Expression of Experience

Is your regular diabetic pill safe or effective? According to a study, the World Health Organization set standard is not followed by any of the five most prescribed diabetes pills in India. (As reported by Reuters March 13, 2018) . These medicines which combine metformin (the first-line medication for treating type 2 Diabetes) with other medicines have not been tested as per the standards of WHO. Even then over 500 medicine brands are being marketed with these combos by Indian pharmaceutical companies. In 2017, there were more than 72 million diabetes cases in India, as per the International Diabetes Federation. Already crowned as the Diabetes Capital of the World, Indians need to be more cautious about preventive measures as well as the about lowering of usage of drugs by healing through natural means. In India, two third of the diabetic drugs are sold in two-drug formulations, which is termed as fixed-dose combinations. These combinations are very expensive and popular ...

Have you ever thought that your regular Antacid “Pan D” can ever be fatal? Well, not the genuine ones! A recent raid by Crime Branch in Delhi has seized over 90,000 fake capsules and tablets of antacids and multivitamins which are usually consumed in all households as first remedy ( As reported by Times of India March 18 online Edition ). Among this, 50000 were fake capsules of Pan D, which is commonly taken by most of us during acidity problem. A regular consumer cannot distinguish between these fake and the real medicines. According to the experts, this fake medicine industry causes the deaths of almost 1 million people a year across the globe and a good ratio of it belongs to India. In India, the growing threat of antibacterial resistance has a huge contribution from these substandard fake drugs. Your doctor might have prescribed you to take multi-vitamins and you got them from your local pharmacy with a great discount. Now, after some time, you may start experi...

Few months back, there has been a lot of furore about the fake eggs sold in the market. Then, there came lots of videos shared by the experts and non-expert netizens on the same explaining how the eggs can be tested for their genuinity! The vegetarians can ignore fake eggs but can anyone avoid medicines? You will be shocked to know that as per the FIICI report, 25% of Medicines sold in India are fake. The counterfeit medicines have flooded Indian market. The average life expectancy of the people are increasing and proportionately there is an increase in the time of life suffered from diseases and other health conditions. In such a situation, people are taking more and more medicines without confirming its genuinity.  So, how a layman buying medicine from a local pharmacy will know that he/she is not buying fake medicines? How to check that you’re getting a genuine medicine from your pharmacist? The fake medicines will look almost same like their genuine counterparts whe...

Sundarbans, the name itself connotes beautiful land, full of wildlife and greenery! So, whenever we plan for a holiday in Sundarbans, we visit the wildlife and capture the scenic beauty. And to most of us, it’s the thrill of getting a glimpse of the famous Royal Bengal Tiger and some tribal communities. To some extent, all these go in sync with the present Sundarban but the disparity arises when we talk about the communities living there, the people who have been living there under the constant fear of getting submerged someday! The sinking island Ghoramara, Sundarban Ghoramara is one of the 104 islands of Sundarban. It is a tiny vulnerable island covering approximately 5 sq.km area. You will have to travel approximately 90 km by road to reach Lot No 8 in Kakdwip Block from where ferry service is available to Ghoramara Island. There are 4 trawlers that traverse to and fro Ghoramara and Lot No 8 every day. However, the frequency and timing may vary depending on the tide. U...

Sundarbans , always well-known for its rich mangrove diversity and Royal Bengal Tiger , is now drawing attention of the world for the drastic climate change effects on the community and the crisis they are facing are coming to the fore.   Climate change is a challenge to the development of the community. Apart from loss of lives, livelihood and health impacts, it is creating a huge number of Climate Refugees every year who have no recognition The fishermen boats are resting and preparing for next day's journey The frequent displacement of these coastal communities from one island to another and to nearby cities in search of better livelihood opportunities created a wide range of ecological and socio-economic problems leading to humanitarian crisis. These climate refugees are poorest communities who do not have access to any basic amenities like pure safe drinking water and two times healthy meal. The situation worsened after the cyclone AILA in 2009 , whic...

Our country has numerous tribes with variety of culture and livelihood. And we the so called civilized people hardly know about them. Most of us have imaginary ideas about them. Till the time I got associated with an NGO , I also never heard about the Lodha tribe, who has an interesting history of their own. However, I am not here to discuss about their history. I just wanted to share whatever I came to know about a particular section of this tribe living in Sagar Island in Sundarban (West Bengal). The Lodha people of Sagar Island reside in a village called Mayagoalini. There are around 23 families of Lodha living in this village still maintaining their originality. Just 2/3 years back, the other caste people living in this area used to consider them untouchables. They were not allowed to mix with commoners. They were not allowed to fetch water from the same pond from where others used. So, they were living a secluded life. However, things took a little better turn for the Lo...

Bhuvan Pahar is the nearest and cheapest pilgrim spot for the people of Barak Valley, situated in the Nnorth-Eastern state of Assam. This place is famous for the Shiva temple situated at the top of this hill. Thousands of people from various parts of the state flock to Bhuvan Pahar during the 'Maha Shivratri' and 'Dol Purnima' to worship Lord Shiva. On the way to the Bhuban Situated almost 50 kms away from the heart of town Silchar, it is a very significant pilgrimage place of Assam. Car and bus services are available till the foot of the hill. Buses and cars can be availed from Silchar as per the requirement. Special buses are run during the festive season in the month of February and March. These transportation modes take you upto Motinagar, a small place at the foot of the hill. However, if one has private car, then they can take it upto Panichowki, a few kilometres up the hill. The road is broad and good till this point. From this place, the pilgrims...