Solar Water Heater Advantages

We planned for water heater and installed the hot water piping for our new house during construction. But we didn’t know then, that it would cost us so little.After 3yrs, when we decided to have one, I searched the internet and found that among electric, gas geysers and solar heaters, Solar Water Heater (SWH) is the cheapest and best. I found that there are 2 basic models in SWHs. FPC(Flat Plate Collector) and ETC(Evacuated Tube Collector). Both of these models have a drum like water storage tank of 100 or 200 litres, with an inlet for cold water and outlet for hot water. At the bottom of the tank between the inlet and outlet are connected the solar heating devices (flat plate in FPC and evacuation tubes in ETC).

Water heating principle:In both these models you’ll have to feed these units with water coming from atleast 6ft above its storage tank. The cold water goes into its storage tank, as cold water is heavier descends down into the heating panels, gets heated up due to sun rays and as hot water is lighter it raises up and comes back to the same storage tank. This process goes on continuously until the sun shines. I mean to say that the cold and hot water gets mixed in the same storage tank. When hot water is used, same quantity of cold water replaces it in the tank. (So if more quantity of hot water is used up continuously after sunset, the cold water replacing it will take up the heat from the already hot water in the tank, and so reducing the temp of already hot water.)

FPC (Flat Plate Collector) is a model where the heating is done by one single solar plate facing the sun. Pros: Little lesser in cost compared to ETC. Cons: Heating efficiency is not as good as the ETC during rainy seasons or when sun is not so bright. In FPC, maximum absorption is during afternoon, bright sunny days (when sun rays fall exactly perpendicularly to the solar plate).

ETC (Evacuated Tube Collector) has 15 parallely placed cylindrical boro-silicate glass tubes in which water circulates down, gets heated and ascends up into storage tank. Pros: At any given time during the day, the sun rays are always perpendicular to the tubes circular surface. So maximum absorption of solar energy at all times. Sufficiently hot water even during cloudy, rainy days. Cons: Little costlier than FPC model.

A 100LPD(litres/day) is enough for a family of 4-5 members. Indian govt. provides 85% of the cost at 2% per annum interest rate. The most costliest thing in this setup is the hot water piping from your solar output in the terrace to your bathrooms in ground floor. If you have already done this, then there’s no reason for not going for SWH. I used Ashirwad PVC pipes.

Getting the loan: 100LPD unit costs Rs.19,500 and 200LPD unit costs Rs. 38,000. Canara, Syndicate, SBI, etc banks give 2% per annum loans. Check http://mnes.nic.in Even if you can afford, a clever fellow will avail the loan. Your SWH seller should arrange for the loan. But, now-a-days they don’t do so and advice to get the loan ourselves. As the interest incurred is so low, not many banks (even those mentioned on ‘mnes’ website) show interest to give this loan. But, if your seller provides it or if you could manage to get the loan from your bank, then you are done. Give the quotation to the bank, get the cheque for 85% cost, pay to SWH seller along with 15% cash, get the SWH unit. That’s it. Pay an EMI of ~Rs.600 for 100LPD or Rs.1200 for 200LPD units.

Advantages of two 100LPD units over one 200LPD unit: As you use the hot water, cold water gets into the SWH tank and mixes with already hot water, slightly reducing the heat. When, we use two 100LPD units connected in series to each other, the inlet of distal unit is the hot water outlet of the proximal unit. This way, the distal 100LPD unit will receive only hot water input, thus reducing the heat loss.

My Experience: As I availed loan, I opted for two 100LPD V-guard units connected in series, keeping in mind my growing family. The water is steaming. I’ll have to cover ¾ of the glass tubes during summer. Enjoy the feeling of steamy hot water during winter nights. One surprising experience is, at 10pm in the night when you go to have bath and find your hot water is empty, don’t panic, you don’t have to wait until the sunshine again, switch on your overhead tank motor, and you’ll get instant hot water. The hot water output stops, and seals itself, if it doesn’t get cold water input. So, when your overhead tank is empty, the hot water is locked and retained in SWH tank and opens up as soon as it gets the cold water input again on switching on the motor. The only maintainance you’ll have to do is clean the dust from the glass tubes occasionally.

There are many SWH providers, but most of them provide FTC models. I purchased V-guard ETC model from Hyderabad. Their representatives though couldn’t arrange the loan for me, but they were very professional and patiently explained me everything. My advice is “Go for it. Its really fit and forget instrument.” I am happy that I don’t have to trouble my mom in the kitchen busy making breakfast to share the gas stove for my hot water anymore. Moreover, each 100LPD will get a free electric heater coil installed into the storage tank. It acts as an electric back-up, just in case if its rains continuously for 2/3 days without sunshine (once in a blue moon situation)

Formalities after Internship

So, finally you are done with your internship. So, here’s what you have to do to get yourself registered as a certified medical practitioner.

Formalities to be done:

1. At the hospital where you did your internship (I’ll consider Osmania here)
a) Get your log book signed by all the HODs/Unit chiefs.

b) Pay Rs.50 at the cash counter and show the receipt to Aquila to get the blank Osm Internship card.

c) Get all your posting dates and HOD/Unit chief names electronically typed on it. You’ll need Provisional Registration No. to quote it on your Osm Internship card. So get it from your college at the earliest.

Note: Electronic typing is available at Kachiguda and Dilsukhnagar opp Konark theater. Its not compulsory to get it electronically typed. Osmanians may insist for that as it looks a little better than ordinary typing and as they’ll have to keep it forever. But outsiders don’t worry, as your Osm Internship card will be confiscated by your parent college and you’ll be given a new Internship card on your college stationary. So, doesn’t matter if you get it ordinary typed.

d) Take the xerox of the typed Osm Internship card. Affix PP sized photos on both the orginal and xerox Internship cards. Submit these both internship cards, DME order copy, Provisional Registration copy(and posting order copy, if insisted) along with a letter addressing the Superintendent, OGH for issue of Internship Certificate.

Note:
· Follow them closely and get the signed Internship Certificate asap.
· Don’t forget to collect back your log book as some foreign universities may ask for it (if you are planning to go abroad)
· Take colour xerox or preferably scan the Internship Card and save it in your computer or mail, as you’ll have to surrender it at your college.
· Make sure you take sufficient xerox copies of all your individual memos, Provisional Registration, X, XII, Osm Internship Certificate, few PP and few stamp sized photos.

2. At your parent college (I’ll consider Kamineni )
a) Write three covering letters addressing Principal, for issue of Transfer certificate, to return all your original certificates and most importantly to refund your caution deposit.

b) You will be asked to pay Rs.1200 for the six certificates you’ll be given from KIMS. They are KIMS Internship Certificate, Transfer Certificate, Clinical Clerkship Certificate, Certificate of Medical Education, Academic Certificate, Attempt certificate(Rs.200 for each)

c) You will be give 4 forms to fill: i) NTRUHS Application for issue of UG degree, ii)KIMS internship certificate, iii) Transfer Certificate and iv) AP medical council form.

d) Migratory Certificate and Consolidated Marks Memo
Its no surprise if the office clerk Ramesh doesn’t tell you about the ‘Migratory certificate’ and ‘Consolidated Marks memo’ that you’ll need to get from NTRUHS. You can apply it through the college, or individually after you return home. You’ll have to pay Rs.1000 and Rs.100 resp. through DD. You’ll get these through post after 2-3 months. You can pay double the amount to get them in 15 days. Ask him and get the forms for these two or check my links below to download them and to know the needed enclosures to be submitted. My suggestion is to apply through college and make sure, they are posted to your home address to avoid going to your college again after 2-3 months. It makes no big difference even if you apply for it individually.

e) Fill them duly, attach your PP photos where required, submit, pay Rs.2000 for degree certificate. You’ll be asked to come back after 10days, but it may take even longer.
Note:
· Earlier, you had to go to NTRUHS, Vijayawada to apply for your degree certificate. But now, its compulsory to apply at your college only, individual applications at the university will not be allowed.
· Please find out if our college issues “Medical Ethics” certificate, even for those who haven’t done their internship at KIMS. If yes, then surely collect it. If they doesn’t, don’t worry, read point (g) below.

f) Find out from your college, if your degree certificate has arrived from NTRUHS and go to your collge to collect it. Make sure you get all the following this time.
· NTRUHS MBBS degree certificate
· Internship Certificate
· Transfer Certificate
· Clinical Clerkship Certificate
· Certificate of Medical Education
· Academic Certificate
· Attempt certificate
· Bonafide/Conduct certificate
· Your caution deposit
· AP Medical Council form attested by the Principal
· All of your X, XII originals that you submitted while joining KIMS

g) Medical Ethics certificate
You’ll need this for applying for Permanent Registration at AP Medical Council(APMC), Koti. I have gone through hell to get this simple form for me. You are lucky to be here, just download it from my links and get it signed by APMC member of your hospital. Find out at your hospital or AP Medical Council about who is incharge now to sign it. (Dr. Sreenivas, Orthopedics, Unit III, OGH signed for me)

3. At AP Medical Council, Koti for Permanent Registration (PR)
a) Take a DD for Rs.2500 favouring “Andhra Pradesh Medical Council” only from Andhra Bank. Submit it along with the required enclosures and along with “Medical Ethics Certificate” (which may not be mentioned in the enclosures list) in originals and Xerox copies. The originals will be returned on the spot. 2 PP sized photos. Collect the PR the next day. If you want the PR the same day, you’ll have to take the DD for Rs.3000 instead.

Note: The APMC has increased the PR fee from Rs. 1000 to Rs. 2500, an unethical and inhuman hike of 150%. Their stand is that every graduated doctor will definitely get himself registered no matter what the fee may be. Convey your protests to apmc@apmedicalcouncil.com

b) Collect your PR next day and pay Rs. 100 applying for the ID card along with a stamp sized photo which will be sent by post.

All done, it really feels great, having get certified as a qualified medical practitioner. Congratulations DOCTOR.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(My struggle to get the Medical Ethics certificate: First I went to Orthopedics dept. to meet Dr. Sreenivas. He was in OT. I waited for 2hrs for him and then he says that I don’t have the form with me, you have to get it typed and bring. I asked Aquilla about it, she says “Yes, what is this Medical Ethics certificate? Everyone is asking”. Even the hospital administration doesn’t have the format. Then I went to Osmania Medical College. There, Mr. Naresh the one who issued us NOCs earlier says we have to get it from the APMC. I went to APMC, koti and even they, who insist for the form, doesn’t even have the format of the form. I felt helpless. They asked me to meet Mr. Jacob at Osmania medical college. I went back to Osm medical college to find him. One fellow says he is on leave, one says he has gone out and will return shortly. I asked everyone in the room there to atleast give me the format. Some of them gave me blank faces and some pot bellied fellows say they are listening about such form for the first time. Our Indian Govt. jobs are indeed great. I had to return back home as my work isn’t done that day. Thankfully, I managed to get the matter in the form from someone on phone, typed it myself, made few copies of them. Got it signed by the APMC member. Gave few copies for some people who came to APMC in search of Medical Ethics certificate. Sent few copies through my friends to be kept at Osm College and Hospital notice boards)

Migratory Certificate
Consolidated Marks

Medical Ethics Certificate

Internship Transfer Procedure

Congratulations!!! This is the most cherished moment for a KIMS student. An oppurtunity to get the hell out of KIMS. I feel that we are lucky atleast for having an opportunity to do internship elsewhere. Think, if you were not allowed to go out and had to compulsorily do your internship there? So, thank god for that.

So, finally you have decided to come out of your college. Now what? Where to start from? Where to go? This is the confusion we encounter and everyone says you should go here first or there first. I too had been through this, and so to help you out am giving all the details of what, where and when to do in an order. The procedure is the same if you are leaving and joining any college, but here I’ll be considering Osmania as your receiving college.

1. a) Get the ‘Provisional Pass Certificate’ from your (relieving) college asap
Make repeated calls, trouble them until you get it, because it’s the first thing youneed to move ahead, without which, you can do nothing but waste time.
b) Get the NOCs (No Objection Certificate) from your college
Write a letter (Annexure I) formally to the Principal of your college seekingNOC. Make sure you are given 2 NOCs. (One from college and another fromyour hospital). In KIMS you’ll get this only after paying Rs. 1,00,000.
c) Apply for TR (Temporary Registration)
Take a DD for Rs. 500/- favouring “Registrar, NTRUHS, Vijayawada” payableat Vijayawada on any Nationalised bank. You will be given a form at yourcollege, fill it and submit the DD. This should come from NTRUHS to yourcollege and will take time. If you get it, fine. Don’t worry even if you don’t get itin time. Just apply for it and forget.

2. Get the NOC from your receiving hospital (eg: Osmania General Hospital)
i) Take a DD for Rs.1000/- favouring “Superintendent/Convenor, HDS, OGH” onany Nationalised bank payable at Hyderabad.
ii) Write a letter formally to Superintendent, OGH seeking NOC fordoing compulsory rotatory internship at OGH.
iii) Copy of Provisional Pass Certificate
iv) Copy of A.P. Temporary Registration (if available)
v) Copies of NOCs from relieving college and hospital
vi) One Passport size photoCollect NOC from OGH, the next day.

3. Get the NOC from OMC (Osmania Medical College)
i) Take a DD for Rs.1000/- favouring “Principal, Osmania Medical College,Hyderabad” on any Nationalised bank payable at Hyderabad.
ii) Write a letter formally to Principal, Osmania Medical College seeking NOC fordoing compulsory rotatory internship at OGH. One lazy fellow will give you aletter format and ask you to get it typed somewhere and bring 2 copies. SeeAnnexure II for the format, get it typed and take 2 copies beforehand when yougo to Osm Medical College.
iii) Copy of Provisional Pass Certificate
iv) Copy of A.P. Temporary Registration (if available)
v) Copies of NOCs from relieving college and hospital
vi) Copy of NOC from receiving hospital (eg: OGH)
No matter how early in the morning you apply, you’ll get NOC only after 4:30pm same day. So go to OMC at around 3:30 – 4:00 pm.

4. Get the NOC from NTRUHS, Vijayawada
i) Take a DD for Rs.1000/- favouring “Registrar, NTRUHS, Vijayawada” on anyNationalised bank payable at Vijayawada.
ii) Write a letter formally to Registrar, NTRUHS seeking NOC for doingcompulsory rotatory internship at OGH.
iii) Copy of Provisional Pass Certificate
iv) Copy of A.P. Temporary Registration (if available)
v) Copies of NOCs from relieving college and hospital
vi) Copy of NOC from receiving hospital (eg: OGH)
vii) Copy of NOC form receiving college (eg: OMC)Better be there by 10:00 – 11:00am. You’ll have to wait until 4:30pm to get the NOC. Be prepared to stay there for 1 or 2 days. Don’t be surprised if someone asks you a bribe for it.
Better pay him and get the hell out of Vijayawada. I hate the sultry climate of Vijayawada.

5. Get the transfer order from DME (Director of Medical Education), Koti,Hyderabad.
i) Take a DD for Rs.500/- favouring “DME, Sultan bazaar, Hyderabad” on anyNationalised bank payable at Hyderabad.
ii) Original of Provisional Pass Certificate or A.P. Temporary Registration(whichever is available)
iii) Originals of NOCs from relieving college and hospital
iv) Originals of NOC from receiving hospital (eg: OGH)
v) Original of NOC form receiving college (eg: OMC)
vi) Original of NOC from NTRUHS
vii) Don’t forget to get this matter typed (Annexure III) on a Rs.20/- stamp paperbefore you go to DME office.It will take 1 or 2 days. If you know someone there, its better. Else, your work will not be done without paying a bribe of Rs. 1000 – 2000 to Mr. Gous at the ‘ME section, Room No. 306, II Floor, Directorate of Medical education, Koti’. You may also have to pay his assistant ‘Shankar’.

6. Submit the following at OGH and take ‘Hospital Order’
i) Take a DD for Rs.15,000/- favouring “Superintendent, HDS, OGH” on anyNationalised bank payable at Hyderabad.
iii) Copies of Provisional Pass Certificate or A.P. Temporary Registration(whichever is available)
iv) Copies of NOCs from relieving college and hospital
v) Copy of NOC from receiving college (eg: OMC)
vi) Copy of NOC from NTRUHS
vii) DME order of transfer
viii) One Passport size photoTake the Hospital Order next day and join your duty according to the postings.
Enjoy being out of KIMS

Computers and Internet

I have spent more time on internet and computers than on my academic books. Am pretty proficient with computers, Windows, MSOffice, Photoshop, web designing, etc. I can help you out if you are stuck up with some problem with your PC or internet. Just post your query here and let me help.