Human body demystified at expo

CHENNAI: With the faint smell of formaldehyde in the air and pictures of various organs on the walls, an entire school was transformed into a giant exhibit of the human body.‘Medex2011’, a medical exposition organised by the Perambur Branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), went all out to unravel the nuances of the human body in a way that laymen could understand. It is the first of its kind to be organised by an NGO.Doctors and paramedical staff explained the exhibits and charts which covered various branches of medicine including anatomy, pulmonology, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, infertility, ENT, eye care, psychology, neurology, dental, medical and surgical gastroenterology, nephrology and nutrition. Dr Vijayachandar, president of the IMA, Perambur branch, said, “We have  specially focused on anaemia at the nutrition stall, as it is a prevalent problem in our society.”The two-day exhibition, that was held during the weekend saw more than 4000 visitors. With 21 awareness stalls and 56 sponsored stalls, the visitors had plenty to look at. Also, children eagerly listened to the explanations given by those at the stalls.A “Vanishing Man” exhibit showed a man holding a cigarette transform into a skeleton. Preserved specimens of various human organs, foetuses and dissected limbs made a fascinating display. Preethi, a visitor, said, “It is a little creepy, but we don’t get to see such things anywhere else. The stalls were really informative.”Kavitha, a nurse in training, spoke about the ABC (Airway-Breathing-Circulation) of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and demonstrated the right way to administer it. “While giving mouth to mouth resuscitation, one should blow at least 12 to 20 times a minute if it is an adult and 20 to 30 times per minute for a child. While giving CPR, an adult requires 70 to 80 compressions a minute, and a child requires 80 to 100 compressions,” she said. Seminars, competitions and quizzes were conducted throughout the day. The IMA held their Doctor’s Day celebrations, with their state leaders being present at the function. More than 400 doctors participated in the exhibition.