Every day, a great number of news items are being churned out on the reality show star Jade Goody whose battle with Cervical Cancer has left her at Death’s doorstep.

Although Jade irked right- thinking individuals with her ‘Shilpa Poppadom’ jibes at fellow contestant Shilpa Shetty during the Celebrity Big Brother 2007 in the UK, she is now the focus of sympathy as someone so young who is being forced backstage due to a deadly disease.

A book based on Jade – ‘Forever in my heart’, which showcases her courage and determination to fight Cancer –is a love story written for her two little sons, aged 5 and 4 . The book hopes to be a source of inspiration to others facing similar ordeals.

More than anything, jade’s tryst with the deadly C has created a huge amount of awareness– of the kind not seen before. Cervical cancer testing has increased by 21% in UK hospitals and its impact will definitely be felt world – wide.

Women who are sexually active will be working in their own interest if they have the simple Pap smear test done periodically. This will help in the early detection of Cervical Cancer and will enhance the possibility of a complete cure!

“Sexual favors” allegedly sought from sex workers by some South African policemen in return for their release, is making news because of activists who are raising their voice against policemen blatantly violating basic human and constitutional rights of a very vulnerable group of women.

Sex Worker Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) deserves praise for highlighting the “fear enforcement” of some policemen instead of law enforcement –as is the case with many policemen in different parts of the world. Sex workers in India would be surprised that the policemen in South Africa are actually “asking” for sexual favors. Because here the courtesy is often dispensed with. Sex workers who have been come out boldly to talk through books and magazines, say policemen constantly force them into sex wielding arrest as a threat.

Nalini Jameela who boldly exposed the sex racket in Kerala, India, in her best selling autobiography “Oru Laingigathozhilzhaliyude Atmakatha” (Autobiography of a Sex Worker) has cited many instances in which policemen not only exploited her but made her services “freely available” to politicians, to win their favor.

Sex Workers’ Forum is slowly gaining momentum in different parts of the world, though more often than not, like any vulnerable and marginalized segment in any society, sex workers take a beating in the face of established institutions—ironically, the police force in most cases.

Early this week the Srilankan cricket team paid the price for their country’s affinity to Pakistan. The terror strike on them sounded a warning bugle to the civilized world that the days of normalcy and sound slumber are over!

The SL cricketers were shattered. It will definitely be a while before they can come back to being involved in the game whole – heartedly. No one will be surprised if some among them are suffering from ‘post traumatic stress disorder’ (PTSD) a condition that can affect its victim both physically and psychologically.

Statistics say that anyone who faced a traumatic situation is likely to develop at least a couple of symptoms of PTSD. It may not always appear immediately- in some it may even take weeks or months to develop.

Traumatic incidence like war, sexual / violent assaults, natural calamities, kidnapping, witnessing a murder, violence or abuse are some of the triggers. Nightmares, sleeplessness, feeling edgy and irritable, loss of appetite, palpitations, heavy breathing, muscle tension and nausea are the common symptoms of PTSD.

It is important to realize that PTSD is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation and that it is imperative for the victims to seek help right away . With appropriate treatment and with adequate family support, the victims will definitely be able to put the disaster (or near disaster) behind them and move on with their lives!

Gujarat has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. The latest to hit this disaster-ridden state is the hepatitis-B outbreak. It has taken the administration by surprise, and there is a struggle to cope with the situation as effectively as possible. The city of Ahmedabad and the town of Modasa have been showered attention by visiting medical teams but the villagers living in the interior parts complain of neglect.

It is infuriating to see that the deciding bodies swing into action only after the damage is done. On one side bodies are piling up for cremation while on the other, heads are rolling – some among them belong to irresponsible doctors.

What baffles one is that these doctors, despite being popular and running successful clinics, have ignored the fact that the Hepatitis B virus is a far more potent virus than most of the deadly viruses known. It is an established killer. Many of the survivors harbor the HbsAg antigen for life. In some of these individuals the Hep B virus, which is a retrovirus, gets incorporated into the DNA in the liver cells and puts them on a red alert for hepatocellular carcinoma!

Taking these facts into account, the best option would be to use and throw disposable syringes and other wares. These disposables have to be handled with extreme caution and destroyed using an incinerator. If glass syringes have to be re-used (it is recommended that they are not) they need to be autoclaved thoroughly and not just washed and heat sterilized.

Instead of going around like headless chicken after an epidemic strikes, the government’s monitoring bodies should step out from their slumber and impose regulations in a country which lacks self-regulatory traits and which believes in moral policing but shies from civic responsibilities. Those responsible for these deaths in Gujarat must be brought to book –this could act as a deterrent from future calamities.

Dr. Reeja Tharu

Wow! This truly is a miracle – amazing that the aircraft itself and the people and equipment inside survived such a lightening hit!

The lightening entered the nose and exited through the tail ( watch the film carefully as it strikes).

The voltage, the peak current was phenominal, however because the aircraft acted like a conductor of the electricity – the voltage across the plane was low otherwise it would have just melted away along with the passenger in a whiff of smoke.

This spectacular shot was captured in Osaka of an Nippon Airline that was being struck by lightning. The was truly a once in lifetime experience for the crew, the pasenger in the flight and the photographer who managed to film it.

This is in normal time

This is in slow motion

This is a still photo just on initiation of the bolt.
Notice the ground and air bolt feeder strike at the same time.