Joy of Giving (Advisory- Medical content)

THIS BLOG HAS MEDICAL PICTURES AND NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN. 

A few of us met recently to discuss reunion matters and particularly talk about the available funds. We have about 45,000 rupees surplus. In the past we have heard different view points , but the common thread is that everyone would like it to be put to good use , a deserving project etc . So this is what we propose.

1) Set up a bank account  - KMC Reunion account . This is be managed by 3 classmates. Will have  an auditor involved. The accounts will have to be very transparent. Will request for voluntary donations. This money will not be used for reunion activities.

2) Will request classmates to submit  projects which deserve funding. They will have to be (initially ) small projects.  For example ,I have taken part in a surgical camp in Tamil Nadu/Karnataka border a few times. I donated a Nellcor Pulse Oximeter in 2005 which was collected from  Children's Hospital, Boston. It still works well and has helped anaesthetists at these surgical camps which are conducted every 3 months

Another  project proposed is an  A/C installation for the Post Operative ward at the Surgical Oncology division in Royapettah which we will discuss. But it  could be anything - pulse oximeter for a medical camp where our classmates are involved, a water well in a village which needs it, adopt and improve a ward ,  a deserving poor student who is unable to cont studies for lack of funds etc. 

But  personal involvement of the classmate requesting this project is required , for this to work. We will also have  a group to decide on such proposals, with the classmate who is interested in its implementation. 

Once we set this up, it would be required for the recipients to talk about these contributions and its impact at future reunions. I  hope everyone would like to be involved in this charitable wing of the class. This kind of  communication and work will keep us together.  

We also propose reunion to be conducted every 2 years and the subsequent one at 3 years. Using 1989  for calculation , 2009 was the 20th year reunion and reunion will be  in 2011 and the 25th year reunion will be in 2014. 

PROPOSED PROJECT - 1

ONE A/C  UNIT AT ROYAPETTAH SURGICAL ONCOLOGY POST OP WARD

As most of you know Chennai can be brutal in summer. I am told that  Chennai has 2 summers these days ; one in May and then in July/August. MP Viswanathan is an Assistant Professor at Royapettah Surgical Oncology division and indicated a need for an A/C for the post operative ward at Royapettah in his unit. I recently attended rounds with him. They have  excellent clinical material and provide quality care. They perform about 12 Major surgeries per week. While the post op ward is very  functional and quality care is being provided , I agree that the patients would benefit greatly to recover in some comfort , instead of having to deal with the elements. There is one big floor fan and it makes more noise than cool air.

I have included some photos from my visit;

1) Dr SNEHALATHA

2)   Patient with Incisional Scar Rt Temporal Region- 40 year old male with CA middle ear, post RT recurrence. Post - En bloc resection of tumour , Rt temporal bone resection .

2) Patient with Tracheostomy /NG tube-  50 yr old female with CA  Lt alveolus . Post - Lt composite resection, P. major myocutaneous flap for lining, tracheostomy for anticipated post op airway issues.

3) Patient with Incisional scar Lt shoulder-  55 yr old male with chondrosarcoma of lt humerus. Post - Type 1 resection (Malawar) and prothetic instrumentation.

Our class has another connection to this surgical division. Dr Snehalatha , our anatomy teacher started this unit in Royapettah.  She was the Professor and HOD of this unit and was instrumental in starting the surgical oncology MCh program at Royapettah. Unfortunately , she succumbed to  malignancy  and pass away in 2003. To me this is a even more compelling reason to take  this as the first project. 

Some of you may ask why cant the govt  install an  A/C ; the answer is- that is not seen as a priority. If others have such ideas in mind , I would be happy to visit your site.  I understand we are doing this without much of a  blueprint, but our class has always been different and willing to explore different areas/ideas.

Prabhakar Devavaram

Thank you, Kamal

Since we have had very few comments in the previous blog entry, I thought of a light topic this time. Currently we are working behind the scenes to set up a charitable arm to our class. More on that later , but first give it up for Kamal Haasan.

 Kamal's 50 years in cinema is being celebrated in Chennai. It brings special memories for me. I think I was in 8th standard when the movie"16 Vayadhinilae" came out. Though I was not allowed to see the movie, I claimed that it was the best movie ever.  Well, I grew up with some serious movie fans. My friends would go to the first day /first show of all important movies , survive getting beaten up  by the police while standing in line for the 90 paisa ticket, then would tell/act out the whole movie to the less fortunate ones like me. 

Kamal Haasan is a special actor to me and my favourite movies of his are - 16 Vayadhinilae, Hey Ram and Nayagan.

If you have any special memories please share, or if you want to honour any other actor or actress, that would be welcome too.

Dont forget

  

I have listed the classmates who we were not able to contact to inform about the reunion. Please keep looking for them , so that we invite them for future reunions.
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
1.Gayatri Bharadwaj
  
2.Jayalakshmi Natarajan
  
3.Jayanthi Christina George
  
4.Josephine Rani
  
5.S.Jothi
  
6.Krishna Jee
  
7.Malathi
  
8.Mangayarkarasi
  
9.Nuniz Derena
  
10.Radha Krishnan
  
11.Savitha Rawal
  
12.Selvaraj
  
13.Sunitha Jacob Kuriyan
  

Finding time to post blogs is getting to be a problem. If classmates can email essays or topics , I would be happy to post them.For example-  Currently there is a health care debate going on in the US , and US docs can educate docs working in rest of the world about that.
  
 Staying on the same subject, when most people in US talk about socialised medicine they talk  with such revolt and anger. Now UK doctors can write about the success and faults of the NHS there. Similarly Docs in India can write about the benefits and faults here. So please help in keeping this blog going.
  
About the picture- I have a regret, that I have never been able to climb a coconut tree. So whenever I see an expert climbing a cocconut tree , I stand back and watch with envy.
  
 
  
prabhakar
     

From the Accounts Department

Being the treasurer of the reunion committee was not my choice, but I had to take it up for lack of volunteers. I am glad to report that we have a surplus of about Rs 50,000. 

As David Byrne  sang; And you may ask yourself... how did I get here?

As seen in the photos :

Credit - Rs 315475.48

Debit- Rs 251028.00

Balance- Rs 64447.48

I am waiting for 2 more cheques to clear , about 11,000.

We knew that we were working with a small budget for expenditure; about 50, 000,  we thought at that time. I decided to look at the big picture. After discussing with the rest of the organising committee , we decided not cut back on any projects we thought were essential to the event.  I also estimated that if the cost should overrun, it would be in the range of 10- 20,000 . I hoped to collect it at that time. 

And many of you kindly donated Rs 500 or more on August 9th, 2009. Though in retrospect we didn't need the money, it gave me peace of mind while settling the bills. So thank you again.If any of you who paid Rs 500 or more on August 9th, 2009 would like a refund , please email me.

Now what do we do with the surplus. Please comment, on this issue. In the mean time I am going to set up the KMC reunion account and this will be managed by 3 of our classmates and transfer the surplus amount to the account. Any decision to spend will have to be approved by all three.

I would like to thank everyone for their help and support in this.

Prabhakar Devavaram.

Share and Care - Poet Kaveri

The talent in our class is brilliant. Just another example of great poetry, this time in Tamil by Poet Kaveri. Since sending the poem  via Email , I have one english translation by Kumaran. And what a great job by Kumaran.

This blog will entertain poetry or writings in any language Indian or foriegn- Hindi, Telugu , Malayalam, Marathi, Manipuri or Malay, French and Espanyol.

Kaveri’s Poetry- Share and care through the wires and waves of the web

By Kaveri

English Translation by Kumaran

Title by Prabhakar

  

KMC

Our student days….

Emerging from the warmth of our parent’s care

We sought out friends to love and share

 

The exciting years of learning and training

Between eighty four and eighty nine

We strove through praise and our stars were shining

It had to end with gloom descending

 

Birds of the KMC nest had flown all over

Taking pride and fortune world over

No time to meet, no time to talk

We flew away in distance and lived away in silence

Where was the time to stop and search?

For the long lost friend of the distant past

 

New friendships, new relationships took up our space

The old ones sank to the background

We were so busy, caught up in our work-position-fame-service race

We couldn’t keep our ears very much to the ground

 

Twenty five years went by

The world has become smaller

The distances have been bridged

Relationships rekindled

We are back together

Through the enormous efforts of friends

My heart goes out for them….

 

Time to rejoice – time to pour your heart out

Lots of flowers have blossomed

Lots of promises kept

It is time to take stock

It is time to take note

Time is the healer

And

There is pure innocence still…..

 

Twenty five years ago…we were not even twenty five

But now

We are closer to forty five

Lots of water has flown

Lots of hairs have been dyed

Lots of hearts withered

Lots of lives lived

Just a day of reunion - enough to share it all…?

 

Let us share and care through the wires and waves of the web

The faces may have changed but the heart still goes lub-dub-J

As long as the heart is with us let us strive to keep in touch

And may god help us with his much…

 

Kaveri