Battle against the cancer.

5^th year second semester started. We have finished two cycles, and then we met our oncology cycle. I never thought about the understanding between the patient and the doctor till I went to the oncology department. I saw many patients who were in deep thoughts. Some were swiping tears from their eyes. A mom was keeping her head on her sons shoulder. Son went to the ward again and the mom was watching he returns to the ward. A son is the biggest gift of one’s life. This son is in a battle which is very difficult to win. In front of the cancer all becomes helpless. Dealing with a cancer patient is one of the great challenges in the modern medicine. We never had a thought about a cancer in our childhood. What we knew was we are going to live a long life. Everyday some unfortunate people get in to this trouble. Percentage of the cancer patients are also increasing due to bad diets, environmental pollution and bad habits like smoking. Some people smiles. Doctors know what’s going to happen within next few days or weeks. Oncologists take all the stress in to them and stand with the patients. Diagnosing a cancer not beyond second stage and proving a patient doesn’t have a cancer are some of the best moments of an oncologist’s carrier. Oncologists always help the patients to keep their mentality in a satisfactory level. One day we were the best students in the class. Professor was very happy because we answered to her questions very well.  In the ward instead of taking case history we made all the patients smile. I was so happy. Finally professor came to the ward and told us “My dear students you forgot the class lets go to the class!” We went to the class. Professor asked from me “What’s your future ambition?” I answered “To be an Ophthalmologist” Others also told their own aims and goals. Even the best students afraid to take the challenge. It’s a great job, but no one have a certainty about the success or the personal satisfaction. Helping these patients is a great work. Every country should have a big space to this kind of patients in their national health policies. Nine days after we finished our cycle. But the doctors and the patients in the regional cancer treatment center are still in the fight against the cancer. I wish them all a long life.

Useful links.
http://www.cancer.gov
http://www.ncisl.lk/
http://www.livestrong.org/

Education as an useful equipment.

After the British colonization and a 30 years was Sri Lanka have become to a history turning point. With the economic development, development in the modern technology and science an anonymous revolution is happening in the world. Actually than a revolution this is wining the current economic problems by appropriate management and tactics. It’s visible like a revolution because some countries couldn’t face the problems which arose in this period, so some of them have pullback from top ranking to the bottom line. Sri Lanka seems stable for a long time in this period, but some of the negative trends in the country may lead us to poverty and corruption.

I would like to take the education as an example. I chose this because better education of a nation is the best equipment to face newly arising problems and to stay stable in rapid changes of economy. Not only in economy, rapid changes can be seen in technology. Every nation should have a good preparation to face these problems .Nowadays there is a wide discussion to establish private universities in our country as other countries in the world. I think this is a good discussion. Establishment of private universities is a positive point. In front of the current economic trends there is a necessity to establish such educational centers in our country. Many countries have this experience including our neighboring countries (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan,). Yet Sri Lankans couldn’t understand the benefits and losses which we should make as a country when we letting the private sector to come in. Definitely the number of graduates in the country will be increased by few folds. So the job market will be an exhausting place to the graduates. The competition will be increased by many folds. As a result the post graduate study trends will be increased. Increased trend to postgraduate studies is a positive marker of a balanced higher education system. There will be a discussion when a firm or an organization chose a person to specific job. If the graduate from a private university which keeps higher educational standards according to nation and international requirements, the value of the degree will be high. Sometimes a competitive private university will be the leading university in the country. This competition will automatically stimulate government universities to give a good fight. This will be a much practical way to raise the government university standards and to increase the funds which come to the universities through government (To government universities).

Any step in the development process will cost something. Sometimes it may cost one generation. I’m not forcing to cut the right to education to one generation but as wise group of people we should understand the situation. Though I couldn’t get the real profits, my younger brother or my son or my daughter will have the opportunity to have a good education in our country. This is a special thing, a good education for majority of students in Sri Lanka. Everyone have a right to learn.

Every private university should agree to give 20% scholarships from the total intake to government students with good results. It’s a good point please don’t try to block this opportunity! Especially our students’ unions in the universities must understand this situation. It’s better not to stop the process but add more positive points and win them. As an example university students can stand in time when there is a need of more specialists and force the government and the responsible authorities to increase the number of scholarships to students. (Then they can increase the free educating students up to 25%). Student unions should be independent organizations. It’s a shame to see our students’ power under political agendas. Success and wisdom is not coming to as a jackpot lottery. Success will come to the people who are ready to make real dedications and sacrifices to win a goal.

The responsibility of student unions is not over. They can lead the educational process if they are not under the dark clouds of political parties. Unity and non depending character of student groups is essential in the process of educational development of a country. If you can make a contribution to identify the specialties which your country need and to develop new educational programs like computer based distant education the future will be a bright one for sure.

The responsibility in government is the biggest part of our story. A 65 million medical degree is a big amount of money for every Sri Lankan. It’s a small value to big businessmen. But government should aim not only businessmen but also the middle class majority. Middle class normal people provide the biggest effort in the development process. If government doesn’t like to think about them it would be a brutal step against the country. To study in a best Indian university a foreigner needs 88-95 million rupees (there is no point of opening a private medical university to deliver a medical degree for 65 millions, everyone will chose India by adding few more millions or cheaper degree from Bangladesh or Russia with the same standards )We expect a bearable course fee from private universities. Government should have a good awareness about these modifications in our education system. If government doesn’t inspect the higher education, there will be many corruptions in our education.

Development of a protocol for student intake is another point. Intake should be very transparent process.  Intake procedure and selection committee should be independent. Political force on the selection procedure should be prevented. There should be a very reasonable scholarship program. Government should assess the private organizations to check their abilities to maintain good educational standards. Every private organization should affiliate to government or private hospitals in Sri Lanka for practical programs (these conditions mainly for medical colleges). For Engineering and other academic programs also need a procedure to conduct practices. As an example an agriculture academic program must have a specific organization to conduct their practices (Example Gannoruwa Agricultural experiment center).

All the universities should have affiliations with local universities. In this case there will be a good understanding between local and private universities. These affiliations will help to strictly maintain government and foreign standards.

Everyone should aim to conduct specialist programs which our country needs.

There are many things to discuss under this topic, the topic is so wide. Sri Lanka needs these universities to maintain and keep its development process steadily. A good education should use as an instrument of development process in the country. I hope our future will be a bright one.

http://www.unesco.org/education/poverty/

Charith Kumara.

Kursk State Medical University.

Kursk, Russia.

Your comments are highly appreciated. 

A message to Sri Lankans.

Sri Lanka is a small island in the Indian ocean filled with many natural gifts. One of them is our sea side and wide beach area.  We have a shallow see with a wide beach are. This is one of the miracles which help to attract foreigners to our country. Especially Europeans attract to our country because of this natural resource.  (Majority of Tourists is from Germany and the second place goes to Russians). Russians like to our country because of the hot weather and Sea. But recently I have heard that our sea side have polluted by our own mistakes. 

So we should pay our attention to this problem quickly and take all the steps to stop this pollution. There is big discussion about our country as a tourist destination these days. Especially after the war this discussion became wider than earlier. So there is high tendency to attract tourist mind to Sri Lanka.  Recently many tourist agents and companies have changed their agendas and added Sri Lanka to their tourist destinations. Many TV channels and NEWS programs (foreign) have turn their eye to Sri Lanka after the war. They have given positive picture about Sri Lanka as a country which is suitable to tourists. Especially Europeans tourists have a big attraction to our country these days. If we allow destroying our natural resources we will lose our good name. This will leads to a big deterioration in the in the tourism field in Sri Lanka. Later we will suffer a lot with the economic crises which will rise as complications of the current situation. I think government, Environmental Organizations, and individually Every Sri Lankan should come forward to protect our country, its good name with our valuable natural resources. Environmental protection and good management will be a good step to save the beautiful Sri Lankan environment.

Charith Kumara

Kursk, Russia. 

Why no sleep these days?

Our new semester started. students are like ants. Run to one department from that to another. Some searching literature. New students trying to get know each other. Building friendships. Its Russia most of the friendships are turn to various relationships even a Sri Lankan Student cant imagine. Its there culture. Its their environment. As usually my 6 am alarm rings I postpone it till 7. Then Run to have a bath. After all Med student ready to attend class. (Hey class in the uni? one of our dreams). Then Run to catch a bus to Volokno to the traumatology hospital. We should be there at 8:30am. It takes 40 minutes to go to Volokno, but 2 minutes delay will give the good bye to you. "Doctor you are late Please go home" HOME? How nice. We are having our extreme medicine cycle. This is a important and useful subject but the ride to the hospital makes it bitter. Questions are asked. We try our best. Then the written paper. We answer it too.... God when we go home? Finally 12:00pm. We come out and fly to the bus stop. Im tired not because of the work but the mental tiredness. Usually I tell to Diga my best friend. "Wake me up when we reach uni"

After 40 minutes we are at home (home=hostel room)with hunger pains. Man should cook something. After all I can get a small sleep. This sleep activate a anti sleeping mechanism at the night I cant sleep. I wait till 3-4 am to sleep3 hrs.
From tomorrow im following a new system day time no naps. I will tell about the results later but soon. The best thing I couldn't finish reading the tomorrow class material. So tomorrow class will be a interesting one for me. 118 slides full of medicine. I finished 44 slides. Im going to write a very useful article about medicine. It will be the first one among my posts so wait and KIT.
(Time now 3 am. If there are mistakes sorry. writing like this very difficult.)