Random musings

In June 2025, an unusual case was reported on the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) portal from Community Health Centre, Khaltsi. It was a case of snake-bite and is possibly the first documented case of snake-bite from Ladakh. In surveillance terms, it was reported as a ‘probable’ snake-bite. However, it was real in every sense […]

When I heard the news of the recent case of poaching in Kanji, a Ladakhi word popped up in my mind. It possibly describes the poachers’ attitude. The word is Ham-pa (ཧམ་པ་). I thought to myself, “How can someone be so audacious to hunt an endangered animal in broad daylight despite strict laws and surveillance […]

Music remains my bridge to home irrespective of my physical location. Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. During my college days, I observed how Ladakhi students carried their cultural identity with them and one of the strongest expressions of their roots was music. No matter how […]

The people of Ladakh have honed their understanding of the region’s unique weather patterns over the centuries. This traditional knowledge has been passed down orally across generations and strengthened through sustained observation. One such insight is about the timing of snowfall. The phrase ‘Namlangs la munrup’ is used for snow that falls early in the […]

Recently Leh’s light pollution was as concerning to me as was Delhi’s air pollution. I was trying to catch a glimpse of the rare comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), which appeared in the sky in October 2024. However, my efforts were thwarted by the bright outdoor lights near my hospital. No human may well be around […]

Some traffic behaviour are unique to Ladakh’s road. Imagine you are driving on the National Highway 1 towards Sham and you intend to turn right to Phyang village. You will naturally use your right indicator, slow down, look in the rear view mirror for any vehicles behind, keep an eye for vehicles in front, slow […]

Ever since humans learnt the art and science of brewing alcoholic beverages, the regulation and consumption of alcohol has troubled communities, governments and people the world over. There are people who like to consume the occasional glass of alcohol as it relaxes them, while there are others who become addicted and pay a price with […]

There is a shift in attitude in public hospitals. Quality is the major change that is evident in our public hospitals. This is a welcome change. Most people rely on public hospitals for their healthcare needs as private hospitals are often not within reach for many. A friend recently delivered a baby at a private […]

Recently, there was an announcement over an FM radio channel that the authorities in Ladakh have issued an order to restrict the movement of ‘stray domestic animals’ on the streets of Leh town. The justification is that they pose a threat to the movement of vehicles, especially ones related to tourism. This reminded me of […]

Doctors and teachers are often celebrated for the importance of their work. Teachers and doctors are supposed to be kind, empathetic, and compassionate. One generally does not hear of a doctor or teacher being kind and empathetic as this is normal. However, we do hear about unruly doctors and teachers and thankfully their persistence in […]

A senior colleague was once presenting a case study on high altitude illnesses at a conference. He started by saying, “Being born at high altitudes is like being born with a disease.” I found some truth in his words as I started monitoring my blood pressure (BP). When I was posted in Chushul in Changthang, […]

When NDTV showed the edited video of His Holiness the Dalai Lama interacting with a small boy it disturbed me as it distorted the facts and context in which it happened. I could not understand how someone can defame such an important figure without investigating it and contextualising the incident. I thought people do not […]

Recently, a friend with a speech impairment gestured to convey that his son had a fever. He tapped his hands over the forehead and frowned. That was enough for me to understand what he was saying. I tried finding the correct gesture in sign language for fever and realised that he had just used it. […]

Ahem. Here I am again! I am writing after a long time on a medical subject and its ‘cough’ this time. Cough can be a symptom for a diversity of diseases. Ahem! The sound of clearing your throat or a solicited cough is also used to attract attention and express disapproval, or embarrassment. A cough […]

It is 2016. We are lucky. A tourist in the executive class vacated his seat after declaring, “I can sit anywhere.” He moved to one of our seats in the economy class. An executive class seat has more space to accommodate our medical equipment. Unfortunately, the family of the patient was able to arrange only […]

We often hear the word ‘highest’ being used in relation to Ladakh. The world’s highest motorable road, the highest dosa point in the world, and the highest ATM in the world are a few examples. Recently, Ladakh featured in the national news for having the ‘highest’ prevalence of anaemia in children in India at a […]

As the father entered my clinic with his ailing child, I could not help wonder why they were travelling at a time when the world was still struggling to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. The child had an acute respiratory infection along with acute mountain sickness. I voiced my thoughts and asked him, “Why are you […]

Even as the second wave of the pandemic reaches its peak in India, people are already anticipating a third wave. Pandemics and epidemics generally progress in waves before they ebb. There is also speculation, particularly in the media, that the third wave will put children at greater risk. The first wave mostly involved the elderly […]

As of 1 May, 2021, all adults in India are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Very soon, the vaccine will also be made available to the age group that is most vulnerable to COVID-19: Children. However, that will only happen once the safety profile of the vaccine becomes clearer. This is how vaccines […]

When my friends in America and UK started posting selfies as they were given the COVID-19 vaccine, I started asking myself, “Mera number kab ayega?” (When will my turn come?). The reason for my impatience was not about the selfie but the result of my hope and confidence in my country and its scientists. When […]

Have you ever wondered why stray animals that eat from the garbage bin rarely fall sick? Or how our pets who consume the family’s leftover food manage to remain hale and hearty? In contrast, we have been washing our hands, using different kinds of sanitisers, wearing a mask and eating fresh and clean food. Despite […]

It is said that only fear brings people together. And, when the fear is that of death, the world will surely come together. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen the world unite to develop a vaccine against the disease. Everyone seems to be waiting eagerly for a vaccine that will prevent […]

While surfing the internet recently, I stumbled on a ‘study’ that concluded, “According to a recent study, all recent studies are false!” I could not stop laughing when I read this statement. Yet, it seems to describe the state of research in the context of the novel coronavirus. Nine months after its appearance in China […]

Very few children seem to be getting infected by the new coronavirus and even fewer are actually getting sick from it. Having watched its progress through treating patients with a wide range of severity of symptoms, I have reached a fairly simple conclusion. The new coronavirus is a mean and opportunistic virus. It is like […]

Having a good neighbour is a blessing. It’s always useful to have a neighbour. Getting to know one’s neighbour comes with a wide range of benefits including enhanced safety, shared sense of community, mutual sense of responsibility, lifelong friendships and a helping hand nearby. Whether one needs to borrow some sugar or needs some emotional […]

The COVID-19 pandemic caught everyone unawares and ill-prepared. Even developed countries have discovered that they do not have sufficient medical facilities and health workers. Everyone has been fighting the COVID-19 pandemic with limited recourses and even countries like the USA and Italy have found that their budgetary allocation for health is not enough. People have […]