Ashok looks up for ‘Foodparadise’ online, a brand new food delivery chain and clicks on Mutton Roganjosh. Succulent pieces of lamb in gravy on a plate appear as a holographic image, the alluring aroma wafting into his nostrils; he puts the haptic morsel into his mouth and the tangy-creamy, tender mutton with its unique taste floods his mouth. He looks at the blurred price tag and says Yessss! And the Roganjosh is on its way in a Food drone.

Artificial Intelligence is our future…
Futuristic? Not too far away. Visual, audio and touch data can be read, digitized and transmitted. However sensory, smell and taste sensations have yet to be successfully read by machines.
Artificial intelligence goes beyond complex computing and processor speeds. AI takes after the neuronal network of the human brain in deep learning and convoluted processing in a matrix. It takes billions of data gathered through various sources including social media; mines and relates them to come up with an intelligent construct. AI has grown in the last decade to rule our social lives through Facebook, Amazon, etc., deftly manipulating our choices through suggestion and display.
Its time therefore, to look at Natural Intelligence…

Natural Intelligence Vs Artificial Intelligence
Dadima’s techniques of adding a pinch of salt, dash of spices, loose sprinkle of chilli powder and some cream seem to defy metric logic. A typical Caucasian recipe will have clearly weighed grams of ingredients, temperature measured with a kitchen thermometer and timed with a timer. Which one tastes better? Hands down Dadima!

Why rely on Natural Intelligence?
Driving in Hyderabad seemingly defies metric reasoning. Anticipating the 180 degrees turn by the autoricksaw to pick up a prospective customer, dodging vehicles swerving in front of one’s vehicle, the maniacs coming in the opposite direction in a single carriageway and the busy Ammi crossing the road clad in black burqa during a heavy downpour, requires more than AI.
Natural Intelligence has an in-built neuronal network, with all sensory inputs interlaced with memory and emotion, working at a dizzying pace. The human brain comes with position sense, ability to quickly calculate relative distance as in overtaking another vehicle and inbuilt metrics enabling Dadima to serve mouth-watering dishes and us to drive on our roads. Creativity, emotion and hallucinogenic experiences are brain functions which have not been clearly defined and daunting to apply to AI.

Why is Natural Intelligence better than AI?
It is no longer fashionable to possess knowledge and an elephantine memory. The search engines do that. AI will enable us to search better through our past searches and associations. What will set us apart is the ability to reason, analyse, emote and create. For these our inbuilt, natural intelligence needs to be honed with newer methods of learning (and newer versions at no cost) and good old riyaaz going on to sadhana. And of course use AI to make us lazy!

The United Nations theme this year is ‘Building Back Better’ towards a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID 19 World.
Given that every human being will experience at least one episode of disability in their lifetime, persons with a lifetime of disability are disadvantaged throughout their lifetime across ability, earning capability and social inclusion.
Aakar Asha Hospital strives to level the playing field for persons with physical disability by doing the much needed Reconstructive surgery, free of cost for the poor, especially children.
Children with birth deformities like cleft lip or palate cannot speak properly and their appearance sets them apart from other children. Reconstructive surgery at an appropriate age can give them good speech and a normal appearance. Children born with club hands or feet find it very difficult to hold objects or walk properly. These deformities are eminently correctable and place these children at par with their peers.
Children with acute burns can lose their lives if not treated properly and in time. With timely and proper care they can lead fairly normal lives without going through the throes of everyday disadvantage affecting them physically and psychologically.
Children with burn deformities can be eminently treated to make them carve out a bright career and actively participate in physical and social activities.
The joy of a physically disadvantaged child being able to walk, speak or paint is multiplied by the joy of parents, neighbours and friends.
These benefits of reconstructive surgery in children will last 70-80 years at least, enabling them to contribute to society for a long time.

Chutki quickly dropped her school books on the desk and was in a tearing hurry to go out and play. While closing the heavy front door, her right middle finger got trapped in it. She howled in pain. Mummy came and opened the door. She picked her up and put some ice on the finger. Her neighbours arrived on hearing Chutki’s scream. Soon they took her to the family doctor who give her a pain killer and bandaged the finger tip. Once the pain subsided, varied opinions were expressed. “It’s nothing to worry about – the finger will heal”, opined the grand dad from next door. So the parents kept on giving pain killers and slowly watched the fingertip become blue.That’s when they decided to take the child to a plastic surgeon.
A fingertip injury is of disproportionate importance compared to its size. It should not be underestimated!

IMMEDIATE IMPORTANT TIPS ON FINGERTIP INJURY

1. In case of a fingertip injury it should be cleaned and covered with a clean, wet cloth and ice pack kept around it. The hand should be elevated high above the level of heart. This reduces the pain considerably.
2. Prompt expert attention is required, as early treatment gives the best results. It can make a difference between a curved, painful, stiff fingertip and a healthy one.
3. The plastic surgeon may ask for an x-ray of the fingertip as the tip bone may be broken. The nail bed, if torn, will need to be repaired as otherwise it can lead to a painful fingertip all life.
4. Since the physical size of the injured part is small, parents tend to minimize the impact of the injury and do not seek proper treatment.
The fingertip is the lead ‘touch-feel’ structure of the human body. A proper diagnosis and meticulous restoration of injured structures is required to restore normal hand function.
Of the many ways of treating loss of fingertip pulp, a neurovascular island advancement flap works best. Other methods include skin grafting, two stage transfer of skin from the palm, etc.
Aakar Asha Hospital is a leading non-profit speciality hospital for Micro Surgeries in Hyderabad. Reputed and trained professionals help people with physical deformities with reconstructive, plastic and cosmetic surgeries giving them a new hope and identity.

Chotu let out a piercing cry, followed closely by Mum Lakshmi’s shrieks making Grandpa drop the newspaper he was reading. Lakshmi was boiling milk for 2 year old Chotu who, in his eagerness, pulled his mother’s hand causing the boiling milk to fall on him. Lakshmi picked him up and ran to apply some dental cream on the burnt area. Advice poured in from grandpa, grand ma, aunt and the neighbours... apply turmeric! No, No… you must put wet Tea leaves on the burn- it heals better. Meanwhile Chotu continued wailing inconsolably. Lakshmi called her family doctor and went to his clinic. The doctor immediately gave Chotu a painkiller and applied silver cream on the burn wound. He also prescribed an antibiotic.

Accidents can happen to anyone, anywhere and burn accidents are quite common but the treatment depends on the intensity of the burns. A professional can only help after looking into the wound and suggest the required treatment. The professionals at aakar asha hospital, the best best plastic and reconstructive surgery hospital in Hyderabad can help burn victims get the right treatment.

In event of a fire accident skin gets damaged and the thickness of the skin gets burnt completely or partially.

Partial skin damage occurs in a superficial burn and it will heal with specialised dressing in a fortnight. The hair bulbs, oil glands and sweat glands lie deeper in the skin and are spare in a superficial burn and they will produce new skin. Most superficial burns heal in 2 weeks.

Complete skin damage occurs in a deep burn. All the layers of skin are damaged and dead. The tissues in the body undergo decomposition and decomposing skin invites bacteria which multiply and invade into the bloodstream causing septicaemia.

Traditional Burn Care – As skin decomposes slowly, traditional methods of treating burns involves dressings for a prolonged period till the dead skin is separated and red granulation tissue forms. It takes typically 3-4 weeks and is associated with blood infection, kidney failure, lung failure and cardiac failure.

There are chances of patient being seriously ill and death too. Patients are admitted for 6-8 weeks in hospital and it is observed long term treatment patients are depressed and psychotic.

Patients who survive have poor function of joints and develop joint contractures (deformity and inability to properly move the joints of the hands or feet).

Modern Burn Care - In modern burn care, the dead skin is removed as soon as the patient is stable, usually in 3-4 days. If there is available skin left, it is used to cover the areas left after dead skin removal. If the burn area is large, the process of dead skin removal and skin application is done in 2-3 stages.

Early dead skin removal and skin grafting results in a shorter hospital stay and early movement of the body joints. The chances of serious infection and death are substantially reduced.

For modern burn care to be effective, the patient should be shifted to the Surgical Burns Centre at aakar asha hospital, the best burn care center in Hyderabad within 4 days of the burn.

Deepavali is a festival of joy and celebration. History aside, after the pooja we celebrate the festival with firecrackers and sweets. Firecrackers, apart from being pollutants, can cause serious injury or burns to the hands and face. Flower pots, rockets, string crackers and ‘bombs’ are especially harmful and must be lit at a safe distance. It is not a macho thing to light a bomb holding it in the hand and getting the hand or face blown apart.

In case of burns, the affected part must be kept under running tap water at room temperature (and NOT ice) for at least 20 minutes. It helps cool the affected part and reduces further damage. Remember the 3 Cs – COOL, COVER AND CALL. Cool with water, cover with a clean moist cloth and call the nearest doctor. In case of injury, DO NOT PANIC. Just cover the injured part with a clean cloth and rush to the nearest hospital.

All burns and injuries are treatable. Timely treatment results in better and early recovery. The following situation can happen at anyone’s home and underlines the need to be cautious

3 year old Golu rushed forward to light a child safe mashaal with a one foot stick at the holding end and one foot mashaal at the far end. His parents, Meera and Rakesh had scoured the firecracker market for safe crackers. Within seconds of Golu lighting the mashaal with much excitement, there was a deafening explosion that caught his parents off guard. Rakesh quickly picked up Golu and went inside the house to see both his eyes shut tight and his right hand burnt. Both parents panicked as they thought he had lost sight in both eyes. Desperately they tried to contact an eye doctor. Amidst all the noise and festivities, Rakesh drove to the nearest hospital. Upon washing the eyes, they opened slowly, one after another. Both parents could breathe a sigh of relief as a great misfortune had been averted.

The attending doctor dressed the hand burns which went on to heal. As both parents were educated and well-to-do, they could get the right treatment at the right time. However, most parents are unable to avail proper treatment either out of ignorance or poverty. The wounds heal slowly and painfully under the guidance of a quack, resulting in crippling deformities. For children who do not have a place to go to, Aakar Asha Hospital has started a Burns Centre for Children which will provide world class treatment for them free of cost. Aakar Asha Hospital, the best burn care center in Hyderabad providing timely and appropriate treatment for the needy and poor.