A Doctor's Heart Sutra

By Shenal Rajakarunanayake She knits unheard stories through the threads of heart-felt words. Her writing conciliates the readers with indispensable love for humanity and emancipates the perennial barriers which are barricading the truth. Her stories are heart wrenching and often make you dewy eyed, yet it never stops your urge to read through. She weaves the reality of the society through her stories with a unique touch of compassion bringing the readers to an astonishment. She cures the scars of 30 years of civil war through her gifted healing therapy while mixing her heart sutra with others. Basically it isn't merely a book which stimulates your mind, yet a road map which drives you all around to see the unseen and address the unaddressed. Truly, "Anith Kona" (The Other End) is a story which unfolds how strangers became family in an unknown environment, undoubtedly everybody must read. Q: Let's begin with "Anith Kona" (The Other End): What made you to w...

UNFDA, launches their web based media plattform ivoice.lk and I was honored to be apart of it as to give my opinion on social media, youth and its use I feel that anyone with the necessary tools can reach out to the community through social media and we have been seeing that it can improve the socio-economic well being of a community. Having said that I feel reluctant to say that its an all good deal, but I guess it all depends on the user it self. If we look at its ability to reach and connect, social media tops the list  it serves as an emergency response tool to form a sort of a highly resourceful communication network during devastating times to mobilize youth and resources. We have seen this during floods, landslides and many incidents and catastrophes that youth with their informative response through social media has formed various kinds of volunteer services and this has helped the community while taking the social services to a greater level  As...

Its the end of another hectic day and I keep on staring at her monitor... which now doesnt make that alarming noise... It is a blessing to help them all, but a curse to feel so much. Tired of getting sick with all the viral outbreaks, probably had them all and i tend to forget that getting sick is also humane. Two down with viral fever from the team.of 6 doctors in paeds wards. I Hear there's going to be an extra allowance to all who work during the dengue crisis. "We didnt even get a risk allowance even when we asked for that doctor" a nursing officer quotes on past issues. yes ! Its an occupational haz ard to be at risk to catch these diseases while treating them. Life is a struggle right now and I carry all burden on my shoulders thinking "this too shall pass like it did before" "If u can sit still for a while i can draw you doctor" he says with a smile...without even asking him to do so...such a talented young kid who copied all the wall pai...

"is there any problem doctor ?" a troubled mothers ask me during ward rounds... "hows are the reports ?(hows my child's blood report) another mom asks me. some even ask me to explain the counts... once in awhile I get a few mothers who are not bothered of whats happening around... and most of them are diagnosed with a psychiatry disorder. Ever clinic day I worry too much about the referrals we get from Mental health institution... these mothers a re inward patients who have post -partum depression or psychosis, some are known patients with psychiatry disorders which have aggravated after child birth. I am stressed and worried about these kids who end up with no proper care or love from their parents. Yes ! all most all of these mothers are single parents who are left after pregnancy by multiple partners. Why cant we have a legal process for these psychiatry patients to have a proper birth control method and follow up ? why cant we mend the laws to l...

"your tattoo looks interesting, what does it mean ? " I asked the foreign student who was sitting next to me during the lecture. She had a semicolon tattoo on her left arm. "don't you know what this means ?" she asked with widened eyes She told me her story with a brave smile. "I was growing up with my mother, who was a busy scientist who had a very little time to spend with me. I was a trouble maker at home and school and failed class a few times. when I was 15 I was into many violent acts and a my mother said I was a huge disappointment to her. I felt like killing my self. I did climb up to the roof top of the apartment building many many times but gave up walked to the railway path and still couldn't bear the feeling of losing a life time. I told these troubling, disappointing thoughts to a teacher and she helped me go for counselling and therapy. I survived and this tattoo reminds me of my survival " yes ! Life is a constant struggle...

A three year old was sitting beside the doctor’s table, outside the labor room. He was surprisingly calm and quiet. He seemed to enjoy the tea we had given him while his mother delivered her fourth child. He had no father or any known relative to take care of them. His mother was a psychiatric patient on regular follow up and treatment. He didn’t trouble us at all and never asked where his mom was. This little one was wearing the same old clothes that he wore when he came here few months back (We had seen him with the mother on her previous two admissions) and this mom, didn’t have any clothes for her new born either. The little fellow had a brown paper bag, which had stones, bottle caps and other junk, probably he picked up while coming to the hospital. These were his toys. These people collected the single use, plastic water bottles from us because it was the nearest thing to a toy they knew. They filled them with stones and pebbles to create rattles for babies. The nurse returned ...

Indu (pseudonym) was one of the permanent patients of our unit. She had nowhere else to go other than the orphanage which sheltered her. We took over her care, whenever she troubled her care takers. Keeping her in one place was hard as she had a habit of running away from every home that sheltered her. She became one of our unit’s heaviest burdens. When she was hospitalized, we had to keep an eye on her, as she was fond of wondering in corridors, outside hospital premises and suddenly went missing during visiting hours. She was in her twenties when she was diagnosed with her mental illness. She was good in her studies but couldn’t continue as her mental status worsened. On top of this she had no family support. Her mother who was treated for the same illness showed no interest in building a healthy relationship with her daughter. The efforts we took to create a good family support, failed as it was impossible to make the mother and daughter understand each other’s situation. They had...

Health Complications Which May Result in Female Workers Who Stand for a Longer Period of Time Dr. B.R.M. Samaratunga (M.D.) Women Workers who stands for longer hours at work place are prone to develop health conditions such as musculoskeletal disorders, varicose veins, heart and circulatory problems and pregnancy difficulties. The most frequently and commonly complained symptoms are discomfort, fatigue and swelling in the lower limbs. Standing hazards · Pain: o Physical pain – musculoskeletal disorders o Swollen and painful limbs mainly lower limbs. o Joint pains (increased risk of knee and him arthritis) o Neck and shoulder stiffness · Poor posture (and its effects) · Plantar fasciitis · Stretched Achilles tendon. Flat feet and heal spurs · Varicose veins · Poor circulation · Increased risk of carotid atherosclerosis and stroke · Pregnancy difficulties · Mental distress and depression which may result due to long term pain.  Varicose veins are a common complication of stan...