जात, धर्म र क्षेत्रका साँघुरा घेराहरु...

तपाईं कुन जातको? कुन धर्मको? कुन छेत्रको? आदी-इत्यादी जस्ता कुराहरु तपाईंको लागि कती महत्वपूर्ण छन? कतिलाई धेरै महत्वपूर्ण होला। कतिलाई छदै छैन होला। क्यही चाँही बिच-बिचमा हुनुन्छ होला। मेरो लागि यो सब फिटिक्कै महत्वपूर्ण छैन। म एउटा मानव हुँ र आफुलाई त्यही देख्दछु। संसारका सारा मानवहरु कुनै न कुनै समयमा आफ्रिकाबाट बसाइ सरेर आएका हुन र आफ्रिकाका कालाजाती नै हामी सबैको पुर्खा हुन भन्ने मलाई ज्ञान छ। त्यसैले हामी सबै एकै हौ, हामीमा कुनै फरक छैन भन्ने म विश्वाश गर्छु। जात, धर्म, क्षेत्र इत्यादीका साघुरा घेराहरुमा म कदापी आटाउन सक्दिन।

तल्लो जात भनिएकालाई मन्दिरमा छिर्न नदिएको सुन्नु भएकै होला। कती बाउ-आमाले तल्लो जातका विद्यार्थी पढ्ने बिद्यालयमा आफ्ना छोरा-छोरी नपठाएको पनि देख्नु भएको होला। हाम्रै गाउको होटलहरुमा दलितलाई समान त बेचिन्छ तर छुन दीइदैन। पसलेले समान माथिबाट नछोइकन झोलामा झारी दिन्छन। चिया पियुन जादा उनिहरु आफ्नै गिलास लान्छन जस्मा पसलेले चिया खन्याइ दिन्छ। यो 'नाटक' मैले धेरै पटक देखेको छु। गाउ-घरको मात्र के कुरा। ठुला, पढेका, जनेबुझेका भनिएकाको पनि उही हाल छ। हालका प्रधानमन्त्री भनाउदा, खिलराज रेग्मी बाजेले पनि प्रधानमन्त्री निवास सरेकै दिन देखी तल्लो जात भनिएकालाई kitchenमा छिर्न मनाही गरेको, उनीहरुले छोएको नखाने गरेको, अनी तल्लो जातका आगुवाहरु काम-बिशेषले भेट्न जदा बैठक कोठामा जान नदिइ बहिरकै कोठामा (waiting roomमा) भेट गर्ने गरेको समाचार हलसालै केही पत्रीका हरुमा छापिएको थियो। उनी देवी-देव्ता बडो मान्छन अरे। दलितका र उन्का देवता फरक छन कि के हो? जात्-सात भन्ने कुरो पहिला कही-कतै थिएन, भगवानले बनाइदिएका हैनन। "चार जात छातीस बर्ण" भनेर प्रिथिवी नारायण शाहले बर्गीकरण गरेका हुन। अनी ठुलो-सानो, छुत्-अछुत भनेर जङ्ग बहादुर राणाले मुलुकी अैन मार्फत १८५० तिर मात्र बनाएका हुन भन्ने कुरा प्रधानन्ययधिस बनेका मान्छेलाई थाहा छैन होला? कि आफ्नो स्वार्थका लागि (आफु ठुलो हुन) बुझेर पनि बुझ पचाएका हुन? एउटा घरायसी कुरा भन्छु, मेरा मावली (जो खस सुमादाएका बाहुन हुन) एक समयमा झापा तिर बस्थे। उनिहरुले बहिनीले बिहे गरेको केटो (मेरो बुवा) उनिहरुको जातको हैनन, सानो जातको हो भनेर धेरै पछी सम्म हामी भन्जा-भन्जी र बहिनिलाई पूजाकोठामा छिर्न दीदैन थिए। पछी बिस्तारै उन्का भगवान सुध्रदै गएछन। त्यस बेला म सानै भएकोले यि कुराहरु बुझ्न सक्दिन थिए।
 
यिनिहरुले नियम पनि अचम्मकै बनाका छन, दलितबाट पसलको समान छुइनु हुन्न तर त्यो समान बापतको पैसा चाँही हातले लिएर ढोगेर गल्लामा हाल्न हुन्छ। थुक लाउदै सिएको लुगा लाउन हुन्छ, बनाएको चप्पल लाउन हुन्छ तर छोको भात खानु हुन्न। अनी फेरी पकाको खीर, मिठाइ चाँही प्रसाद भनेर खान हुन्छ। अचम्म।

धर्मको बिसयमा पनि हामी धेरै नै सङ्कीर्ण छौ। म केटाकेटी हुँदाखेरीको एउटा घट्ना सम्झिन्छु। एउटा मुस्लिम साथीले इद्मा 'सबैको खीर' खान बोलाएको थियो। साथीकोमा खान जाने कुरा घरमा बताए पछी मलाई 'मुसलमानकोमा गएर खानु हुन्न' भनेर बताइयो। मैले त्यसै गरे। गलत गरे भन्ने कुरा बिस्तारै थाहा पाए। पछी थुप्रै मुस्लिम साथीहरुकोमा गाको छु, एउटै थालमा पनि खाको छु। आहिले इद्मा पकाइने 'खीर्-खुर्मा' मलाई मन पर्ने पारीकार मध्ये एक हो।

नमज्जाको कुरो के पनि छ भने, बुढा त बुढा भै हाले, केही (सबै हैन) युवाहरु पनि जातको प्रथा नराम्रो हो भनी बुझेका त छन तर ब्य्हबारमा उतार्न आप्ठ्यारो मान्छन। "कुरा त ठिकै हो, तर अैले नै सकिन्न" भनेर धेरै ठुला जात भनिएका युवाहरुले भन्छन। आफ्नै साथीहरुबाट पनि सुनेको छु। आफुलाई आप्ठ्यारो नपरी कस्ले ज्ञान-गुन र नैतीकताका कुरा सम्झेर बसोस। यो उदासिन्ताको रवैया (attitude of unconcern)ले युवाहरुलाई नराम्रोसँग गाजेको छ भन्ने मेरो बुझाई हो। उच्च जातका पढेलेखेका युवाहरुलाई नयाँ न्यायसंगत परिवर्तनहरु अप्नाउन केही अप्ठ्यारो महसूस हुँदै छ। ऐलेका युवाहरु ठुला भएपछी यी भेद्भाब हराएर जानेछ भन्ने 'भ्रम' धेरैले पालेर बसेका छन। जुन मेरो बुझाईमा सत्य होइन। बिस्तारै हामी यो सबबाट माथि त उठ्नेछौ, भेद्भाब हटाउनेछौ। यसबाट फाईदा लिइरहेकाले चाहे पनि- नचाहे पनि यस्तै हुनेछ। मेरो चित्त दुखेको किन हो भने, मेरो पूस्ताले यसलाई पुरै निर्मुल पार्ने छैन। हामी पछीको पूस्ताले मात्र पार्ने छ। भोली यही बिस्लेसण हाम्रो छोरा-छोरिको पूस्ताले सुनाउदा हामीले सिर निहुराएर स्विकार गर्नु पर्ने छ।

मेरो पछील्लो blog "बुद्धले कहिल्यै दौरा सुरुवाल र ढाकाटोपी लाए होलान?" र त्यसमा आएका क्यही प्रतिकृयाहरुले मलाई कता कता फरक ढंगले सोच्न वाध्य बनायो र यो लेख लेखे। कुनै पत्रीकाको एउटा अत्ती नै राम्रो लेखको क्यही पङ्ती चित्त नबुझेर मैले त्यो लेखेको थिए। नेपालले भरातलाई फूटबलमा जितेपछी क्यही नेपालीहरुले 'धोती हारेको' भन्ने नारा लाउदा, धोती लाउने नेपालीलाई नराम्रो लाग्नु स्वाभाबिक थियो। तर सोही कारणले नेपालको जितमा खुशीयाली मनाउन सकेनन भन्ने तर्कमा मेरो ठुलो असहमती थियो। छ। मेरै हजुरबुवाले आजीवन धोती मात्र लाएको लगायतका कुरा पनि लेखेको थिए। तर अर्थ को अनर्थ के पनि लाग्यो भने, म तराइ मुलको  भएकोले मात्र मेरो चित्त दुख्यो र मैले त्यो लेखे। जुन कदापी सत्य हैन। सधैं सधैं मेरो आवाज भेदभावको बिरुद्धमा हो। असमान्ताका बिरुद्धमा हो। पक्षपातको बिरुद्धमा हो। अन्यायको बिरुद्धमा हो। र सधैं रहन्छ। यी सब ति निर्दोश सिकार (innocent victim) हरुको ठाउमा आफुलाई रखेर हेर्दाखेरिका मेरा अनुभुतीहरु हुन। एक पटक फेरी दोहोरयाउछु। यो जात, धर्म, क्षेत्र इत्यादीका घेराहरु मेरालागी अत्तिनै साघुरा छन, म उडन्ते चरी जस्तो स्वतन्त्र मान्छे यि साघुरा घेरा हरुमा कदापी आटाउन सक्दिन।

बुद्धले कहिल्यै दौरा सुरुवाल र ढाकाटोपी लाए होलान?

"तराइका थुप्रै धोती लाउने परिवारले नेपालले भारतलाई फूटबलमा जितेको खुशीयाली मनाउन गार्हो माने"
माथिको वाक्य देशको सबै भन्दा प्रतिष्ठित पत्रीका 'कान्तिपुर दैनिक'मा छापिएको एउटा लेखबाट लीयिएको हो। देशकै प्रतिष्ठित पत्रीकामा एउटा विद्वान(?)ले यस्तो बिबाद्स्पद र मनगढन्ते तर्क दिने ध्रिस्टता कसरी गरेछन? अनी कान्तिपुर जस्तो पारीपक्व मिडिया हाउसले यस्लाई कसरी छापेछ? सच्याउन किन चाहेनछ?

"फूटबल र नेपाली राष्ट्रियता" शिर्षकमा भाद्र ३१ गते छापिएको यो लेखले नेपालको फूटबलको बिगत र त्यसताका नेपालीको मनोभाबनाको राम्रो बिस्लेसण गरेको छ। युबाहरुलाई राष्ट्रिय एकतामा बाध्न पनि गतिलो जमर्को गरेको छ। सरसरती पढ्दा लेखकको नियत नराम्रो देखिदैन। तर, तराइ मुलका नेपालीहरुलाई ठाडै "नेपालीले जित्दा खुशी मनाउन गाह्रो माने" भन्नु उनको बैचारिक सङ्कीर्णता हो, बिभेदको सोच हो। उनले यसलाई स्वाभाबिक मान्नु र त्यस माथि झन 'धोती हारेको' नारा सुनेर नेपालले जितेको खुशी लगेन होला भन्ने सोच्नु सङ्किर्णताको चरम सिमा हो। हुनत अझै पनि काठमाडौंमा 'एक थरी'का मान्छेहरुले तराईवासी  पनि नेपाली हुन भनेर स्वीकार गरेकै छैनन। या भनौ, गर्न चाहदैनन। लेखक पनि तिनै 'एक थरी' मध्येका एक हुन सक्छन। आफुले मात्र देशको माया गर्छु, या फलनो (समुदाए)ले गर्दैन भन्नु एउटा दरिद्र मानसिकता हो। भन्ने मान्छे चाहे कति नै विद्वान या शिक्षित किन नहोस्।

मेरै हजुरबुवालाई मैले जिन्दगीमा धोती बाहेक अरु लुगा लाएको देखेको छुइन। अबस्य पनि मेरो र हरेक तराई मुलका मान्छेको मनमा यो पहिरन प्रती आगाढ सम्मान छ। बिगतमा तराइ-मधेशको हावापानी-बातावरणलाई सुहाउने यहि पहिरन मात्र उपलब्ध थियो। तराइ मुलका मान्छे मात्र किन, पहाड हिमालमा पनि पूजा बर्तबन्ध इत्यदीमा धोती नै लाएका हुन्छन। राजा प्रिथिवी नारायण शाहको बर्गिकरणमा ठुलो भनिएका बाहुनहरुले लाउने लुगा धोती नै हो। भनेपछी, धोती भारतीयहरुलाई या तराइ मुलका नेपालीलाई मात्र सम्बोधन गरिने शब्द पक्कै भएन। तर छेत्रीय र भाषिक बिभेद प्रस्तुत गर्न यो शब्दले बढी नै घोच्-पेच गरेको देखिन्छ।

लेखककै कुरामा म थोरै फरक कुरा जोड्न चाहन्छु। तराई मुलका मान्छेहरुलाई हेपाहा सैलीमा 'धोती' र 'भैया' भनेर गिज्याउने, धोती लाउनेहरु नेपाली हैनन् भारतीय हुन भन्नेहरुले कहिले सोचेका छन, गौतम बुद्ध के लुगा लगाउथे? कुन भाषा बोल्थे? 'बुद्ध वाज बोर्न इन नेपाल (Buddha was born in Nepal)' नारा त सबैले जोड-तोडले लाएकै छन, फेसबूक र  टुइटरमा लेखेकै छन, हैन र? बुद्ध मधेश मै जन्मिए, सधैं धोती नै लाये, दौरा-सुर्वाल र ढाकाटोपी कहिले देखन पनि पाएनन होला। सम्मान पूर्वक धेरैलाई 'भैया' नै सम्बोधन गरे, दाजु भन्ने शब्द पनी छ भनेर थाहा नै पाएनन होला। भगवान भनिएर पुजिएकी अर्की नेपाली चेली "सिता" पनि जनकपुरमा जन्मे-हुर्किएर मैथिली लवज नै बोलिन, मैथिल लुगा नै लायीन। गुन्यु-चोली लाएर पटुका कहिल्यै बधिनन् होला। मैले भन्न खोजेको के हो भने: एउटा भाषा, एउटा भेस, एउटा पहिरनले सम्पूर्ण नेपालीलाई चिनाउन सक्दैन। हाम्रा अनेक रुप हरु छन। अनेकतामा एकता नै हाम्रो पहिचान हुनु पर्छ। 


मेरो लवज, अनुहार तराइ मुलको जस्तो नदेखिने भएकोले धेरैले मलाई पहाड मुलकै ठान्छन। "मदिसेलाई त कोठा भाडामा दिनु हुन्न।", "मर्स्या भनेको त भेडो जात हो।" इत्यादी जस्ता कुरा पनि कती पल्ट भनेका छन। कहिले-काही बाद्-बिबादमा पनि उत्रेको छु। कहिले-कही चाँही 'ये' मात्र भनेर, मन्-मनै उस्को दरिद्र सोच लाई बिचरा भन्दै, आफ्नो बाटो लगेको छु। धोती, फोरम जस्ता शब्दले हेपेको त सर्बजिक बस र माईक्रोमै कती चोटि सुन्न पाइन्छ, धेरै ले सुन्नु भाको पनि होला।

अर्थ को अनर्थ नलागोस, म एउटा समुदायेको पक्षधर बनेर अर्कोलाई आरोप लाउन खोजेको, सम्प्रदायिक्ता देखाउन खोजेको निस्चए पनि हैन। बिभेद संसारमा जहाँ पनि छ। शक्तिसालीले निमुखालाई पेलेकै हुन्छन। अमेरिकाले रङ्गभेद (गोरा र काला जाती बिचको बिभेद) हटाएको १०० बर्ष नाघी सक्यो। हामी चाँही कहिले सम्म कानमा तेल हालेर सुती राख्ने? यो लेख मार्फत मैले एउटा सङ्कीर्णतालाई उजागर गर्न मात्र खोजेको हुँ। जात, धर्म, लिङ, भाषा, पहिरन, क्षेत्र इत्यादीका नाममा हुने बिभेदको अन्त्य होस् भन्ने चाहेको हुँ। देशका सबै नागरिक भाई-बन्धुको नाता जोडेर अघी बढौ भन्ने चाहेको हुँ। हामी भित्रको सङ्किर्णताले नै हामीलाई एक-अर्का बाट टाढा लादै छ, देशमा गृह युद्ध ल्याउदै छ भन्न चहेको हुँ। चनखो हुनु हाम्रो जिम्मेबारी हो। समाज भित्रका बिभेदहरु हटाएर राष्ट्रको बिकासका निम्ती अघी बढ्नु आहिलेको आवश्यकता हो। खुशीको कुरा के पनि हो भने, हाम्रो समाजमा सबैजाना बिभेदको रोगबाट ग्रस्त छैनन। मेरा अधिकान्स आत्मिय मित्रहरु पहाड मुलकै छन, उनिहरुमा बिभेदको सोच कही कतै छैन। समाजको सद्भाब र एक्ता जोगाउने जिम्मा उनिहरुको पनी हो र मेरो पनि। केही सङ्किर्ण मान्छेहरुसँगको तितो अनुभबबाट निरुत्साहित भएर यो सद्भाब र एकता को अभियानलाई म आफु भित्र कहिल्यै मर्न दिने छैन। दिनु हुँदैन।

जय  नेपाल

read the continued article  जात, धर्म र क्षेत्रका साँघुरा घेराहरु...

Alcoholism

You drink a glass of milk every day before going to bed. You won’t increase to 5 liter of milk after few years. And one day if you don’t get milk, you aren't going to suffocate because of not having it. It’s not the same with alcohol. Your dose/amount of drinking alcohol goes on increasing day by day. And if you don’t get a drink one day, you’re going to get mad for it. You would do anything to get it. Drinking a glass of milk every day before going to bed is a habit. Doing the same with alcohol is a DISEASE. You or one of your family member drinks regularly. Don’t think it’s a bad habit it’s a bad disease called ‘alcoholism’ or ‘alcohol dependence syndrome’.

Alcoholism, which means uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, has become the single biggest medical and social problem in our society today. Most of us deny and hide about our (sometimes family member’s) alcohol consumption. We hide it because of the shame or stigma or may be any other thing. But in reality, it’s a disease which needs help.

Why do we drink?
Common answers to this question is to enjoy, to socialize, to relax, to forget pain, it tastes good, its cultural etc. mostly people drink hazardously to escape from a situation. We have to understand that alcohol is not a solution for any fear, trouble, loneliness, break ups, failures, divorces or anything. After being drunk, one can sing, dance, purpose his gf, look cool and glamorous only in movies. In reality the repeating words, wobbling and shaking walk, slobbering saliva makes you look more terrible than anything else. Accidents by drunk drivers have injured and killed themselves as well as many innocent pedestrian. Thanks to Drunk-Driving (मा.प.से.) campaign in Kathmandu which has decreased accidents hugely. Cases related to accidents by alcohol abuser have decreased by about 80% in Patan Hospital Emergency department (this is an expert opinion not a result of systematic research).

Do you really drink (or alcohol drinks you) ? Think.
It’s best if you don’t. If you do, drink responsibly. Your health, economic status, family is always of greater importance than drinking. Do consider, are you drinking alcohol or alcohol is drinking you. The permitted amount of drinking is two pegs (30ml each) of whisky or one glass of wine or a bottle of beer in maximum. Drinking this amount over two hours or more can be considered social drinking and non-hazardous. Remember: you are still not fit for driving. Never cross this limit. If you have crossed these limits, you might now need help. How?? I will explain.

There are no laboratory investigations to diagnose if you are an alcoholic. To know, if you are an alcohol dependent, here is an easy way. Ask yourself following 4 questions. (Remember acronym CAGE)

1. Have you ever felt you needed to Cut down on your drinking ['रक्सी-खान काम गर्नुपर्छ' भनेर सोच्नु भएको छ?]
2. Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking? [पिउने बानीको कसैले आलोचना गर्दा रिस उठ्छ?]
3. Have you ever felt Guilty about drinking? [ बढी पिउछु भनेर ग्लानी महसूस हुन्छ?]
4. Have you ever felt you needed a drink first thing in the morning (Eye-opener)? [बिहान उठ्ने बितिकै दिन सुरु गर्न रक्सी चाहिन्छ?]

If the answer to any of these questions is ‘Yes’ than your drinking has already crossed the limits. Now you need to stop drinking. Take actions immediately. Throw all the bottles in your house. You can welcome your guests with juice or coffee. Stop staying alone which create environment of drinking. Develop habit of saying ‘No’ to an offer/plan of drinking. A problem with alcoholics is, one can quit drinking but cannot stay quitted. They restart. Thus they need help. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings helps alcoholics to achieve sobriety. The AA meeting held -

• every Tuesday and Friday for males  and 
• every Wednesday for females.

It is held from 4 pm to 6 pm at Patan Hospital. You can directly join them in front of room number 26 inside hospital building. Other option at Patan Hospital is ‘Alcohol Clinic’ run by Professor Katrina every Wednesday from 12 to 1 pm at Chronic Care Clinic room inside hospital building. You can join this clinic by contacting at counter number 1 of Patan Hospital. There are many other places in Kathmandu where AA meetings take place. You can join any of them.

In the end, recently we were given a project work to increase awareness about hazardous drinking. We gave lecture, played games, distributed leaflet etc. for that. Let me share that leaflet. If you know someone who needs help, Come on for a noble job. Print this leaflet and give him. 

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Leaflet prepared by: Sudhan Devkota

There are many many charms and excitement of life. To enjoy those you need to be alive. Don’t let alcohol kill you. Put the bottle down now and forever. 

A case to think

A public hospital is very easy dumping sites for cops. I remember a patient during my emergency posting. A resident didi there asked me to assess the patient. I saw, he was brought there in terrible condition by the police. He looked poor. All his cloths were dirty. He must have fallen down in muddy road. It was rainy season then and all the roads around Kathmandu were in the process of expansion. He was stinky. Probably he was drunk last night. Some vehicle hit him in the road and ran away. His left legs and left hand were fractured.

During the general examination, I had to record the blood pressure of the patient. His left arm and legs was fractured thus they should not be moved to save further damage. He was lying in right lateral (side) position, such that his right arm and legs was below his body. It was impossible for me to take the blood pressure. There were lacerations (torn wounds) in his thighs. We could not expose it because of his almost immoveable and tight dresses. The resident doctor as well was confused about the management. We planned cutting his dress. Adequate dressing was done. Since the fracture was obvious. We had to know about the internal condition, thus X-ray was required. Now the problem arrived. Who would pay for the X-rays? Let me tell you, initial management is immediately done in emergency of our hospital. Patients are not asked to pay first. But after the initial supportive management, such patients brought by police have the problem. The police was searching for his family, but nothing had happened yet. What can be done now? Social service can’t help all of such patients. We had nothing to do. This case was lucky. We gave painkillers and kept him immobilized for the time being. The cops found the vehicle who hit him. The owner of vehicle paid for treatment. All the cases are not this lucky.

Rich or poor, big or small, known or unknown, renowned or ordinary whoever it is, obviously the pain is same, trouble is same, and feeling is same. So the care should also be same for everyone irrespective of their ability or inability in any respect, isn’t it? But unfortunately we have nothing to address this demand. A poor government, no health insurance, no support system, there is nothing to at all to rely on. Our system of capitalism where there is private ownership of almost everything has overruled all humanity. The rich are growing richer and poor are growing poorer day by day. This debate had started long back and communism was introduced where, there is no private ownership of anything and people get (can use) everything in the basis of need. This sounds good, but this system badly failed because of different reasons. I am not against capitalism. But government should have at least made arrangement of health, education and basic need for every citizen. Can’t we even manage a support system for a helpless patient dyeing in a hospital bed?? Then why are taxes taken for?? How long will people keep on dyeing because of lack of money??

I don’t know how long will these questions remain unanswered? Who will find the answer?? and when??? Isn’t it already too late to do something???

This is what we have chosen

Photo: Google

Being a doctor. A white coat and a stethoscope over it. It looks so lucrative. In our part of world, doctors have good respect as well in the society. Most parents want to see their child being a doctor and living their life with honour and pride easily. That’s the main reason that thousands of young guys and girls are found to be appearing medical entrance examination every year. Nowadays, I see a huge herd of students in queue to submit the entrance form in our medical college. I was one among them few years back.

Today I am not telling my story. I want to discuss a small part of Doctor’s job. That is frequent and fast discoveries in medical field.

Doctors are the professionals who need to be updated most frequently. This is interesting, correcting yourself again and again, being better day by day. But that’s not easy to cope with.

A drug u use most, might be suddenly seen to be creating some irreversible side effect, new research might claim it to be teratogenic (teratogenic= substance that interfere with growth and development of foetus in mother’s womb) and can’t be given to pregnant lady. Suddenly a research study proves that Diabetes can be cured. Health ministry might suddenly change the national guideline of TB treatment. You always need to be prepared and need to be up to date.

Let me give you a practical example. Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCP) which come in Brand name of ‘Nilocon White’, ‘Sunaulo Gulaf’ etc. in Nepal, is one of the widely used contraceptive (birth control) measure worldwide. OCP has some side effects to consider like Breast cancer, Venous Thromboembolism (blood clotting inside vein and occluding it), Myocardial Infarction (decreased blood supply in heart resulting in destruction of heart tissue), stroke (Decrease in O₂ in brain causing unconsciousness) etc. Let’s talk about the first one, The breast cancer...

In 1996, Collaborative group on Hormonal Factors in breast cancer released metaanalysis of 54 worldwide studies. Metanalysis is statistical procedure that integrates the result of several independent studies. It was published in Lancet which is one of the world's best known, oldest, and most respected medical journals. Conclusion of this study was, there is slight increase in breast cancer risk, the Relative Risk (RR) being 1.24. Which means chance of having breast cancer to an OCP user is 24% more than normal population. And after stopping OCP, Risk decreases to year by year.

In 2004, A cochrane review (Cochrane is another trusted and well organized collection of clinical studies) of 51 epidemiologic studies in 2004 reported almost similar finding. Concluding OCP doesn’t significantly increase breast cancer.

In 2006, The oxford family planning study published another finding from a very large cohort study. In cohort study, females taking OCP and females not taking OCP are identified and then observed for the occurrence of certain health effects (here breast cancer) over long period of time. They followed more than 17000 women for 16 years and concluded that there is no risk at all. This was published in British journal of cancer.

With these examples I just mean to say that, things are changing and changing and changing again and again. The things our professors are teaching us is entirely different from what they learnt. The thing we are learning will be changed by the time we graduate to be a doctor. What we are learning will be only background knowledge, and we will require reading further to know the latest options available. And soon, even they will become out of date. This is how the medicine is. It is really good that new, better and more accurate options are being available every next day. But you should be able keep yourself updated. Medicine is a profession for constant learners. You need to read and rectify yourself regularly for lifetime, if not lifetime then at least as long as you practice. Let me tell you, this is one of the major lessons that medical schools teach the students.

Photo: Google

I have seen doctors, who use library, keep on studying, even more than students. Frankly speaking, medicine is not lucrative at all within itself. You need a strong motivation to not to get frustrated. “This is what we have chosen.” would be the only sentence to counsel yourself. There are plenty of doctors who are frustrated for coming in this profession. People want their children to join medical school hoping that they will be regarded as respected member in the society. Many students joining medical school unwillingly, because of parent’s pressure or some other cause, end up ruining their life. These things are more common than you think.

Let me add something more than I know. Since, facts on medicine are changing rapidly day by day. The books, curriculum, syllabus of a medical school should also be changed/updated regularly. The books we read are western, which get revised regularly. New edition is available within 3 years in most of them. What about our collages?? What about the Medical Council?? It’s doubtful. Newspapers and other press publish the news of the officials of council, being shamefully accused of corruption. I wonder if they are regulating about the updates in medicine. I don’t know anything at all. They are my doubts and guesses.

Tribhuwan University (TU), the biggest university of Nepal, has turned out to be a place to practice politics and is a good example of mismanagement. The same is with the Medical Council. Kathmandu University (KU) which has almost same number of medical schools under its affiliation as TU, has turned out to be a place for making money alone. The medical schools being most attracted towards it. I doubt they are regularly revising and updating the curriculum. Most probably they aren’t. If someone says that KU and TU have not updated their medical curriculum even once till now, I won’t be surprised at all. This is how things goes in Nepal. I wonder how will our PAHS be doing after 10 years of time???

I hope, not only PAHS, all the universities and schools in Nepal will be doing better than any part of world by then.

And to those to young aspirants who will be joining PAHS soon as our fourth batch, and everyone who are getting in a medical school soon, please be prepared for rest of your life and BEST OF LUCK!!