In Loving Memory

ਜਿਨੀ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਇਆ ਗਏ ਮਸਕਤਿ ਘਾਲਿ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਤੇ ਮੁਖ ਉਜਲੇ ਹੋਰ ਕੇਤੀ ਛੁਟੀ ਨਾਲਿ ॥2॥
"Those who have meditated on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and departed after having worked by the sweat of their brow - O Nanak, their faces are radiant in the Court of the Lord, and many others are saved along with them.||2||

(Ang 8, Sri Guru Granth Sahib)

Punjab: The Enemy Within

The enemy has crept into every village, town and city of Punjab and is destroying the energetic and enterprising Punjabis. Drugs are like an unbreached river which are flooding Punjab. Name the drug and it is avaliable here." - Reema Anand

A new documentary titled, "Punjab: The Enemy Within," was recently screened in Chandigarh to a group of community leaders. The documentary, directed by Reema Anand who has brought us His Sacred Burden: The Life of Bhagat Puran Singh and Sewa: From Paris to Tapovan, brings forth the urgency of the drug abuse problem rampant in Panjab. In the documentary, Anand discusses the impact of terrorism on the state of Panjab and the subsequent reliance upon drugs being trafficked throughout the area.

By now we're all well aware of the presence of drugs and prevalence of drug addiction that exists within Panjab. While there are theories and research behind this, it is clear that a solution needs to be reached through a collaborative effort. Through the creation of this documentary, it looks like Anand has begun to take the productive steps to help bring awareness to this problem.

"The Punjabis struggled hard and fought the terrorists to put Punjab back on the world map, but now they are up against a enemy within."

ER Named After Guru Nanak Dev Ji

The Emergency Room at Surrey Memorial Hospital in Canada, will be named after Guru Nanak Dev Ji:

Guru Nanak Dev Ji's name will adorn the main entrance of the new emergency centre in recognition of the importance of Surrey's South Asian community and its support of hospital fundraising efforts. "The guru reminded us all that devotion of thought and excellence of conduct is our first duty," said Premier Gordon Campbell, who announced the name of the future ER entrance Thursday. "By naming the entrance of this Surrey Memorial Hospital centre after Guru Nanak Dev Ji, we are saying this is a place for everyone." The premier called it an important way to recognize South Asian contributions to society "in a way that's positive and constructive and so people can see that the contributions they've made are important to everyone in the community." The new emergency centre, which will include a mental health and addictions unit and a separate children's ER, will be triple the size of the existing one, which sees 70,000 patients per year – way over its capacity.

Medical Missions for Children

I recently returned from Cusco, Peru where I spent just under two weeks working with a group of nurses, surgeons, anesthesiologists, and volunteers in a small community a few hours away from one of the seven wonders of the world. I'm a member of a global health group based out of Massachusetts called Medical Missions for Children. A group that travels across the globe performing free surgeries for underprivileged children and young adults in about 13 different countries.

My initial exhaustion from the traveling and subsequent catching up at work delayed me writing this post. But I now finally have some time to write a little bit about my experience. First of all, I love traveling and when I can combine my absolute love for traveling with global health work, I really couldn't be happier. It's quite blissful actually...

It was kind of like a 'working' vacation (oxymoron?), and while we were able to spend some time getting to know the city, most of our energy was on reserve for the long days which promised to be...well...long. The majority of the surgeries we performed were to correct Cleft Lips and Palates. However, we also performed a Microtia case and several Rhinoplastys (in addition to other procedures). It's pretty amazing to see the before and after because the results and impact of what the group did was pretty immediate. What was most spectacular was to interact with the patients and families who were the most gracious individuals I have come across in a long time. It was amazing to me how well they dealt with everything and how accommodating they were. A lot of our patients made huge sacrifices to reach our team. Many of them traveled huge distances to reach Cusco and many were from local orphanages who had heard about our group coming from a local radio announcement. Somehow, within a week, you form a connection with the patients and it stems beyond the surgical procedure. You have an interest in providing them with the right advice when they leave, you want to make sure they're heading to a safe place after they leave the hospital. In some ways I wanted to make sure that the circumstances they were returning to were conducive to them living a healthier lifestyle (my public health side was bursting at its seams). It was therefore nice to provide our patients with a new set of clothes to leave the hospital in - perhaps a simple thing, but it meant so much more to them. You could see that the result was beyond an aesthetic change. It was a change in self esteem and confidence which was evident on each of their faces.

Doing this kind of seva is part of who I am, but it's the experience and the people I get to interact with that impacts me in a deeper way. I decided not to write about specific patients in this post out of respect for their confidentiality. But I am definitely still thinking about them on a personal level. It was an amazing experience and it just reminded me how fulfilling this kind of work is for me.

Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Health

In anticipation of the upcoming Unnatural Causes documentary to be shown on PBS in March 2008, I wanted to post this handout that speaks to the issue of health disparities. Here are ten things that we should all be aware of in regards to health:


1. Health is more than health care. Research shows that social conditions – the jobs we do, the money we’re paid, the schools we attend, the neighborhoods we live in – are as important to our health as our genes, our behaviors and even our medical care.
2. Health is tied to the distribution of resources. The single strongest predictor of our health is our position on the class ladder.
3. Racism imposes an added health burden.
4. The choices we make are shaped by the choices we have. Some neighborhoods have easy access to fresh, affordable produce; others have only fast food joints, liquor and convenience stores.
5. Chronic stress can be deadly. Exposure to fear and uncertainty trigger a stress response.
6. High demand + low control = toxic stress. People at the top certainly face pressure but they are more likely to have the power and resources to manage those pressures.
7. Inequality – economic and political – is bad for our health. Tax breaks for the rich, deregulation, the decline of unions, racism and segregation, outsourcing and globalization, as well as cuts in social programs destabilize communities and channel wealth and power – and health – to the few at the expense of the many.
8. Social policy is health policy. Social measures like living wage jobs, paid sick and family leave, guaranteed vacations, universal preschool and access to college, and guaranteed health care can further extend our lives by improving our lives.
9. Health inequalities are not natural. Health disparities that arise from our racial and class inequities result from decisions we as a society have made – and can make differently.
10.We all pay the price for poor health.