Anti-tobacco day

Today was the World No-Tobacco Day. A rally followed by a conference were organised by the Karnataka Cancer Society.

This walk's goal was to warn the population about the tobacco risks. The problem was that the march took principally place in little streets. This may suggest that the instigators wanted to aim the lower population class. The march started in  the Hallada Ground in Malleshwaram.

The rally

The procession was mostly composed by women. They were nurse and dentist students. The walk lasted 30 minutes, and ended in a school: Thirumala Vidyanikethan.

The conference took place in the school. There was the organisation comity, partners, a police officer and guests on the stage. They wanted to transmit one message: spread the awareness of the tobacco risks.
Bangalore's people are smoking or chewing tobacco. The population doesn't know tobacco risks, that's why there is a major danger. There are more chewers than smokers, that's why there's more mouth than throat cancers.  Moreover, some people don't even know that there's tobacco in the material they chew.

A surgeon also talked about the bad knowledge of the medical network. Many patients with a minor cancer problem are misguided: an easily treatable tumour can turn into a dangerous one because of this misunderstanding of the medical system.

There's a law which forbids smoking in public structures. The policeman said that the police forces would try to be more efficient on punishing the people who don't respect it.

Conference's stage

Sports for SEVA: study results

The study results will be available on Tuesday !

Sankara Eye Hospital: 1’000’000 free eye surgeries!

 
Here is Sankara Eye Hospital in Bangalore. This clinic is specialized in eye care. On 24 May 2013, it was the 1'000'000th free eye surgeries celebration.

This hospital was founded in 2008 and is part of  Sankara Eye Care Institution which has 11 hospitals all over India. It was imagined by Dr. R.V.Ramani and his wife Dr. RadhaRamani in 1977. At first, it was common health care centre. Then it grew and specialized in eye care. Dr. R. V. Ramani also created the first  eye bank in South India.

There is a community outreach programme. A hospital team patrols around Bengaluru rural areas to find people with eye diseases. On the spot, they do a screening of the population and those who need eye care are brought to Sankara Eye Hospital. There, they are given food, accommodated and cared. Patients needing surgery are tested for their eye and body fitness. If both are fine, surgery can be carried out. After that, they stay for 1 or 2 days in the hospital, then they go back to their village. One month later, a hospital team goes there to do a check-up on them.

There are 3 outreach programmes being  aimed at children: Swagatham, Maithri and Rainbow. Swagatham is neonatal screening programme for children who were born in hospital. Maithri concerns children from 3 to 6 years old who don't go to school yet. And for those who go to school, there is the Rainbow programme. This one is in 3 steps. First, volunteer teachers are trained to identify children with eye defects. Then they call Sankara Eye Foundation which will send them a team. Professionals inspect these kids and if eye care is needed they are sent to the hospital. Finally, their disease is treated in the hospital.

It is divided in a paying and a non paying section. Patients pay according to their  means so the poorest don't pay and get free care. The money from the paying patients, who represent 20% of all patients, is used to pay charge of all patient.

The Big Bull

We went to the Bull temple. This place of worship is dedicated to the bull, known as Nandi in Hinduism.

This animal is sacred because it's Shiva's animal mount. If you go inside this beautiful construction, you will see a big bull made of one granite block.

Lunch at MTR branch

We went to a famous restaurant's branch in Bengaluru: Mavalli Tiffin Room or MTR.

The original MTR is one of the oldest restaurant of the city. You can eat  excellent vegetarian food there.

MTR's masala dosa and Lassi

Totawatte Don Srilak

Team 2

To briefly describe myself I would say I'm not the kind of person that likes talking about himself. Nevertheless I will still try my best to do so. 

I'm 22 and I was born in Geneva. Both of my parents are from Sri Lanka, Colombo. I think this is important because even though I identify myself as a swiss citizen, I was deeply influenced by the srilankan culture through out my entire education. Sometimes I even feel stuck between two ways of thinking. 

Milena Alec

Team 2

To briefly describe myself I would start by saying I have an enthusiastic and curious personality. I grasp every opportunity there is to experience new things and this is probably what brought me to India. Besides traveling and spending time with friends and family, I have a profound interest in art.

Michael

Team 2

To describe myself in a few words, I would say I’m a pretty dynamic person who can’t stay a minute without doing something. A few years ago I would often go swimming but I recently had to stop because it took me too much time. Instead I started running and I got involved in different other sports for fun.

Annabelle Roth

Team 2

To describe myself briefly, I would say that I am a curious person always willing to discover new things and to do whatever is suggested. I like to meet people and exchange experiences. I also like to teach and I am lucky to be able to do some teaching

Yann L'Huillier

Team: Bengaluru Crew

He is doing his third year of medical school at the University of Geneva, in Switzerland. He came in this association because he has to make a project called "community immersion" to achieve his bachelor. He wanted to radically change his environment, that is why he has chosen Bangalore to make his internship.

Karin Rose

Team: Bengaluru Crew

Karin Rose is a 3^rd year medical student from Geneva. She is 21 years old. She is from Thailand and Scotland and she lives in Geneva. She is doing an internship of four weeks in Bangalore with Madhyama Foundation under the supervision of Dr Dayaprasad G kulkarni.

She thinks education is essential for every one.

Jonathan Deriaz

Team: Bengaluru Crew

 

Jonathan Deriaz is a student in third grade of medecine in Geneva. He is 24 years old and comes from Onex, a city close to Geneva. He is doing an internship from 27 May to 23 June 2013 in Bengaluru

Adrien Mazzolari

Team: Bengaluru Crew

Adrien Mazzolari was born in Morges, a city in Switzerland, in 1989. At the age of 6 he came to Geneva, where he now resides.

He is in third year of medicine at the university of Geneva. What made him chose this way was the curiosity of knowing the human body. Understanding how this complex « machine » works never ceases to amaze him.