.....Bali nd Male'......

......the local word for disease is "Bali"....all set for a spurt.... as April draws to an end....the HFMD is here ....with children sick,.....the communicable element again overtaking the  NCD clinic though I thought tht this yr HTN, DLP, DM &LBA have reached epidemic proportions....with local factors including dietary &  disease import frm mainland subcontinent ,notably Bangladesh: hands r full....last two weeks the young among the working class reported astonishingly high numbers of STD with Pyuria nd UTI hogging the limelite....the co relation nd free co habitation nd a liberalised mixed society being the cause with sex workers frm abroad playing a significant role....the huge expat labor force being tapped nd exploited....long yrs of separation frm home as much as 5yrs at a stretch which is the minimum an expat will stay to clear off the financial strain incurred at home....the interactions are bound to occur....often with catastrophe....the drug menace in the local populace nd the foreign worker is a constant challenge nd threat to the community....the Robinson Crusoe  Islands at least some of them as safe haven...!!!.....providing service with limited resources is a challenge with the tertiary care scanty.....nd sometimes logistics will adamantly prevent patient referral....in this scenario the Physician in me have to don the mantle of one umbrella service provider nd surely it is gratifying nd a honor to serve these needy populace.....its like a practice of old world charm....one to one ...heart to heart...!!!!

......learning experience...!!!!

....little Nanu is indisposed for about a week now....his fascination for chicken,meat.& Eggs has let him down momentarily....recently his Mama visiting us with fmly frm Gurgaon dubbed him...Chicken Anda Singh....aft noticing his affinity for these....today fellow consultant Dr Singh of Pediatrics  was delighted to see his co operation level for his ailment of gastritis & urate crystals in urine...he has promised, to co operate with his ma, nd doctor of course, nd unwillingly accepted a less obnoxious diet plan...!....diligently playing an attendant humbled me to no extent,:....an hr ago, I was in the hot seat consulting with my patients nd now as the father opposite my fellow counterpart,for a service which I render day in & day out....!...I could realize how difficult its to be an attendant...!...with scores of medical Queries pertaining to the case nd anxiety for redressal...!...no sooner, as I bade my son 
goodbye,entering my own clinic with a swollen Q,which had gathered in the recess waiting patiently to be addressed by me...the reversal of the role had a dramatic sobering effect on me....I could understand the patient's & the attendant's view points better I thought...their queries ,anxiousness nd sentiments appeared palpable nd pushed my best abilities to its limits...I regretted my past actions of insensitivity,inaction nd lack of patience due to patient overload,fatigue or incessant phone calls....long wrk hrs...which I thought is in excusable,keeping in view the nature of the relationship...!!!...it was akin to the physical pain felt by the patient which could not be felt nd appreciated by the physician...!!...every nook & corner of life...there will be a "Learning Experience" for superlative performance nd Quality Life :not material......for the Physician...!!!

........Indians of the Coral Reef......!!!!

8pm.............Doel's B'day@SalsaRoyal kicked off sharply at with our community strongly behind us....meticulously both: Archana being active at the Male' chapter of ICCR nd being here for long, havemanaged to rally on whatever thts Indian...!!!....the oldest Bank, of Maldives Islands, is the State Bank of India in which we have many frnds,the Indian High Commission under whose aegis the ICC runs have our own share of frnds,the International School Billabong High,the multiple Resort managements all have Indians in imp.positions,not to forget about the Telecom major Dhiragu nd its rival Wataniya....Indian Teachers ,doctors & now professionals of IT nd Management & Accts.have played a major role here....hence the term Homeland 2 :tht of the Expat...!!!...our Maldivian counterpart look forward to India as the Big brother nd its a very successful partnership on the ground level....i.e one to one level.....!!!....living in a foreign land interacting with foreigners day in & day out....the opportunity for an Indian get together is always seized on any occasion...last eve was no different....!!!...the private fmly get together was a moment of joyous re union with Indian fud served thru Salsa kitchen whose majority staff  is frm Orissa.....!!!!

.......Doel Pakhi :the Humming Bird....!!!!

......this is dedicated to my daughter DOEL on her B'Day....1st Apr 2005 was a struggle for both  Ma & child,she struggling to get out frm her mother's womb...frm the wee hrs of 1st Apr till just past midnite into the 2nd she could breath the mundane....much to our relief....it heralded the advent of Laxmi as people put it...holding her head in my palm she was a world to me as my tired contour broke into a smile....Doel Pakhi(bird) as I fondly call her is a mute testimony of our Odyssey frm Homeland 1 to 2....the Maldivian sun & breeze in remoteness of her infancy stood by her in good stead....nd in her company we thrived.....!!!!....I still call her Panna+ Lall(Pannalal) nd 'Fonadhoo frnd' striking a spl.cord with her which is unique to our frndship....while walking on the desolate beaches of Laam Fonadhoo both father nd daughter were frnds chasing the hell out of crabs nd identifying various fish of different colors ,retracing the paths of thick columns of ants nd looking for bats....day in & day out the evenings were spent.....whn I felt tht her small self can't match her voracious appetite for the outdoor....I got a Mazda B323 sedan for her even in tht remote setting....tht opened a window of Island hopping as three Islands were linked together by Causeways across the sea....now she could access the Airport Island of Kadhdhoo utilising the park & the swing ....with Archana tasting some coffee, regularly, there, in the newly opened Elly Cafe chain....her regular trips to the Regional Hospital Island of GAN thru the dense coconut jungle of Mandhoo instilled in her the outdoors clung to her till date....!!!.....as usual I was distracted on the eve of her B'day,today, arranging the venue for her B'Day of 2nd Apr...changing & disliking menus of multiple venues...nd finally settling to the best of my abilities....rubbing it on to my pts.with whom I cracked too many jokes, I thought...the entire Evening Clinic as if on an arm chair.....!!!....but for a moment aft my return ,I thought Doel Pakhi is growing too fast....now tht she is a humming bird....singing numbers at random....!!!....GOD Bless her nd her family.....!!!!