Listen to Shiv Tandava Damru version and national anthem in morning. Come on. I am surviving with Diabet , sarcoidosis, liver transplant. Currently on dialysis and waiting for kidney transplant. Still standing for family. Sala one business related stress. Now I do not care. Living on my own and thinking of rejoining University to pursue phee eh dee.
Salam

RSingh, I wish you and Vipin and others all the best in the world.

I can only offer that here in the states, we have seen the same nightmare. From the then seemingly apocalyptic one lakh cases per day to two and then to three. But eventually the black clouds will clear a bit and things will get better.

Stay strong and live strong for those who love you.

Kakkaji wrote:India's Covaxin vaccine 'very important antidote' against Covid: Dr Fauci

Covaxin, India's home-grown COVID-19 vaccine, has been found to neutralise the 617 variant of the deadly virus, White House chief medical adviser and America's top pandemic expert Dr Anthony Fauci said in Washington.

"This is something where we're still gaining data on a daily basis. But the most recent data, was looking at convalescent Sera of COVID-19 cases and people who received the vaccine used in India, the Covaxin. It was found to neutralise the 617 variants," he said.

"So, despite the real difficulty that we're seeing in India, vaccination could be a very, very important antidote against this," Fauci said.

The New York Times on Tuesday said Covaxin works by teaching the immune system to make antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The antibodies attach to viral proteins, such as the so-called spike proteins that stud its surface.

I seriously hope someone has saved all the Nautanki opposition did by calling it farzi vaccine, BJP ki vaccine etc ...

VipinM wrote:Hi my second post after years of lurking.

Anyways i am feeling pretty depressed here in NCR with deaths all around. Lost 4 relatives and one as young as 35. Several office mates and friends testing positive. I don't know how to deal with this.

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Unfortunately, majority of the mainstream news media and a lot of social network posting tend to focus on the negatives to attract more viewership.

I find that when one loses a sense of control one has to earn it back in one way or the other to keep moving forward. To gain back control, here are some options:

• Social activism -> promoting (sharing) helpful information
• Volunteering -> joining forces with like minded causes to actively participate in making a difference
• Donating -> a lot of non-profits/NGOs require funds to run their charities and they are making a positive difference
• Political activism -> hold lawmakers accountable or support legislation that addresses your cause
• Work alignment -> being very selective on working for companies that align with your outlook and the change you want to see after all we spend huge amount of our productive hours for them to earn wages
• Skill/knowledge acquisition -> for the change you want to see, acquire the knowledge and skills so that you can make it happen

chola wrote:
Manish ji, I have not gone away just very much less active. I am feeling an extra old oldie after these months. BRF has a been a home for two decades. The past year has been trying -- as it has been for everyone.

I can understand. In times like these, doing the things you normally do is therapeutic in itself. Hope that you will post regularly as you used to do.

PS - The Chinese mil watch thread is open and your eagle eyes will help us be aware of things in dlagon land...

rsingh wrote:

VipinM wrote:Hi my second post after years of lurking.

Anyways i am feeling pretty depressed here in NCR with deaths all around. Lost 4 relatives and one as young as 35. Several office mates and friends testing positive. I don't know how to deal with this.

Drid nischay. Listen to Shiv Tandava Damru version and national anthem in morning. Come on. I am surviving with Diabet , sarcoidosis, liver transplant. Currently on dialysis and waiting for kidney transplant. Still standing for family. Sala one business related stress. Now I do not care. Living on my own and thinking of rejoining University to pursue phee eh dee.
Salam

rsingh
I am simply at a loss for words at what you have to contend with, medically. My prayers for you and VipinM to God that he endow you both with the requisite physical and mental strength to cope with the challenges.

All BBC and other western reporting is tom tomming deliberately that India has vaccinated only 1.6% of the population. There is deliberate avoidance of the statistic that 145M doses have been administered using the same strategy that most western nations have adopted off delaying the second dose to ensure coverage.

Tanaji wrote:All BBC and other western reporting is tom tomming deliberately that India has vaccinated only 1.6% of the population. There is deliberate avoidance of the statistic that 145M doses have been administered using the same strategy that most western nations have adopted off delaying the second dose to ensure coverage.

Wherever feasible on online forums, comments sections of news articles and tweets - the counter narrative should focus on the following facts.

1. India is #3 in vaccinations in terms of absolute #s (after U.S. and China) @ close to 150M doses administered.
2. Almost 10% of the population has gotten at least 1 dose i.e. close to 130M people.
3. India has exported close to 80M doses to ~80 countries to help protect their HCW and FLWs. Most of these countries would not even have made it on the U.S./G7 radar for many more months to even receive a single dose !

Per U.K. and WHO practices 1 shot in the arm of more people sooner is better than 2 shots in the arms of fewer people at 4 week interval. So India is spacing out the 2nd dose to between 6-8 weeks. In 45-60 days expect that 20% of the population would have received at least 1 shot.

All this with full local clinical trials, manufacturing process for COVISHIELD, COVAXIN and the soon to be available Sputnik.

So, where are Bharat Biotech & SII with their assembly line production of Covaxin & Covishield? How much do the companies produce per day? My back of the envelope calculation says EACH company must produce 5 million doses/day, 150 million doses/month, 1.5 billion doses in 9-10 months, of their respective vaccines, to be in the vicinity of covering our population. This production rate is the bare minimum.

Since we call ourselves as the pharmacy of the world, it is a matter of time before foreign governments show up at our doorstep, looking for vaccines. We need to cater to that demand too, start exporting to the rest of the world. So, unless we hit 7-8 million doses/day, there is no hope of subduing Chinese Wuhan Corona Virus

I hope our pharma companies have that kind of scale and can measure up to this Himalayan task.