Newsletter November 2020

Dear ardent K-Way Readers,

As we enter November, the month of Thanksgiving, let us thank our patients, their families and all our colleagues who made our life and work very special, especially during these difficult pandemic days.

During the last few months we have experienced some ups and downs, but these few months have also taught us to visualize life in a better perspective.

Ambitions and dreams might have changed for many due to the unexpected catastrophe but every change in our life teaches us to recoup and prove ourselves better. [Read More…]

Times Health Survey 2020

We are excited and happy to announce that Kauvery Hospital Chennai has been ranked the 3rd Best Multispeciality Hospital in the city by the Times Health Survey 2020.

Moving 2 positions upwards from 5th to 3rd in the last one year reflects the kind of values we uphold. We are ranked among the top 10 hospitals in the south zone. It is indeed a proud day for us to be a part of this Kauvery family. We extend our sincere thanks to each and every person in our family the nursing staff, doctors, housekeeping, maintaineinance, security, catering team for all their commitment towards their services.

A Life with Breast Cancer

Over the years, breast cancer has become the nemesis of Indian women overtaking cervical cancer to establish its dominance as the most common cancer in Indian women. The sheer number of cases is so huge that even with both sexes combined, breast cancer ranks as the number one among all cancers in terms of numbers. So, what causes it? Factors are numerous and they include the following:

Life of Doctors - Patients, Medicine and Beyond...

Dr Suresh Venkita, our Group Medical Director, a senior cardiologist and an avid writer, has yet again shared this lovely story from his desk.

Roses are red; violets are blue

Around six that evening, when the doorbell rang, Eshan was busy getting things ready for the party. Wondering who had turned up so early, he grumpily went to the door. It was Nathan. “I’m here to help you,” he said with a smile. “How much can you possibly do all by yourself?” Holding forward a single rose that had a long, slender stalk, he bowed dramatically. “Congratulations. For now, you could stop being jealous,” he sneered. Eshan knew that the emphatic “all by yourself” was hardly intentional, but it bothered him.

Diabetes: The Difference Nursing Care Makes

We are undoubtedly living in an era of double pandemic as the prevalence of diabetes is increasing due to a lot of triggering factors such as sedentary lifestyle, stress, unhealthy food habits, and also due to the steroid therapy currently used for SARS COVID-19 treatment.

World Diabetes Day 2020 was observed with the theme being The Nurse and Diabetes. This is of course to recognize the important role that nurses play in caring for diabetics.

Happy to share the success of our MEM candidates

Emergency medicine has evolved as a specialty by itself and emergency medicine physicians have been tireless front-line warriors all over the world during this pandemic.

We salute their tireless effort during these times!

It’s Time to Eradicate Hepatitis-C Infection: Let’s Unite

The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice for their discovery of the hepatitis-C virus. This virus is responsible for causing liver cirrhosis and liver cancer all over the world. HCV was first identified in 1989 as the principal cause for post-transfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis and an estimated 130–170 million people worldwide (2–3% of the population) are currently infected. According to the 2017 Global Burden of Disease study, India had 4.83 lakh new HCV cases in 2014.

Medical Philately: Each Stamp Tells a Story

A lot of people enjoy collecting stamps as a hobby. Philately is the field that is concerned with the collection of stamps, their study and the understanding of history through them. The word has its origin in French and Greek with philo meaning loving and ateleia meaning to get exemption from. Many renowned personalities loved collecting stamps; the list includes Queen Elizabeth, Beatles singer John Lennon and Charles Chaplin to name a few.

My Colors of Navratri

My festive greetings to all our enthusiastic K-Way readers! Nothing can dampen the spirit of Navratri. Every year, just like everybody else, I too look forward to the glory ofthis celebration of “Shakti”.

As a pediatric intensivist, I spend most of my time with children who heal in the ICU, braving storms along the way. The stethoscope is my perpetual companion in the cacophony of sounds from beeping monitors and ventilators. For someone whose left brain is mostly abuzz, Navratri is the one time it winds down and the right takes over! This time of the year, I wield my paint brushes instead of the stethoscope and have a great time decorating the house Golu. Stacking up padis and varusais of Golu dolls is fun. But what makes it special, gratifying and not “just-another-Golu”, is when you use your tiny skill set and spark of creativity to give a hand-made upgrade to the inherent beauty of the Golu.

Obesity - Mother of all Diseases

Obesity is a serious metabolic disorder that is notified as “mother of all diseases”.

EMI and BMI both threatens,

The causes of obesity are:
– Sedentary lifestyle
– Over nutrition/undernutrition (unbalanced food patterns)
– Less physical activity
– Genetics

Tips to prevent falls in the elderly

Dr. K Mukunth, Senior Orthopaedic Surgeon, Kauvery Hospital Chennai shares a few valuable tips about preventing falls in older adults. The most vulnerable place is the bathroom, where elders slip and can fall. The floor should not be slippery. If there is a step at the bathroom entrance, there should be a handle on the door or wall. By holding the same, they can enter. There should also be a handle to get up from the toilet closet for them to hold. Getting up from the bed or sitting positions in the chair etc. is another hazard for elders. They should hold on to something, like a bed or chair handle or walking aid like a stick or tripod while getting up. They should not feel shy about using walking aids, which can save them from falling.

Patient Experience

“I got COVID-19 and was in critical stage than usually it has to be, got my emergency C Section done at 28 weeks and was on ventilator support. Doctors Sabeeha, Sridhar, Vijayalakshmi, Karthik and other team of doctors, really did an amazing job in saving my life and little one. Sisters in COVID ward did an amazing job, 24/7. ICU staff justin played a vital role in making me get into prone position when I was in induced coma, he made me celebrate my birthday post removing the ventilator and allowed me to see my daughter who was in NICU through video call which was my greatest gift on my birthday and brought a big smile on my face. Thank you doctors and nurses who were treated me right and gave utmost care and support. Thanks a million to Sabeeha mam and Sridhar sir and Justin bro and all others. Forgive me if I haven’t mentioned few of your names. You all are reason for the breath am taking in now. I remember the last day when me and my baby got discharged, I holded the hands of Sabeeha mam n cried my heart out for the job she did for saving my life. Thank you all.”
-S.S