In my time as a clinician, I have had to answer several questions and dispel umpteen anxieties from patients. Most anxieties are genuine, and so are the myriad of unending questions. But every now and again, something comes up that has no straight answers.Recently a young couple asked me why doctors are fond of physically examining patients, seemingly touching and prodding all conceivable places in attempts to make a diagnosis.Is there no viable alternative? And can patients chose not to be physically touched by doctors? The answer is somewhere in between, a plain yes and no.
Read more ..... 
It is common place for patients to walk into a doctor’s office, give their story, get evaluated and then simply walk out with a prescription and a return appointment. No questions asked, after all the doctor knows what’s best for patients. Is that so? Think again. Whenever you seek healthcare, you should always have your own perspectives about what you want. Disease states can have very diverse outcomes, depending on how you look at it. There are universally desired outcomes, more desirable for looking at populations. And then, there are individually desired outcomes, better termed as patient-centred outcomes.
Read more ..... 
Nairobi is home to many men, lots of men in fact. Simple inferences and calculations from the 2013 Kenya Demographic Estimates quickly imply that more than half a million men aged between 25 to 64 years live in Nairobi. And the majority of these men, 90% in demographic estimates, are literate. To a lay person, this means well-informed and able to make reasoned and healthy judgements.
Read more ..... 
Terminal illness is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated, and is usually expected to result in death within a short period of time. Terminal illness is mostly associated with cancer, though it may also relate to other conditions like advanced heart disease. In medical timelines, one is considered terminally ill if they are expected to die within six months. The six month standard is arbitrary though, and the estimation is never accurate.
Read more ..... 
The world is full of services that could do with volunteers now and again. Healthcare is no different, services tend to be stretched to the limits especially with inadequate healthcare workers in our part of the world. You do not have to be formally trained as a nurse or doctor to be eligible for some voluntary work in healthcare.
Read more .....