Delivery of science is as important as science itself!!!!
5 days into reading that book and I got my moment of lift. A big revelation and a gentle reminder of what is the correct thing to do.
After happily reading the book first thing in the morning( ofcourse after the chores and breakfast) I came across a sentence - The delivery of science is as important as science itself. Melinda Gates describes how important it is to properly deliver the science among the masses. That it should be useful to the people depends on how properly it is being delivered. It was fun to read it in the book and acquire this tiny bit of wisdom.
But I got the practical taste of it. Funny how life teaches you stuff!
So during the 23 days of my stay in Gadhchiroli I got to experience a flood. Yup ! and I wasn't in Mumbai. I was fine with it as long as I was staying in the safety and confines of my office. But news came that water level had risen where our houses were. So we went back to make sure our belongings were safe. Walking through the water .........majorly worried about snakes and getting drenched I passed a wonderful "drishya". Aarti tai and other fellow Shodhgram friends were happily playing like kids literally, in the flood water.( Even after they had found a small snake in Aarti tai and Amrut dada's house;harmless but a snake though) hahhahahaha! What a sight! I went to my house and took care of my belongings. While going back to the office Aarti tai pulled me into the water and in few seconds I was drenched from head to toe......After that it was mostly hallagulla! What a time we had!
Then thoughts started coming in my mind (RATS, LEPTO, OMG!)........DOXYCYCLINE HAI NA! So later after the usual prayers I suggested Amma ( Dr Rani Bang ; u guys should know by now) that we should distribute Doxy capsules to people affected by the floods in Shodhgram. She was so happy that it came from a public health person (I am no expert). So she asked me to do the needful. I got on with it and in the next prayer I announced and distributed the medicines. BUT u might ask what was the revelation. On the day of distribution of medicines many people weren't there and I did not keep a tab of who all got the medicines. Lazy me !!
So when I went to Amma and told her that a few formalities needed to be done about the doxycycline distribution she was like but we did not get it and I was like Oh! Then the scolding I got was the big revelation for me. The idea of distributing the doxy was a wonerful idea but what about its implementation.What about its delivery? Everyone needs to be included. Nobody should be left out. The science of the antibiotic curing and preventing infections is amazing but it needs to be applied. This is as important as inventing new stuff.Transition from theory to practical has always been abrupt to me like in such situations.
The scolding disturbed me and I made sure that the remaining people got Doxy the other day.............Yes Amma I will remember this for life!
But another question arises.......do we really need doxy ?........Kahani me twist! Doctors here claim that they havent seen cases of leptospirosis like I have seen in Mumbai. So when we think we are doing something useful we really need to see if it is actually helpful or are we doing it just for the sake of doing it. Matter will have to be further investigated!
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