Pigeon feeding and its municipal ban in Mumbai: a step to improve respiratory health
Finally, in December 2023, the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) imposed a ban on pigeon feeding in Mumbai city. What should have been done decades ago will eventually give solace to a lot of citizens. A ban, well in time would have prevented thousands of lungs...
Sleep advice from a Governor: the solution may worsen the problem
On 5th December 2023, a governor of a State (province) in India urged the Education Department to consider change in school timings so that students could catch up with sleep. I was wondering, that even if the advice was right, the solution was such that...
Fourth Industrial Revolution: future of worker health, job safety and security amidst AI
We are witnessing IR 4.0 (the 4th industrial revolution) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), an often heard term these days is a part of it. AI is still in its infancy, and as perceived by workers, a robot is its partner in crime. We yet don’t...
How business owners impact worker health: a historical perspective!
History is proof to many business owners taking steps to prevent illnesses and accidents in workers either due to compassion or to be seen as a good employer. History is proof also to ruthless business owners with scant regard to worker health. There are no...
Tunnel trapped workers: from Occupational Safety to Occupational Health
On Sunday, 12th November 2023, at around 5.30 AM IST, a portion of the Silkyara Bend - Barkot tunnel, under construction, collapsed in the Uttarkashi district of the state of Uttarakhand, India. 41 workers got trapped inside the tunnel. On Tuesday, 28th November, after 17 days,...
WHO launches a commission to tackle loneliness
On 15th November 2023, a news flashed out from the WHO (World Health Organization) headquarters announcing a new Commission on Social Connection to address loneliness, with US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy as its co-chair. In 2018, UK had appointed its first Minister for...
Is your office as safe for your health as it looks?
Companies and some Occupational Health (OH) physicians often get overwhelmed when it comes to establishing OH in the factory and/or office. In India, companies usually comply by establishing OH in their factories as per recommendations of Indian Factories Act. However, there are companies who go...
Discrimination at workplace and high blood pressure
The world in general and workplaces in particular are becoming a difficult place to be. A recent study published in Journal of the American Heart Association (JAMA) in April 2023 seem to suggest that those who experienced workplace discrimination developed high blood pressure. One of...
