Tuesday 28 February 2017

UPDATE/LINKING THE NITYA POOJA ACCOUNT TO EMAIL AND MOBILE: AGALPADY MUTT

SHRI KSHETRA AGALPADY


Update/Linking the Nitya Pooja Account to Email and Mobile

We the devotees of Shri Temple Agalpady, have registered ourselves for Nitya Pooja scheme for a specific date. In the digital world most of us are using emails for majority of our communications apart from our personal phone.

We at temple have been sending the communication thru post card which sometimes does not get delivered at the desired time schedule. We intend to update the data bank with following details from you.

Sl No
1
2
3
Tithi/nakshatra/Date of Pooja



Regd Name



Pin code



Mobile No



Email



* 2and 3 if you have more than 1 Pooja




In case you are still not part of NITYA POOJA SCHEME , please write back to us, we will provide the details thru mail as to how to register and take this scheme forward.

May the god durga, bless you and your family with great health, wealth and strength to prosper to better future.


For and on behalf of Shri Kshetra Agalpady
Managing Trustee.

Friday 24 February 2017

MAHA SHIVARATHRI: VIJAYA KARNATAKA CONTENT 24 FEB 17


Diseases are effort of our body to send out undigested matter, says Acupuncture.

If there is a waste material in our house which we are never going to use, what we will do?

Will we keep it in our house?

No, is it not?

And if removal of that waste material from our house requires some considerable time and effort, which we find difficult to get during our busy daily schedule, what will we do?

We will wait for the right opportunity, on getting which, we will be able to spend time and put effort in removing it, is it not?

Our body is also doing the same.

Whatever goes inside our body and mind, in the form of food, water, air and thoughts, our body tries to convert them into energy which is required for the day to functioning of it. This is called digestion.

When it's unable to digest it, it tries to send them out every now and then, as faeces, urine, phlegm, breathing out, gas, sweat, tears from eyes, emotions, etc.

But, it happens some times that our body requires more effort and energy, to send out some types of undigested waste material.

Here more effort and energy means, more Immunity Power of our body.

So, our body waits for the right opportunity to increase its Immunity Power, with the help of which it can send out the undigested matter.

When our body carries out such work, it causes pain and discomfort to us, which we have named as different diseases.

Here diseases means, from Fever, cough, Heart Problems, Diabetes, Blood Pressure, Thyroid, Cholesterol, Kidney Stone, Liver Stone, Gallbladder Stone ...........  to Cancer, AIDS, Kidney failure, which covers the entire gamut of diseases named and feared by, we, human beings.      

We need not fear about any disease for that matter, if we understand that, Diseases are effort of our body to send out undigested matter, says Acupuncture.

When we have disease, the role of Acupuncture Treatment is, improving the Immunity Power in tune with our body's nature.

To conclude, when we have disease, we should feel happy that our body's Immunity Power has started doing its job.  When something good happens, we should eat sweets and enjoy, is it not?

Article written by:

Acu Healer. Kuntikana RadhaKrishna Bhat, D.A.Sc., 
Acupuncturist, 
email: rrkbhat@hotmail.com 

'Acupuncture Can Cure All Diseases'.

Thursday 23 February 2017

'Disease itself is Treatment', says Acupuncture......

Question:

What is disease?

Acupuncture:

Disease is a state of pain, discomfort, in the body.  It's a communication by the body.

Question:

Here, what does the body communicate?

Acupuncture:

It says that a repair work is getting carried out.

Question:

Why does the body communicate?

Acupuncture:  

It communicates so as to more carefully do the daily activities.

Question:

What are the daily activities of the body?

Acupuncture: 

Eating food, Drinking Water, Taking Rest, Sleeping.

Question:

What is meant by 'more carefully' here?

Acupuncture:

When there is a disease (pain, discomfort) in the body, increasing its Immunity Power by,

- not eating (Lankanam Parama Oushadham).

- drinking water only if it's necessary.

- generating energy by means of taking sufficient rest and or through sleep.

Curing is the natural work of the body.  When it's needed, body itself secretes all the required medicines.  And giving external medicines to cure diseases is unnecessary and harmful to the body.

Dr. Deepak Chopra, M.B.B.S., M.D., says in his book: 'Quantum Healing':

"The frustrating reality, as far as medical researchers are concerned, is that we already know that the living body is the best pharmacy ever devised. It produces diuretics, painkillers, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antibiotics, and indeed everything manufactured by the drug companies, but it makes them much, much better.  The dosage is always right and given on time; side effects are minimal or non-existent; and the directions for using the drug are included in the drug itself, as part of  built-in intelligence."

Question:

What is the role of Acupuncture in curing a disease.

Acupuncture:  

Increasing the Immunity Power of the body in tune with it's nature.

Question:

Can diseases like Heart Problem, Diabetes, Blood Pressure, Cancer, Kidney failure, etc., be cured this way?

Acupuncture:

These are different names given to disease.

All Diseases Can Be Cured.

To conclude, 'Disease itself is Treatment'. So, henceforth do not fear about diseases.  

Article written by: 

Acu Healer. Kuntikana RadhaKrishna Bhat, D.A.Sc., 
Acupuncturist, 
email: rrkbhat@hotmail.com 

'Acupuncture Can Cure All Diseases'.


Wednesday 22 February 2017

SHRI JAYENDRA SARASWATHI VEDA MANDALAM

ಆದರಣೀಯ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣಬಂಧುಗಳೇ!

ನಮಸ್ಕಾರಪೂರ್ವಕ ವಿಜ್ಞಾಪನೆಗಳು 🙏—

ನಮ್ಮಸಂಪ್ರದಾಯ ಚಾರಿಟೇಬಲ್ ಎಂಡ್ ಎಜುಕೇಷನ್ ಟ್ರಸ್ಟ್ ಕಳೆದ ಎಂಟು ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ "ಶ್ರೀ ಜಯೇಂದ್ರಸರಸ್ವತೀ ವೇದಮಂಡಲಂ " ಎಂಬ ಹೆಸರಿನಿಂದ ವೇದಪಾಠಶಾಲೆಯನ್ನು ಉಪನೀತ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣವಟುಗಳಿಗಾಗಿ ನಡೆಸುತ್ತಿದೆ.ವೇದಪಾಠಶಾಲೆಯು ಗುರುಕುಲ ಮಾದರಿಯನ್ನು ಅನುಸರಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದು,ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣಯಜುರ್ವೇದ, ಋಗ್ವೇದ,ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತ ಪಾಠಗಳು ನಡೆಯುತ್ತವೆ. ಇದೀಗ ಈ ವರ್ಷದ ಪ್ರವೇಶಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಆಸಕ್ತ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಅವಕಾಶವನ್ನು ಸಂಸ್ಥೆ ಕಲ್ಪಿಸಿದೆ.

ಬೋಧನಾ ವಿಷಯಗಳು— ಕೃಷ್ಣಯಜುರ್ವೇದ,ಋಗ್ವೇದ, ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತ, ಇಂಗ್ಲೀಷ್

ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಸೌಲಭ್ಯಗಳು—
೧ ಯಾವುದೇ ಬೋಧನಾ ಶುಲ್ಕವಿರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.
೨ ಊಟ,ವಸತಿ,ಉಚಿತವಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ.
೩ ನಿತ್ಯೋಪಯೋಗಿ ವಸ್ತುಗಳನ್ನು,ಅಧ್ಯಯನಸಾಮಗ್ರಿಗಳನ್ನು, ವಸ್ತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಸಂಸ್ಥೆ ಉಚಿತವಾಗಿ ನೀಡುತ್ತದೆ.

ಬೋಧನಾಕ್ರಮ—
೧ ಗುರುಕುಲ ಪದ್ಧತಿಯನ್ನು ಅನುಸರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.
೨ ಶಿಖಾ,ಪಂಚೆ,ಶಲ್ಯ— ಇವುಗಳು ಅನಿವಾರ್ಯ
೩ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತ ಮಾಧ್ಯಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣ.

ಪ್ರವೇಶಕ್ಕೆ ಅರ್ಹತೆ—
ಉಪನೀತ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣ ವಟುವಾಗಿರಬೇಕು.

ವಿ.ಸೂ.—ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳ ಪ್ರಗತಿಗಾಗಿ,ಭವಿಷ್ಯಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆಗಳಿರುತ್ತವೆ.ಅನಿವಾರ್ಯಕಾರಣಗಳಹೊರತಾಗಿ ವರ್ಷದಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡು ಅವಧಿಯ ವಿರಾಮವಿರುತ್ತದೆ.

ನಮ್ಮವಿಳಾಸ—  SJS Vedamandalam,Katriguppe village,Neriga post,Anekal,Banglore— 562125

ಸಂಪರ್ಕಕ್ಕಾಗಿ— ವಿದ್ವಾನ್ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ ಭಟ್ಟ,ಪ್ರಾಚಾರ್ಯರು. 9480205088

Saturday 18 February 2017

Heart problem may make you to live longer....

In my last article we saw, why we should not always relate Chest Pain with Heart problem.

Even if the Chest Pain is due to a problem in the Heart, we need not worry about it.  

The reason being, our body will rectify it, provided if we don't take medicines and follow the 4 Golden Rules (4G) of Nature, which are: 

1. Eat only when hungry.

2. Drink water only when thirsty.

3. Taking rest when body needs it. 

4. Going to bed early in the night. 

Here I would like to tell you a true story which I have come to know personally. 

It happened, long ago, but not so long ago...

50 years back a young man in his twenties, started experiencing Chest Pain. 

That young man's Father took him to a nearby Hospital.  There the Doctors after checking, sent him to a Hospital at a distance of 900 kilometres, which was having facilities and Doctors to handle complicated Heart problems. 

This young man went to that hospital along with his Father. There the Doctors told that he was having a highly complicated Heart problem, which required immediate Heart Surgery. If not done it will lead to a life critical situation. The cost of the operation was several thousand rupees. 

Then the young man's father told the Doctors that he doesn't have that much money to pay for the Surgery, but he can sell his land which is the source of his livelihood and pay the money for the Surgery.  Before doing that, he wanted an assurance from the Doctors, that after the Surgery, his son's life is guaranteed at least for some years. 

Doctors replied that they can't give such a guarantee.  Then the Father told the Doctors that if that's the case, he doesn't want the Surgery which will not only take away his land and may also take away his Son forever.

Before leaving the Hospital, that Father told the Doctors, God will save my son. 

Then the young man started living with some minor difficulties.

He lived happily for 15 years.  

Then he got married and lived more happily for 35 more years. He had three healthy children.

When that young man turned 70 years, one day he was walking with his wife crossing his farm land for attending a function at another place. At that time he felt some discomfort, and sat on the ground. Within few minutes he passed away without any great difficulty.  

The justice of this true story is that,  even if a person has highly complicated health problem, our body which is a product of highly intelligent Nature, has the complete capacity to set it right, without a major medical intervention like Surgery.

Article written by: 

Acu Healer. Kuntikana RadhaKrishna Bhat, D.A.Sc., 
Acupuncturist, 
'Acupuncture Can Cure All Diseases.

Friday 17 February 2017

Got Chest Pain, know that it's curable, says Acupuncture........

Article written by:

Acu Healer. Kuntikana RadhaKrishna Bhat, D.A.Sc., 
Acupuncturist.

When Chest Pains, many people relate it with Heart, Cholesterol, etc., and start fearing.

Immunity Power given to us by nature tells us:

"Do not be afraid.  I'm your Guard.  I will strengthen you.  I will help you."

Most of the time, Chest pain is not due to a problem in the Heart or Cholesterol.

There are many reasons for Chest Pain and one among them is Heart.

Whether Chest Pain is due to a problem in the Heart or due to some other reasons, know that it's curable.

Pain appearing anywhere in our body is an indication that our body has started a maintenance activity. And our body wants our help to successfully complete that maintenance activity.

What does it mean?

Immunity Power in our body guards us from all ailments.

When a maintenance activity is carried out by our body, we should focus our day to day functions towards strengthening the Immunity Power.

How can we strengthen our Immunity Power in such times?

1. If we don't feel hungry, we should not eat.

Even if we feel hungry, we should take Rice Porridge ('Kanji Theli' in Kannada language, 'Pejye Neesa' in Karada language and 'Kanji' in Tamil language, ) or Fruit Juice or Vegetable Soup.

2. Take sufficient rest.

3. We should not take medicines, because they kill our Immunity Power and create more diseases by their side effects.

4. Take Acupuncture Treatment.

When we do so, the maintenance activity started by our body's Immunity Power gets completed, and we can get back our health.

To conclude, I give below an article written by Dr. Sethuraman K Raman, MD (Int Med), how patients are getting exploited when they get Chest Pain.

Debt: Mine or Yours?

Written by: Dr. Sethuraman K Raman, MD (Int Med)

The Fox and the Goat:

A fox slipped into a deep well by accident. He was wondering how he could get out. Soon a thirsty goat peeped in and asked if the water was good. "Excellent," replied the fox, "it is very tasty. Come in and try it out for yourself.” The goat jumped into the well and quenched its thirst. When he started wondering how to climb out, the fox told him, "You stand on your hind legs and put your forelegs on the wall. I shall climb on you and get out. Then I shall help you out.” The goat did as he was told and the fox climbed out. He told the goat, "To help myself out, I had to get you into the well. Thank you for being so gullible," and ran away.

Ammasai, a 40-year old petty businessman, went to a newly started posh clinic for consultation. After examining him, the consultant said, "You got chest pain. It could lead to a heart attack. We can't take chances. Get admitted now,” and sent him to the ward.

After a while, the admitting doctor approached the consultant and said, "Sir. He is not rich. He says he had to take a loan even to pay the consulting fee. Should we have to admit him? After all, he seems to have only pectoral myalgia (a form of muscle ache)."

The consultant replied, "Don't be silly. Grow up. You are worried about other people getting into debt, but what about the loan I have taken to build this clinic? I am in a deeper debt than you know. Just admit him. He will get the money from somewhere."

Comments:

'The Mercenary doctor' is not a modern phenomenon but has been a problem over many centuries. "A doctor who can help a poor man and will not (do so) without a fee, has less sense of Humanity than a poor ruffian who robs a rich man to supply his necessities. It is something monstrous to consider a man of liberal education tearing the bowels of a poor family by taking for a visit (as fee) what would keep them for a week," lamented Richard Steele (1672-1729).

In Sanskrit, there is an ancient couplet which says, "A physician is the elder brother of Yama, the Lord of Death, because Yama takes away only your Life but the physician takes away your life and all your money!"

Bernard Shaw had an uncanny insight into the working of a doctor's mind when faced with the dilemma of choosing between ethics and monetary compulsions. He wrote thus in his preface to The Doctor's Dilemma:

"As to the honour and conscience of doctors, they have as much as any other class of men, no more and no less. And what other men dare pretend to be impartial when they have a strong pecuniary interest on one side?"

"It is simply unscientific to allege or believe that doctors do not under existing circumstances perform unnecessary operations and manufacture and prolong lucrative illnesses."
(Bernard Shaw, 1906)

I know of countless number of true stories from 'fee for service' hospitals. The pressure to bring in income by unethical means is much higher in hospitals run for profit by nontechnical financiers. I am sure every reader of this book will have a tale to tell in which a friend or a relative was taken on an expensive 'medical ride'.

One of my students, who had joined a private hospital in a metropolis, could not stand the commercial exploitation of human gullibility and fears that took place there. He said this about his experiences: "No pregnant woman had a chance of a normal delivery during the second half of every month because money had to be generated to pay back the next monthly instalment to the bank. Similarly, anyone with any sort of chest symptom would be put into intensive care and kept there for five days unless they ran out of money and asked to go home.” When my student raised some ethical queries, he was simply told to join in or get out. He chose to get out.

I have debated this issue of 'exploitation' with some of my friends in the private sector. They disagreed and argued thus: "Most patients are happy getting the maximum attention, we are happy collecting our fees and the health care industry is happy generating income. It is an all-win situation. Why should you alone be unhappy?"

This seemingly benign rationalisation had me cornered for some time before the viciousness of it struck me. Then I asked my friends, "A drug peddler or a pimp will also use the same logic and say it is an all-win situation. Can you or the society accept it then?"

The harsh reality is that two-thirds of our rural families are in debt because of health care expenditure. The urban figure will be no less than that. "Until the medical profession becomes a body of men trained and paid by the country to keep the country in health, it will remain what it is at present: a conspiracy to exploit popular credulity and human suffering" (Bernard Shaw, 1906).

If the shackles of health care related indebtedness have to be broken, the planners and health activists have to squarely address this issue and find some lasting solutions. I believe that the Munnar model discussed in the next chapter is a credible alternative.

Thursday 16 February 2017

Part 2 - Uterus problems can be cured without surgery says Acupuncture....

(this is in continuation of my earlier article titled: 'Uterus problems can be cured without surgery says Acupuncture....'

http://karadaplus.blogspot.in/2017/02/uterus-problems-can-be-cured-without.html )

In this article let us see what is Uterus problem.

Before delving deep into it, the purpose of this article is in the name of creating awareness, not to scare you by explaining in detail about a disease.

I would like to repeat once again that all diseases can be cured in Acupuncture.  So, keep this in mind and read further.

Patients with Uterus problems may experience one or some of the below given difficulties.

Uterus problem can get expressed in a body in more than hundred different ways.

Here only the most common problems are listed out.

* During Menstrual periods, getting pain in the Stomach, Abdomen, Backside, Knee, Breast, anywhere in the body.

* Irregular Menstrual periods.

* Menstrual periods extending beyond 3-5 days.

* Continuous bleeding during Menstrual periods.

* White discharge.

* Putting up body weight.

* Itching in private parts.

* Not getting conceived (infertility).

Now you may ask a good question, that why Cysts, Fibroid, Tumour, are not explained here.  

Like how dirt is good for Surf Washing Powder company, Cysts, Fibroids, Tumours are doing good to our body.  

Let us see how come it's so...........

Whenever long time waste accumulation is there in our body, which the body is unable to send it out through its regular modes like Urine, Feces, Sweat, Menstrual waste, etc., they safely get converted by our body as Cysts, Fibroids, Tumours, etc.

What do we mean by 'safely' here?

It means, these accumulated wastes are so harmful, that when they are allowed to move freely inside our body, they will lead to critical diseases.  Hence our body converts them into Cysts, Fibroids, Tumours, etc.

Then our body waits for the right time to destroy it or send it out.

What do we mean by right time, here?

It means, getting sufficient Immunity Power to destroy or send out the Cyst, Fibroids, Tumours, etc.

It is a protective mechanism of our body, given to us by nature.

If it's not there, these accumulated wastes will get spread throughout the body, creating umpteen number of diseases.

So, let me repeat, Cysts, Fibroids, Tumours, are doing good to our body. 

Here I would like to warn you that when your Scan Report says  presence of Tumour inside your Uterus or anywhere in the body, not to go for Biopsy.

In Biopsy what they do?

For testing the Tumour in the laboratory, they break the protective wall of the Tumour created by the safety mechanism of our body and take out a small portion of the harmful accumulated wastes stored inside it.  Once the protective wall of the Tumour is broken, the harmful accumulated wastes will come out of the Tumour and start freely moving inside our body, which will lead to critical diseases.

Hope, now you have understood how critical diseases are happening to us.

So, the moral of this article is don't invite trouble by going  for Laboratory Testing and Biopsy.

To conclude, in Acupuncture which tunes us perfectly with nature, Uterus problems can be cured without surgery, lab reports, medicines, hospitalization, which involve several thousands and sometimes few lakhs of our hard earned money.

Acu Healer. Kuntikana RadhaKrishna Bhat, D.A.Sc., 
Acupuncturist.

"Acupuncture Can Cure All Diseases."

Wednesday 15 February 2017

Uterus problems can be cured without surgery says Acupuncture....

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." - Confucius.

I often hear from my patients that they were asked to undergo Uterus removal surgery (Hysterectomy).

I tell them, not to do it.

The reason being that in Acupuncture, it's very much possible to cure them without removing their Uterus.

Not only removal of Uterus, but removal of any part in our body will have long lasting consequences affecting the quality of life of people who undergo surgeries.

In Acupuncture,

*  No need for Medicines (all medicines come with severe side effects).

* No need for Lab reports (they can't study continuously changing human body, based on which a treatment is given nowadays).

*  No need for surgery.

*  No need for hospitalization.

*  No need of spending few thousands or lakhs as cost of treatment.

*  Permanent cure is possible.

*  All diseases can be cured.

I give below an article written by Dr. Sethuraman K Raman, MD, which explains that for want of money, how unnecessary surgeries are done to remove the Uterus.  We all should thank him for bringing this issue into the limelight.

- Acu Healer. Kuntikana RadhaKrishna Bhat, D.A.Sc., 
Acupuncturist.

"Acupuncture Can Cure All Diseases."

++++++++++++

The End justifies the Means ("Your Uterus at any cost")

Written by:

Dr. Sethuraman K Raman, MD (Int Med). 

The Wolf and the Lamb: 

A wolf cornered a stray lamb and felt compelled to give a reason to justify devouring it. The wolf complained to the lamb, "You insulted me last year." The lamb bleated, "That is not possible, Sir, for I was not born then." "Well. You feed in my pastures", retorted the wolf. "That cannot be, Sir," replied the lamb, "for I have not started eating grass." The wolf raised his voice and said, "Then you must have drunk water from my spring." "No, Sir, I have not yet drunk anything but my mother's milk," said the poor lamb. The wolf ran out of plausible excuses and said, "Well, I am hungry. I have to eat you anyway." He then pounced on the little lamb and devoured it.

Sheela, a 30 year old teacher with pelvic pain, went to her gynaecologist for follow up advice. He had a cursory glance at her case notes and said, "The next step is obvious. Your uterus has to be removed. I shall do it next week."

Sheela started hesitantly, "But doctor, ..."

The doctor said, "Why do you hesitate now? You have severe pain every month."

Sheela: "The pain is now controlled on medicines and ..."

Doctor: "Moreover you have two kids already. Why do you need it anymore?"

Sheela: "No doctor, I would like to avoid surgery if ..."

Doctor: "No 'ifs and buts', Sheela. You don't understand. With ageing there are risks of getting tumours. Why not eliminate the risk and be happy?"

Sheela: "But, doctor ..."

Doctor: "No more questions, Sheela. You bring your husband tomorrow. I shall finalise with him and do you next week."

Comments:

"You don't need a hysterectomy. It can do you more harm than good. These are strong words but the fact is that more than 90% of hysterectomies are unnecessary and worse, the surgery can have long lasting consequences. It is time we doctors stopped disassembling women. But nothing will change until more women look their doctors in the eye and calmly state their determination to remain intact." (Stanley West, 1994)

A senate committee of the USA has reported that 2.4 million unnecessary operations were performed there at a cost of four billion dollars (equal to 14,000 crore rupees) every year! If a hospital had a watch dog committee to check if surgery was necessary or not, the rate of surgery declined by two-thirds. (Fulder S, 1991).

This is the situation in US where health care seekers are generally aware of their rights and play an active role in medical decision making. One can then imagine the plight of an average Indian patient who unquestioningly accepts any medical advice as the gospel truth. I have come across many young women in their 20's who have had hysterectomy done. The general tone of medical advice for the surgery has been, "You have had your two kids. You do not need your uterus anymore." My colleagues working in gynaecology say that most of these unfortunate cases could have been managed without such a drastic step.

Doing a Caesarian section giving little chance for a normal delivery to occur is another act of taking young women on an unnecessary 'surgical ride'. Scientific studies have shown that it has little to do with medical indications and everything to do with money. In these studies, the professional fees were fixed for every delivery conducted, regardless of its mode (normal or surgical). There was a significant reduction in the rate of Caesarian sections and a proportional rise in normal deliveries.

Removing the tonsils used to be a 'surgical epidemic' earlier. The ear-nose-throat surgeons are more conservative now. Due to the ease of laparoscopic surgery and the income generated by this hi-tech procedure, the gallbladder and the appendix have become the current victims.

I find it hard to believe that even removal of the eye-lens has succumbed to the market pressures. My ophthalmic colleagues say that they have documented cases who went to a hi-tech ophthalmic centre with presbyopia (age-related problems of near vision) to be advised 'urgent intra ocular lens implantation'.

Bernard Shaw, in the preface to his famous play 'The Doctor's Dilemma', has made the following observations which were scandalous in 1906 but are entirely appropriate today.

"It is not the fault of our doctors that the medical service of the community, as at present provided for, is a murderous absurdity. That any sane nation should go on to give a surgeon a pecuniary interest in cutting off your leg, is enough to make one despair of political humanity. But that is what we have done. It may also be necessary to hang a man or pull down a house. But we take good care not to make the hangman and the house breaker the judges of that. If we did, no man's neck would be safe and no man's house stable."

Taking charge of decisions:

If you want to be an informed seeker of health care, discuss with the surgeon the following points before agreeing to undergo any procedure:

1. What is actually wrong with me?

2. How serious is this disease/condition?

3. What may happen to me if I leave it untreated?

4. What kind of procedure are you planning to do?

5. Is the procedure being done for diagnosis, for treatment or for both?

6. What are the risks of this procedure?

7. What are the chances that the proposed procedure will be successful in my case?

8. Will the benefits of surgery last long, or is it just a temporary measure?

9. Are any alternate procedures/treatments available?

10. Of these, which do you think would be the best for me? Why?

11. If your relative were in my position, would you choose the same for him/her? (If there is a difference between 10 and 11 please explain it.)

12. Could you suggest any source of information on this disease that I could read or watch?

13. What is the total cost of the procedure likely to be?

14. Is there any follow-up costs involved after the procedure?

It is good to take a second opinion before taking major decisions. An ethical doctor would welcome it.