चिकनगुनिया, डेंगू - क्या हम तैयार हैं?

चिकनगुनिया मच्छर से उत्पन्न एक उभरती हुई बीमारी है जो अल्फावायरस, चिकनगुनिया विषाणु के कारण होती है। यह बीमारी मुख्य रूप से एडीज इजिप्ती और ए अल्बोपिक्टस मच्छरों द्वारा प्रेरित है, इसी प्रजाति के मच्छरों से डेंगू का संचरण होता है।  

हमने देखा है कि चिकनगुनिया के परिणामस्वरूप तेज़ बुखार आता है, जिसमें बेहद कमज़ोरी लाने वाला दर्द होता है, खासकर जोड़ों में। गंभीर मामलों में चकत्ते भी देखे जा सकते हैं। कमजोरी, चक्कर आना, निरंतर होने वाली उल्टी की वजह से निर्जलीकरण, मुँह का स्वाद बहुत खराब हो जाना और खून निकलना इसके खतरनाक लक्षण होते हैं।

          

मानसून आने को है। सरकारें नालियों की सफाई के बारे में बात कर रही हैं, मानो यह साल में एक बार की जाने वाली प्रक्रिया है। मुख्यमंत्रियों और स्वास्थ्य मंत्रियों ने "तैयारियों का भंडार" रखने के लिए बैठकें बुलाना शुरू कर दी है। बारिश के दिनों के आते ही, आम लोगों को ठहरे पानी में मच्छरों के प्रजनन की समस्या के बारे में "शिक्षित" करने के लिए संदेश प्रकाशित किए जाने लगेंगे।

तथापि क्या हम वास्तव में ऐसे वायरल संक्रमण के आक्रमण के लिए तैयार हैं? हम हर साल दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण परिणामों पर बिना सोचे प्रतिक्रिया क्यों दे देते हैं? हम, आम लोग, सरकार को जवाबदेह क्यों नहीं ठहराते और उनके खोखले वादे कि ‘अगले साल फ़िर ऐसा नहीं होगा’ के सामने हार क्यों मान लेते हैं?

सन् 2016 में, राजनेताओं ने नौकरशाहों को दोषी ठहराया, जिन्होंने नगर निगमों को दोषी ठहराया, जिन्होंने बदले में राजनेताओं को। कुछ स्वास्थ्य मंत्रियों ने फरमाया कि चिकनगुनिया से मौत नहीं होती और आम जनता द्वारा सामना की जाने वाली स्वास्थ्य की चुनौतियों को नज़रअंदाज़ कर दिया, जबकि मरीज़ अपने प्रियजनों के गुज़र जाने का दुःख झेलते रहे। टीवी एन्कर्स ने गला फाड़ कर चिल्लाते हुए जवाबदेही ठहराई और समाचार पत्रों ने इन कहानियों को अपनी सुर्खियाँ बनाया, पर धीरे-धीरे वे अंदर के पन्नों में चली गईं। क्या हमने सच में पिछले साल कोई सबक सीखा है?

                                                      

मानसून आता रहेगा और लौट जाएगा, सैलाब कम होता जाएगा और एक दिन सूख जाएगा, और अस्पताल बहाने बनाते रहेंगे और फिर रोगियों के कम होने की रपट देंगे। समाचार चैनल कुछ हफ्तों तक टीआरपी का लाभ उठाएँगे और धीरे-धीरे ये ख़बरें पुरानी हो जाएँगी और अगले वर्ष तक के लिए फिर से गायब हो जाएँगी। हर कोई फिर राहत की साँस लेगा और हमारे देश में जैसा कि हर महामारी या आपातकाल के बाद हमेशा होता है, उस साल की समस्या का "प्रबंध" कर लिया जाता है और जैसे कि लोगों की याददाश्त बहुत कम होती है, सो इस साल की चुनौतियां जल्द ही भुला दी जाती है।

क्या हमने सन् 2016 से सीखा है या दोषारोपण का यह सामूहिक खेल सन् 2017 में भी इसी तरह जारी रहेगा?

 स्वास्थ्य की डरा देने वाली बातों पर बिना सोचे प्रतिक्रियाएँ दे देना हमारे लिए अपवाद के बजाय आदर्श हैं। हम जानते हैं कि इस समस्या की हर साल पुनरावृत्ति होती है और जब तक हम इस रोग का उन्मूलन करने में सक्षम नहीं हो जाते है, तब तक सालों-साल यह जारी रहेगी। तो ऐसा क्यों है कि हम पहले ही योजना नहीं बना पाते और इन मच्छरों से उत्पन्न बीमारी के प्रभाव की गंभीरता को कम नहीं कर पाते? हमारी सरकारें क्यों ऐसा कोई कर्मी दल नहीं बनाती, जो केवल आने वाले वर्ष की योजना पर ध्यान केंद्रित करें?

पहचानकर क्षेत्रों का नक्शा उतारना- उम्मीद है, पिछले वर्षों के अनुभव के बाद, हमारे शहरों के अधिकारियों ने उन सभी क्षेत्रों का नक्शा उतारा होगा, जिसे उन्होंने जल संग्रहण के प्रवण के रूप में पहचाना है। उचित नियोजन के साथ, हम यह सुनिश्चित कर सकते हैं कि मानसून की शुरुआत से पहले ऐसे सभी क्षेत्रों में सुधार लाने के लिए कदम उठाए गए हैं।

महामारी संबंधी सबूत- चालू वर्ष के अभिलेखों के आधार पर हमारे स्वास्थ्य शोधकर्ता इस वायरस से जुड़े तनाव के बारे में जानते होंगे जो इसे संभालने की चिकित्सकीय आवश्यकता को पहचानते होंगे। अब कुछ चकित कर देने वाला नहीं होना चाहिए।

              

प्रकोप की त्वरित रपट करना आवश्यक है- इसका मतलब होगा कि जिन क्षेत्रों में समस्या देखी गई, वहाँ के हालात का जायजा लेने के लिए कक्ष/ निगरानी और मूल्यांकन केंद्र स्थापित करने होंगे। जिनका पूरे उत्तरदायित्व और जिम्मेदारी के साथ स्पष्ट रूप से दस्तावेजीकरण कर उसका संचारण करने की आवश्यकता है।

प्रयोगशालाएँ- सन् 2016 में नमूनों का परीक्षण एक बड़ी बाधा बन गया था। हमें यह सुनिश्चित करना होगा कि प्रयोगशालाएँ ज्ञात हो और नागरिकों तक उसकी जानकारी पहुँचे। और निश्चित रूप से, हमें आवश्यक जाँचों के लिए शुल्क सूची की ज़रूरत है और उसकी अग्रिम घोषणा करनी होगी।

प्रतिक्रिया- प्रयोगशालाओं से हर घंटे डेटा एकत्रित करने की आवश्यकता है और अध्ययन सुधार के लिए विश्लेषण करना होगा। कुछ रोगियों के लिए देरी घातक साबित हो सकती है। पहले से तैयार समूहों से डेटा और अध्ययन सुधार को तेजी से करने में मदद मिलेगी।

अनुदान- आशा है कि महामारी से निपटने की तमाम कार्रवाई के लिए अनुदान पहले से ही अलग रखा गया है, जिसे अब लेना होगा। आखिरी मिनट में धन नहीं देने के लिए केंद्र को दोष दे देने समस्या से छूटकारा पाने का जवाब नहीं हो सकता।

अस्पताल, क्लीनिक, नर्सिंग होम और डॉक्टरों को पहचानकर उन्हें सूचीबद्ध किया जाना चाहिए। संपर्क दूरभाष क्रमांक और परीक्षण तथा उपचार के लिए पूर्व निर्धारित कीमतों की जानकारी को व्यापक रूप से विज्ञापित किया जाना चाहिए।

नागरिकों की शिक्षा एक निरंतर चलने वाली प्रक्रिया है और इसे स्कूलों के पाठ्यक्रम का हिस्सा बनना चाहिए न कि तब तक राह देखनी चाहिए जब तक समस्या सिर न उठा लें। इन क्षेत्रों में शिक्षित करने की आवश्यकता है-

1.     किस बात पर गौर करें और बीमारी की रपट कहाँ करें

2.     घरों को मच्छर मुक्त करना

3.      सुरक्षित एयरोसोल के साथ सभी कमरों में स्प्रे करना

4.     मच्छरदानी का उपयोग करना

5.      पानी के बर्तनों को ढाँक कर रखना

6.     पानी के टैंक, पालतू जानवर के कटोरे और गमलों के नीचे रखी प्लेटों को सूखा रखना

7.     पानी को जमे न रहने देना और  इस तरह के अन्य निवारक कदम उठाना।

एक बार स्पष्ट रूप से प्रलेखित योजना पर सहमती बन गई,तो इसे सक्रिय रूप से प्राप्त करना अपेक्षाकृत आसान और तेज़ हो जाएगा।

अंत में, बड़े पैमाने पर कोई स्वास्थ्य कार्यक्रम तब तक काम नहीं कर सकता जब तक कि स्पष्ट उत्तरदायित्व स्थापित न हो। किसी राजनेता, नौकरशाह या स्वास्थ्य कर्मचारी को अपने हाथ खड़े कर देने या कंधे झटकने की अनुमति नहीं मिल सकती है,जब तक कि कोई मजबूर आम आदमी उपचार के लिए इंतजार कर रहा है।

आरोप-प्रत्यारोप के खेल को तुरंत रोकना होगा। यह सोच रखकर कहना अच्छा है कि भविष्य में  ऐसा कोई प्रकोप नहीं होगा पर यह अभी तो केवल सपना है। प्रकोप से निपटने के लिए योजना बनाना और इसका प्रसार करना अधिक यथार्थवादी है।

यदि श्रीलंका, मलेरिया के सबसे बुरे शिकारों में से एक, मलेरिया मुक्त हो सकता है, जैसा कि सितंबर 2016 में विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन द्वारा प्रमाणित किया गया है, तो क्या यह आशा करना बहुत कठिन है कि भारत भी स्वच्छता के स्तर तक पहुंच सकता है, जहाँ मलेरिया और अन्य मच्छरों की वजह से होने वाली अन्य बीमारियां हमारे नागरिकों को प्रताड़ित नहीं करेंगी?

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लेखक गार्डियन फार्मेसीज के संस्थापक अध्यक्ष हैं और बेस्ट सेलर पुस्तकों – रीबूट (Reboot) रीइंवेन्ट (Reinvent) रीवाईर (Rewire) : 21वीं सदी में सेवानिवृत्ति का प्रबंधन (Managing Retirement in the 21st Century) ; द कॉर्नर ऑफ़िस (The Corner Office) ; एन आई फ़ार एन आई (An Eye for an Eye) ; द बक स्टॉप्स हीयर- लर्निंग ऑफ़ अ # स्टार्टअप आंतरप्रेनर (The Buck Stops Here - Learnings of a #Startup Entrepreneur) और द बक स्टॉप्स हीयर- माय जर्नी फ़्राम अ मैनेजर टू ऐन आंतरप्रेनर, (The Buck Stops Here – My Journey from a Manager to an Entrepreneur) के लेखक हैं।

ट्विटर : @gargashutosh                                      

इंस्टाग्राम : ashutoshgarg56                                      

ब्लॉग : ashutoshgargin.wordpress.com | ashutoshgarg56.blogspot.com

Chikungunya, Dengue - Are we prepared?

  

Chikungunya is an emerging, mosquito-borne disease caused by an alphavirus, Chikungunya virus. The disease is transmitted predominantly by Aedes aegypti and Ae. Albopictus mosquitoes, the same species involved in the transmission of dengue.

We have seen that Chikungunya results in high fever accompanied with severe debilitating pain, especially in joints.  Rashes can also be seen in severe cases. Weakness, dizziness, continuous vomiting leading to dehydration, very poor oral intake and bleeding are dangerous signs.

The monsoon season is round the corner. Governments are talking about cleaning the drains, as if this is a one-time annual process. Chief Ministers and Health Ministers have started calling meetings to “take stock of preparedness”. Closer to the rains, messages will be published to “educate” the common person on the problems of breeding mosquitoes in stagnant water.

However, are we really prepared for the onset of such viral infections? Why do we have a knee jerk reaction every year with same unfortunate consequences? Why don’t we, the common people, hold the Government accountable and why do we succumb to their hollow promises that “this will not be repeated next year.”

In 2016, politicians blamed bureaucrats who blamed Municipal Corporations who in turn, have politicians. Some Health ministers stated that Chikungunya does not lead to death ignoring the health challenges that the masses face, while patients grieved about the passing of their loved ones. TV anchors screamed at the top of their voices about accountability and newspapers gave these stories headlines, gradually relegating them to inside pages. Have we really learned a lesson from last year?

The monsoons will come and then retreat, water logging will reduce and dry up, and hospitals will make excuses and then will reporting lesser patients. News channels will gain TRP’s for a few weeks and gradually the news will become old and disappear only to reappear the following year. Everyone will then heave a sigh of relief and as always happens in our country after every epidemic or emergency, the problem of the year would have been “managed” and given the short public memory, this year’s challenges will soon be forgotten.

Have we learned from 2016 or will this blame game chorus continue in 2017 as well?

Knee jerk reactions to a health scare seems to be the norm rather than the exception with us. We know that this problem recurs every year and will continue to recur in the years ahead till we are able to eradicate the disease. So why is it that we are not able to plan earlier and reduce the severity of the impact of these mosquito borne disease? Why don’t our Governments have a task force that will focus on planning for the coming year?

Identify and map the areas - Hopefully, after last years’ experience, the authorities would have mapped all the areas in our cities, which they have identified as prone to collection of water. With proper planning, we can ensure that steps are taken to rectify all such areas well before the onset of the monsoons.

Epidemiological evidence – Based on the records for the current year our health researchers would be aware of the strain of the virus and medication needed to handle this. There should be no surprises.

Quick reporting of the outbreak is essential – this would mean setting up situation rooms / monitoring and evaluation centres in areas where we have seen the problem. These need to be manned and monitored with clear accountability and responsibility documents and communicated.

Laboratories – Testing of samples became a huge bottleneck in 2016. We should ensure that laboratories are identified and communication sent to the citizens. And of course, we need the tariffs for tests agreed and announced in advance.

Feedback – Data from laboratories needs to be collected on an hourly basis and analysed for course correction. Delays can prove to be fatal for some patients. Teams set up in advance will help to analyse data and course correct fast.

Funding – It is hoped that funding for the epidemic has already been set aside for all the action that need to be taken now. Blaming the centre for not providing funds at the last minute is not the answer to managing the problem.

Hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and doctors should be identified and listed. Contact phone numbers and pre-set prices for tests and treatment need to be widely advertised well before the outbreak.

Education of the citizens is an ongoing matter and should become a part of the curriculum of schools rather than delay action till the problem strikes. Education should be in the areas of

1.     What to watch out for and where to report the disease.

2.     Making homes mosquito free

3.     Spraying all rooms with safe aerosols

4.     Using mosquito nets

5.     Covering water containers

6.     Drying water tanks, pets’ bowls and potted plant plates

7.     Not letting water stagnate and other such preventive steps.

Once a clearly documented plan is agreed and in place, getting it activated should be relatively easy and quick.

Finally, no mass health programme can work unless there is clear accountability established. No politician, bureaucrat or health worker can be permitted throw up their hands and shrug their shoulders while the hapless common man waits for treatment.

The blame game needs to stop immediately. To say that there will not be an outbreak in future is wishful thinking and a pipe dream. To plan for the outbreak and contain its spread is more realistic.

If Sri Lanka, one of the worst victims of malaria, can become malaria free, as certified by the World Health Organisation in September 2016, is it too difficult to hope that India too can reach levels of cleanliness where malaria and other mosquito borne diseases will no longer plague our citizens?

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The author is the founder Chairman of Guardian Pharmacies and the author of the best-selling books, Reboot. Reinvent. Rewire: Managing Retirement in the 21st Century; The Corner Office; An Eye for an Eye and The Buck Stops Here - Learnings of a #Startup Entrepreneur. 

Twitter: @gargashutosh

Instagram: ashutoshgarg56

Blog: ashutoshgargin.wordpress.com

Working from Home - What you need to keep in mind

Working from home is becoming a very attractive option. Companies around the world are encouraging employees to work for at least one day a week from home, thus freeing up desk space in the office and therefore reducing costs. Startup entrepreneurs generally work from their homes as long as they are bootstrapping their young business. And then there is a large community of professionals like lawyers, architects, chartered accounts and the like who have earmarked a section of their homes as their work place.

You can work at your own pace, in the comfort of your home and out of sight of overbearing bosses. No long commutes and no getting stuck in traffic. You can dress how you like, eat and drink what you want, schedule your work the way you want to and stay in your pyjamas or your T Shirt and shorts until lunch. No one will be the wiser.

If you are thinking of working from home or are already working from him, it is worth planning carefully. The idea of working from home and the reality of actually not stepping out every morning can be very different. You can set up your own work space the way you like and not be constrained by the interior decorator or the administration officer of your organisation.

Here are some pros and cons for you to consider.

No Distractions

Working from home means that you can work in an environment of your own liking and do away with distractions that are normally to be expected in an open office or in a cubicle from fellow workers and vendors. You can work at your own pace and in an environment of your choosing. You can play music while working and you can take as many coffee breaks as you want to. You can be at your productive best!

But, working from home can be lonely. The office environment also provides the much-needed companionship of co-workers and the ability to brainstorm ideas. Colleagues can provide a break from the stress in the work place. You will certainly miss the office grapevine and the pleasures of gossiping about other colleagues! You will also miss out on the goings on in your company. Out of sight out of mind could easily apply to you when you do not have sufficient face-time with your boss. And of course, you will be required to deliver on your commitments, irrespective of where you may be working from.

In Office Meetings vs Video Conferences

A lot of time at work goes away in meetings called for to discuss virtually anything. Meetings can be time consuming and painful especially if the boss drawls on and on. If you are not in the office, you will not be dragged into unnecessary meetings.

Given all the easy communication options available, staying in touch with colleagues is now very simple and cost efficient. Video Conferencing, using Skype, WhatsApp or a host of other options are virtually free.

But, it is easy to become a slave to video conference calls where you are sitting facing your computer camera for long hours! With so many people watching you over the band waves, it is not easy to switch off as you could during an office meeting! There is also a strong possibility that your work hours will blend into your free hours and before you know it, you could be working much longer hours at home.

Save the Commute Time

Driving or taking the train to work every morning is getting more and more painful and stressful every day. Sitting for hours, stuck in traffic jams can never be anyone’s idea of a starting or ending a day at work. This is exacerbated if you are late for a meeting or worse, if you are late coming home for a family commitment. Imagine the number of unproductive hours you would have spent sitting in your car and imagine what you could have done if these hours were to be freed up. Not to say about the savings you will make in the cost of commuting and the maintenance of your vehicle. You could even consider moving out into the suburbs closer to nature and with better air quality.

But, if you are one of those people who enjoy the personal time this commute provides you and either read, listen to music or watch a movie, then you need to provide for this in your homework day as well.

No need to Dress up every day

One advantage several people who work from home talk about is not having to “dress up for work every morning”. You can dress far more casually than you would normally do and sport a two-day-old stubble! No one will ever know whether you are wearing jeans or shorts when you join a video conference call.

But, for your own discipline, it is advisable to dress up every morning. After all, you are working from home and you are being paid to work by whoever your employer maybe. There is always a sense of formality that overcomes ones being when one dresses for the office as compared to a weekend at home. Further, an over casual dress may not necessarily go down well with your fellow participants over a video call.

Work Life Balance

You will have the ability to balance your work and your home commitments. Most people who work a 10-hour day and have a 3-hour commute miss out on life at home. You will be at home when your children return from school and you will be able to get all those odd jobs done at home that you for which you struggle to find time.

But you should remember that while your location may have changed, you are still working. You need to strike the right balance between your work and all other activities, especially during the time when your colleagues are at work in office.

Working from home can be wonderful but requires an incredible amount of self-discipline. Everyone enjoys some space, and peace and quiet. Your quality of life can be much better once you do not have the challenges of the daily commute. Remember that it is critical to get into a routine if you decide to work from home. Dress up like you normally would every morning. Schedule your workday similar to what you would at office including your coffee and lunch breaks. You should aim to get out every day. Many cafes have a regular clientele who turn up with their laptops and work for a while alongside a cup of coffee, just to provide a break in the day.

If you are comfortable to schedule your home working day and go into home working with your eyes open, you will not regret it.

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The author is the founder Chairman of Guardian Pharmacies and the author of 5 best-selling books, Reboot. Reinvent. Rewire: Managing Retirement in the 21st Century; The Corner Office; An Eye for an Eye; The Buck Stops Here - Learnings of a #Startup Entrepreneur and The Buck Stops Here – My Journey from a Manager to an Entrepreneur.

Twitter: @gargashutosh

Instagram: ashutoshgarg56

Blog: ashutoshgargin.wordpress.com | ashutoshgarg56.blogspot.com

Work Life Balance

Work Life Balance has been the subject of much discussion all over the World among people of all ages.

With increased work challenges, the stress levels are beginning to rise for almost everyone. When work life and personal life is out of balance, stress will increase. This is evident from the increased health challenges hospitals are beginning to see in terms of heart and cholesterol problems, increase in pre-diabetic disorders and significant increase in aches and pains in the back and shoulders of young men and women. Most psychologists would agree that the demands of an employee's career should not overwhelm the individual's ability to enjoy a satisfying personal life outside of the business environment. A poor balance between work life and personal life will lead to fatigue and poor health.

Business Dictionary defines Work Life Balance as “A comfortable state of equilibrium achieved between an employee's primary priorities of their employment position and their private lifestyle.” This balance should help you in attaining focus and awareness, despite the seemingly endless tasks and activities competing for your time and attention.

This balance needs to be looked in the context of four segments. Family, Self, Work and Friends. Each of these four segments are mutually dependent on one another. The boundaries between work and personal time are now hazy, at best.

Most people agree that they need to change their work priorities assuming that whatever change they make, will give them the elusive “balance that they are seeking. Work life balance for each one of us will be completely different. It will differ for a single person, one who is married and one who has children and other family commitments. There is no “one size fits all” definition for work life balance. No one I know seems to have achieved that perfect balance between “work” and “life”.

The widely accepted outcome of Work could be Achievement and that of Life could be Enjoyment. Are these two sides of the same coin? Are these mutually exclusive or could there be a blend of both achievement and enjoyment? At what stage should achievement give way to enjoyment if we assume that achievement results in more money, power, assets and other worldly belongings? Conversely, at what stage is too much enjoyment detrimental to achievement?

More and more people are depending upon their digital devices to earn a living, stay connected with friends, family and the workplace. They use these devices for their news and entertainment, when they have time. Smart phones with 4G or LTE is making data accessible from anywhere in the world in a nano-second. What are these devices doing to our work life balance?

So what are some of the questions raised by each one of us to justify this imbalance?

1.   I Spend Quality Time with my Family - Dividing one’s time equally between work, family and sleep is not an achievement of a perfect balance. Keeping one hour every evening to “spend quality time and bond” with one’s child is practiced by many. What happens if this time slot does not suit the child? Does the child then negotiate a new time slot?

2.  We go for expensive vacations and I buy gifts - Most duty free purchases of cosmetics, clothes, electronics and toys happens because of “guilt shopping”. Taking the family for expensive holidays and buying them expensive gifts to make up for all the time is not necessarily achieving the balance that your family is seeking. Such gifts would be tantamount to buying peace at home and such peace will be very short-lived.

3.   I work hard to secure a better future for my family. When I told my family that I was travelling 20 days a month to secure a better future for my family, I was in for a rude shock. I was surprised to hear that my travels and work was only for myself and that my family would prefer that, I spend more time at home!

We only have 24 hours in a day and there is no way that we can squeeze any additional time, irrespective of who we may be or how much power we may believe we have. Given below are some pointers that we can work on to manage the inevitable imbalance we have in our work and life priorities.

1.   Manage your time well. Prioritise and schedule your work in office and at home. Do not bunch up all your work for one day. Delegate to your colleagues and empower your teams to give yourself more time.

2.   Learn to say No. Most of us hesitate to turn down work or an invitation even though we know that we do not have the time. We do not like to offend another person by declining.

3.  Leave for your work at your work place. If you are not able to do this, keep your phone and other electronic devices in another room before you head to your bedroom. Nothing can be so important that should disturb your sleep.

4. Follow the “bottom drawer” principle. With the constant arrival of E Mails, WhatsApp messages, conference calls and so many other messages, you are inundated with messages that need a response. Anything message you believe is not important should be moved to a “junk” folder. The sender of the mail will follow up if it is important. Otherwise, empty your junk folder at the end of the month.

5.   Give yourself breathing space. Instead of running from morning to evening, whether for work or for family, you need to be step back and carve out some personal time for yourself, to think, plan ahead and rejuvenate yourself.

Achieving a balance between work and life is always a challenge for everyone. At work, you need to agree where you need to draw the line. The balance will change every day and in ways that you could never have anticipated. Do what you think is right and in consultation with your family. After all, they are the ones who gain or lose the most if the balance becomes unbalanced!

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The author is the founder Chairman of Guardian Pharmacies and the author of 5 best-selling books, Reboot. Reinvent. Rewire: Managing Retirement in the 21st Century; The Corner Office; An Eye for an Eye; The Buck Stops Here - Learnings of a #Startup Entrepreneur and The Buck Stops Here – My Journey from a Manager to an Entrepreneur.

Twitter: @gargashutosh

Instagram: ashutoshgarg56

Blog: ashutoshgargin.wordpress.com | ashutoshgarg56.blogspot.com

Self-Doubts of a Startup Entrepreneur

Most of us, who have started entrepreneurial ventures, have gone through several self-doubts on whether we took the right decision to pursue our dream venture and start-off on one’s own. We have also faced self-doubts when we have taken decisions through our journey of building our companies.

So if you have self-doubts and questions about why you took the plunge as a startup entrepreneur, relax. You are not alone. Self-doubt is a very normal human response whenever we are faced with challenges that initially seem insurmountable. How you handle these self-doubts, face your internal challenges and build your business will be the key differentiator between success and failure of your dream venture.

Accepting that you are not alone is a great start to addressing your own self-doubts. Here are some pointers from my learnings addressing the challenges I have faced in my entrepreneurial journey.

When faced with challenges, look back at your successes

Think of all the successes you have had in the past whenever you are faced with self-doubts and concerns. Positive thoughts will help you prepare better for each day’s challenges.

Stop worrying about what others think of you

You have embarked upon your entrepreneurial journey to achieve your dreams. Worrying about what someone else is thinking about your business or what your friends may think about how you are building your company is only harming yourself. Remember that others are too busy facing their own self-doubts and challenges to think about you and your challenges!

Dream Big. Think Small

As an entrepreneur, dream of the big picture and where you hope to take your young business five years from now. However, your tactical plan to achieve your dream must be to set “bite sized” goals for yourself and your teams on a weekly, fortnightly and monthly basis. Only when you start to achieve your small steps will you be able to run towards your dream.

Get great people in your organisation and delegate effectively

Putting together a good management team always helps in better decision making. Once you have a good team, empower them and delegate effectively. Remember that you only have a finite amount of time every day and you do not have the skill sets to handle all the work. At the same time, remember to set up strong systems to seek accountability from your people.

Do not be afraid to take decisions – right or wrong

When confronted with challenges, your people are looking towards you to take tough and well thought through decisions. Hesitating, procrastinating or deferring decisions can only harm the long-term interests of your business and your people. Not taking a decision is worse than taking a wrong decision. An incorrect decision can be corrected but a management team, faced with an entrepreneur who does not take decisions will be directionless.

Keep evaluating yourself

As the person who has the greatest stake in your business and your success, keep evaluating yourself constantly. Keep thinking of the worst-case scenarios that you could be confronted. Once you recognise and understand your downside, you will be able to take better and well thought through decisions.

Remember to carve out personal time each day

I have met many entrepreneurs who just cannot find time from their busy schedule. They are so immersed in their business that they fail to find time for themselves to introspect and they fail to find time for their family. Personal time, every day, gives you the much-needed breather from your hectic work schedule. If you can add an exercise schedule in your daily routine, you will be helping yourself with a fitter body to face your challenges.  

Learn to forgive yourself

I have met many entrepreneurs who keep regretting an incorrect decision and hence keep punishing themselves for what “may have been” the direction if they had taken another path. Will not forgiving yourself make a difference? Will you be able to turn back the clock? If the answer to both these is no, then you are wasting your time. Forgive yourself and move forward with a correct decision.

Do not wallow in self-pity

Mistakes will happen. Either you can run with the ball or you can wallow in self-pity. A weak entrepreneur transfers his uncertainties and self-doubts to the entire team very quickly and this can have snowballing consequences on the health of your young business. Pessimism in an entrepreneur is very visible to everyone.

Discuss with family

Remember that your biggest supporter throughout your entrepreneurial journey will be your family. Keeping them advised of what you are going through will get you a lot of support at home. Moreover, you will be surprised at how valuable the inputs you get from your family can be in handling your own self-doubts.

Stay connected

Staying connected with friends and the community you live is essential to retain your sanity. Keeping in touch with what is going on in the World is important to retain your perspectives. An all-consuming business can never be a recipe for long term-success.

Emotional involvement

While it is good to take strong ownership of your business, getting emotionally involved with your business is never advisable. Every entrepreneur needs to learn to distance himself from his business.

When you look back at the end of a few years, you will realise all your self-doubts only made you a stronger entrepreneur. Finally, remember that it is a lonely job at the top as an entrepreneur and keeping yourself motivated to keep pushing ahead will be your first and biggest challenge.

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The author is the founder Chairman of Guardian Pharmacies and the author of 5 best-selling books, Reboot. Reinvent. Rewire: Managing Retirement in the 21st Century; The Corner Office; An Eye for an Eye; The Buck Stops Here - Learnings of a #Startup Entrepreneur and The Buck Stops Here – My Journey from a Manager to an Entrepreneur.

• Twitter: @gargashutosh
• Instagram: ashutoshgarg56
• Blog: ashutoshgargin.wordpress.com | ashutoshgarg56.blogspot.com

Indian Vegetarian Food - Open Letter to all International Airlines

Having travelled millions of miles and thousands of sectors on multiple airlines, in First, Business and Economy classes, around the world and having eaten all kinds of so called “vegetarian meals” made by gourmet and “starred” chefs in all five continents or even better prepared by gourmet Indian chefs and passed off as Indian vegetarian, I have been left, to say the least, disappointed.

A very large number of non-Indian airlines classify Asian Vegetarian and Indian Vegetarian as one and the same. Some even assume that Vegan and Indian Vegetarian is the same. Nothing is further from the truth than these misclassifications. Indians who are Vegetarian are not Vegans. Therefore, they do eat dairy, honey and gelatin products unlike the vegans.

After so many painful meal experiences, I am writing this open letter to international airlines to address some very basic points on what do most Indian Vegetarian travellers like on their food tray, irrespective of the class they may be travelling in, when they travel overseas. 

Milk products

Indian vegetarians eat all kinds of milk products. You do NOT need to give them margarine instead of butter. Yogurt (dahi) is standard fare for all Indians in their homes and does not need to be excluded from our menu. We can eat butter, cream, cakes, brownies, pastries, chocolates and all other similar products made from milk. Your gourmet chefs serve Indian sweets like "Gulab Jamun" and "Ras Malai" in the same food tray from which they have excluded butter!

Starters

While Indians eat all green vegetables, aubergine (baingan), Okra (Bhindi) and Squash (Kaddu) are normally not our preferred vegetables. In most homes in India, these vegetables are the "meal of last resort" when all other vegetables are exhausted in the refrigerator. You can use all kinds of beans, cottage cheese (paneer) or even deep-fried "samosas" as appetisers if you need more options to serve us. 

Main Course

We understand the constraints of serving meals on flights and the fact that in economy class you will generally have a vegetarian option and a non-vegetarian option. For special meal requests, you have “Asian Vegetarian” as an option – we do hope that you realise that Asia is a huge continent with almost half the world’s population in 48 countries with many more cuisine options!

Indian vegetarian food, itself, has a huge repertoire of cuisines. Your expert chefs can come up with multiple options. We are happy with Dal and Rajma as one option with rice. We do not want these burnt in the ovens and we definitely do not like "crispy friend basmati rice". Further, yogurt is standard fare in almost every meal in an Indian home. Why must you exclude this from our meal tray?

Desserts

Most Indians have a very sweet tooth and love their desserts. If you are serving the passengers ice cream or a pastry, give it to the Indian passengers as well. Do not give them poorly made Indian desserts that your master chefs are trying to pass off as "Indian". And of course remember that desserts are eaten after the main course – you do not need to single out vegetarian passengers and give them their dessert with the starter!

Cheese, Paneer and Chocolates

Your chefs forget that cheese is made of milk and Indians eat all milk products. Why remove cheese from our meals when this is a huge value add you can make on our meal trays? If you can serve us chocolates and paneer, then cheese can also be served. Oh, and as a reminder, toufu is not the same as paneer or cheese!

Bread

While we like bread rolls, croissants and garlic toast, it always helps if you can also add a roti or a parantha to your bread basket. Rotis are available in various shapes and sizes in most cuisines of the World. Oh yes, just like the love and care your chefs give to make their croissants crisp and flaky on the outside and soft on the inside, our parathas too deserve the same TLC and must not be converted into a crisp papad (or papadam) because of repeated heating!

Pickle

Packaged pickle in single servings is available everywhere, just like butter and preserves, and many airlines add this to the food tray. Indians like a little pickle with their food but can easily do without it if this adds too much to your food cost.

Mouth Freshener

While not essential, this is an excellent item to round off any and Indian meal and for a vegetarian, this would go a really long way! Mouth fresheners are available in simple and cheap sachets.

Alcohol

While alcohol is not related to Indian vegetarian cuisine, it would help to note that most of the older Indians prefer their whisky. A selection of whiskies and an additional malt whisky for good measure served on flights into and out of India would really earn you serious appreciation.

While most of us are now conscious of eating healthy food while at home, we are happy to give healthy food a "pass" when we are on a flight and when we are on a holiday!

Please do consider what you are serving to the Indian Vegetarian passengers. Indians form one of the fastest growing travellers and tourists in the World and definitely deserve your consideration.

If your culinary experts are not delivering what they are being paid to, reach out to Air India and Jet Airways from India and Singapore Airlines to understand what food they serve to their customers.

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The author is the founder Chairman of Guardian Pharmacies and the author of 5 best-selling books, Reboot. Reinvent. Rewire: Managing Retirement in the 21st Century; The Corner Office; An Eye for an Eye; The Buck Stops Here - Learnings of a #Startup Entrepreneur and The Buck Stops Here – My Journey from a Manager to an Entrepreneur.

• Twitter: @gargashutosh
• Instagram: ashutoshgarg56
• Blog: ashutoshgargin.wordpress.com | ashutoshgarg56.blogspot.com