One more good reason for having born in this world...they say donating blood is like donating life. While I think this is a bit too exaggerated, but for the lives of those needy patients and their relatives, it is such an important thing. I realised this today when I went to donate blood (luckily I had deferred it for whatever reasons by few days...wanted to celebrate independence day by donating blood, but I think I was destined to be of help to this needy woman who needed platelets as she was suffering from dengue fever.
When I was about to shut my shop @ work and leave for the day at 8, I get this call from the husband of the patient requesting for blood. Just rushed to the hospital, donated blood...and spent few minutes with the patient's husband. I feel its very important to support such kind of people during this time - just by staying with them for few minutes and speaking to them - requesting them to take care of their relatives and themselves. Its very important to make them realise that they need to be strong - mentally during this time.
Luckily, I also met the patient and wished speedy recovery. I pray to GOD to help them to recover quickly.
One of my friends later told me that India will be celebrating 'Joy of Giving Week' from Sept 27 to Oct 3 of this year (more information can be had at http://joyofgivingweek.org/index.html). What a coincidence!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Another year.....
Its 15th morning again...same Blood Bank at Nimhans. While donating blood, I saw this group of 4 guys who had come from a remote town of Karnataka to donate blood to one of their relatives. One of them (maybe around 30 yrs) had a reasonably high BP, but he was not sure what it meant to him. The nurse was trying to explain him what it was and what he should be doing in future. He was just talking till the nurse asked him to shut his mouth! It was funny!
This time, I got to know that they have a demand of almost 300-400 units of blood daily and that they will charge Rs.300/- (for testing and storing?) for every unit that they supply. They also said that immediately after drawing blood, they separate out plasma, platelets and red-cells as each of these have different shelf-life...plasma (5 days), platelets (1 year) and red cells (35 days).
This time, I got to know that they have a demand of almost 300-400 units of blood daily and that they will charge Rs.300/- (for testing and storing?) for every unit that they supply. They also said that immediately after drawing blood, they separate out plasma, platelets and red-cells as each of these have different shelf-life...plasma (5 days), platelets (1 year) and red cells (35 days).
Friday, May 16, 2008
Its not just another day today....
Woke up at 6.30AM....was at friends' place since yesterday evening. We had gone out for dinner to a place called Mast Kalandar, 80ft road, Koramangala yesterday night(http://local.google.co.in/?hl=en&q=mast+kalandar&near=Koramangala,+Bangalore,+Karnataka&fb=1&view=text&latlng=9976602554431058088). We weren't happy with the food at that place!
Started at 8AM today morning and headed straight to NIMHANS. It was not dificult to locate the Blood Bank there and I met the duty doctor and told him that I wanted to donate blood. He asked me if I was coming on behalf of any patient at the emergency....I said no, it was voluntarly. He asked me if I had breakfast....though I had decided to say 'yes', I ended up with a big 'NO'! He asked me to have breakfast and come. I went out and did not find any place to eat and settled with 2 tender coconuts and a mango drink. Turned up again in 15 mts and he was ready with a form for me to fill up (voluntary declaration). A nurse was ready to draw blood and asked me to check my weight. 68 kilos! - probably I had put on weight in the past 15 mts! and then she asked me if it was anything special today. I told her that it was my birthday today. She wished me and started drawing the blood. The instrument had some problem and it kept on beeping and was showing some wrong readings! She corrected it and within 10 mts, she had drawn 300 or 350ml of blood (plus 49 ml of some anti-clotting solution). I was thinking of papa during that time and wished I was there with him in K.R.Hospital, Mysore atleast once, seeing him donate blood (though we've got the photographs of him donating blood for 25th time). He always donated blood at a general hospital in Mysore and did not like to go to a private hospital. It seems his parents did not like him donating blood (feared something would happen to him), but he used to go on his birthday, October 2nd (or when in need), donate blood and go back to work. I was only when we saw a band-aid that we could make out that he had donated blood. He donated blood for 47 times but his target was 50 atleast which he could not achieve (owing to family pressure ofcourse!). But he was a person to approach for blood needs while at service and was very active in maintaining a list of blood donors.
I now realise the importance of donating blood if a person is fit and healthy. I've read somewhere that "body immediately starts working to restore the blood that was lost. Fluid stored in the tissues returns to the bloodstream and red blood cell production speeds up. A donor's blood volume is restored within a few hours!". So why shouldn't we donate blood and help people who are in need? I came to know that at NIMHANS, they send blood to other general hospitals also, apart from using it for their own patients (and that they do not charge patients for blood transfusion). I just hope I'll continue this practice regularly!
Started at 8AM today morning and headed straight to NIMHANS. It was not dificult to locate the Blood Bank there and I met the duty doctor and told him that I wanted to donate blood. He asked me if I was coming on behalf of any patient at the emergency....I said no, it was voluntarly. He asked me if I had breakfast....though I had decided to say 'yes', I ended up with a big 'NO'! He asked me to have breakfast and come. I went out and did not find any place to eat and settled with 2 tender coconuts and a mango drink. Turned up again in 15 mts and he was ready with a form for me to fill up (voluntary declaration). A nurse was ready to draw blood and asked me to check my weight. 68 kilos! - probably I had put on weight in the past 15 mts! and then she asked me if it was anything special today. I told her that it was my birthday today. She wished me and started drawing the blood. The instrument had some problem and it kept on beeping and was showing some wrong readings! She corrected it and within 10 mts, she had drawn 300 or 350ml of blood (plus 49 ml of some anti-clotting solution). I was thinking of papa during that time and wished I was there with him in K.R.Hospital, Mysore atleast once, seeing him donate blood (though we've got the photographs of him donating blood for 25th time). He always donated blood at a general hospital in Mysore and did not like to go to a private hospital. It seems his parents did not like him donating blood (feared something would happen to him), but he used to go on his birthday, October 2nd (or when in need), donate blood and go back to work. I was only when we saw a band-aid that we could make out that he had donated blood. He donated blood for 47 times but his target was 50 atleast which he could not achieve (owing to family pressure ofcourse!). But he was a person to approach for blood needs while at service and was very active in maintaining a list of blood donors.
I now realise the importance of donating blood if a person is fit and healthy. I've read somewhere that "body immediately starts working to restore the blood that was lost. Fluid stored in the tissues returns to the bloodstream and red blood cell production speeds up. A donor's blood volume is restored within a few hours!". So why shouldn't we donate blood and help people who are in need? I came to know that at NIMHANS, they send blood to other general hospitals also, apart from using it for their own patients (and that they do not charge patients for blood transfusion). I just hope I'll continue this practice regularly!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Meeting kids at Sri Chayadevi Anathashrama
Today was an important day to remember. It was papa's birthday and we did something which he always loved to do - spent time with the kids at Sri Chayadevi Anathashrama, Jayanagar, Mysore (http://scvthunsur.org/about.html). We were told that they have moved to a new place (courtesy Infosys Foundation) in Chikkaharadanahalli, Mysore. The new place is big (to house both old-aged people and kids) and kept pretty neat. We could only distribute sweets to the kids and the aged and see them off while the kids were getting ready for their lunch. Women looked more active than men. I wish I could spend time with them all regularly. I want to talk to them and cheer them up, I want to talk, play and teach songs to the kids. I want to go back to that place again, for it gives me happiness of a different kind. Hope I will be able to go there soon while we get them shoes (as usual) before their school starts.
For more info on this, watch another blog here:
http://manjuwrites.blogspot.com/2007/09/boys-girls-grandmas-and-grandpas-are.html
For more info on this, watch another blog here:
http://manjuwrites.blogspot.com/2007/09/boys-girls-grandmas-and-grandpas-are.html
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Basics of Personal Financial Management
I am not a financial consultant, but I think there are some fundamental things that all of us (earning folks) have to take care of, especially while doing financial planning. I am sure lot of people are already aware of this/doing this now. But still, there may be few folks who don't know anything about savings or investments. That's the reason why I'm sharing this:
1. Life Insurance - risk coverage for one's dependents. It is recommended to go for term life (something like pay ~ 15K premium per year for around 20 lakhs cover).
2. Medical Insurance - important if you don't have your employer providing the same for medical emergencies to cover yourself and your dependents.
3. Fixed asset like property (less liquid, meaning you will not be able to sell and get back the money immediately when you want): If one can afford to buy land or a house or an apartment, it is one of the best means of investments because we never know the kind of expenses that we would have, say 10 to 20 years from now. Fixed assets like real estate will have capital appreciation which will generate higher returns in the long run. If there is a housing loan and insurance cover for that loan, it is even better.
4. Liquid asset (mutual funds > stocks > options > commodities, etc, in the order of complexity): tax savings is the first objective here and mutual funds are recommended than NSC (from Post Office) or insurance ULIPs, especially for salaried folks. This asset will be liquid because you can withdraw money whenever you want (except tax savings funds which will have a lock-in period of 3 years). If you do SIP (Systematic Investment Plan) in a mutual fund, after sometime (say 1 or 2 years), if u need urgent money, you can always withdraw from this corpus. But we will have to keep a close tab on the performance of the fund. In choosing a fund, 2 factors have to be taken into consideration: fund should be time tested and have proven track-record. One can also think of fixed deposits, for safer returns (but moderate) - 2 years, 3 years, since the interest rates are high today. You can opt for this only if you REALLY need the money at the end of the tenure, and can't wait for more time (like in mutual funds, where exit criterion will be based on pefroamance and market conditions).
For basics of mutual funds, visit:
http://www.amfiindia.com/showhtml.asp?page=mfconcept
http://www.reliancemutual.com/KnowledgeCentre/Content.aspx?ReportID=8f6378af-065a-4bf6-aef3-76d3d2641e80
5. Liquid Cash: bank account balance....to take care of daily expenses (and for expenses which cannot be met using a credit card!)
6. Other assets: all the above will be for self....then you need to think of family needs...car, planning for children's education, jewellery, etc.
7. Emergency fund: in order to meet contingencies, it is also advisable to keep additional cash (one can even use an additional credit card - to swipe it and repay back the money if you dont have immediately!).
8. You can think of one more emergency fund for family needs and for buying gifts, planning vacations, shopping:)
Remember:
- There will be no pension for people working in private organisations when they retire
- Cost of living is going to be higher than today
- We cannot afford to depend upon others at a later stage in life :)
How many of us have been thinking on these lines? To be frank, I have just started:).
1. Life Insurance - risk coverage for one's dependents. It is recommended to go for term life (something like pay ~ 15K premium per year for around 20 lakhs cover).
2. Medical Insurance - important if you don't have your employer providing the same for medical emergencies to cover yourself and your dependents.
3. Fixed asset like property (less liquid, meaning you will not be able to sell and get back the money immediately when you want): If one can afford to buy land or a house or an apartment, it is one of the best means of investments because we never know the kind of expenses that we would have, say 10 to 20 years from now. Fixed assets like real estate will have capital appreciation which will generate higher returns in the long run. If there is a housing loan and insurance cover for that loan, it is even better.
4. Liquid asset (mutual funds > stocks > options > commodities, etc, in the order of complexity): tax savings is the first objective here and mutual funds are recommended than NSC (from Post Office) or insurance ULIPs, especially for salaried folks. This asset will be liquid because you can withdraw money whenever you want (except tax savings funds which will have a lock-in period of 3 years). If you do SIP (Systematic Investment Plan) in a mutual fund, after sometime (say 1 or 2 years), if u need urgent money, you can always withdraw from this corpus. But we will have to keep a close tab on the performance of the fund. In choosing a fund, 2 factors have to be taken into consideration: fund should be time tested and have proven track-record. One can also think of fixed deposits, for safer returns (but moderate) - 2 years, 3 years, since the interest rates are high today. You can opt for this only if you REALLY need the money at the end of the tenure, and can't wait for more time (like in mutual funds, where exit criterion will be based on pefroamance and market conditions).
For basics of mutual funds, visit:
http://www.amfiindia.com/showhtml.asp?page=mfconcept
http://www.reliancemutual.com/KnowledgeCentre/Content.aspx?ReportID=8f6378af-065a-4bf6-aef3-76d3d2641e80
5. Liquid Cash: bank account balance....to take care of daily expenses (and for expenses which cannot be met using a credit card!)
6. Other assets: all the above will be for self....then you need to think of family needs...car, planning for children's education, jewellery, etc.
7. Emergency fund: in order to meet contingencies, it is also advisable to keep additional cash (one can even use an additional credit card - to swipe it and repay back the money if you dont have immediately!).
8. You can think of one more emergency fund for family needs and for buying gifts, planning vacations, shopping:)
Remember:
- There will be no pension for people working in private organisations when they retire
- Cost of living is going to be higher than today
- We cannot afford to depend upon others at a later stage in life :)
How many of us have been thinking on these lines? To be frank, I have just started:).
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