KATHMANDU: Popular Bollywood Singer Sonu Nigam has been admitted to the Norvic Hospital in Kathmandu after having a problem with back pain.
“He is in normal condition”, Dr Prabin Nepal said, who is involved in Nigam’s treatment. Nigam was admitted in hospital at 2 pm today. He came Nepal for a music video shoot in Pokhara with his wife and son.
KATHMANDU: Around 3,000 leprosy patients are diagnosed in Nepal every year despite claims of elimination of the disease a decade ago.
Leprosy is curable disease unlike in the past. Delay in treatment or in case of absence of treatment, it may cause significant disfigurement, causing damages to skin, nerves, limbs and eyes, according to doctors.
Delayed awareness about the disease exists in Nepal as its noticeable symptom-patches on skin- becomes visible late as it grows slowly. This, as doctors say, is the reason behind most cases. Moreover, patients reach the medical facilities only when the disease affects the limbs and other organs leading to vulnerability of mutilation.
The disease is caused by the bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. Red or lesions on skin and lack of sensation are the signs of early stage of leprosy.
According to the Lele-based Anandawan Hospital, which provides the treatment for this bacterial infectious disease, the disease first attacks the nervous system. “The affected ones are prescribed treatment of the nervous system and the leprosy treatment gets medically postponed,” leprosy specialist Dr Mahesh Shah informed.
The hospital statistics show that among the patients arriving in the hospital, some 10 percent do not manifest skin lesions.
KATHMANDU: Dr. Saraswati Padhay, in her late seventies, is still active as a doctor and a professor at the Sinamangal-based Kathmandu Medical College (KMC) hospital. What is unique about her is the fact that she served the royal family rendering delivery services for late queen Aishwarya.
Dr. Padhay has a perfect granny look with a wrinkled face and grey hair ever lit with smiles. However, her enthusiasm at work beats young doctors. She is still a dedicated doctor.
“I can tell for sure that the medical service to rural people was much effective and easy during those days. Now, it’s beyond the reach of many people since they have to travel to the city. Meanwhile, the treatment cost is high now,” she says.
Upon completion of her school, she studied science at Tri Chandra College in Kathmandu. She left for India in 1959 to pursue studies on Bachelors of Medicine, Bachelors of Surgery (MBBS).
After earning the MBBS degree in three years, she returned to Nepal and started practicing. During her service, she traveled across the country working at various hospitals where she served the rural populace by attending regular health camps organized by the government in the villages.
“The rural populace had easy access to health in the past because the government organized regular health camps in villages,” she recalls.
Such health camps also provided surgery depending on the need of a patient. Meanwhile, the government took care of the medicine and the treatment, according to her.
“I can tell for sure that the medical service to rural people was much effective and easy during those days. Now, it’s beyond the reach of many people since they have to travel to the city. Meanwhile, the treatment cost is high now,” she says.
As a Gynecologist, she remembers her service that she rendered while providing delivery services to the second and the third child of late King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya.
“In fact, I could feel a sense of discrimination during the birth of a son and a daughter in the royal family. I remember how the palace enjoyed the moment when Queen Aishwarya gave birth to a son. However, if I do not forget, I did not witness any merriment during the birth of a daughter,” she told Khabarhub.
According to her, she remembers how the medical team was rewarded by the palace during the son’s birth. “We did not know what went wrong when a daughter was born!” she quips.
KATHMANDU: Tuberculosis claimed over half million people in SAARC countries in the year 2017, according to Dr Rajendra Pant Director at SAARC Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS Center. On a global scale the disease claimed total 1.8 million last year whereas 4.3 people were deprived of the treatment.
Similarly, around 70,000 people died of HIV/AIDS in the SAARC countries in 2017. Meanwhile, a two day SAARC parliamentary meeting is being held in Kathmandu in the first week of May.
The meeting is being held for the first time with the joint initiative of Ministry of Health and Population, House of Representatives’ Education and Health Committee and SAARC Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS Centre.
The meeting shall deliberate on the status of the disease, promotion of investment to curb the disease, relations of the interstate acts and rules, among others. The meeting will be attended by high level officials from the Health Ministry of the SAARC countries.
The world is observing February 13th as the International Condom Day. Condom is used to control unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Moreover, the day is observed to create more awareness among the people regarding the condoms and benefits of using condoms.
Similarly, condom, which is made up of thin latex rubber, is a very cheap means of contraception and is better than having oral contraceptive pills. International AIDS healthcare foundations started observing the Int’l Condom Day to reduce the spread of HIV via safe sex practices in connection with the Valentine’s Day.
Mistakes to avoid while using condoms
JANAKPUR: Around 300,000 Nepalis have been suffering from the autism in Nepal, according to Autism Care Nepal Society.
A recent report made public recently, every child out of 59 births is born with autism throughout the world. It is a disease that affects the brain and hampers the day-to-day activities of a child, and cannot be cured.
Dr Sunita Maskey, a doctor involved in treating autism, informed that patients of this disease need special care since they become dependent throughout the life. Speaking at a program in Janakpur today, she said a patient can be independent to some extent provided that the disease is identified on time.
“There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism. The accurate diagnosis is based on the observation of the individual’s level of communication, behavior and development,” Dr Archana Kayastha informed. Doctors recommend occupational therapy, communication, vocational training, social therapy and special and distinct education to make the patient’s life better.
Though autism is considered to be a heredity disease, the reason is still under ambiguity. A patient with autism has symptoms such as lack of or delay in verbal language, repetitive use of language, motor mannerisms (hand-flapping, twirling objects), little or no eye contact, lack of interest in peer relationships, lack of spontaneous or make-believe play, and persistent fixation on parts of objects.
LALITPUR: Mental Hospital in Lalitpur is struggling to render services to its growing number of patients due to severe manpower crunch. Whereas the hospital is supposed to have total eight specialists as per the government regulation, only five specialists are providing the service.
“A specialist needs to attend 50 out going patients daily,” said Ananta Adhikari, the chief consultant psychiatrist at the hospital. The Out Going Patient (OPD) section of the hospital receives 150 to 200 patients daily.
Research has shown that consuming fruits and vegetables lead to a higher level of happiness than sugar or unhealthy food.
Doctors have suggested intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and unprocessed proteins in the everyday diet. According to a recent research conducted in Australia, besides physical health, healthy eating will impact our mental health.
Likewise, unprocessed diets, which are higher in plant foods, protein and fats are associated with better mental health outcomes. These diets are considered rich in fiber, it said.
An unhealthy diet is high in trans fats, sugar, processed and refined foods. Therefore, consumption of such foods will increase the risk for depression, especially in children and teens, according to studies. This also deprives the brain of the nutrients it needs.
Likewise, unprocessed diets, which are higher in plant foods, protein and fats are associated with better mental health outcomes. These diets are considered rich in fiber, it said.
A study conducted by epidemiologist Felice Jacka of Deakin University in Australia, consisted of 67 subjects with depression. Many of them were receiving psychotherapy while some of them were taking antidepressants and some with both. Half of them were given nutritional counseling while the other half were given one-on-one social support or counseling.
Researchers suggests a diet made up of vegetables, fruits, cheese and yogurt, nuts, whole grains, seafood, and lean red meat. They have suggested elimination of fried and processed foods.
In a span of 12 weeks, the group that changed their diet felt happier than the group that received additional companionship, the report said.
Depression has several origins such as genetic or triggered by a specific event or circumstance. Lifestyle choices if also one of the reasons for depression. It is a disease of the brain.
Likewise, a study made by the University of Konstanz in Germany found out that consuming vegetables led to a higher level of happiness than intake of sugar or unhealthy food. In the study, eating vegetables contributed the largest share to eating happiness. According to the study, sweets provided induced only eating happiness.
Researchers suggests a diet made up of vegetables, fruits, cheese and yogurt, nuts, whole grains, seafood, and lean red meat. They have suggested elimination of fried and processed foods.
KATHMANDU: Senior cancer specialist Dr. Madan Kumar Piya has claimed that the number of cancer patients is on a rise in Nepal.
Speaking at an interaction program on the occasion of World Cancer Day organized by Khabarhub in Kathmandu today, doctors said 40-50 percent of the cancer is curable. Meanwhile, according to a data available at the Nepal Cancer Relief Society, an approximate 30,000 to 40,000 new cases are likely to be reported in 2019.
However, Dr. Piya said the government does not have the exact data of cancer patients in the country.
Cancer is the second leading cause of deaths globally, and kills female more than men in the country. In 2018, of the 19,413 deaths due to cancer, 11,258 were women. Data shows that Nepalis are more prone to lungs, breast, prostate and stomach cancer.
KATHMANDU: This day marks the world cancer day. People from various walks of life are participating across the world to raise awareness against the deadly disease. The theme of cancer day this year is, ‘We can, I can.’ Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally which claimed around 9.6 million deaths, according to WHO. It maintains that around 70 percent of death by cancer occurs in low and middle-income countries.