Doctor dilemma

Sofdarr Daktar,
Matha Bhoa Tak Tar
Khide Pele Khai Pani Chibiya...

When I was a kid, I thought wouldn't it be cool to meet such a doctor, who chews water for breakfast, launch and dinner. I guess I didn't have to look far, nowadays, almost all doctors in Bangladesh are sofdarr doctors with a difference, they chew the blood money of their patients.

Couple of days back, I met one of my friends who recovered from some viral disesase. He looked in good shaoe, so I asked him if he had been to the doctors, his reply, “Yeah sure! According to him, I am 3 days dead. You are looking at the ghost of me.” Apparently, the doctor he visited told his father right in front of my pal (the patient) that if he didn't arrange for his sons operation, he wouldn't have a son in a few days time. Imagine what my friend felt at the onslaught of the doctor. Fortunately, his parents were smarter than the doctor and knew better than to trust his medication.

Doctors have become a major disease in our society. Together with the Diagnostic centres, they are aimed at ripping us of our life and money. I guess if you have been sick lately you would understand the ordeal that suffers have to go through. Firstly, the doctors have all magically lost their ability to identify and diagnose diseases. Even 8 or 9 years ago, doctors could listen to symptoms and identify the problems. Now, thanks to numerous diagnostic centres, and the fat amount of money they are channeling to these so called noble professionals, even common flu and fever cannot be identified unless you do your blood or urine test and dish out your life's savings on a diagnostic platter. The tests starting from 300 bucks to 30,000 (or maybe even more), depending on how rich you appear to the doctor. What's strange, the initial tests always show negative for suspected disease, which is the case with majority of the tests, as the doctors simple do a patients trial run before coming on to the REAL tests. Then, instead of realizing maybe the patient doesn't have that particular case, doctors suggest higher and more expensive tests.

Our trust in doctors are so low, that it is standard procedure to go to two different doctors, and in many cases three. Even so, it is usual that they all agree on the diagnosis or the medicine. Take the example of my poor ailing grandma. Years ago, she had her knee caps replaced. Recently she was feeling excruciating pain in her legs and all over her body. She had gone to many specialists and had done a myriad of tests under their disposal. Because of her over weight, some specialists even suggested that she may have eating disorder leading to pressure of her weight on the legs (use of class eight physics)!. After much pain, she decided to go to Thailand, and there the doctors identified that much of the flesh around her replaced knee cap is infected as the metallic joints have passed their functional period. In fact, it has blackened so much that they had to do immediate operation. She was suggested therapy. Later after she came back to Bangladesh, she contacted a doctor who is a specialist of bones and physiotherapy. I was surprised to learn that even though she had undergone a serious operation a few days back, the first intention of the therapist was to bring some kind of portable X ray machine to X ray her wounded knee. How fatally dangerous intention! He was of course kind enough to make the arrangements for free, but at the cost of jeopardizing the operation.

Doctors almost always disagree upon each others treatment and medication. My mother went to a doctor for some problems and he suggested a set of medicines. After a few days of medication without result, she decided to turn to another doctor. This new guy, totally cancelled the previous doctor's medication saying they aren't good enough and suggested some other medicine. So when I went out to buy the new ones, the shop didn't have the one that was suggested and instead, asked me if it's okay to give me the same medicine except produced by a different manufacturer. I had no choice and took the ones offered. When I came home, my mom was furious, I had brought tablets that the original doctor has suggested!

Given the dilemma that these doctors are in, I wonder whom do they trust when it's their turn to fall sick. It is indeed shocking to learn that majority of the students of Dhaka Medical become addicted to drugs as they are unable to take the pressure. In the western countries, doctors would have to periodically sit for tests so that they can keep their practices. Over here, most of the specialists have completed education in the Stone Age and are probably feet to treat the dinosaurs only.

So finally, if you are planning to live a long healthy life, east plenty of fibrous stuff and fruits. Maintain a healthy diet, work out and avoid going to the doctors like I do. If you don't go to a doctor, chances are, you will be dead, but if you do go to one, you will dead, and will be without enough money to have fun on the last few days.

PS. I hope the Medical association takes no offense, but these are based on real life experiences. Remember even the doctors need doctors.

By Tanvir Hafiz

Music reality shows are such a cliché now, and the only reaction it probably induces from people is another stiffled yawn. Fortunately Rockstar: Supernova manages to be a bit above the group and keeps you interested. However its really for the wrong reasons.

Rockstar: SUPERNOVA. Sounds familiar? Yup, this is the show produced by the same guy who made last years hit, Rockstar: INXS and this show like its predecessor follows the same formula of finding out a lead vocal of this supposedly super band called “SUPERNOVA”.

Except one thing is dead wrong. What the heck is SUPERNOVA? This 'mystery' is the main thing that made me watch the show in the first place. Supernova is basically this band formed by Metallica's ex bassist Jason Newsteen, MOTLEY CRUE's drummer Tommy Lee and former Guns and Rose's guitarist Gilby Clarke. Now, that's a pretty impressive line up. These dudes are seriously awesome and the claim of the show that combined the bands of these people sold more records than anyone is partially true. Unfortunately after watching the show whatever respect you have for them will go down the drain. For one, metal fans would be unhappy seeing the 'demise' of such an awesome bassist- to commercial rock.

The show is what you can call 'ulta-rock starish'. One look at the contestants, Tommy Lee and the settings of the show would convince you about the over the top nature of the show and you can't help but groan 'wannabe'. But then again these are 'rockstars' so you get used to it. I wished Jason Newsteed spoke more often but he is the silent one while the show is mostly occupied by Tommy Lee, who churns out most of the comments and stuff. Unfortunately the comments are rather well too nice! You won't be seeing any sardonic reference of Simon Cowell of American Idol or any serious rockstar pochani. Sad. Because viewers want some action- they want humiliation! The only thing that really caught my eye about the visual setting of the whole show was probably the beautiful Brooke Burke!

But at the end of the day, this is after all a music show. And what it looks like really doesn't matter, because the music is grey. Ok, perhaps I am stretching it a bit, the music is good because there are some absolute lemon contestants which really makes you groan. Most of the songs sung are instantly recognizable to Bangladeshi kids because well-known mainstream rock songs are covered. A plus point is judges continually stress on 'rock music' and so expect lots of good ol' rock and roll. Another point is you get to see a new music celebrity every week as a judge. That's kind a cool!

OK, summing it up, if you are searching for a show to hear some pretty good variations of your favourite music, here it is. But Rockstar: SUPERNOVA isn't something that's gonna keep you on the edge of your seat.

By Reggie

Though Dhaka is my hometown after a lapse of five years it seems like my second home. Now I stay here for two months at the most in a year, and rest of the time at Kodaikanal, the town of my alma mater. When I come here I compare my life back in Kodaikanal of south India and I see how much difference there is. The place where I live has a lot less pollution than here. If the people here do the same thing that they, including me and other expatriates, do there, then this city would be a lot better.

God created the earth and the nature, people and other creatures on it. Us, human beings, understandably are in charge of taking care of this beautiful earth. Dhaka is a part of it and Dhakaites are part of that peoples. Taking care of the city, that is to keep it clean, is our duty. But are we exactly doing that?

Every citizen has expectations. Being a Bengali, I expect a green clean city which isn't tashed with trashes. But in my eyes Dhaka now is a piece of land dumped with all kinds of trash. This is something everyone has pointed out but no one has really taken the initiative to carefully clean it. Then again I am going to point out the same old thing, pollution.

Pollution is an everyday problem for every individual. There are many kinds of pollution i.e. air pollution, noise pollution, food pollution, water pollution and a lot more. Dhaka is known for all these pollutions at very high levels.

Dhaka used to be a cool city with more trees and less people but now because of the increase in population the city is the exact opposite of what it used to be. When I look out of my window what do I see is only a couple or no trees but smog. And what I can hear are sounds of construction work, beeps and horns of automobiles. What can I smell? I smell smoke and fume, sewage and wastes. Greenery interspersed with buildings or vice versa are what I should see and birds chirping and the breeze brushing the leaves are the sound that should ring in my ears and the air should be fresh and odor free.

There isn't one country without pollution. The pollution level varies from city to city. And Dhaka is not the most polluted city in the world. But that does not mean we can litter or dump waste in streets and fields and ponds and rivers or blow loud horns unnecessarily in busy thoroughfares. Why can't we think ahead, unto our future? If we did then maybe people in this city would be more aware of what is happening and what is going to happen. The harmful polluted air is vitiating atmosphere, water bodies are being choked, streets becoming impassable.

Instead of reducing pollution people in our country are adding to that scourge. The solution to this problem is simple. It is every citizen's duty to use the dustbin where needed and avoid littering. Use gloves while handling foods or wash hands before touching the food. Factories should not dump their chemical waste in the water bodies. Smoking should be banned on the streets. People shouldn't indulge in construction in an unplanned way. They should not blow their transport horns unnecessarily nor should they play loud music in homes or shops. If these simple rules are followed this Dhaka will turn into a better metropolis altogether. Anyone and everyone can make this difference to occur.

By Sabiha Mahmud Sumi