PatientsEngage General Community

A Valentine's Day Special This Valentine's Day we asked the spouses of a few of our contributors how they supported their partners during difficult times and what they would advise other spouses. They shared tips that work for their partners - practical tips, care tips, emotional tips. We look forward to hearing from each of you what works for your relationship. Santanu Syam on his support for Piali who had Choledocal Cyst I ensured that I was always with her at the doctor’s chamber and the…

Retail giant Big Bazaar has opened its stores to persons with disabilities by introducing inclusion initiatives and infrastructural changes that are disabled-friendly. An interview with Vineet Saraiwalla, Inclusion Lead, Future Retail Limited, who has helmed the movement and himself has 90% visual impairment on what needs to be done behind the scenes to make this feasible. It is for the first time that Big Bazaar’s Republic Day sale had an exclusive 2 day preview in all its stores for…

Travel is extremely important for the growth and development of the visually impaired, stresses Preeti Monga, a veteran traveller and the blind expert of Enable Travel, an accessible holiday specialist. You are a veteran traveller, having toured over a dozen countries and visited almost every state in India. What has been your experience as a blind traveller? I love travelling; it is my passion. I think a huge chunk of my knowledge bank has come to me because of my travels. You learn so much…

Can you imagine a child who has never been to a playground or a park, never been able to swing or slide! For whom open play spaces are forbidding and unfriendly. Today, in India nearly all existing outdoor play spaces are built without keeping in mind the needs of a child with disability. Children with disabilities and developmental differences are forced to stay away from playgrounds because they are inaccessible, do not have appropriate facilities and play infrastructure for them. When…

We asked some of our contributors on their wish for 2019. They tell us what they gained by sharing their experience and how they are motivated to continue to spread awareness and break stigma.  #YourExperienceMatters Preeyam Budhia - On sharing the Café ICanFlyy Story  One of the main reasons we run this cafe is because we want to break the stigma that hangs like a cloud over anyone labelled special needs. Cafe ICanFlyy works as a 24x7 awareness tool to share possibilities that become…

If you have decided to quit smoking but are not sure how to go about it, here are some tips from those who successfully quit smoking. Don't miss the benefits of stopping smoking. And how to handle withdrawal symptoms. The reasons to quit may vary.  As people have shared in their experiences, they tried to quit multiple times and eventually succeeded when their health got affected - either a heart attack or COPD. In some cases it was for family reasons - either due to the wife being…

By Ujjwala Baxi, a dietician at Poshan - Cure thru Diet In 1 cup of boiling water, add a pinch of cinnamon powder or a small cinnamon stick, black pepper, cardamom powder and a teaspoonful of jaggery. Boil and sip warm. This tea builds resistance to cough and cold and keeps the body warm.   Updated with the poster on 26-Dec-2018

Dr. Shivaprakash Srinivasan, Child Adolescent  and Adult Psychiatrist at SCARF puts the spotlight on the growing trend of cyberbullying, the impact of cyberbullying on adolescent mental health and what parents and educators/teachers can do to prevent cyberbullying and spot signs. The internet since its introduction to the public in the early 1990’s has been changing the world at a really rapid pace. It has been making communication with persons around the world astoundingly easy and also…

People get umpteen health news forwards and they often forward without verifying. Some even think "may be it will help some one". Dr. Aju Mathew, medical oncologist and director, Kerala Cancer Care shares his tips on how to spot the fake news forwards and whether you should forward or not. We live in an era of information superhighway. In a way, this is a more democratic way of communication. Everyone has a voice - not just those with power or knowledge. But in the cacophony of the voices, the…

On World Human Rights Day and the day after World Patient Safety Day, TogetherWeCan and PatientsEngage would like to bring the focus on safety of children at therapy centres. Despite an ongoing petition in Kerala since 2015, progress has been slow. Why is a child's right to safety not a priority? In light of a couple of recent incidents, we bring you an update on the petition on therapy centre regulation by Seema Lal.  In October 2018 the following incident happened in a government therapy…