[Continued from Feb. 23]

By R. Chandra Prakash

Today the medical system is a chain of interdependent, highly sophisticated services, each consisting of qualified and trained personnel. Further, the changing socio-economic contours of demography has  created newer demands. The combined effects  of these factors  has been that today there is a labyrinths of     allied medical services. In keeping with its expanding demography and increasing economic prosperity, most of these specialised medical services are available in Mysuru today. Since elaborate listing out all or even most of them is not feasible, only a few important ones are accommodated here under three broad categories namely:

Supporting Services

a) Diagnostic Services: Gone are the days of mere pulse-based or stethoscope-based diagnosis of ailments. To fine-tune their treatment regimen doctors today routinely outsource diagnosis to Diagnostic Labs. Mysuru has 105 registered Diagnostic Labs, though it is rumoured that its numbers may be much higher. Mysuru’s first private Diagnostic Lab was established in 1968 by Dr. Kannan of  Kannan Labs.  In 1976 Bhagawan Lab came up. Now the city has several such labs.

A good pathology and radiology lab requires large investment. Consequently, now service-specific labs such as CAT lab, MRI lab, Path lab have  come up.  Home sample collection, pooling of facilities are also being practiced to beat the high costs and are available in Mysuru.

b) Nursing Services: Nursing plays a crucial role in medical system. Mysuru is estimated to have more than 5,000 nursing professionals working  in clinics and hospitals.  There are 17 Nursing Schools and Colleges. Interestingly, more than 80% of the students admitted to Nursing courses are from Kerala. Home Nursing services are available in Mysuru.

c) Drug Delivery Services: No more medicines are prepared in the clinics titled “Chemists & Druggists” or “Pharmacy.” Even though the medical students are trained in Generic terminology of medicines, by the time they start the practice it is only the Brand names they recall. Hence, a long chain of Drug Delivery System has come in to vogue.

Mysuru has about 1,200 licensees registered with the controller. Of these more than 300 are for wholesale distribution and about 900 for retailing. Shanthi Medical Stores and Nataraja & Co., were first and second medical stores to be established in Mysuru way back in early 1940s. In 1943, present Raghulal & Co., was established. Today many hospitals have a medical store within its premises. There are several medical chain stores.

Drug distribution is a very complex business. It has varieties of drugs such as Ethical or branded drugs, Generic drugs which could be Molecular Over The Counter drugs (OTC) and then one has the Propaganda company drugs (PCD). Total formulations in operation could be more than 45,000 in number. A certified Pharmacist is a must  in a medical shop as per the Act. Competition among the dealers has made 10% discount a default factor in the bill and some even provide 20% discount if the purchase is more than Rs.1,000. Home delivery and online supply has intensified the competition, but the patients are very happy !

d) Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Pariyojana: Prices of branded drugs burn deep holes in the patients pockets.  Government has evolved a mechanism to provide standard quality medicines at 50% to 90% lesser than their branded counterparts through Janaushadhi under Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Pariyojana. Mysuru  has 35 Janausadhi shops, said to be the highest number for a city in the State. These shops are a boon to those who suffer from life long illness like that of diabetes and hypertension.

Rehabilitation Services

a) Physio Therapy Clinics: There are 45 physio-therapy clinics operating in                                                                            the city, including those in the hospitals. Treatment regimes could be Ortho-based due either to age or accidents; or Post-Operative care; Neuro-based due to stroke or paediatric reasons; Cardio-related due to post operative care and/or could be Community based disabilities due to birth etc. Accidents related rehabilitations account for more than 50 per cent of the cases.   There are two Colleges in the city providing courses in physio-therapy  where annually around 150 such physio-therapists are trained.

b) Orthopaedic Aids & Surgicals: Body specific orthopaedic braces, specially customised foot-wears [Flat foot, Heel Pain, Foot ulcers, Leg Pain, Short limbs, Amputated foot etc], walkers, belts, wrist bands, neck collars and such other ortho-aids are now easily available / made to order in the city. National Orthopaedic Aids, Podia Caere, Raghulal Surgical, Mysore Surgical, Crown Ortho Needs and many others are serving the physically/medically challenged persons.

c) Palliative Care: Palliative care is a vital service for people living with chronic and life-threatening illnesses like cancer, HIV aids, paralysis, kidney failure, cerebral palsy, etc. Among others Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement is one such organisation which has a 16-bed Palliative Care Centre at PKTB & CD Hospital (a collaborative venture with Mysore Medical College & Research Institute).

It  adopts a ‘lifespan approach’ to chronic diseases, which is a holistic approach — from the time of diagnosis till death and beyond. The service meets physical, psychological, economic, social and spiritual needs of patients and their families suffering from chronic illnesses.  The service includes continuous contact and care both at the home level and at the palliative centre. Since 2,009 it has served over 6,000 patients and their families.

d) Mental illness: Urban life generates several types of stresses. Unemployment, Debts, Family Discords, Age-related health problems etc., may finally result in mental stresses/ disorders and finally in suicides. Mysuru has been witnessing increasing number of missing persons, suicides, murders etc., which could be linked to such mental stresses. Most of them could be treated if detected early and get suitable medical care.

Broadly mental illness could be Neurosis (Depression or Anxiety), Psychosis (formal thought disorder or disorganisation of thinking), Substance Induced (Alcohol, Drugs, Ganja/Marijuana etc.)  Personality Disorders, and lastly Age-specific (Teen/ Adolescence ones like sex or Geriatric issue like Dementia).

K.R. Hospital has been providing necessary succour to  various mental illness afflicted patients. Dr. H.S. Venkatesh a MD [Neuro] from NIMHANS has been practicing privately in this field for several decades in city. In 2013, Prerana Hospital was established fully dedicated to Neuro-care, Psychiatry & De-addiction. On an average 100 to 120 out-patients seek counselling and around 70 to 100 in-patients are admitted for treatment for various mental illnesses. There are some similar other newly started facilities catering to this special medical requirement.  May be it is time for seeking an extension  unit of NIMHANS in Mysuru on the lines of demand for a unit of Kidwai Cancer Hospital.

e) Retirement Homes / Old Age Homes: More than ten percent of the city’s population is said to be above the age of 60. Further, IT industry has made the younger population  to migrate out of Mysuru in large numbers leaving their aged parents back home. This demographic feature coupled with the economic prosperity of this group have  brought Geriatric Care  to centre stage which has spawned a new genre of real estate — Retirement Homes.

People either buy or rent on long term an apartment where house-keeping, catering and even medical care are available.  Like many big cities, now Mysuru also has many such Retirement Homes. Tapovan brand is one such institution.

There are several Old Age Homes (like Bapuji Old Age Home)  run by  charitable organisations. Government also runs  Old Age Homes.

Other Services

a) Blood Banks: Despite high degree of development in medical research there is no cent percent substitute to  human blood when it comes to saving a life.  Therefore, Blood Banks are established to collect and preserve blood on most scientific manner. There are dedicated volunteers who keep the 24×7  information available to the needy regarding the emergency requirements. Mysuru has more than 10  blood banks. Major hospitals have their own Blood Bank facility.

b) Ambulance Services: Government has set up  24×7 108 as a toll-free number as a centralised ambulance provider. Hospital and Private Ambulances are registered with 108 which helps in quickly procuring an ambulance.

c) Organ / Body Donation: There is a greater awakening in the donation of organs of brain-dead persons and a few hospitals have facilities to immediately transplant them among the wait-listed critical patients. Mysore Medical College and JSS Medical College have established facilities to register for body donation.

d) Freezer Box/ Embalming /Hearse facility: Preserving body till the arrival of near and dear ones was a daunting task till recently and  ice-slabs were being used. However, now Freezer Boxes are available on hire and several hospitals have this facility. Sanjeevini Ambulance Service provides 24×7 services of Mobile Mortuary, Embalming and Hearse Van in Mysuru along with a few other cities.

Above facilities are indicative of a wide range of allied medical services which play crucial role in an urbanised society. And Mysuru has most of them.

[Concluded]