PatientsEngage General Community

Observing World Antibiotic Awareness Week, Dr Swati Rajagopal, infectious disease specialist, points out that several trends such as self-prescription and over the counter sales of antibiotics is wrecking our strength to fight infectious diseases. In the recent years, Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a critical public health issue wherein microbes have developed resistance to life-saving antibiotics. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 700,000 people die from AMR each…

Diptendu Bhattacharya and Ashna Ashesh, both multi-drug resistant tuberculosis survivors and associated with Survivors Against TB, highlight the enormous burden of drug resistant TB in India and how best to deal with the challenges. Today, antibiotics are in everything from handwash to animal food products. We pop antibiotics like candy without proper consultation from a doctor even when we suspect a viral infection like the flu and now Covid-19, even though antibiotics kill bacteria, not…

Wishing good health and prosperity to all our contributors and our community and their loved ones! Happy Deepavali! Let us reconnect safely this Diwali and spread * light over darkness * good over evil * knowledge over ignorance Best wishes from the PatientsEngage team #happydiwali #festivaloflights

We all have a lot of questions on cancer prevention, how to detect cancer early and guidelines for  screening. We also often ignore the needs of persons with disabilities in terms of cancer awareness campaigns and access to screening. Join us as we discuss the following topics in the webinar today   Prevention is better than cure. How can we prevent cancer? How can we reduce the risk of cancer? What are the common cancers? What are the screening guidelines for lung cancer,…

For more than 7 months of the pandemic, one of the communities that has been most impacted are frontline healthcare workers and professionals. But these are not some remote group of people. They are our family members, our friends, our colleagues and us.  The wellbeing of the "helping professionals" impacts all of us. Join in at 3pm IST 16th Oct 2020 as we speak with our panelists on the issues being faced and what we can all do about it. - Dr. Nilesh Gawde, Chairperson, Centre for Public…

Polypharmacy in the elderly is a growing concern and can even cause harm to the patient. Dr. Anita Kumar explains the risks associated with polypharmacy, the symptoms to watch out for and the way forward for patients and their caregivers.     Polypharmacy is an issue that requires addressing because people unknowingly follow polypharmacy and do not recognize the potential harm it may cause. In recent times, polypharmacy has emerged as a public health issue and a concern globally…

About one in five of suicides are of senior citizens. It is a cause for enormous concern that warrants attention from healthcare providers, policy makers, communities and us as part of the larger society, writes Samiksha Sivan. In an effort to raise awareness about suicides and suicide prevention, and destigmatize it, we observe September 10 as World Suicide Prevention Day, a concept organised by the International Association of Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the World Health Organization (WHO…

2020 changed the independence and empowerment of older adults to a feeling of heightened vulnerability. But does it really have to be like that? Can older persons reclaim the feeling of being in control? Here is a practical list of what to do and avoid. The Covid-19 pandemic has reduced everyone in their 60s and above to being termed ‘Vulnerable Elders’, with its associated feelings of fear and isolation from even friends and relatives. But it was barely six months ago that the 60s were termed…

While teleconsultation has immense benefits, it can be limiting for patients with chronic pain where a physical examination may be necessary to reach correct diagnosis, avers Dr Mary Abraham, Pain & Palliative Care Specialist. The year 2020 has been the year of the SARS Covid-19 pandemic. It has been and still is an unprecedented situation that has transformed the lives of people all over the world. Besides the physical suffering it has inflicted, it has also affected the emotional, social…

On World Suicide Prevention Day, Sunitha Ramachandran, senior volunteer and mentor in Samaritans Mumbai, a suicide prevention helpline, gives us a gamut of vital information on how to recognise and prevent suicidal thoughts and acts and seek timely help to save lives. Could you tell us a little bit about the work being done by Samaritans Mumbai? Samaritans Mumbai offers emotional support for those who may be stressed, distressed or even suicidal. Our helpline is available via both phone and…