RxPG News : Medical News

Women delivers baby near lift in Noida hospital

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:16:33 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Noida, Nov 17 - Denied admission in the emergency ward, a woman delivered a baby outside the elevator of a district hospital in Noida Thursday morning, her husband said.

Karuna, a resident of Sector 8 in Noida, gave birth to a boy while she was being taken to the out-patient department - from the emergency ward.

The hospital administration has formed a committee to probe the incident. 'The case will be properly investigated from all angles. We are yet to record the statements of the patient's family. A report will be submitted to the additional director of state health department soon,' said Chief Medical Superintendent Meena Mishra.

The woman's husband Bashir said: 'We first went to the emergency ward situated on the fourth floor. We told the doctors that her condition was bad, but they refused to hear us and asked us to take her to the OPD.'

'While we were bringing her down in the lift, her pain suddenly intensified and she started screaming. On seeing her collapse in the lift, we stopped it on the first floor and took her out of it. Within a few minutes, she delivered the child,' he said.

Obesity on rise in school children: Study

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 21:06:02 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Nov 12 - Around 15-21 percent of school children in India are obese and the number is rising with high intake of junk food and a sedentary lifestyle, says a study.

The study by Fortis Centre of Excellence for Diabetes, Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology, Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj found that school children are increasingly getting afflicted with diabetes, a life-style disorder that is not restricted to the adult population anymore.

Anoop Misra, the centre's chairman, said that nearly 9 percent of adolescents - have abdominal obesity, which is directly linked to insulin resistance and diabetes.

The study found that around 70 percent of obese children are likely to be obese adults with increased susceptibility to diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

'This implies that the diabetes epidemic India is facing right now is only going to magnify and life expectancy is likely to fall in the next 20 years,' he said.

Misra said high intake of junk food and sedentary life-style patterns are the major contributors in making the young generation susceptible to Type 2 diabetes.

Around 68 percent of urban children lead a sedentary lifestyle with hardly any outdoor physical activity. Urban children are habitual of eating food items rich in fat and sugar content, and somewhat swaying away from the traditional low-fat and healthy food items that are rich in fibre and micro-nutrients, adds Misra.

Over 10,000 dengue cases in India this year

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:29:03 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Nov 7 - More than 10,000 dengue cases have been reported across the country so far this year, with Punjab topping the list with 2,016 cases, an official said Monday.

According to figures compiled by health ministry, Punjab was followed by 1,793 cases in Odisha, 1,398 in Tamil Nadu and 963 in Kerala.

Delhi is fifth on the list with 900 cases, the health ministry official said.

Reacting to the figures, Municipal Corporation of Delhi's - public health committee chairman V.K. Monga said: 'The average number of dengue cases reported continues to be high. In the last 24 hours -, 19 cases were reported.'

'We are carrying out all measures to prevent mosquito breeding in and around affected areas,' he added.

Meanwhile, with cases of Japanese Encephalitis - also being reported in the capital, the Delhi government and MCD is checking samples taken from around 500 pigs to see if the virus is present in them.

'Pigs are usually the carriers of JE, so sample collection has begun,' a Delhi government official said.

NRI doctors demands removal of 'tainted' medical council members

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:57:15 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Kolkata, Nov 3 - A US based Indian doctor who has filed a case against several members of the West Bengal Medical Council - for criminal conspiracy Thursday demanded their removal from the council after a court issued summons to them.

'The metropolitan Magistrates court has found 17 members of the WBMC prima facie guilty of criminal conspiracy and has issued summons. The criminally indicted doctor members of the council have no legal or moral right to continue as members. We demand their immediate removal,' said Kunal Saha who heads the People for Better Treatment, a non governmental organisation - fighting against medical negligence.

Saha who addressed a press meet through video conferencing said he had presented a memorandum before Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demanding their removal.

Saha had filed the case after the WBMC absolved the doctors of medical negligence who were accused by Saha of causing death of his wife Anuradha.

The 17 doctors which include past president of the council Ashok Chowdhury and current vice president Subir Dutta have been ordered to appear before the court of metropolitan magistrate Friday.

Following Anuradha's death on May 28, 1998, due to complications triggered by treatment at AMRI Hospitals in the city for fever and rashes, Saha filed a case of medical negligence against AMRI Hospitals and physician Sukumar Mukherjee, dermatologist Baidyanath Halder and physician Balaram Prasad.

The Supreme Court in 2009 had held the hospital and the three doctors guilty of medical negligence and remanded the case to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission - for determination of compensation.

The NCDRC on Oct 21 awarded a record compensation, ordering the hospital and the three doctors to share among them a compensation of Rs.1,72,87,500/- payable to Saha.

The commission, however, while ordering the compensation named Saha guilty of 'interfering' with Kolkata doctors' line of treatment to his wife and of making 'contributory negligence' in causing her death and ordered deduction of 10 percent of the total compensation amount for his contributory negligence.

Saha filed an appeal against the order holding him guilty of contributory negligence before the same forum. The matter is slated for hearing Nov. 11.

Saha on spending the compensation amount said: 'I have given an affidavit before the Supreme Court stating that any amount that is ordered as compensation will be used for improving rural health care in India.'

Watch out for sexually transmitted 'superbug': Expert

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:53:49 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Nov 1 - While the controversy over a 'superbug' in Delhi hospitals has not died down yet, an expert here Tuesday popped a warning against a sexually transmitted microbe which is resistant to antibiotics.

'Last year, a case at Safdarjung Hospital - was found where we saw that the patient suffered from gonorrhea - and the microbe neisseria gonorrhea had reduced sensitivity to all antibiotics that were used in the treatment,' said Somesh Gupta, assistant professor at the department of dermatology and venereology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences -.

'Surveillance of the anti-microbial resistance - in gonorrhea is currently being researched and India needs to be cautious about this as well,' Gupta said.

'The problem is that if the infection of the microbe with high AMR spreads, then it could be difficult to fight the disease with any medicines or antibiotics,' he added.

Another case of AMR in gonorrhea was reported from Japan early this year, Gupta said.

S.D. Khaparde, deputy director general of the National AIDS Control Organisation -, said hospitals across the country will be issued guidelines for treating sexually transmitted infections -.

'All railway clinics, private hospitals and ESI hospitals in the country will be given a standardised course for treating STIs,' he said.

Panel stresses on infection control in hospitals

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:50:51 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Oct 17 - Hospital acquired infections -, including those caused by the multi-drug resistant superbug, can be countered by better hygiene and safety management, the country's apex panel for hospital gradation said here Monday.

'Management of medication and control of infections have emerged as two principal points, which if attended to, can improve patient safety manifold,' said Girdhar J. Gyani, chief executive officer of the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals -.

HAIs, that can be life-threatening at times, affect nearly 1.4 million people across the globe.

HAI also includes the infection of deadly superbug New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1 -, a bacteria with multi-drug resistant gene.

A report in a British medical journal first claimed that the bacteria was found in Delhi's drinking water and sanitation facilities.

The NABH, which has authorised 101 hospitals in the country, collaborated with corporate health provider 3M to help government and private hospitals improve hygiene, waste management, and infection control.

Healthcare cost up 22 times in rural areas, shows study

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:16:07 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Oct 12 - The cost of health care has gone up by 22 times in rural areas over the last seven years, a study said Wednesday.

'In an average data collection on the cost of treatment at both private and public hospitals, the cost of treatment has shot up by 22 times in rural areas,' the study by non-governmental organisation Prayas said.

Conducted across six states of Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Assam, Jharkhand, and Bihar, it surveyed the cost of treatment among 2,723 households in 140 villages.

'The study aimed at finding how much of the cost of treatment is given by the patient himself. This is when the hike in cost of treatment was observed, thanks to factors such as inflation, privatisation, and even the failure of social schemes,' said Avinash Kumar, essential services lead specialist, Oxfam India.

'In the urban areas, the hike is somewhere around 40 times as hopes are more on private healthcare,' Kumar added.

The study took both hospitalised and non-hospitalised treatment into account, including the cost of diagnostics, hospitalisation, and medicines.

Superbug exists, but nothing alarming: Walia

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:48:38 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Oct 7 - Downplaying the threat of superbug in city hospitals, Delhi Health Minister A.K. Walia Friday said the prevalence of the infection is 'very low' and cannot be termed 'alarming.'

'There is a very low prevalence of NDM1 infection - which exists as confirmed in tests conducted in ICUs of a number of hospitals. It is between the range of 0.04 percent to 0.08 percent which cannot be stated as alarming,' Walia said after a high-level meeting called in the wake of a study that reported the prevalence of superbug in Delhi hospitals.

Tests conducted in ICUs of a number of hospitals like RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge Hospital and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital have confirmed the prevalence of the infection.

Walia added that the infection control committee in Delhi government hospitals is in place.

Walia also said that infection has not been found in the water and sewage flow in Delhi.

'It - is a world wide phenomenon and such infection has been found in most of the countries including in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe,' said Walia.

In the meeting chaired by the minister, he stressed on the rational use of antibiotics and restricted use of the 3rd and 4th-generation antibiotics.

The meeting was attended by the Maulana Azad Medical College dean and medical superintendents of Lok Nayak Hospital and Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya.

A team of experts from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, additional secretary of National Institute of Communicable Diseases and senior officers from Indian Council of Medical Research - were present at the meeting.

No power problem at AIIMS: Official

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:56:50 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Oct 3 - There was no power problem at the premier All India Institute of Medical Science here, a hospital official asserted Monday.

Responding to reports of power problems at the forensic department and the morgue affecting autopsies, Medical Superintendent D.K. Sharma said it could have been an isolated incident but it was certainly not a regular feature.

'This is not true,' Sharma said to reports of power problems at the premier institute.

'Maybe at one point of time, power problem may have been there but it is not a routine problem,' Sharma said.

He also said that power cuts could have been solely due to supply problems.

According to reports, several autopsies have been affected over last one month at AIIMS's forensic department. According to the report, the doctors were forced to hold autopsies in daylight due to non-availability of power, breaking the rules for holding autopsies only in a closed environment.

40 percent Indians embarrassed to ask for contraceptives

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:49:17 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 26 - As many as 40 percent Indians are embarrassed to ask for contraceptives, said a global survey released Monday.

The survey added that despite campaigns to promote safe sex, nearly three-quarters of sexually active people globally don't use them.

Also, it stated that 32 percent of Indians said they were not at the risk of pregnancy.

The survey, which also covered India, said that 72 percent don't use a contraceptive with a new partner, putting them at high risk of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Unplanned pregnancies emerge as a major global concern, particularly among the young, said the survey titled 'Clueless or Clued Up: Your Right to be Informed about Contraception'.

It said that worldwide approximately 41 percent of the 208 million pregnancies each year are unintended.

'Lack of right information on contraception, leading to non-use or inaccurate use, is a huge issue in India,' says Vishwanath Koliwad, secretary general of the Family Planning Association of India -.

'Both men and women need to take family planning seriously and should share the responsibility of making informed choices,' he said.

In countries like Australia, Chile, Colombia, Britain, Indonesia, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Singapore, Sweden and Turkey, nearly 40 percent people have already had unprotected sex with a new partner.

This figure rises to over 50 percent in China, Estonia, Kenya, Norway and Thailand.

'It shows that too many young people either lack good knowledge about sexual health or do not feel empowered enough to ask for contraception,' says Rajat Ray, chairperson of Public Awareness Committee, Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India -.

'...Or they have not learned the skills to negotiate contraceptive use with their partners to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies or STIs,' he says.

According to experts, the figures reflect low information on contraception.

Sixteen percent in Asia Pacific said their partner preferred not to use contraceptives.

Asked why they had had unprotected sex with a new partner, 15 percent of respondents across Asia Pacific and 14 percent in Europe said they did not like contraception.

The survey is a multi-national survey sponsored by Bayer Health Care, an international healthcare major.

It is supported by the WCD Youth Task Force and a coalition of 11 international organisations with interest in sexual health.

The survey was conducted in 26 countries and 5,426 young people in Asia Pacific including India, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Pakistan and Taiwan as well as Europe, Latin America and the US as well as 600 people in Egypt, Kenya and Uganda.

Unprotected sex rampant, says survey

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:03:13 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 26 - Despite widespread campaigns to promote safe sex, close to three-quarters of sexually active people around the world don't use contraceptives, said a global survey released Monday.

The study, which also covered India, said that 72 percent don't use contraceptive with a new partner, putting them at high risk of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

In countries like Australia, Chile, Colombia, Britain, Indonesia, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Singapore, Sweden and Turkey, nearly 40 percent people have already had unprotected sex with a new partner.

This figure rises to over 50 percent in China, Estonia, Kenya, Norway and Thailand.

The survey, entitled 'Clueless or Clued Up: Your Right to be Informed about Contraception', is a multi-national survey sponsored by Bayer Health Care, an international healthcare major.

It is supported by the WCD Youth Task Force and a coalition of 11 international organisations with interest in sexual health.

The survey was conducted in 26 countries and 5,426 young people in Asia Pacific including India, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Pakistan and Taiwan as well as Europe, Latin America and the US as well as 600 people in Egypt, Kenya and Uganda.

According to experts, the figures reflect low information on contraception.

'It shows that too many young people either lack good knowledge about sexual health or do not feel empowered enough to ask for contraception,' says Rajat Ray, chairperson of Public Awareness Committee, Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India -.

'...Or they have not learned the skills to negotiate contraceptive use with their partners to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies or STIs,' he says.

Asked why they had had unprotected sex with a new partner, 15 percent of respondents across Asia Pacific and 14 percent in Europe said they did not like contraception.

Sixteen percent in Asia Pacific said their partner preferred not to use contraceptives. As many as 32 percent of Indians said they were not at the risk of pregnancy.

But 40 percent of Indian respondents also said that they were embarrassed to ask for contraceptives.

'Lack of right information on contraception, leading to non-use or inaccurate use, is a huge issue in India,' says Vishwanath Koliwad, secretary general of the Family Planning Association of India -.

'Both men and women need to take family planning seriously and should share the responsibility of making informed choices,' he said.

Unplanned pregnancies emerge as a major global concern, particularly amongst the young. Worldwide, approximately 41 percent of the 208 million pregnancies each year are unintended.

Amar Singh may discharged in 3 days: Doctors

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 18:21:58 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 25 - Arrested Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, currently admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences - for a kidney-related ailment, could be discharged in three days, doctors said here Sunday.

'He has shown signs of improvement in the last two days. His creatinine levels - are down to 1.45 mg/dl. Considering his medical condition, he may be relieved in 3 days,' a senior doctor from AIIMS said, on condition of anonymity.

According to doctors, Amar Singh's medical history created the complications.

'The main problem was due to urinary tract infection and diabetes. Being a transplant patient, these factors added to his worsened condition,' said another doctor from the panel examining him Singh.

Medical reports submitted to the high court stated that the 55-year old, suffering from diabetes, underwent a renal transplant in September 2009 and intestinal surgery 10 years ago.

Amar Singh, arrested in the cash-for-votes scam, is on an extended interim bail till Sep 27. He was put under medical observation Sep 13 after he complained of ill-health.

He and two former Bharatiya Janata Party - MPs, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Singh Bhagora, were arrested Sep 6 for their alleged involvement in an attempt to bribe MPs ahead of the July 2008 parliament trust vote.

Most cardiac deaths in India preventable: Expert

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 19:52:28 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 24 - Around 80 percent of cardiac deaths in the country can be prevented if people are made aware about heart diseases, Medanta Heart Institute said Saturday.

'Correct information and awareness amongst people can prevent 80 percent cardiac deaths as 60 percent population in India has wrong or incomplete information about heart diseases,' said Rajneesh Kapoor, director of division of interventional cardilogy at the institute.

According to Kapoor, people tend to link chest pains with heart attacks whereas the discomfort may spread to neck, left arm or even throat.

'Some people think that only overweight people get heart attacks, which is not true. Heart attacks are not related to weight, it's related to cholesterol level,' added Kapoor. 'Misconceptions can lead to deaths.'

As per Medanta, cardiovascular diseases cause 29 percent of all deaths globally each year, making it the world's number one killer.

Every year, 17.1 million lives are claimed by cardiovascular diseases, with 82 per cent of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries like India.

However, a healthy diet, not smoking and being physically active are key to building a healthy heart, advised Kapoor.

India committed to eradicate polio: Azad

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 19:06:36 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 24 - India is committed to eradicating polio from the country and several initiatives are being taken to prevent the highly infectious disease from spreading, union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

Azad made the comments Friday at a function in Chicago where he was presented with the Polio Champion Award by Rotary International in recognition of efforts towards the eradication of polio.

Azad was conferred this award last year too.

'I want to re-affirm India's commitment towards polio eradication,' said a statement by Azad, issued here Saturday.

This year, only one polio case has been reported in the country so far, compared to 741 cases in 2009 and 42 in 2010.

Azad said vaccination is one of the most cost effective public health interventions as it provides direct and effective protection against preventable morbidity and mortality.

India runs one of the world's largest immunisation programmes in which around 26 million children born every year are covered, he said.

While India has been able to eliminate type 2 strain of polio, it has yet to wipe out the type 1 and 3 strains.

Azad said they have introduced bivalent vaccine since January 2010 and which has resulted in significant success.

He also said they have prepared an emergency preparedness and response plan, which will be put in action in case more cases are reported.

'It will be treated as a public health emergency,' he added.

India has spent approximately $240 million for the polio programme since the beginning of the 11th plan -, Azad added.

The award is given by Rotary International since 1995 to recognize governments and world leaders who have made outstanding contribution toward the goal of eradicating polio.

The award is in recognition of the efforts made by India and Azad's role in particular towards eradicating the debilitating disease.

She fights genetic disorder with art

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:03:36 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 24 - It is 11 a.m. on a breezy September morning. Meryl Sarah speedily moves her wheelchair towards her drawing room where several of her glass paintings grace the pale yellow walls like a palette. Her limbs cannot move properly and she cannot stand on her feet as she suffers from Pompe, a rare genetic disorder.

Sarah's back is bent as her spine remains swollen. Her stomach gets bloated when her condition worsens. But nothing can stop the 21-year-old from entering her world of art - and scripting an inspiring story for others who suffer from the disorder.

'I remember it was a dance class when I fell and could not get up. I was an 11-year-old ...this disease has been with me since then, but it never stopped me from following my dreams,' said Sarah, looking at the paintings at her home in Ghaziabad, near the national capital.

It was after a decade of doubt that her disease could be diagnosed.

Pompe, among a group of genetic diseases called Lysosomal Storage Disorders -, is caused by dysfunctioning of the body cells. It is triggered by a genetic defect in enzymes that maintain cellular functioning in the body.

With a rare occurrence of one in 5,000 live births, LSDs have seen little research. Treatment through enzyme replacement therapy will cost hundreds of thousands of rupees a month, say experts.

Sarah, a graduate of computer applications, has never let the feeling of dependence sink in even as she plans to pursue her masters in psychology - long distance.

'I need support for difficult movement like going to the toilet or climbing the stairs. My parents have been my pillars of strength,' she said, adding she has a passion for playing the guitar.

Pompe, Gaucher, Schindler and Wolman are some of the 45 life-threatening LSDs.

'LSDs can be fatal as well as treatable. The disease affects multiple organs and causes progressive physical and mental deterioration over time,' Madhulika Kabra, professor at the genetics division in the department of paediatrics of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, told IANS.

A preventive programme for diagnosing LSDs during pregnancy is of utmost importance, considering the high cost of treatment, say experts.

'Prenatal diagnostic tests can be done in high risk families to reduce the burden of these disorders. The enzyme deficiency is present since birth but the onset of symptoms can be detected from the neonatal stages,' Kabra explained.

Enzyme replacement therapy that helps improve limb mobility is available for just six of the 45 LSDs, pinning more hopes on early diagnosis and preventive programmes.

'We have some compassionate access programmes for families that cannot afford the expensive treatment. But, even then, the awareness about the diagnosis during prenatal stages is very low. We have very few palliative care centres for any of the LSDs,' said Ratna D. Puri, consultant geneticist at Sir Gangaram Hospital here.

'In India, people have not even heard of the disease,' Puri lamented.

The test is performed at 11 weeks - in pregnancy and can determine if the foetus is affected with the particular disorder under investigation.

For Sarah, uncertainty binds her fate. 'I don't know of enzyme replacement yet. Let's see if any miracle waits for me and my parents,' she said.

'But doctors tell me that if I do not continue the medicines, I may lose mobility in my upper limbs completely,' she said even as she continued to carry that faint smile on her face. 'I want to continue playing the guitar...'

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US firm dials in healthcare for seven million Indians

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:43:06 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 22 - A US-based technology firm will promote access to healthcare among seven million Indians in rural areas over the next three years through mobile phone applications, the UN said Thursday.

In India, where up to 70 percent of the rural population lacks access to basic health services, US-based technology firm Dimagi through CommCare will provide 70,000 community health workers in areas lacking basic medical care with patient information and the ability to monitor at-risk patients, the US said in a statement.

CommCare, a mobile phone-based application enables community health workers to provide better, more efficient care while also enabling better supervision and coordination of community health programmes.

'We developed CommCare to scale up the health impacts of community health programmes,' said Dimagi CEO Jonathan Jackson.

'We've been working in this field for a long time, and haven't seen anything with the potential that CommCare has to scale up the effective delivery of life saving interventions.'

Each health worker will have a phone running the CommCare software that will assist them in managing household visits and planning their day. CommCare will collect and report data that will help monitor and evaluate community health programmes themselves.

'The private sector is a strong partner in our collective drive to reduce poverty and achieve inclusive growth. Continued commitments and innovative partnerships are key,' said Sigrid Kaag, assistant secretary-general and assistant administrator, UN Development Programme -.

Families refuse polio drops in Bihar

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:37:36 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Patna, Sep 21 - At a time when Bihar is on the verge of eradicating polio, more than 400 families here refused to immunise their children against the disease, saying the orally-administered drops cause impotency, an official said Wednesday.

'More than 400 families have refused to vaccinate their children against polio in different localities,' a health official associated with polio campaign said.

The government, the World Health Organization - and Unicef have been seeking help of local representative and social activists to convince people in the state not to refuse polio drops.

'Most of these families are poor and illiterate. Due to lack of awareness, they refused the polio drops,' a WHO official said.

From recording the second highest number of polio cases in the country after Uttar Pradesh in 2009, Bihar has not reported even a single case of the disease in the last one year.

Sanjay Kumar, executive director of the state health society, said that no reports of P1 and P3 cases -- types of polio virus -- have been reported since September 2010.

He said that if the state is able to maintain the situation for two more years, it will have successfully eradicated polio.

Since December 1995, 45 pulse polio immunisation rounds have been conducted in Bihar.

'Though the state has not reported any case of wild polio virus Type-III for the last one-and-a-half years and of Type I since last September, the immunisation drive will continue,' he said.

In 2009, 117 polio cases were reported in Bihar, while the figure was over 230 in 2008. In 2010, nine polio cases were recorded -- all before September.

Earlier this year, the state government identified 41 blocks -- among them Araria, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, East Champaran, Darbhanga, Khagaria, Madhubani, and Samastipur -- which were highly polio endemic.

India confirms bird flu in Bengal, PM concerned

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:47:33 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 20 - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday expressed concern over avian inluenza in West Bengal and directed authorities to prevent it from spreading, sources said.

The directive came after India Tuesday confirmed that poultry samples from Nadia district of West Bengal tested positive for bird flu.

The prime minister directed the animal husbandry department to closely monitor the situation to prevent any outbreak even though the incidence is restricted to a few villages, the sources said.

The government also ordered culling operations in the affected area, said a statement issued by the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries under the ministry of agriculture.

'Bird flu has been confirmed in poultry samples collected from two villages of Tehatta I block in Nadia,' the statement said.

The samples forwarded to the Eastern Region Disease Diagnostic Laboratory - in Kolkata and High Security Animal Disease Laboratory - in Bhopal tested positive for H5 strain of avian influenza, it said.

'It has been decided to immediately commence the culling of birds and destruction of eggs and feed material to control further spread of the disease. The virus has been contained in the affected area,' it added.

Culling has been announced within a radius of three km of the infected area.

In addition, surveillance has been ordered in surrounding areas up to 10 km.

Surveillance has also been intensified throughout the state to monitor further spread of infection.

The central government has advised the state to ban movement of poultry and poultry products in the infected area and to close poultry and egg markets and shops within a radius of 10 km from the infected site.

They have suggested a ban on the movement of farm personnel, restricting access to wild and stray birds, and stopping access to infected premises.

Regarding compensation for loss of poultry on account of culling, the central government will share costs on a 50:50 basis with the state, the statement said.

The last outbreak took place during February-March in Tripura. The country was declared free from the disease July 4.

--Indo-ASian News Service

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'Alzheimer's patients require love, care, medicines'

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:08:03 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 20 - 'Pick laundry', 'Pay maid' and notes relating to other daily chores greet you as you enter Padma Narsimhan's room, where she sits in a corner listening to morning ragas in her own voice.

The notes are necessary as 75-year-old Narsimhan, has been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for the last four years.

She struggles to remember even the most basic activities of her daily life. But her daughter ensures she is not subjected to the loneliness the disease brings with it.

'Life was going normal until a family feud began stressing my mother. She was active in working at home but one day she forgot to switch off the cooking gas for hours. We used to give her money and tell her to keep it safe but she would forget where she had kept it,' said Narsimhan's daughter Rangashri Kishore as she recalled her mother's journey.

'After some visits to the doctor, I and my husband realised it was Alzheimer's. We prepared ourselves to be with her in the times when she really needed us,' an emotional Rangashri told IANS.

Though both her daughter and son-in-law work - necessitating the notes - but a maid ensures that Narsimhan is never left alone in the house as she does not even know what is to be done when someone knocks on the door.

But her son-in-law, M.C. Kishore, said that despite the memory disorder, the septuagenarian is clued in to current affairs and is the first one to read the newspapers and narrate the stories of the day to her grandchildren.

With nearly 3.7 million people suffering from dementia in 2010, Alzheimer's affects nearly 60 percent of them. The age-related disorder hampering memory and thinking caused by loss in brain function is expected to double by 2020, according to Dementia India Report 2010.

'In India's context, we are in a very tricky situation for Alzheimer's. We are yet to get a clear health policy for the elderly through the National Programme for Health Care of Elderly - by the health ministry,' said Alzheimer's and Related Disorders Society of India - chairman K. Jacob Roy.

The risk of Alzheimer's increases after the age of 60 and results in a societal cost of about Rs.14,700 crore.

The flicker of hope, according to experts, is India's push that has resulted in the inclusion of mental health in the list of non-communicable diseases - such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

'Like tuberculosis and cancer, Alzheimer's also has an organic origin. It needs diagnosis through memory clinics, where a team of neurologists, psychiatrists and general doctors attend on the patient,' Roy explained.

He also lamented on the 'scarcity of memory clinics and thinning chances of an early diagnosis'.

Even as research on the mode of treatment and awareness are in the offing, what is missing is love and care from families of the elderly patients. The nuclear family culture makes the ride tougher for the elderly, making them easy prey to loneliness and dependence.

'We need care in the form of day care centres and chronic care facilities with trained staff available in remote regions as well,' said Manjari Tripathi, associate professor of neurology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences -.

'Drugs for symptomatic relief are available after diagnosis. But immense awareness is needed with risk factors like age, blood pressure, diabetes, stress and head injuries.

'Turmeric in food, salads and fruits can help the brain in learning new activities in old age,' Tripathi advised.

Roy said: 'The family has to be very caring and not make feel the elderly dependent, burden or miserable. We need counselling for the families on the care of elderly as they almost need child-like care. It needs patience.'

Back at the Kishore household in Jor Bagh, the family awaits as Narsimhan enters draped in a purple silk sari with a tray of coffee mugs in hand. 'I haven't forgotten my knack for making the best filter coffee,' she quips as her voice still plays in the backdrop.

The music is a reminder to Narasimhan that she was once a classical singer who taught music to children. 'My students gifted it to me for posterity so that I never forget my own voice,' she added of the player.

-

Suspected brain disease kills five children

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:18:03 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Patna, Sep 20 - Suspected encephalitis, a brain infection, killed five more children in Bihar's Gaya district, taking the death toll in the state due to the disease to 30, an official said Tuesday.

The five children died in the last three days at Anugrah Narain Medical College and Hospital - in Gaya, about 100 km from here, said a district health official.

Twenty-five children earlier died of suspected encephalitis.

The children reported high fever, followed by bouts of unconsciousness and

convulsions.

N.K. Paswan, deputy superintendent of the hospital, said that till date over 110 children with suspected encephalitis were admitted for treatment.

'Most children are from rural areas of Gaya and neighbouring districts,' he said. 'More than one and a half dozen children are still battling for life.'

However, a district official told IANS over telephone Tuesday that despite the deaths, no pre-emptive measures had been taken in Maoist-affected

blocks.

A district administration official said that suspected encephalitis hit Gaya in 2009, 2007 and 2005 and killed dozens of children.

Shortage of health workers increases child deaths: NGO

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:29:53 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 20 - Facing a shortage of 2.6 million health workers, millions of children below the age of five in India are at risk of dying every year from easily preventable diseases like pneumonia and diarrhoea, an international NGO said Tuesday.

'The dearth means that millions of children below the age of five are at great risk of dying every year from easily preventable diseases such as pneumonia,' Save the Children CEO Thomas Chandy said in its health report.

'India has the highest number of children under five dying every year,' he added.

According to the World Health Organisation -, children are five times more likely to die before their fifth birthday if they live in India as the country falls below the WHO health worker threshhold -.

The health report stated that close to 1.2 million children under the age of one die every year of largely treatable and even preventable diseases and conditions in India.

'It is simply not acceptable for a child to die because a midwife or a nurse is out of reach. Training health workers is simple and inexpensive, yet their impact is immeasurable,' Chandy said.

The health report also showcases that over 55 percent children under the age of two do not receive comprehensive routine immunisation in India. About 2.7 million children under the age of five die as they don't have treatment for diarrhoea.

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad recently admitted that the low doctor to nurse ratio in the country was a cause of concern and must be checked immediately.

'There are 11.28 lakh registered nurses in the country and we need nine lakh more to bridge the gap. Therefore, 269 new nursing schools will come up soon especially in remote and backward areas,' he said, adding that around 22,000 nurses would be trained at these schools annually.

I wanted to become a nurse: Dikshit

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:41:50 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 20 - Inspired by Florence Nightingale during her school days, she had wanted to become a nurse. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said this Tuesday while addressing nurses here.

Speaking at the International Nursing Summit, Dikshit said: 'I was inspired by the service rendered by Florence Nightingale and I always wanted to become a nurse.'

Florence Nightingale is remembered for her work among the wounded during the Crimean War.

'Nurses who care and comfort for the ill should be recognised for their exemplary performance and invaluable contributions to the quality of health care. We should institute an award to honour them,' Dikshit said.

Inaugurating the two-day summit organised by Fortis healthcare, Dikshit said: 'We need to improve the quality of healthcare services and bridge the gap between public and private healthcare facilities.'

Shivinder Mohan Singh, managing director of Fortis Healthcare - Ltd, said: 'Nurses are the lifeblood of any healthcare as a hospital can last a couple of days without a doctor but they cannot do without nurses.'

Yoga effective in treating psychiatric disorders

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:28:46 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 20 - Many see yoga as a fad or simply a health enhancer. But a number of scientific studies have found it effective as a therapy in treating mental and psychiatric disorders.

'Some believe that yoga should be used only for prevention and health promotion and not as a therapy for illnesses,' said B.N. Gangadhar, who heads the psychiatry department at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences -, Bangalore.

'The reality is that it is being increasingly used as a method for treating various disorders, either alone or as in addition to other therapies, including psychiatric ones,' Gangadhar, also director, Advanced Centre for Yoga at NIMHANS, told IANS.

A study co-authored by Gangadhar and three associates examined the effect of yoga as a therapy supplementing medical treatment of schizophrenia, a severe mental condition, which registers failure rates as high as 50 to 60 percent. The condition is ranked as the ninth leading cause of mental disability worldwide.

Roughly half of 61 schizophrenia patients were randomly assigned to yoga therapy and the other half to physical exercise for four months. Ten from each group had dropped out during the therapy.

The yoga therapy group showed significantly greater improvement in mental or behavioural disorders than those in the physical exercise group. The yoga group also performed better in social and occupational functioning.

Some of the symptoms of schizophrenia are hallucinations -, delusions - and disorganized thinking and speech, which render the patient's life chaotic and distressful.

Another study led by Gangadhar found that Sudarshan Kriya Yoga - significantly lowered stress by bringing down high plasma cortisol levels among patients, which indicate stress or illness.

SKY is a method of breath control pioneered by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living Foundation.

Similarly, M. Javanbakht, a psychiatrist at Iran's Islamic Azad University, and others found yoga eased mental conditions such as depression and anxiety in women.

Participants in Iran were assigned to two groups: one that went through two yoga sessions of 90 minutes each every week for two months and another which did not do any yoga. Women in the yoga group registered a significant decrease in anxiety and depression levels.

Complementary and alternative medicine -, which includes yoga, is now being increasingly used for easing anxiety, stress and depression. Some studies suggest that the percentage of patients availing themselves of CAM could be as high as 60 percent, said Gangadhar.

'A functional brain imaging study at NIMHANS demonstrated that chanting of Aum deactivated certain brain areas bearing on our emotions, particular anger and fear, -,' said psychiatry associate professor Shivarama Varambally.

'This indicates that Aum chanting may help in emotional control and reduce negative emotions,' Varambally added.

Johns Hopkins University's Arthritis Centre reports that scientific studies on the effect of yoga on rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are 'promising,' with results showing 'some improvement in joint health, physical functioning, and mental/ emotional well-being'.

The centre suggests that such studies show yoga is a 'safe and effective' way to increase muscle strength and improve flexibility, areas of core interests to arthritis sufferers. Besides, yoga can increase mental energy and help a patient develop positive feelings and help keep negative feelings in check.

Yoga, derived from a Sanskrit word meaning 'yoke,' is designed to integrate one's body, mind and soul so that the entire system functions harmoniously.

'Many might argue that such a time-tested practice does not require any proof, but contemporary medicine can accept yoga only after thorough validation through scientific tests,' Gangadhar concluded.

-

India confirms bird flu in West Bengal

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:56:16 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 20 - India Tuesday confirmed that there were cases of bird flu in West Bengal after samples collected from Nadia district in the state tested positive, officials said here.

The government also ordered culling operations in the affected area, said a statement issued from the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries under the ministry of agriculture.

'Bird flu has been confirmed in poultry samples collected from two villages of Tehatta I block in Nadia District of West Bengal,' the statement said.

The samples forwarded to the Eastern Region Disease Diagnostic Laboratory - in Kolkata and High Security Animal Disease Laboratory - in Bhopal tested positive for H5 strain of Avian Influenza, it said.

'It has been decided to immediately commence the culling of birds and destruction of eggs and feed material to control further spread of the disease. The virus has been contained in the affected area,' it added.

Culling has been announced within a radius of three kilometres of the infected area.

In addition, surveillance has been ordered in surrounding areas up to 10 km.

Surveillance has also been intensified throughout the state to monitor further spread of infection.

The central government has advised the state to ban movement of poultry and poultry products in the infected area and to close poultry and egg markets and shops within a radius of 10 km from the infected site.

They have suggested a ban on the movement of farm personnel, restricting access to wild and stray birds and stopping access to infected premises.

As regards compensation for loss of poultry on account of culling and destruction of birds, the central government will share costs on a 50:50 basis with the state, the statement said.

'The payment of compensation should be ensured immediately and simultaneously to culling,' it said.

The last outbreak took place during February-March in Tripura. The country was declared free from the disease on July 4.

India, others making efforts to save children, women: UN

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:34:15 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 20 - Countries around the world, including India, are making significant progress in efforts to save the lives of women and children who die of preventable causes, though the goal of saving 16 million lives by 2015 is still a long way off, a UN report said Tuesday.

'Saving the Lives of 16 million', the progress report on UN's 'Every Woman Every Child' initiative which was launched last year, said over 50 countries, which include India, have joined the effort.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement: 'One year on, we are seeing the result that Every Woman Every Child was meant to achieve. The number of mothers dying from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes is decreasing, and the number of children surviving beyond their fifth birthday has grown'.

'This is an important start - but we have a long way to go to reach our goal of saving 16 million lives by 2015 and securing the well-being of every woman and every child,' he said.

The progress report said that some countries, like Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and Nepal, governments are matching their investment with effective national policies and a better delivery system.

'In Burkina Faso, new commitments made to provide free family planning, improved emergency obstetric and neonatal care, and subsidized birth and child healthcare services have already been costed and included in the health ministry's plan of ation,' the report said.

'In Nepal, the commitments made to Every Woman Every Child are all included in the national health strategy of 2010-2015. In Bangladesh, the government committed to train 3,000 new midwives by 2015. The first class of midwives graduated in May 2011,' it added.

In India, M. Ayyappan, chairman of LifeSpring Hospitals, which is a member of the United Nations Development Programme's Business Call for Action, spoke of the importance of the role of the private sector in meeting public health needs.

'Our expanding operations in India demonstrate the true potential of private sector solutions to meet public health needs - perhaps most powerfully in the areas of maternal health and childhood vaccinations, both of which are recognised in Millennium Development Goals four and five,' Ayyappan said.

The report said all stakeholders - governments, civil society and private players - need to give commitments to achieve the goal. The commitments can be at the policy level, service delivery and financial commitment.

Yoga effective in treating psychiatric disorders

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:22:16 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 20 - Yoga, whose all-round benefits are increasingly being accepted across the world, has now been found useful in treating mental and psychiatric disorders, a number of scientific studies have found.

'Some believe that yoga should be used only for prevention and health promotion and not as a therapy for illnesses,' said B.N. Gangadhar, who heads the psychiatry department at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences - here.

'The reality is that it is being increasingly used as a method for treating various disorders, either alone or as in addition to other therapies, including psychiatric ones,' Gangadhar, also director, Advanced Centre for Yoga at NIMHANS, told IANS.

A study co-authored by Gangadhar and three associates examined the effect of yoga as a therapy supplementing medical treatment of schizophrenia, a severe mental condition, which registers failure rates as high as 50 to 60 percent. The condition is ranked as the ninth leading cause of mental disability worldwide.

Roughly half of 61 schizophrenia patients were randomly assigned to yoga therapy and the other half to physical exercise for four months. Ten from each group had dropped out during the therapy.

The yoga therapy group showed significantly greater improvement in mental or behavioural disorders than those in the physical exercise group. The yoga group also performed better in social and occupational functioning.

Some of the symptoms of schizophrenia are hallucinations -, delusions - and disorganized thinking and speech, which render the patient's life chaotic and distressful.

Another study led by Gangadhar found that Sudarshan Kriya Yoga - significantly lowered stress by bringing down high plasma cortisol levels among patients, which indicate stress or illness. SKY is a method of breath control pioneered by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living Foundation.

Similarly, M. Javanbakht, a psychiatrist at Iran's Islamic Azad University, and others found yoga eased mental conditions such as depression and anxiety in women.

Participants in Iran were assigned to two groups: one that went through two yoga sessions of 90 minutes each every week for two months and another which did not do any yoga. Women in the yoga group registered a significant decrease in anxiety and depression levels.

Complementary and alternative medicine -, which includes yoga, is now being increasingly used for easing anxiety, stress and depression. Some studies suggest that the percentage of patients availing themselves of CAM could be as high as 60 percent, said Gangadhar.

'A functional brain imaging study at NIMHANS demonstrated that chanting of Aum deactivated certain brain areas bearing on our emotions, particular anger and fear, -,' said psychiatry associate professor Shivarama Varambally.

'This indicates that Aum chanting may help in emotional control and reduce negative emotions,' Varambally added.

Johns Hopkins University's Arthritis Centre reports that scientific studies on the effect of yoga on rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are 'promising,' with results showing 'some improvement in joint health, physical functioning, and mental/ emotional well-being.'

The centre suggests that such studies show yoga is a 'safe and effective' way to increase muscle strength and improve flexibility, areas of core interests to arthritis sufferers. Besides, yoga can increase mental energy and help a patient develop positive feelings and help keep negative feelings in check.

Yoga, derived from a Sanskrit word meaning 'yoke,' is designed to integrate one's body, mind and soul so that the entire system functions harmoniously.

'Many might argue that such a time-tested practice does not require any proof, but contemporary medicine can accept yoga only after thorough validation through scientific tests,' Gangadhar concluded.

-

Does maternal mortality make headlines in India?

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:32:48 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 19 - Despite the urgency of the issue and shocking facts like 20 percent of maternal deaths in the world happening in India, stories on maternal health and maternal mortality find little space in the mainstream media, a veteran journalist said Monday.

In her lecture here Monday, senior journalist Usha Rai said: 'Maternal death is not making headlines in India. There are various factors to it.'

One reason, she said, was the advent of paid news.

'As it is there is a limitation of space and journalists have to try hard to convince their editors to push for their stories which will grip the reader. Then there are paid news items. Space is limited,' Rai said.

'In this context, when NGOs push for a story, they should focus on a peg, give exclusives and organise field trips because that's where the case studies emerge and the journalists get a first hand experience of the situation,' she added.

While finding space for such stories, which are still put in the 'soft story' bracket, is difficult, Rai said that consistent efforts in reporting such issues do pay off.

'It's not that these stories don't appear in newspapers at all. Consistent efforts do pay off and such journalists who are really committed to the issue should be recognised by the NGOs and they should remain in touch with them,' she said.

Pushing for such stories in other media, like social networking sites, was also harped upon.

Aparajita Gogoi of the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, India, who organised the lecture said: 'We are planning to start a campaign on Twitter on safe motherhood campaign along with our celebrity partners so that the cause can reach out to a maximum number of people'.

New way to treat heart blocks: Drug eluting balloon

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 16:30:10 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 18 - Drug eluting balloon - technology is a relatively newer and simpler way to treat heart blockages and experts say it is more effective and cheaper than drug eluting stents -.

According to Praveen Chandra, head of interventional cardiology at Medanta Medicity hospital in Gurgaon, the DEB technique is also safer than DES.

'DEB is a relatively new treatment which is effective in treating blockages in blood vessels around the heart. It also proves to be useful in reducing blockages that might occur inside a stent,' Chandra said.

A stent is a spring-like structure, usually of metal, that is inserted in a clogged blood vessel to create a passage for the smooth flow of blood.

'DEB is a balloon-like structure that is inserted in the blocked artery and then inflated for 30 seconds to administer an anti-proliferative drug. The balloon is withdrawn as the drug penetrates the artery wall,' Chandra explained.

Introducing Biotronik's Pantera Lux Paclitaxel Releasing Balloon -, an advanced DEB device at Medanta Medicity, Chandra pointed out that DEB is almost 40 percent cheaper compared to stents.

Unlike the balloon technology, DES carries with it life-threatening medical complications like in-stent blockages that can cause a heart attack and even death.

Elaborating, Ran Kornowski of Israel's Rabin Medical Center, said: 'Drug eluting stents increase the risk of blood clotting which increases the blockages in arteries over the metal stents.

'When the blockage occurs, it is life threatening as the patient may suffer a heart attack or even die. In DEB, the balloon releases an anti-proliferative drug and is removed as the drug penetrates the artery wall.'

Another problem with DES is patients have to continue with blood thinning medicine after angioplasty using stents to avoid blood clots. With DEB, the patient can even discontinue the medication as they are not using a stent to open up a blood vessel.

'There is an emergent need to address the in-stent restonsis - in our country, with this new - treatment which is safe and cheap can be easily availed of by the common man,' Naresh Trehan, managing director, Medanta Medicity, said.

-

Assam to get $2.5 mn from UN body for rural hygiene

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 12:05:21 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 18 - Assam has been allocated $2.5 million by a UN body to help improve hygiene in rural areas, stressing on the economic gains that would follow 'when people spend less money on preventable sanitation-related diseases'.

India is among 10 countries - seven African and three Asian - which have been identified for a five-year project. India

loses $53.4 billion annually due to poor sanitation and hygiene, according to a recent report by the World Bank's Water and Sanitation Programme.

The Global Sanitation Fund - under the Geneva-based Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council - has launched a special programme towards promoting sustainable sanitation in rural India, with special focus on Jharkhand state as well as Assam, a state with a population of around 31 million.

The target population is 8 to 10 million in select locations - or 1.5 to 1.8 million households - in the two states, David Trouba, WSSCC programme officer for communications, told IANS in an email from Geneva.

Noting the UN body's mission is to achieve sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene for all, he said the programme seeks to respond to the challenges in the Indian rural sanitation scenario.

Initially, eight focus districts have been chosen in Assam for implementing the project-Kamrup, Sonitpur, Hailakandi, Jorhat, Nalbari, Goalpara, Nagaon and Cachar.

A GSF report states that Assam, despite reporting about 75 percent rural household sanitation coverage, presents significant technological challenges on account of a large flood-prone area, two hill districts with unique socio-cultural and geophysical circumstances and because it is part of the 'often neglected' northeast.

Bihar and Orissa remain an option for future consideration for implementing the GSF programme.

Trouba said the development of the GSF programme in India has involved consultations with the government and civil society organisations within the state and would focus on the districts where the sanitation status is poor.

However, the GSF is not a technologically-oriented - or hardware-based - fund, Trouba said.

'It is more focussed on 'software'. It funds programming which uses information, education and communication approaches that create awareness,' he said.

Trouba said a 'beautiful thing about sanitation' was that, once achieved, it yields many benefits such as improvements in human health, better economic well-being for individuals and for regions, a cleaner environment, and more dignity for people themselves.

'Economic gains come when people spend less money on preventable sanitation-related diseases such as diarrhoea, when girls can go to school because there is a separate toilet for them and thus become more educated and more productive contributors to society when a good sanitation and hygiene market is created, and entrepreneurs find jobs through it. All of these impacts we expect to see in Assam,' he said.

Commenting on the World Bank report that said India lost $53.4 billion annually due to poor sanitation and hygiene, Trouba said the GSF plans to help turn such losses into gains through improved sanitation and better hygiene in Assam.

The global body will work alongside NGOs to help it out. Organisations like Sulabh International, WaterAid India and Unicef could partner the GSF programme. Government programmes like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan will also be used for coverage.

It will also promote the use of 'locally appropriate technological options'. Technology less robust against floods, or something that local people or communities find 'culturally inappropriate' or just plain unaffordable, would not be promoted, Trouba said.

The state government will play a key role in planning and supervision of the project, Trouba said. The project was launched in Assam June 19.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has welcomed the GSF programme and expressed the hope that it will help the poor and marginalised rural people improve their sanitation situation and quality of life in the state.

The WSSCC has collaborations in more than 30 countries.

The grant for Jharkhand and the number of target villages is the same as Assam. Jharkhand's population, according to the 2011 census, is around 33 million.

-

Gadkari recovers after diabetes, weight loss surgery

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:32:43 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Mumbai, Sep 14 - Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari, who underwent a surgical procedure related to diabetes Tuesday, is likely to be discharged in a couple of days, according to an official statement here Wednesday. The procedure also leads to weight loss.

'Gadkari, who underwent a successful gastric bypass surgery for treatment of type-2 diabetes at Saifee Hospital, is progressing well,' his surgeon Muffazal Lakdawala said.

A gastric bypass surgery makes the stomach smaller, leading to an altered response to food intake.

He is progressing well and his sugar level is now under control, Lakdawala said.

Gadkari is likely to be discharged in a couple of days from the hospital, but has been advised rest for at least a week or so, he added.

The BJP chief, a known diabetic, has had poor control on his sugar levels in the past few months. He had developed early diabetic nephropathy despite the best currently available medical management.

'His sugar was not getting controlled for sometime and hence he decided to undergo a gastric bypass surgery for treating the type-2 diabetes,' a party office-bearer said.

19 children dead in Bihar, encephalitis suspected

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:51:50 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Patna, Sep 12 - With three more children dying, encephalitis is now suspected to have claimed 19 young lives in Bihar, an official said Monday even as the state is running short of kits to diagnose the disease.

The three children died at Anugrah Narain Medical College and Hospital - in Gaya, about 100 km from here, said a district health official. Sixteen children had earlier died of suspected encephalitis.

The children reported high fever, followed by bouts of unconsciousness and convulsions.

Ditaram Prasad, superintendent of the hospital, said till date nearly 50 children with suspected encephalitis had been admitted there for treatment.

'Most of the children were from rural areas of Gaya and neighbouring districts,' he said. 'More than a dozen children are battling for life,' he said.

Health Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey said measures were being taken to check the spread of the disease.

A district administration official said suspected encephalitis hit Gaya in 2009, 2007 and 2005 and killed dozens of children.

Fear of encephalitis is haunting the Patna Medical College and Hospital - here with 34 samples having tested positive in the last one and a half months.

Ironically, the state health department is running short of Japanese encephalitis kits to test for the infection.

'In view of the seriousness of the issue, ANMCH and PMCH have sent an SOS to the National Institute of Virology, Pune to send the kits soon to diagnose the brain fever,' an official of the health department, told IANS.

Two months ago, 51 children died in Muzaffarpur district but the state government is yet to confirm these as encephalitis deaths.

Last month, union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad informed the Rajya Sabha that clinical and epidemiological data suggested it was an outbreak of acute encephalitis syndrome, resulting in 150 cases and 55 deaths, mostly among children.

In a written reply, the minister said these cases were reported from early June to mid-July from Muzaffarpur and its bordering areas in Bihar.

Doctors call off strike in Maharashtra

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:39:27 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Mumbai, Sep 11 - Over 3,000 striking doctors across Maharashtra Sunday evening called off their protest that began three days ago after officials ensured them of meeting their demands.

Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors Vice President Manoj Agalawe from Sion Hospital here said that owing to assurance from authorities and increasing inconvenience to patients, the strike has been called off.

'Our talks with Mumbai's Municipal Commissioner Subodh Kumar had been positive Saturday. We met DMER - director P.S. Shingare. He has assured that the problems related with steep hike in college fees and better hostel facilities will be looked into,' Agalawe said.

Medical services in Maharashtra were hit since Thursday when over 500 doctors struck work pressing for enhanced security at hospitals and sharper surveillance.

By Saturday, over 3,000 resident doctors in government hospitals across the state went on an indefinite strike to press for their demands

Patients at various hospitals were hard pressed to find a doctor. Department heads at various hospitals said over 50 percent of their scheduled surgeries had to be postponed.

According to Pankaj Nalawade of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors from KEM Hospital, three government hospitals in Mumbai that come under the municipal corporation have major security issues.

He also identified 11 government hospitals across the state which do not have adequate security for doctors.

'The DMER has agreed to set up a security committee for each hospital within seven days and they shall review the requirements of each hospital,' he said.

The stir was triggered after a physically challenged doctor at the state-run Sion Hospital was assaulted by a patient's kin.

Angered by the death of a 10-month-old girl, relatives assaulted the on-duty resident doctor, Vishnu Dhadwad, at the hospital Wednesday. His colleagues who tried to intervene were also beaten up.

The infant, Sadia Siddique, was brought to the hospital Sep 3 for lower respiratory tract infection.

According to the doctors, she was recovering well and was moved to the general ward. However, her condition deteriorated and she was put in the intensive care unit where she died.

Doctors' strike hits Maharashtra, talks fail

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 21:51:53 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Mumbai, Sep 10 - Medical services in Maharashtra were severely hit Saturday as over 3,000 resident doctors in government hospitals across the state went on an indefinite strike to press for enhanced security at hospitals, even as talks with authorities proved unsuccessful, doctors said.

Patients at various hospitals were hard pressed to find a doctor. Department heads at various hospitals said that more than 50 percent of their scheduled surgeries had to be postponed.

'We had two meetings today - one with the Mumbai's Municipal Commissioner Subodh Kumar and the other with the director of DMER - Dr P.S. Shingare. While the municipal commissioner has agreed to most of our demands, Shingare has asked for some time to look into the matter,' said Pankaj Nalawade of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors - from KEM Hospital.

Nalawade said three government hospitals in Mumbai that come under the municipal corporation have major security issues. He also identified 11 government hospitals across the state which do not have adequate security for doctors.

'We have scheduled a meeting with Shingare Sunday and are awaiting a positive outcome. Till then, we continue to strike work,' Nalawade said.

The stir was triggered after a physically challenged doctor at the state-run Sion Hospital here was assaulted by a patient's kin.

Angered by the death of a 10-month-old baby girl, relatives assaulted the on-duty resident doctor, Vishnu Dhadwad, at the hospital Wednesday. His colleagues who tried to intervene were also beaten up.

The infant, Sadia Siddique, was brought to Sion Hospital Sep 3 for lower respiratory tract infection. According to the doctors, she was recovering well and was moved to the general ward. However, her condition deteriorated and she was put in the intensive care unit, where she died Wednesday.

'Dr. Vishnu, who is physically challenged, sustained bruises and a fractured right hand,' said Yogesh Pawar of MARD from Sion Hospital. 'Relatives of patients beat up doctors every now and then. There is not enough security. This has to stop.'

Around 400 doctors from Nagpur's government hospitals also joined Saturday's strike. 'Manhandling and assault of doctors should stop. Authorities have to see to it that doctors are provided with proper security,' said Bhausaheb Munde of MARD, Nagpur.

This is the ninth such incident this year, Nalawade said, while reiterating MARD's demand for better CCTV surveillance and security in hospitals. 'We keep voicing our concerns but they fall on deaf ears.'

RML Hospital's unsung heroes in Delhi blast

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 18:05:54 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 10 - They are the unsung heroes of the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital - and their worth came to the fore when Delhi High Court blast victims started pouring in, carried by wailing ambulances Wednesday.

They are the cleaners and porters of Sulabh International -- a non-government organisation that deploys 460 such people in shifts at RML alone - who were instrumental in bringing bloodied victims to speedy medical attention and ensuring hygiene in post-trauma care.

'We got a call from the police and scores of patients came in after 10.30 a.m.,' Sulabh International adviser Neeraj Kumar Singh told IANS. 'The ambulances stretched up to Mandir Marg. The porters were deployed to bring in victims to the trauma centre.'

Thirteen people were killed and 95 injured when an explosives-rigged briefcase blew up at Gate 5 of the high court complex during the morning peak hour. RML is close to the blast site and many of the victims were rushed there.

These cleaners and porters, hired by the hospital in 2003, also work round-the-clock to maintain hygiene and cleanliness in the emergency wards of the hospital, where the blast survivors have been admitted.

'There is no special training that we receive,' trauma centre cleaner Rajesh said. 'But we have to be strong and determined to attend to such cases of mass casualties.' The teenager said he remained calm as mangled and mutilated bodies were brought in.

'Some of them had their limbs hanging, some were bleeding profusely,' Rajesh said. 'The patients needed immediate care without further trauma -- that is all we knew.'

Special hygiene had to be maintained for the grievously injured patients as the chances of infection seeping through their wounds were high.

'Open wounds, heavy bleeding and the presence of nails increase infection risk in emergency wards,' another worker, Mukesh, said. 'We have learnt over the years how to take care in such situations.'

He has no memory of how many patients they carried that day. 'Things just happened and there was no time to stop and think about what we were doing,' he said.

Clad in blue-and-orange uniforms, these workers' first task was to pool in stretchers at the trauma centre and disaster ward. A team of 22 supervisors coordinated this step in trauma management.

This is the story at RML alone. Victims were also admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences -, Safdarjung Hospital, and the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan Hospital.

Southeast Asia to give health issues more priority

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:16:27 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Jaipur, Sep 9 - Health ministers and officials from 11 southeast Asian countries Friday resolved to give higher priority to key health issues like HIV-Aids, routine immunisation and nutrition in the region, a statement said.

Delegates attending the 64th session of the World Health Organisation - Regional Committee for southeast Asia agreed on new strategic directions and passed resolutions on strengthening the community-based health workforce and the national essential drug policy.

'While 5 lakh children die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases in the region, about 10 million children are not covered by routine immunisation,' said the statement.

The delegates adopted a resolution to make 2012 the year of intensification of routine immunisation in the region to increase and sustain immunisation coverage and organise an annual immunisation week in April.

'Seventy percent of the world's malnourished children reside in the SEA region. Many also suffer from several micronutrient deficiencies like iron and iodine,' the statement said.

According to WHO, the region has the second highest burden of HIV in the world after sub-Saharan Africa with an estimated 3.5 million infected people.

More Mumbai doctors strike work demanding safety

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:30:47 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Mumbai, Sep 9 - Resident doctors of two other Mumbai hospitals Friday joined their counterparts at Sion hospital who are on an indefinite strike to protest aginst the assault on their colleagues by a patient's kin.

'Resident doctors of KEM and Nair Hospitals have also joined in the strike to support the doctor who was assaulted by a patient's kin,' said Pankaj Nalawade of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors -.

Angered by the death of their 10-month-old baby girl, relatives assaulted on-duty resident doctors at Sion hospital Wednesday.

Vishnu Dhadwad, who was treating the patient, was locked in a room and beaten up. 'Dr. Vishnu, who is physically challenged, sustained bruises and a fractured right hand,' said Yogesh Pawar of MARD from Sion Hospital.

'The doctors who tried to intervene were also beaten up,' he added. 'Relatives of patients beat up doctors every now and then. There is not enough security to protect the doctors. This has to stop.'

Doctors also complained of repeated lapse in security provided to doctors outside each ward in these hospitals. 'This is the ninth such incident this year,' said Nalawade. 'We keep voicing our concerns, but they fall on deaf ears.'

Only resident doctors have struck work. 'While we realise that other patients need to be attended to, we also want our concerns to be addressed,' Dr Pawar said. 'We are not only fighting for ourselves, but for the patients too.'

Sadia Siddique, a 10-month-old baby girl, was brought to Sion Hospital Sunday for treatment of lower respiratory tract infection. According to the doctors, she had to be shifted to the paediatric intensive care unit as her condition deteriorated.

Two days after blast, pain and prayers continue

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:33:26 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 9 - More than 30 people wounded in the Delhi High Court bombing that left 13 dead remained warded in hospitals Friday, with doctors saying four were in critical condition.

All four were warded in the Intensive Care Unit - of Ram Manohar Lohia - Hospital. All of them took splinters, shrapnel and nails in their lower pelvic area.

'We are trying our best, we never lose hope on any patient till the last moment,' Sunil Saxena, head of the Accidents and Emergency Department, told IANS.

At least 13 people were killed and nearly 100 injured when a powerful bomb concealed in a briefcase and left at a crowded gate of the court exploded Wednesday morning.

The last person to succumb to his injuries was an official from the Tuticorin Port Trust in Tamil Nadu who was seriously injured in the legs. He died Thursday night at the hospital.

While most of the injured were rushed to RML Hospital in the heart of Delhi, some were shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences where two people are still undergoing treatment.

Two patients -- Ronald, 62, and Sanjay Goel, 36 -- moved out of RML Hospital against medical advice. Both, doctors said, have taken admission in private hospitals.

Detectives have spoken to several of the injured, except the most critically wounded, to know their background -- in the unlikely chances of discovering that one of them could be the elusive bomber.

After two days of intense media glare and VIP visits, the crowds had thinned Friday at the RML Hospital.

Saxena said that Home Secretary R.K. Singh and officials from the Prime Minister's Office visited the injured Friday morning and handed over compensation cheques.

Between the Prime Minister's Office and the Delhi government, Rs.5 lakh will be paid to the families of the dead. The survivors will get varying amounts dependent on the nature of their injuries.

Among the anguished visitors of the injured, some were happy their patients had shown improvement. Others continued to complain that the RML Hospital was not forthcoming with information, more so at night.

'It is difficult to get information, specially during the night,' moaned Sudarshan Kumar, whose relative Rajesh Kumar is still at RML Hospital. 'We are poor, we can't shift him to a private hospital.'

Jaspal Kaur, wife of Tarsen Singh, who was injured in the blast, said: 'Initially they were not letting us meet him, but now that he is improving they allowed us to meet him.

'He has undergone three surgeries. I hope I am able to take him home soon,' said the woman from Mehrauli in south Delhi. The couple have two children.

Over 50 percent deaths from non-communicable diseases: Azad

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:52:55 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 8 - About 50.5 percent of deaths in India occur due to non-communicable diseases - like diabetes, respiratory diseases, cancers and cardiovascular diseases, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said here Thursday.

Chairing a meeting of parliament's consultative committee on health, Azad said these diseases are taking a heavy burden world over, but particularly in India.

Globally, an estimated 60.3 percent people die of these diseases.

Quoting World Health Organisation -, Azad said more than 20 percent of the population has at least one of these diseases, while 10 percent has more than one.

Seeing a global increase of NCD, Azad said the UN General Assembly is planning a two-day special session on these diseases on Sep 19 and 20 in New York.

Keeping the situation in mind, the minister said they have already launched various programmes.

One of them is the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke. He said the ministry has started it on pilot basis in 100 districts since October last year.

The programme will be extended to the entire country during the 12th Five Year Plan from 2012-17, the minister added.

He said early detection and timely treatment will lead to increase in cure rate and survival and reduction in exposure to risk factors.

Those who attended the meeting included BJP leader and former health minister C.P. Thakur, Shiv Sena leader Bhavana P. Gawli-Patil and Congress' Moti Lal Vora and Girija Vyas. Also present were Ministers of State for Health S. Gandhiselven and Sudip Bandyopadhyay.

Blast victims' kin ask politicians to stay off hospitals

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:42:29 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 8 - Relatives of the Delhi High Court blast victims at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital are 'very angry' with VIPs who thronged the venue Wednesday. 'Politicians, keep off!' seems to be their message.

Vinod Bakshi's 34-year-old brother, Mridul, is battling for life in the ICU. Vijay Kumar's 26-year-old son, Vinay, is being treated for shrapnel injuries. Both strongly agree that there should be no VIP movement in hospitals in the first 12 hours of such emergencies.

'VIP visits bring unnecessary pressure on the hospital staff,' said Vijay Kumar.

Bakshi agreed: 'Instead of giving care to the patients, they are expected to 'attend' to the politicians. The VIPs are more concerned about their publicity and use the opportunity to blame each other. This does not help the common man.'

Barring Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who personally met the blast victims and their relatives Wednesday night, the likes of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Home Minister P. Chidambaram failed to meet blast victims or their kin. The terror strike has killed 12 people and left 96 injured.

While they expresed anger against the VIPs, the relatives of the blast victims had words of praise for the RML staff: 'They have been giving their best.'

Vinod said, following instructions from the prime minister, he was receiving hourly briefings on the condition of his brother.

Harishankar, whose brother Radhey Shyam, 60, is undergoing treatment, said: 'I would not have been able to afford such expensive medicines.'

He too felt VIP movement 'affected' medical attention in the initial few hours.

Every bit an example of grit, Radhey Shyam, who lost his left leg below the knee, is still shocked after the blast. 'I somehow managed to pick up my lower leg which had blown away. It was total chaos at Gate 5 with blood splattered all around me. The police took me to the hospital,' he told IANS.

PM, wife pledge to donate eyes

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:41:37 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 8 - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur Thursday pledged to donate their eyes -- on the occasion of National Eye Donation Day.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office -, Manmohan Singh and Gursharan Kaur signed a form to this effect.

The couple said in a joint statement: 'We are aware that there are innumerable corneal blind patients in our country for whom the gift of sight will be a priceless one.

'We hope that people across the country will rise to the occasion and support the National Programme for Control of Blindness and help their fellow brethren.'

They also lauded the National Eye Bank and corneal transplantation teams at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here and across the country for their efforts to illuminate the lives to those in need.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are 284 million visually impaired people in the world -- 39 million are blind and 245 have low vision.

About 90 percent of them live in developing countries.

Eye donation means donating one's corneas after his or her death. In India, there are many organisations that act as eye banks that facilitate removal of corneas and distribute them to the needy.

Cornea is a clear tissue -- a focusing element -- that covers the front of the eye. People suffering from corneal blindness only can benefit from eye donations through corneal grafting.

State run telecom companies BSNL and MTNL have a toll free number 1919 all over the country to facilitate easy access to the nearest eye bank.

Gen Now mantra is ticking bomb for heart attacks!

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:17:43 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 8 - Working 16 hours a day to climb the corporate ladder, puffing away at 20 cigarettes, life condensed in a laptop, Gen Now that lives by the mantra 'work hard, party harder' is now the ticking bomb for cardiovascular diseases, experts say, noting that the age for heart attacks has reduced.

Researchers point to the 'increasingly high risk of heart diseases in the urban youth' who are not aware of their risk status despite improvement in awareness levels.

'The causes for heart diseases are the same - tobacco use, physical inactivity and an unhealthy diet.

'The major change has been in the age pattern that is coming down to the 30s, especially targeting those with a corporate lifestyle,' R.R. Kasliwal, chairman of the clinical and preventive ideology division at Medanta heart institute, told IANS.

'In the Indian situation, people are getting vulnerable to the risk factors in their 20s, while the age of heart attack could fall in the late 30s,' he added.

According to a study, among 4,900 office executives, nearly half were found to be suffering from hypertension, around 40 percent were diabetic and an alarming 43 percent were suffering from metabolic disorders and obesity.

'We were shocked to observe that half of the individuals with hypertension were not aware of the fact that they had high blood pressure. The proportion is growing among this strata that has lost control of its life,' said Kasliwal, the author of the study that observed the risk factors of participants.

The prevalence of risk factors for heart diseases increased in a span of five years - in the urban north Indian population that was sampled, the study noted.

The study considered the section to have greater access to healthcare and belonging to a relatively affluent section.

The World Health Organisation - adds to the worrying trends depicted by Indian researchers, saying eight out of every 10 deaths in urban India are caused by non-communicable diseases - such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.

Experts feel the trend of early occurrence of coronary heart diseases among younger people finds its roots in obesity.

Said Fortis Hospital Director and Head of Department - Anoop Misra: 'The radical change in lifestyle of the young population has triggered many genetic changes.

'Exercise is hardly there, working hours have changed, absence of regular sleep, intake of junk food and stress about the stiff competition faced by youth have increased.'

'These are epigenetic changes -- where the environment causes the change in hormones. Now we suggest regular health check-ups from the age of 25,' Misra, former head of the department of medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences -, told IANS.

The rise in coronary heart disease among younger people has resulted in an increase in patients going for coronary artery bypass graft - surgery. Interestingly, a high prevalence of cardiac disease risk factors are seen even after the surgery.

'In the last three decades, the average age of first heart attack has increased by 10 years in the US but has decreased by 10 years in India. Even after a CABG surgery -, patients are found to have risk factors such as hypertension and dyslipidemia,' Kasliwal explained.

High cholesterol is found in patients even post-surgery. Bad cholesterol increases if the patient continues to smoke, consume alcohol, or the lifestyle does not change, experts warn.

Ask the doctors about the way forward, and the whip comes on the employers.

'There has to be a two-sided approach by the youngsters and the employers. Why can't changes be introduced at the workplace -- have mandatory gyms, healthier options at cafeterias and so on?' Misra asked.

-

Azad mourns slow work on drug-resistant microbes

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 21:08:58 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Jaipur, Sep 6 - Even as 11 nations of the Southeast Asian Region have committed to strengthen policies on microbial agents resistant to drugs, union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Tuesday said that the country has seen 'negligible development in the field of new anti-microbial agents'.

'Despite technological advancements in the field of health, there has been negligible development in the field of new anti-microbial agents. Lack of attention to this problem can hinder us from attaining the Millennium Development Goals -,' Azad said at the inauguration of the 64th Regional Committee Session of the South-East Asian Region of the World Health Organisation - here.

The MDGs adopted by world leaders in 2000 are a set of targets to reduce poverty and improve living standards by 2015.

Anti-microbial resistance - helps disease-causing micro-organism to fight the effects of antibiotic or antiviral medicine. The microbes include bacteria, viruses and some parasites.

'The most important driver of anti-microbial resistance is irrational use of anti-microbial agents,' Azad said.

According to WHO, AMR is a consequence of the misuse of anti-microbial medicines and develops when a micro-organism acquires a resistance gene.

Delegations from countries such as Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh among others will participate in deliberations here Sep 7-9 for the WHO committee session.

Delhi poor to get funds for treatment

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 21:02:54 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 6 - The Delhi government Tuesday said it will set up a fund to provide financial assistance to economically weak suffering from life threatening diseases.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

'The government will release an amount of Rs.100 crore as corpus fund to make DAK - functional,' she said.

Initially, the government will release Rs.10 crore to enable DAK to grant assistance in its first year of existence, Dikshit told reporters here.

From the second year, financial assistance will be given from the interest on the corpus fund, which will be deposited in a nationalised bank.

People below poverty line or those on Antodya ration card will be eligible for the scheme. Patients whose annual family income is upto Rs.1 lakh are also eligible.

A patient can get maximum assistance of upto Rs.1.5 lakh per year.

However, in case of treatments like bone-marrow transplantation, kidney transplantation and liver transplantation, the maximum assistance can be increased to Rs.2.5 lakh.

Southeast Asian countries to combat drug resistance: WHO

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:32:24 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Jaipur, Sep 6 - Health ministers from 11 Southeast Asian countries Tuesday adopted the Jaipur Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance committing to preserving the efficacy of antibiotics through rational use and regulation.

'This is the stark reality the world faces. We have taken antibiotics and other antimicrobials for granted, failing to realise that these precious, yet fragile medicines need appropriate care,' said WHO director general Margaret Chan.

The health ministers met to review key health issues in WHO's South-East Asia Region focusing on the prevention and control of non communicable diseases.

The declaration called for urgent measures to control further development of antimicrobial resistance even as it continues to tell member nations of the irrational use of the agents.

'More needs to be done to control resistance to antibiotics and to ensure the rational use of antibiotics in order not to allow development of 'superbugs' in the region,' said Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO's regional director for southeast Asia region.

The declaration lays emphasis on developing national antibiotic policies, to regulate the use of antimicrobial agents and increase vigilance about further resistance.

Delegations from countries such as Pakistan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh among others will be meeting here Sep 7-9 for the 64th session of the WHO Regional Committee, the premier health body's governing wing in the region.

Suspected brain disease kills nine kids in Bihar

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:27:47 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Patna, Sep 6 - Nine children have died of suspected encephalitis, an acute brain infection, in Bihar's Gaya district during the last two weeks, a health official said Tuesday.

The district health official said that in the last 72 hours four children died of suspected encephalitis, an infection that causes inflammation of the brain, at Anugrah Narain Medical College and Hospital in Gaya, about 100 km from here.

'Three children are battling for life,' he said.

Ajay Kishor Ravi, who heads the hospital's children's department, said that till date 36 children with suspected encephalitis were admitted for treatment. Nine of them died.

The children reported high fever, followed by bouts of unconsciousness and convulsions.

Local people termed the mysterious disease as 'chamki ki bimari' and claimed that the symptoms were similar to encephalitis.

Bihar Health Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey said he was not aware of any death due to encephalitis in Gaya.

'I am not aware...till now I have not been informed about any such thing,' he said.

Two months ago 51 children died in Muzaffarpur district but the state government is yet to confirm these as encephalitis deaths.

Last month, union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad informed the Rajya Sabha that clinical and epidemiological data suggested that it was an outbreak of acute encephalitis syndrome, resulting in 150 cases and 55 deaths, mostly among children.

In a written reply, the minister said these cases were reported from early June to mid-July from Muzaffarpur and its bordering areas in Bihar.

HIV positive patients seek action against doctor

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:24:29 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Kolkata, Sep 5 - Wearing black badges, around 100 HIV positive people Monday staged a demonstration outside the West Bengal health department headquarters here demanding punishment for a government doctor whose alleged negligence resulted in an HIV positive patient's death.

Carrying a photograph of victim Milan Das, the demonstrators under the banner of Bengal Network of HIV-positive People - pasted posters on the walls of the building demanding exemplary punishment for the doctor.

'We wanted to meet the health secretary. But he did not meet us. We lit candles and kept a minute's silence,' said Tarit Chakraborty, BNP+ secretary.

Das was admitted to a state-run hospital with a heart problem last month.

'But the hospital kept him without treatment for days. And then transferred him to the School of Tropical Medicine saying they don't have the infrastructure to treat him. But by then it was too late and he died,' alleged Chakraborty.

'We want the attending doctor to be placed under suspension,' he said.

NGO People for Better Treatment's president Kunal Saha said strong action needed to be taken against the erring doctors to ensure justice for the victim's family.

Dutch tourist dies in Rajasthan hospital

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:14:37 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Jaipur, Sep 5 - A 45-year old woman tourist from The Netherlands died at a hospital in Rajasthan's Ajmer town Monday, police said, adding it was suspected to be a case of drug overdose.

The woman, identified only as De Konning, was found unconscious Sunday evening in the Holi Ka Chowk area of the Hindu religious town of Pushakar in Ajmer district that is famous worldwide for its temple to Lord Brahma.

'Earlier, she had created a ruckus in the market Sunday evening, scaring people with her behaviour. Then she fell unconscious in Holi Ka Chowk,' a police officer said.

She was taken to a local hospital from where she was shifted to Jawharlal Nehru Hospital in Ajmer, some 150 km from Jaipur.

'She died while undergoing treatment Monday. The Netherlands embassy has been informed about her death and the post-mortem of the body will be conducted only after their arrival,' said the officer.

He said that the woman had come to Pushkar July 6 and her Indian visa was valid till Sep 14.

40 Indians with Philippines medical degree move court

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:41:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 5 - A group of 40 Indian students, who obtained the doctor of medicine degree from the Philippines, Monday moved the Delhi High Court after the Medical Council of India - allegedly denied them permission to practice in the country.

Taking note of the petition, Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw issued notice to the central government and MCI seeking their response by Nov 21, the next date of hearing.

The court was hearing a bunch of petitions filed against the MCI by 40 students who got their medical degrees from Angeles University Foundation in the Philippines after their 2007-10 course.

The court directed the central government to find out whether the doctor of medicine degree was recognised in the Philippines.

Appearing for the petitioners, counsel K.N. Jayasankar submitted that the MCI gave provisional certificates to practice as doctor to four candidates who passed out from the same university but denied it to others.

He said the petitioners, who hailed from various parts of India, cleared the screening test conducted by MCI for issue of provisional certificates for practice as doctor to foreign medical degree holders.

Even then the council refused to recognise the degree.

MCI's counsel cited the central government's amended gazette notification 2002 listing foreign universities recognised by it.

Auditor slams Lok Nayak Hospital for wastage

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:35:51 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 5 - Delhi government's Lok Nayak hospital carried out 'wasteful expenditure' totalling Rs.14.88 lakh, apart from Rs.75 lakh lost due to unused surgical instruments, according to the comptroller and auditor general - report tabled in the Delhi assembly Friday.

'Scrutiny of records revealed that the hospital had purchased 27,500 non-consumable surgical instruments for different departments costing Rs.1.22 crore in March 2001. After nine years, 28 to 84 percent of the instruments costing Rs 75 lakh were unused,' said the report for the year ending March 2010.

'Had the hospital assessed its requirements realistically, these instruments would not have been lying idle and funds could have been made available to other deserving areas,' the report said.

The central Delhi hospital functions as a tertiary referral centre with over 1,000 commissioned beds.

'-, excess purchase of stents by the hospital resulted in wasteful expenditure of Rs.14.88 lakh,' the report said.

The CAG report added the hospital could not install four modular operation theatres costing Rs.57.23 lakh even two years after receipt.

Indian surgeons help Nigerian woman back on her feet

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 16:43:09 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 5 - In the dim light of a conference room, 65-year-old Margaret Eremionkhale stood in a corner with the help of crutches, closely watching her old videos where she stumbled every time she tried to stand.

The Nigerian entrepreneur is now on the road to recovery after undergoing a three-part surgery, and will be able to walk without the support of crutches in three weeks.

Meet the 'metallic lady' who is now surviving on metallic hips, metallic knees and a metallic spine. Doctors at the capital's Apollo Hospital operated upon the mother of ten a month ago, when the vital joints of her body refused to function properly.

'Since the year 2003, I suffered unbearable pain in knees and back. I was constantly dependent on people around for even walking a few steps,? Eremionkhale said.

'Life has improved by degrees. The pain, physical dependence, suffering -- it's all coming to and end,? she said, with one of her sons sitting alongside.

The mother-son duo flew to India in April after Eremionkhale's daughter suggested that she go to Delhi for treatment.

For doctors, it was rare to see a woman undergo complete joint replacement and yet stand on her own feet in such a short time.

'Margaret's weight was around 100 kgs. Her bones were soft, and she suffered from chronic rheumatoid arthritis. It was a challenge to go for three replacement surgeries despite so many problems,? said Yash Gulati, senior consultant, orthopaedics at Apollo Hopital.

'She is now living on a metallic spine implanted with eight screws. Apart from that, there is total knee replacement and hip replacement,? Gulati added.

The surgery cost the family around Rs.22 lakh -.

According to experts, she was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis -, a long-term disease which leads to inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues. The disease, largely targeting women above the age of 60, may also affect other organs over a period of time.

For Margaret, life will soon begin once she is back in her home town Abuja, where she lives with her grandchildren.

'Being a woman, I never lost hope. I just want to go ahead with the same optimism,? she said.

Lucknow doctors to head two new AIIMS

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:21:01 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Lucknow, Sep 4 - Of the six new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences - coming up in different states, two will be headed by doctors from this Uttar Pradesh capital.

G.K. Singh and Sandeep Kumar -- surgeons working at the century-old King George's Medical College - have been selected to head the new AIIMS at Patna in Bihar and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh respectively.

The other AIIMS are located at Jodhpur in Rajasthan, Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Rishikesh in Uttarakhand and Bhubaneswar in Orissa.

'The decision to set up AIIMS on the lines of the 50-year-old AIIMS in New Delhi was taken by the central government a couple of years ago to make tertiary medical care available to common people in different parts of the country,' Singh told IANS.

'I am told that all the new AIIMS would become functional by 2012,' said Kumar.

Singh is the head of the orthopaedics surgery department and Kumar heads the breast surgery department. Both have had brilliant academic records and wide experience in their respective disciplines.

Singh is an alumnae of King George's Medical College where he topped his batch, while Kumar passed out with a gold medal from the Allahabad Medical College. Both joined King George's Medical College as lecturers and have been teaching there for three decades.

While Singh was a Fellow of the International College of Surgeons, Kumar did his Ph.D from Cardiff University and was a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons.

Singh has the distinction of doing a stint as advisor at the B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Nepal.

Both said they would assume their new offices later this month. The academic session at the Patna and Bhopal AIIMS is expected to commence from 2012.

Many slum, civic body-run school kids have worms: Study

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 12:08:31 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 4 - A high percentage of intestinal worms has been found among children living in slums and those in Municipal Corporation of Delhi --run schools, according to a survey.

Soil-transmitted helminths, commonly known as intestinal worms, are the most common infections worldwide affecting the most deprived communities.

Worm infestations lead to a chronic condition that harms health, nutrition and development of children.

An 18.86 percent of MCD-run school children were found to have helminths. Slum children infested with the parasite were 18.79 percent, while 9.91 percent children of Delhi government schools were found to be carrying worms.

The highest prevalence of this worm was found in northeast Delhi at 26.7 percent, while 25.4 percent children of central Delhi were infested with it, said the study.

'In India, the burden of disease caused by soil-transmitted helminths is enormous. Although these helminths can infest all members of a population, the most vulnerable groups are pre-children, adolescent girls, and women of childbearing age and school-age,' stated the study conducted by Deworm the World, an NGO.

Globally, over 400 million school-age children are estimated to be at high-risk for parasitic worm infestations.

'Despite the extent of this problem, and its serious detrimental impact on children, parasitic worm infestations have been an extremely neglected problem,' says the study.

It was based on a heterogeneous sample of 3,251 children from 40 Delhi government schools. A total of 40 MCD schools with a sample size of 1,108 and 48 slums across Delhi participated.

Vidya Stokes recipe for longevity - no grains for 50 years

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 09:53:36 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Shimla, Sep 4 - 'Age cannot wither her nor can custom stale her infinite variety,' is what Shakespeare wrote for Cleopatra. The same, it seems, could be true for Himachal Pradesh's 'iron lady' and leader of opposition Vidya Stokes, who has been on a non-cereal diet for 50 years.

No grains for this doughty, energetic 84-year-old, who eats salads, soups, vegetables and dal.

And the octogenarian is growing stronger.

'This is the power of food,' Stokes told IANS in an interview.

It began some five decades ago when Stokes, a Congress leader and a long-time administrator of women's hockey, was holidaying in Europe with her husband -.

'During the vacation, I decided to forgo grains,' said Stokes, a prominent apple cultivator in the region.

'We were invited by an Indian friend for a dinner during our stay in Germany. A number of Europeans were also invited. One of the Europeans remarked that 'Indians are literally crazy for grains. They are obsessed with sugar and white flour. They eat a lot of trash most of the time'.'

'Thereafter, I encountered a book written by American nutritionist - Hauser in a bookstore in Germany. As I was going through the book, I was making up my mind to forgo grains as they cause obesity, excess release of fat-promoting insulin and trigger digestive problems,' she said.

She returned to India, astonishing everybody with her decision to stop eating grains. No more rice or chapatis for her.

'Initially, I had to face a lot of problems, especially from my husband. He was quite upset with my decision of not savouring even non-vegetarian dishes. My family members used to laugh at me,' recalled Stokes, whose family is credited with pushing Himachal Pradesh's apple boom.

'This is my secret of staying fit and active. There are a lot of people who are regularly consuming grains that make them sick... I still don't take medicines,' she said.

Stokes, who was power minister in Himachal Pradesh from 2003 to 2007, loves a banana or an apple with yoghurt or low-calorie biscuits in breakfast.

Her lunch is usually baked vegetables and a soup. And dinner comprises 'dal' and salads.

But she indulges her sweet tooth, even eating a gulab jamun now and then.

'After dinner every day, I yearn for a low-calorie sweet dish,' she said.

Stokes believes: 'If you're not ready to give up grains, make sure you eat the best quality grains, especially organic. These can be eaten in sprouted or soaked.'

Stokes' father-in-law Satyanand -, an American missionary, first introduced high quality apples in the Kotgarh-Thanedar belt in upper Shimla in the early 1920s.

Stokes now manages most of her family's orchards.

She also loves collecting dolls, some rare ones handpicked from across the globe. She gifted some of them to the International Dolls Museum in Chandigarh.

After putting in more than four decades in state politics, Stokes, who is known in political circles for her proximity to the Gandhi family, said: 'I think I should have another term. If you are physically and mentally fit, there is no harm in continuing.'

'I am a soft-spoken politician... It's my strength, not weakness. By the way, I am stronger than many others as I have no vested interests in politics,' she said.

-

Missing Rajasthan official's wife hospitalised

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:33:50 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Jaipur, Sep 3 - The wife of missing Rajasthan official Naveen Jain was Saturday admitted to the intensive care unit - of a hospital here after she took ill, an official said.

Jain, an Indian Administrative Service - officer, has remained untraced for the fourth day Sunday. Sawai Man Singh Hospital authorities said his wife Sunita Jain was not having food properly since his disappearance and is suffering from acute anxiety.

'Her family members brought her to the hospital around 6 p.m. and after a brief observation, she was admitted to the ICU keeping in view her condition. She is likely to get treatment here at least for a day,? a hospital doctor told IANS.

Police have failed to locate Jain even four days after he went missing from a restaurant in the state's Alwar district Tuesday morning.

Jain, 36, was posted as commissioner in the state's settlement department in Jaipur. He left behind a note for his wife and son that they should take care of themselves.

According to police, Jain had gone to a restaurant in Shahajanpur, some 150 km from here, along with his wife and son for breakfast.

'While they were having food, Jain got up from the table on the pretext of making a call and walked out,' said Additional Superintendent of Police Sangram Singh.

Jain then left a note in their car parked outside.

'In the note, he repented that he had not been able to provide a house to his family. He said that he was going somewhere and should not be disturbed,' said the officer.

The entire state police machinery was jolted into action following the officer's disappearance. Teams were sent to Haryana and Delhi and exit routes of the state were being checked.

Sources said Jain was transferred to Jaipur in the first week of August from Baran, where he was posted as district collector.

Sunita earlier claimed that he was depressed because of the controversy over allotment of an official residence to him.

'He was depressed after it was alleged that he had taken possession of a government bungalow in Jaipur illegally. The truth is he had got verbal approval to move into the house and the process of written approval was undergoing,' she told media persons.

Jain, who belongs to Haryana, had also been district collector in Hanumangarh, Karauli and Rajsamand districts of Rajasthan.

Singapore doctors promote organ donation

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:25:15 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 3 - A team of doctors from Singapore on a visit here said Saturday that people should not hesitate in donating kidney and liver to help the needy.

The surgeons are on a visit to promote the latest developments in liver and kidney transplant and optimising organ donation, ethically.

?Today there are no medical barriers but only mental barriers. People are still afraid of donating their organs,? said Roger Tan, a nephrologist at Singapore?s Parkway hospital.

?There are cases galore where a patient?s condition has gone from bad to worse because we are not able to find a suitable donor,? he added.

The doctors said that unlike India where the law states that only a relative can donate his or her kidney to a patient, in Singapore there was no such law.

?It offers a window to that small number of patients who can?t find a donor due to this law,? said gastroenterologist Lai Wai Kwan Vincent.

The human organs transplantation legislation in India allows organ donation only from close relative. This has however given way to illegal trade in organs. An amendment in the legislation is proposed to ease the norms.

The Transplantation of Human Organs - Bill, which has been passed by parliament and now has to be notified, eases the norms allowing swapping of organs. A pair of donor and recipient who are near relatives but whose organs do not medically match for transplantation are permitted by the bill to swap organs with another similar pair.

The bill increases the penalty for unauthorised removal of human organs and for receiving or making payment for human organs.

The visiting doctors said that with no such strict laws being in place in Singapore, organ transplantations were much easier. They said that scrutiny was done in case to check abuse of the system.

?The donor is examined by a psychiatrist as well,? said Vincent.

Our patients get the highest standard of post treatment care which includes a close monitor even when they return to their home country.

?Over 30 Indian patients have got their liver and kidney transplant done in Singapore in the last around eight years,? said Vincent.

According to officials of Parkway health, the group has 16 hospitals worldwide with one under construction in Mumbai.

Stress, hectic lifestyle raises IVF demand

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 10:46:48 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 3 - Once upon a time, In-Vitro Fertilisation - was largely popular among middle-aged women to resolve pregnancy problems. But now young urban women who are unable to conceive due to a stressful life, long working hours and late marriages are incresingly falling back on it, experts say.

'Earlier, most of my patients who used to opt for IVF treatment were in the age group of 38-45 years. But in the last six-seven years, I have observed a shift in the age group of women seeking this treatment,' said Indira Ganeshan, IVF expert and gynecologist.

'Today, about 70 percent of my patients are in the age group of 23-32. This trend is visible only in urban areas. The reasons behind this shift are multiple. Urban couples are stress-laden with both husband and wife working for long hours. They don't have the time and patience to develop a nurturing relationship and want fast results,' she added.

IVF is a process by which egg cells are fertilised by sperm outside the human body. Hormonal injections are given to the patient to increase the productivity of the eggs. The eggs are removed from the ovaries and fertilised with sperm of the partner within a controlled cultured environment.

The fertilised egg is then transferred to the patient's uterus with the aim of establishing a successful pregnancy.

Ganeshan pointed out the IVF reached India simultaneously after its invention -- the world's first IVF baby, Louise Brown, was born July 25, 1978, in Britain. India's first IVF baby Durga was born Oct 3 the same year.

While IVF has been around for more than three decades, its demand has shot up in the last few years.

Hormonal imbalances, tubal blockage, azoospermia - used to be usual factors responsible for infertility, and now a hectic lifestyle is creating problems for couples.

Ila Gupta suggested that couples detect the cause of infertility as soon as possible because the success rate of IVF comes down with ageing.

'When a person comes for IVF treatment, it implies that other modes of treatment have failed. It is always advisable to know your problem, accept it and then go for the treatment,' Gupta, head of the reproductive unit, Artemis Health Institute in Gurgaon, told IANS.

'As you grow older the success rate of IVF goes down. For a 30-34 year old woman, the success rate will be 40 to 45 percent. Those who are above 35, the success rate will be 30 to 35 percent. At 40, it comes down to 15 percent and after that, there are only five percent chances. So, the sooner the better,' she added.

One of the reasons for an increase in the demand for IVF is people's changing mindsets.

Previously, couples believed that IVF is an unnatural way of getting pregnant. However, now there is a marked shift in the perception of people.

'The trend is definitely increasing. More and more people are open to the concept of taking IVF treatment now than they were 10 years ago. There are multiple reasons behind this. First and foremost, young couples are more aware, they don't want to sit and brood over the problems faced by them in starting a family,' said Ganeshan.

'Secondly, they also have the financial means to undertake this treatment. Last but not the least, these couples also face a lot of peer pressure,' she added.

The procedure usually costs anything between Rs.80,000-Rs.100,000 and is not harmful if done by an expert.

But one should take a few precautions before opting for the treatment.

'If a woman is overweight, then losing weight helps. Even five percent reduction in weight improves her response to medicines. The drug requirement also goes down. Exercise and yoga help to improve blood circulation in the reproductive organs. The couple should ensure that they have time for the treatment and that they are not stressed about their work,' Gupta suggested.

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Probe ordered into Rajasthan hospital deaths

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:06:03 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Jaipur, Sep 2 - The Rajasthan government has ordered an inquiry into the deaths of three patients in the intensive care unit - of a government hospital in Jodhpur town allegedly to due to non-availability of oxygen gas, an official said Friday.

The three patients -- Vinod Panwar, 45, Choti Devi, 60, and Kamla Devi, 35, -- were on ventilators in the ICU of Mathura Das Mathur Hospital when the oxygen supply allegedly stopped. The deaths were reported between 11 p.m. Thursday and 4 a.m. Friday.

The wards of the three patients alleged that they had reported interrupted supply of the oxygen to the hospital authorities, but they could not arrange the gas cylinders on time. The patients then approached various hospitals on their own which also refused to help them.

'People in the oxygen gas supply unit of the hospital suddenly told us that there was no gas available. We approached everyone in the hospital, nobody helped us,' said Kamla Devi?s husband Gumana Ram.

?The state government has formed a two-member team to probe the matter. Action will be taken if negligence is found on the part of hospital authorities,? an official of state?s medical and health department told IANS.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also sought details about the deaths Friday evening.

The government hospitals in Jodhpur, the home constituency of Gehlot, have been embroiled in controversies in the past too.

Over February and March, at least 17 pregnant women died of excessive bleeding at two other state-run Umaid Hospital and Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Jodhpur after they were allegedly administered contaminated IV fluids of a particular batch manufactured by Parental Surgical India Pvt Ltd.

Three doctors have been suspended and an FIR lodged against the IV fluids manufacturing company.

India accounts for 55 pc of worldwide leprosy cases

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:08:01 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 2 - India accounts for more than half of new leprosy cases in the world and reported nearly 35,000 cases till June, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad informed the Lok Sabha Friday.

In a written reply, the minister said in its August 2010 report, the World Health Organisation - had said India accounts for 55 percent of all new leprosy cases in the world.

Last year, 133,717 cases were reported in the country - of the 244,796 cases reported worldwide, he said.

This year till June, as many as 34,846 cases were reported in the country.

The maximum cases were reported from Uttar Pradesh -, Bihar -, Maharashtra -, Orissa -, West Bengal -, Chhattishargh -, Andhra Pradesh -, Gujarat -, Madhya Pradesh -, Tamil Nadu -, Himachal Pradesh -, Karnataka -, Chandigarh -, Arunachal Pradesh -, Meghalaya -.

Azad said that till Aug 29, the government has released Rs.777.44 lakh to the states for leprosy elimination.

The government in its national health policy 2002 had planned to eliminate leprosy - by 2005, the minister said.

'The prevalence of leprosy has been decreasing in India over the years. From 42 cases per 100,000 population in 2001-02, it has come down to seven cases per 100,000 population in 2010-11.

'However, considering the very long incubation period of the disease, India will continue to have new leprosy cases for many years to come,' Azad added.

'The government continues to accord high priority to elimination of leprosy within the overall framework of National Rural Health Mission -. We are advocating a district-specific approach for elimination of leprosy, which will be further strengthened during the 12th Plan period,' said Azad.

Chewing tobacco joins 'banned foods' as oral cancer cases rise

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:36:53 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 2 - Chewing tobacco, like gutka and paan masala, has been included among banned 'food products' in the government's new food safety guidelines. The move has been welcomed by health activists as increasing incidence of oral cancer is being reported in the country, with the 2010 figure at more than 70,000.

Coming soon after the ban on the usage of plastic pouches to package chewing tobacco and pan masala, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India - under the health ministry issued a notification prohibiting use of tobacco as an ingredient in any food product.

The food safety notification which was announced and enforced early August says: 'Product not to contain any substance which may be injurious to health. Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food product.'

Clearing the air about terming tobacco as a 'food product', FSSAI director V.N. Gaur said that chewing tobacco, like gutka or paan masala, can be called a 'food' because it is consumed like any other food product.

'It - is a food product. Anything that is consumed is called food and anything that is food and contains nicotine or tobacco must be banned,' Gaur said.

That gutka and paan masala can be termed as food product was also affirmed by the Supreme Court. In the Ghodawat Paan Masala case, the apex court said: 'Since paan masala, gutka or supari are eaten for taste and nourishment, they are all food within the meaning of Section 2- of the Act.'

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Friday informed parliament that 70,261 people were detected with cancer of mouth, tongue and hypopharynx in 2010 because of such products, also known as 'smokeless tobacco products'.

Quoting data from the Indian Council of Medical Research, Azad said the numbers of those affected have been rising - 66,129 in 2008 and 68,160 in 2009.

Welcoming the new notification, health activists said the guidelines will act as a deterrent to the 'non-smoking tobacco industry'.

'The current notification which defines tobacco as food and bans it is a welcome step. It's only logical that things like gutka or paan masala which can be chewed and digested like any other food item is termed as food,' Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, executive director of the Voluntary Health Association of India -, told IANS.

This, she added, could deal a blow to the Rs.8,000 crore worth gutka industry in India.

Added Rajeev Sharma, a health activist who mobilises youth groups to campaign against smoking: 'The notification is definitely a good step. But for it to really mean anything, the government should ensure a strong and effective implementation'.

Mukhopadhyay said: 'The notification, however, should have gone one step forward instead of just saying that tobacco should not be used as a food ingredient. It seems to wash its hands of the implementation bit...the government should put in place a mechanism by which it is implemented.'

One way of implementing the directive better is better awareness, she said.

'There should be a public notice about this notification. How many people know that the government has announced something like this? Secondly, the government should write to the gutka industries about this notification and tell them that they cannot add nicotine to any food product,' Mukhopadhyay said.

Mentioning an example of ineffective implementation of rules, she said that despite the Supreme Court's order banning the sale of chewing tobacco and other paan masala products in plastic packets, it is openly being done so.

The order came into force March 1, 2011.

The president of Smokeless Tobacco Federation -, Sri Gopal, said that the industry suffered a loss of 40 percent after the ban on plastic packages came into effect.

'Paper packaging of tobacco products has cost us a fall of 40 percent in business,' Gopal said.

He, however, refused to acknowledge the latest notification by the FSSAI.

'The tobacco product industry is not governed by the Prevention of Food Adulteration - or the FSSAI,' he said, thereby putting a question mark on if the notification will actually change anything or it is just a string of words on paper.

-

Leprosy in India down but not out: Azad

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:34:16 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 2 - Leprosy is down but not out in India as the disfiguring disease -- though with case numbers coming down -- is expected to continue for many years to come, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told parliament Friday.

Leprosy cases in the country have come down from 42 per one lakh population in 2001-02 to seven cases per one lakh population in 2010-11, Azad told the Lok Sabha Friday.

However, considering very long incubation period of the disease, India will continue to have new leprosy cases for many more years to come, he said in reply to a question.

'The government continues to accord high priority to elimination of leprosy within the overall framework of National Rural Health Mission -. We are advocating a district-specific approach for elimination of leprosy, which will be further strengthened during the 12th Plan period,? said Azad.

Citing the World Health Organisation report published in August 2010 Azad said India accounted for about 55 percent of new leprosy cases in the world -- reporting 133,717 cases out of total 244,796 cases.

Gutka, paan masala are banned food in new guidelines

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:32:18 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 2 - Chewing tobacco, like gutka and paan masala, has been included among banned 'food products' in the government's new food safety guidelines. The move has been welcomed by health activists.

Coming close on the heels of the ban on the usage of plastic pouches to package chewing tobacco and pan masala, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India - under the health ministry issued a notification prohibiting tobacco to be used as an ingredient in any food product.

The food safety notification which was announced in early August says: 'Product not to contain any substance which may be injurious to health. Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food product.'

Clearing the air about terming tobacco as a food product, V.N. Gaur, director of FSSAI, said that chewing tobacco, like gutka or pan masala, can be called as food because they are consumed like any other food product.

'It - is a food product. Anything that is consumed is called food and anything that is food and contains nicotine or tobacco must be banned,' Gaur said.

That gutka and pan masala can be termed as food product was also affirmed by the Supreme Court. In the Ghodawat Pan Masala case, the apex court said: 'Since pan masala, gutka or supari are eaten for taste and nourishment, they are all food within the meaning of Section 2- of the Act.'

Welcoming the step, health activists said that the guidelines will act as a deterrent to the 'non-smoking tobacco industry'.

'The current notification which defines tobacco as food and bans it is a welcome step. It's only logical that things like gutka or pan masala which can be chewed and digested like any other food item is termed as food,' Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, executive director of the Voluntary Health Association of India -, told IANS.

This, she added, could deal a blow to the Rs.8,000 crore worth gutka industry in India.

Added Rajeev Sharma, a health activist who mobilises youth groups to campaign against smoking: 'The notification is definitely a good step. But for it to really mean anything, the government should ensure a strong and effective implementation'.

Mukhopadhyay said: 'The notification however should have gone one step forward instead of just saying that tobacco should not be used as a food ingredient. It seems to wash its hands off the implementation bit... the government should put in place a mechanism by which it is implemented.'

One way of implementing the directive better is better awareness, she said.

'There should be a public notice about this notification. How many people know that the government has announced something like this? Secondly, the government should write to the gutka industries about this notification and tell them that they cannot add nicotine to any food product,' Mukhopadhyay said.

Mentioning an example of ineffective implementation of rules, she said that despite the Supreme Court's order banning the sale of chewing tobacco and other pan masala products in plastic packets, it is openly being done so.

The order came into force March 1, 2011.

The president of Smokeless Tobacco Federation -, Sri Gopal, said that the industry suffered a loss of 40 percent after the ban on plastic packages came into effect.

'Paper packaging of tobacco products has cost us a fall of 40 percent in business,' Gopal said.

He however refused to acknowledge the latest notification by the FSSAI.

'The Tobacco product industry is not governed by the Prevention of Food Adulteration - or the FSSAI,' he said, thereby putting a question if the notification will actually change anything or is just a string of words on paper.

-

10 infants die in Andhra hospital

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:40:02 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Hyderabad, Sep 2 - Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy Friday ordered a probe into the deaths of 11 infants in two days at a government-run hospital, allegedly due to clinical negligence.

He asked two ministers from Kurnool district to visit the Government General Hospital and take necessary action.

Seven babies died at the hospital Thursday, a day after four infants lost their lives, allegedly due to a defective oxygen supply system. All the babies were one to five days old.

The parents of the babies alleged that they died due to lack of oxygen supply through the ventilators. A pipeline that supplies oxygen to the neonatal ward was allegedly not working properly because of the negligence of hospital authorities.

Health Minister D.L. Ravindra Reddy said a team of officials and experts had been sent to Kurnool to ascertain the facts. He said action would be taken against the concerned officials if any lapses were found.

The hospital officials termed the deaths as 'routine'. Denying any negligence, they claimed that infants died due to post-natal complications. According to them, every day six to 10 newborn babies die at the hospital due to health complications.

Treat poor free, apex court tells 10 Delhi hospitals

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:23:02 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 1 - The Supreme Court Thursday directed 10 multi-specialty private hospitals in the national capital to provide free treatment to poor patients and recover the cost from sponsorship and endowments.

An apex court bench of Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice A.K. Patnaik said the hospitals will provide free treatment to poor patients -- 25 percent of Out Patient Department patients and 10 percent of the indoor category.

The order is applicable to 10 hospitals which have been allotted land by the Delhi government at concessional rates.

The court direction came after it dismissed petitions by these 10 hospitals challenging the Delhi High Court verdict of March 2007 directing them to provide free treatment to the poor.

Advocate Ashok Agarwal, representing NGO Social Jurist, said that for a 'walk-in and walk-out' free treatment, a patient had to show that his or her total monthly family income did not exceed Rs.6,422 - the minimum wage for an unskilled worker in the city.

He said that the apex court decision for providing free treatment to poor patients would benefit all people in Delhi irrespective of the state they hail from.

Agarwal referred to the observation of the court which wondered why this facility should not be extended even to foreign nationals residing in Delhi, if they satisfied the economic criterion, for getting free treatment.

The petitioner initially pleaded for 40 hospitals in the city to be covered under the scheme for giving free treatment to the poor. Three hospitals contended that they could not be covered under the court's direction as they were not allotted land for their hospitals at concessional rates.

Of the remaining 37 hospitals, 27 institutions were providing free treatment in accordance with the high court's verdict of 2007. But 10 hospitals challenged the verdict before the apex court

More than half of Jharkhand's kids underweight, women anaemic

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:18:50 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Ranchi, Sep 1 - Around 55 percent of children under three years in Jharkhand are underweight and 70 percent of women and adolescent girls anaemic, Unicef says.

Job Zachariah, Jharkhand chief of Unicef, said here Thursday: 'Around 55 percent children of below three are underweight against the national average of around 40. In addition, more than 80 percent of children between six and 35 months and about 70 percent of women and adolescent girls in Jharkhand are anaemic.'

He further said: 'Around 50,000 children below five years die every year in the state. Out of this, at least 25,000 deaths are indirectly caused by malnutrition and, therefore, can be prevented.'

Zachariah was speaking here at the inauguration of the National Nutrition Week which is being observed Sep 1-7.

All the 60,000 'anganwadis' - in the state will initiate 'annaprasan' - for children who have completed six months. A statewide awareness campaign will also be organised.

'Under-nutrition among children could be reduced by improving breastfeeding, strengthening immunisation, preventing child marriage -, and ensuring better hygiene and clean drinking water.'

Jharkhand Social Welfare Minister Vimla Pradhan said: 'The issue of malnutrition needs to be tackled at the community and family levels, using easily available remedies.' She also stressed the need to use the local language in awareness campaigns.

Woman's changing facial features helped diagnose tumour

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 09:46:18 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Sep 1 - A look in the mirror started giving nightmares to Renu Sharma. Her lips were growing bigger, facial features were getting distorted, eyes were bulging out -- she'd begun to dread her own reflection. After a visit to a cosmetologist and a physician, she was diagnosed with brain tumour.

'It was in June that I started noticing changes in my facial features. Thinking this was because of heat, the first thought that came to my mind was consulting a cosmetologist,' Sharma, a homemaker, told IANS.

'But then I was advised to go to a physician. An MRI was done,' Sharma, 33, said.

In a report that shocked her, it was revealed that Sharma had benign tumour in the pituitary gland of the brain.

'The tumour is known as Pituitary Adenoma. Excessive production of the growth hormone in the pituitary gland leads to changes in physical features,' Sudhir Tyagi, senior consultant of neurosurgery, told IANS.

The pituitary gland is responsible for the production and release of hormones such as growth hormone.

It was not just changing physical features that hinted at Sharma's deteriorating health condition, she also complained of piercing headache and weakness in limbs.

Experts term the condition as Acromegaly. The metabolic disorder, which causes enlargement of body tissues, has a rare occurrence of six per 100,000 adults.

The mother of two was recently operated at Apollo hospital and is now back at her Noida residence.

'We rarely see tumour cases resulting in changes in the facial and physical features of the patient. The patient was immediately taken for a minimal invasive skull-based surgery where we made incision through the nose to remove the tumour,' Tyagi explained.

The surgery costs around Rs.200,000 in India.

'The difficult part is that we have not been able to ascertain the cause of the tumour. The patient slowly regains old features if diagnosed on time,' the doctor said.

In cases where the diagnosis is done late, the distortion of the face can be permanent, apart from causing vision loss.

For Renu, life is limping back to normalcy after almost a month in hospital. She looks more or less her previous self, picks her 10-year-old son from school, cooks for her family, and plans to live life to the hilt.

'Life had come to a standstill. I used to think I will die any minute because of the abrupt change in my appearance. There was swelling in limbs as well,' Sharma recalls the dreadful moments.

'All I knew was that I have to live for my children,' says Sharma, with eyes welling up.

-

Volunteers promote public health through theatre

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:05:59 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 31 - In an unorthodox approach, a group of 21 youngsters from 14 countries are using forum theatre to enhance awareness on public health issues, importantly on water-borne diseases, organisers said Wednesday.

'Health on Stage' is a joint initiative of the Asia-Europe Foundation - and the Coordinating Committee of the International Voluntary Service -. Hosted by the Field Services and Inter-Cultural Learning - in Bangalore, Chennai and Mysore, the group's tour started on Aug 20 and concludes on Oct 1.

'The first phase of the project has just been concluded and, during this phase, volunteers familiarised themselves with the public health concerns of local communities,' FSL India president Rakesh S. Soans said. 'Water-related diseases are common to all the three locations.'

Volunteers have been trained in inter-cultural learning and introduced to the methodologies used in forum theatre. 'With this necessary knowledge and skill, they will organise theatre performances with and for the local people,' Soans said.

Direct interaction with local communities and creative performances will take place during field implementation between Aug 28 and Sep 26.

The participants will later converge in Bangalore between Sep 27 and Oct 1 for an evaluation. Based on what they would have experienced, they will make recommendations on how to make the best use of forum theatre in promoting dialogue on water-related diseases.

Anna Hazare discharged from hospital

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:41:43 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 31 - Social activist Anna Hazare was Wednesday discharged from a hospital in Gurgaon after his condition improved, doctors attending on him said.

Hazare was admitted to the Medanta Medicity hospital Sunday after he ended his 288-hour fast from Aug 16.

'He was discharged this evening after his vital parameters were found to be stable,' Yatin Mehta, one of the doctors monitoring him, told IANS.

Mehta said the 74-year-old was in 'good condition' and 'fit'.

It was not immediately known where Hazare was headed for after his discharge. 'We don't know about it,' said another doctor.

Earlier in the day, Hazare had taken soft solid foods like rice, dal and idli.

'After breaking his 12-day fast, Hazare's health showed lot of improvement. His blood pressure is 141/90 which is normal,' Mehta said.

Hazare broke his 12-day fast against corruption Sunday morning after parliament Saturday evening agreed in principle to accept his three demands for a stronger Lokpal bill. He was admitted to the hospital the same day.

'He has not started the complete diet, but he is having some soft food like rice, which is a good sign,' Mehta added.

Hazare, doctors said, had started meeting some of his close associates for a few hours.

India prepared to deal with bird flu: Government

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:45:04 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 31 - In the wake of the international agriculture monitoring and research body Food and Agriculture Organisation - issuing an alert for bird flu, the Indian government Wednesday said it is prepared to handle any situation.

'A few reports have come out in the press mentioning an FAO alert against a new and deadly mutant strain of avian influenza, popularly known as Bird Flu. The government has taken note of the FAO's alert and is prepared for any eventuality,' an agriculture ministry statement said.

FAO, in a statement issued Aug 29, has 'urged heightened readiness and surveillance against a possible major resurgence of the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza amid signs that a mutant strain of the deadly Bird Flu virus is spreading in Asia and beyond, with unpredictable risks to human health'.

The agriculture ministry statement sought to allay the fears, saying a standard procedure was followed when ever any case was reported and this has so far kept the situation in control.

'Outbreaks of avian influenza have occurred in several countries in Asia for some time now. India has successfully handled all outbreaks in the country ever since the first outbreak of avian influenza in February 2006.'

According to the government, the last outbreak of bird flu which hit the northeastern India in February this year was controlled effectively.

'The last outbreak took place during February-March, 2011, in Tripura. After following prescribed control and containment procedures the country was declared free from the disease with effect from July 4, 2011'.

The ministry said the states have been asked to report any outbreak of the disease to be reported without delay. It also said that a good laboratory infrastructure including the High Security Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Bhopal -, and the regional disease diagnostic laboratories exist as part of the disease surveillance and control programme.

'Blood and tissue supply of poultry from different regions are tested regularly in these laboratories as a part of disease surveillance,' the statement added.

Hundreds step forward to pay Anna's medical bills

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:59:50 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 31 - Hundreds of Anna Hazare supporters have stepped forward to pay the activist's hospital bill if the 74-year-old is charged. The help poured in a day after IANS reported Tuesday on the ambiguity over the veteran activist's medical bills for treatment at a Gurgaon-based hospital.

The virtual world was abuzz with messages such as 'I want to pay for Annaji' on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and news sites.

'The people of India are with you, Annaji. We will pay for whatever expenses borne by you. Please give us the account number of India Against Corruption -,' posted Keerat Prakash on news website Yahoo.

While help poured in from all corners, it was not clear if Hazare would be charged for his stay at Medanta Medicity in Gurgaon. Hazare was admitted to the hospital soon after he ended his 12-day fast for a stronger Lokpal Bill Sunday morning.

'He is a decent man. I have immense respect for what he is doing. Let us first see the bills, only then something can be said,' heart specialist Naresh Trehan said.

Hazare has been under the medical supervision of Trehan and has not been charged till now.

India Against Corruption - member Aswathi Muralidharan told IANS: 'Till now, he - has not been charged. We can only say who will pay the bill if we get the bill.'

'Even when Trehan had seen him earlier, he was not charged,' she added.

But there is no shortage of volunteers in case of any eventuality.

'I am an engineering student at IIT. I request hospital authorities and Team Anna to share the details of amount that is needed. Pocket money or part-time job, our classmates will give in all help,' said S. Guru Prakash from Bangalore.

Krishan Patel, from Ahmedabad, posted on micro-blogging site Twitter: ' Anna is our nation - hero. I am ready to contribute my one month full salary to meet his medical expenditure.'

Many supporters posted their phone numbers for further assistance on any financial help.

It was not just people from India who were hailing the activist for his 288-hour fast for anti-corruption dubbed as 'people's power' - people from across the globe also chipped in with words of praise for the activist.

'I am from Zambia. I love his courage and have been following his cause. If the people of India can't contribute to his cause, I will be more than happy to do it,' posted Mwenda on Twitter.

Trisha Jatania wrote on Facebook: 'If a taxpayer's money can go to Prime Minister's relief fund, it should be utilised for the national hero's cause also. Your struggle for India to free it from corruption is immense'.

Hazare's health improving, says doctor

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:53:55 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 31 - Social activist Anna Hazare's health is improving after his 288-hour fast from Aug 16 and his vital parameters are stable, a doctor attending on him said Wednesday.

The 74-year-old activist has started to take soft solid foods like rice and dal, said the doctor.

'Three days after breaking his 12-day fast, Hazare's health is improving. He is now taking some soft solid foods like idli, rice and dal. His blood pressure is 141/90 which is normal and he is showing good signs of improvement,' said Yatin Mehta, one of the doctors monitoring Hazare's condition at Medanta Medicity, Gurgaon.

Hazare broke his 12-day fast against corruption Sunday morning after parliament Saturday evening agreed in principle to accept his three demands for a stronger Lokpal bill. He was admitted to the hospital the same day.

'He has not started the complete diet, but he is having some soft food like rice and his vital parameters are stable,' Mehta said.

'We are constantly monitoring him. As of now, he is in complete rest, but he is now meeting some of his close associates for a few hours,' he added.

A team of doctors is keeping a close watch over Hazare, he said.

Most Delhi slums without proper toilets: Study

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 19:50:57 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 30 - Most slum dwellers in Delhi do not have access to household toilets, while the community toilets are in a pathetic condition, a World Health Organization - supported study said Tuesday.

Delhi Healthy Urban Project was conducted by Sulabh International Academy of Environmental Sanitation and Public Health in east, west and south Delhi.

Water supply and overall sanitation too were found to be major problems.

'The slums have no water supply in most areas and there is no regular cleaning of toilets, drains and roads,' Sulabh chairperson Suman Chahar said.

'We propose to initiate the pilot project across the city for developing the localities into 'Healthy Settings' in the overall perspective of promoting Delhi as a 'Healthy City',' said Sulabh's director general A.K. Sengupta.

According to the study, most of the drains in such areas were open and overflowed in rainy season, with solid waste management being a big problem. In addition, the residents threw their garbage in nearby parks, aggravating the problem.

The report said that on several occasions the residents got dirty, muddy water and only some houses have water filters.

No one knows who would foot Anna's hospital bill

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:00:50 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 30 - It was not clear Tuesday as to who would pay the medical bill of Anna Hazare, recuperating at Gurgaon's Medanta Medicity after his 12-day fast, even as hospital chairman Naresh Trehan hinted that a decision on the charges would be taken later.

'He is a decent man. I have immense respect for what he is doing. Let us first see the bills, only then something can be said,' Trehan said.

Hazare has been under the medical supervision of Trehan and has not been charged till now.

India Against corruption - member Aswathi Muralidharan told IANS: 'Till now, he has not been charged. We can only say who will pay the bill if we get the bill.'

'Even when Trehan had seen him earlier, he was not charged,' she added.

After breaking his 288-hour fast Sunday, Hazare was admitted to the Gurgaon-based hospital where he was given coconut water and honey at regular intervals.

Young doctors unwilling to serve in rural areas: Azad

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:11:45 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 29 - Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Monday expressed regret that despite offering several incentives young doctors are not willing to serve in rural areas.

Replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the bill to extend the term of governing body of Medical Council of India by a year, Azad said he was 'disheartened' to see that doctors were not interested in serving in rural areas.

'When I go to convocation and give degrees to medical graduates from different states, I ask where will you go, what are your future plans.... 99.9 percent say Delhi. I am disheartened with this attitude that people don't go back to their state,' Azad said.

The health minister said 'at present if a person practices for one year in a rural area he will get 10 percent extra marks, for serving two years, it will be 20 percent and for three years, 30 percent in the entrance exam for post graduate courses'.

The minister added that for serving doctors, 50 percent seats were reserved in post graduate diploma courses after they serve in rural area for three years.

'As the health minister I can make policies and the state government has to implement... and put some kind of genes in doctors to change them, otherwise I can not do anything,' the disappointed minister said.

The house later passed the bill to extend the term of the governing body of Medical Council of India for another year.

The government had superseded the MCI, a statutory body, in May last year following allegations of large-scale corruption against its then president and other officials by issuing an ordinance. The ordinance was replaced by the Indian Medical Council - Act, 2010.

As per provisions of the Act, the council had to be reconstituted within a period of one year from the date of its supercession and the government had appointed a Board of Governors for a period of one year.

90-minute TB test not a game changer for India

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:37:46 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 29 - A new diagnostic technique that detects tuberculosis in 90 minutes instead of three months using the conventional method may not be effective in India as the heat and humidity would affect the equipment, experts said.

TB kills two people every three minutes in India, accounting for over three million - deaths a year.

The diagnostic technique, Gene Xpert MTB/RIF, was launched in the US in 2007 and is supported by the World Health Organisation. It was launched in India last year.

However, a health ministry official said the technique may not be a game changer in India due to the staggering burden of tuberculosis the country is currently facing.

The technique enables rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis, multi-drug resistant TB - and TB in HIV-infected individuals in a span of 90 minutes compared to the conventional test.

'The technique cannot be used for routine testing. We have pilot projects at 18 sites going on to test its feasibility in the Indian situation where the climate and temperature conditions are different from the western countries,' said Ashok Kumar, deputy director general of the central TB control division under the ministry of health and family welfare, at a conference by Stop TB partnership.

When the technique was launched September 2010, health experts pinned their hopes on the test promising a quicker diagnosis of Multi-Drug Resistant TB by looking for bacterial DNA in a person's sputum.

'The pilot projects are in consultation with the WHO. The idea is to take the test near to the districts and remote areas where the conditions under which TB originates could be different,' Kumar explained.

According to experts, high humidity and high temperature may affect the equipment and cartridges used in the test. Invariable temperature can also lead to inconsistency in the results.

'Solid culture/sputum testing remains the golden standard for Indian conditions. Xpert test can be used for HIV positive patients, but not in routine testing,' Kumar said.

According to officials from the TB control division in the health ministry, the cost would be incurred by the ministry. The test costs around Rs.900 - per sputum sample.

Blessi Kumar, a TB prevention activist and vice chairperson of Stop TB partnership coordinating board, said thought should be given to the technique to make it effective.

'The Indian research community and pharma industry should take on the task of going deeper into the 90-minute test. It can be a scientific advancement or a stepping stone that India needs to reduce TB cases,' Kumar said.

Anna's health improving: Doctor

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:32:19 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Gurgaon, Aug 29 - Activist Anna Hazre's health is improving and his blood pressure and heart rate have become stable. However, his normal diet has not been resumed as yet, a doctor attending on him said Monday.

'The improvement has started. He has lost only 200 grams -, which was earlier 500 grams per day. So it is a sign of improvement,' said Naresh Trehan, who has been monitoring Hazare's condition at Medanta Medicity, Gurgaon.

Hazare broke his 12-day fast against corruption Sunday morning after drinking coconut water and honey mixture. Thereafter, he was taken to the hospital where he is being given coconut water and honey at regular intervals.

'The weight has stabilised. He has not started the complete diet, it will be done eventually for gradual recovery,' Trehan said in the medical bulletin.

Doctors also conducted chest X-rays which gave 'clear reports'. 'Blood ketones have reduced. We will conduct more tests for timely monitoring,' Trehan said, adding that Hazare lost around seven kg during the fasting period.

Inner power helped Anna: Trehan

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:36:49 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 28 - As Anna Hazare broke his 12-day fast Sunday, eminent cardiologist Naresh Trehan said it was his inner power that helped him sustain for so long.

'He maintained himself, he had some power in him, through which he could regulate his own fluids and has been able to maintain his balance,' Trehan, who monitored Hazare's health during the agitation, said Sunday.

The doctor said that medical science could not explain everything but Hazare himself managed his fast for all these days.

'Medical science may not fully understand but it is 'brahmachari shakti' and truly he has managed to live on his own reserves and paid a price for it. He lost seven-and-a- half kg,' the doctor said.

The 74-year-old activist's fast, during which he only consumed water and yet maintained high energy levels, has left many surprised.

Trehan also said he was surprised to see the activist fine even after fasting for 12 days. 'We are surprised to see a man in such a condition even after he has not been eating since Aug 16...can't say when he can start eating. It will at least take three days, it seems,' he added.

A recent fast by yoga guru Baba Ramdev saw his condition deteriorate, forcing him to take honey and lemon juice from the sixth day.

Ramdev started his fast June 4 and he started taking honey and lemon from June 9. He had to be administered a drip after seven days of the fast and was asked to break his fast June 12.

Hazare was, however, only having water, yet he looked healthy and interacted with the supporters almost everyday.

His 288-hour fast however didn't leave him unaffected, his heart beat was above normal, the principal doctor attending on him said Sunday.

'The heart rate is 94 which is more than normal -. He is very dehydrated and exhausted,' said Trehan, giving the heath update of the activist.

Admitted to Medanta Medicity, Gurgaon, after he ended his fast against corruption, Hazare was being given coconut water and honey at regular intervals. Doctors said he would be given solid food later.

'He is being given coconut water and honey as he can easily absorb it. However, this would be increased slowly and gradually in a manner that his body can tolerate it,' said Trehan.

Anna is a tough man, say amazed doctors

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:47:32 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 27 - Doctors attending on Anna Hazare term the 74-year-old a 'rare man' and are flummoxed at how the social activist has been subsisting on plain water for the past 12 days and, though visibly weak, still manages to infuse enthusiasm into thousands of his supporters.

'For anybody else his age, it would have been very difficult. He is a tough man,' a senior doctor in the team examining Hazare said.

'When you talk to him, you feel there is a strong sense of responsibility driving him,' the doctor told IANS on condition of anonymity.

According to doctors, the situation would have gone worse for anybody within 48 hours of fasting in that manner.

'It is rare for someone to survive on plain water for so many days. Water alone can help in maintaining blood pressure, but it can't keep you going for so many days,' Anoop Misra, Fortis Hospital's Director and Head of Department -, told IANS.

Hazare has been fasting since Aug 16 - over 270 hours so far - demanding a more inclusive Lokpal Bill.

'I am not aware of Anna's medical history, but his system seems well adapted to a low calorie diet. His body composition is enabling him to withstand the weakness, and yet address the crowds at intervals,' Misra added.

However, in the long run such fasting can cause damage to vital organs such as kidneys, brain, and heart, they said.

'The vital parameters may remain fine. But if the fasting continues, the body condition tends to deteriorate. It affects the liver and the kidneys,' Randeep Guleria, professor and head, department of pulmonary medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences -, told IANS.

'Temporary changes reverse after proper diet. Water during fasting helps maintain the electrolyte level,' Guleria added.

Health experts explained that the body starts using stored proteins, leading to production of Ketones. This causes further weakness, cramps, and dizziness.

'There could be genetic strength also. But the immunity might weaken in later stages, or the bones can become thinner because of age,' Misra noted.

Anna's blood pressure falls, health deteriorates

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 10:31:43 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 27 - Doctors attending on Anna Hazare Saturday expressed worry over the fasting social activist's falling blood pressure and said he should end his fast, which entered day 12, as his health has begun to deteriorate.

'Blood pressure that was earlier steady has come down and his heart rate has increased. The cause of worry is the falling blood pressure,' Naresh Trehan who is monitoring Hazare's health along with his team, told reporters here at Ramlila Maidan.

'His blood pressure has come down from 140 mmHG - to 120 mmHG,' Trehan said. 'We have taken blood samples. Results will be available by evening.'

Another doctor from the team, on condition of anonymity, said: 'Anna Hazare has lost seven kg and he is feeling weak and tired.'

'He should end his fast as soon as possible as his health is deteriorating. His complexion shows his health condition - he has turned dark due to dehydration,' he added.

Doctors have suggested to Hazare to increase his fluid intake.

Hazare, 74, has been surviving only on water since Aug 16, when he started his fast against corruption.

Maharashtra launches health insurance scheme for poor

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:17:08 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Mumbai, Aug 26 - The Maharashtra government Friday gave the green signal for implementation of the ambitious Rajiv Gandhi Lifesaving Health Scheme, which is expected to benefit over 20 million poor people providing them health insurance, officials said.

Maharashtra becomes the second state in the country after Andhra Pradesh to implement RGLHS, said an official from the chief minister's office.

The first phase of RGLHS will be implemented in eight districts - Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban District, Raigad, Nanded, Dhule, Sholapur, Gadchiroli and Amravati - from September.

At a high-level meeting here Friday afternoon, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan issued orders to forthwith initiate all administrative measures, including issuing identity cards to the beneficiaries, to implement the project all over the state by April 2012.

The RGLHS will enable poor people - both below and above the poverty line - get critical health treatment for around 972 surgical procedures identified in the scheme.

Elaborating the benefits of RGLHS, Health Minister Suresh Shetty said that the state government would pay the health insurance premium to insurance companies on behalf of the targeted poor people.

'Each such beneficiary family would be entitled to avail free medical treatment up to Rs.1.50 lakh per annum. Those patients with old complaints of diseases would also be included as beneficiaries in the scheme,' he said.

The major diseases/illnesses and surgical procedures covered under this scheme would include cardiac, renal, brain and nervous system disorders, cancer and other health problems.

Incidentally, the erstwhile Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government had launched Jeevandayi Yojana offering a similar facility for half a dozen major diseases and surgeries.

However, on account of income and other restrictions, its benefit reached a very small section of the poor population. Later, the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party rechristened it as the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Arogya Yojana -.

A large number of public, private and charitable hospitals and nursing shall be included all over the state to implement RGLHS, the official said.

Bill to amend Transplantation of Human Organs Act tabled

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:40:28 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 26 - The government Friday introduced a bill in the Rajya Sabha to amend the Transplantation of Human Organs Act to expand the definition of 'near relatives' to include grandparents and grandchildren and provide other measures to prevent commercial dealings in human organs.

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said the act came into force in February 1995 in Goa, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra and union territories of the country and was later adopted by most other states.

He said there had been a spate of reports about thriving human organ trade in India and consequent exploitation of economically weaker sections.

The Transplantation of Human Organs - Bill, 2011, seeks to expand the definition of near relative to include grandfather, grandmother, grandson and granddaughter. The bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha.

Another amendment, Azad said, seeks to make it mandatory for the treating medical staff to request relatives of brain dead patients for organ donation and to provide for enucleating of corneas by a trained technician.

Amendments also propose to provide for development and maintenance of a national registry of recipients of human organ transplants.

Draw up workable scheme for free treatment to poor patients: Apex court

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:13:56 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 25 - The Supreme Court Thursday asked the Delhi government to draw up a 'workable scheme' for the 27 city private hospitals to provide free treatment to poor patients which they are obliged to in exchange for getting land at concessional rates.

The apex court also asked the city government to file an affidavit stating the kind of treatment being provided to poor patients in the 27 private hospitals.

Under the scheme, the 27 private hospitals are to provide free treatment to patients from weaker sections at 10 percent of the hospital bed-strength.

The apex court bench of Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice A.K. Patnaik issued the direction when Delhi government's assertion that 27 private hospitals were providing complete treatment to poor patients was contested by Dharamshila Cancer hospital.

The court also asked the Delhi government to hold another round of meeting with the representatives of 10 hospitals which were not extending their free medical facilities to the patients from weaker sections of the society to formulate a scheme.

The court told the Delhi government that a line had to be drawn on the cost that these hospitals will bear on extending free treatment. In some cases, like in the treatment of cancer, the cost of medicine is very high and hospitals may not bear it, the court said.

'Some kind of transparency has to be there. Some scheme has to be worked out. Otherwise they will turn away the poor patients. There has to be some workable scheme,' said Justice Raveendran.

The court was told that the private hospitals were given land at concessional rates with a provision that they would provide free treatment to patients coming from weaker sections that is 10 percent of their hospital bed-strength.

Asking Delhi government not to delay in putting in place the scheme so that the private hospitals may not wriggle out of it, the court asked the city government to appoint a nodal officer who would direct the poor patients to private hospitals for free treatment.

The court asked the Delhi government to file its affidavit and give it to the contesting hospital and directed listing of the matter on Sep 1, 2011.

Fancy body piercing? Get your hygiene right

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:01:57 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 25 - Aparajit Sinha, 21, pierced his eyebrows in the first year of college to look cool. But within two days he had to take the studs out because of extreme infection and severe pain.

Body piercing has come a long way - from earlobes and the nose traditionally to eyebrows, belly button, lips and tongues now. But it needs care in the initial days to avoid infections.

Many youngsters impulsively head for piercing without taking note of their skin type, proper sterilisation and post-piercing care information.

'Lack of hygiene, lack of proper sterilisation of the area and the gun are the common reasons why pierced areas catch infection. Also, there are some people whose skin is very sensitive and when they clean the pierced area with antiseptic, they get irritant eczema,' Sachin Dhawan, clinical and aesthetic dermatology at Artemis Health Institute in Gurgaon, told IANS.

Dhawan gets around 10 percent queries for piercing complications.

While piercing the earlobes and eyebrows result in common complications, nose or naval infections can be fatal. Nose infection could result in swelling and pain for a few days at the pierced site, says Mumbai-based cosmetic surgeon Meenakshi Agarwal.

Also, studs and rings can get caught in clothes, which can aggravate the problem.

'There are times when a stud gets caught in clothes and pulls the skin, leaving one in extreme pain. So this unexpected rubbing too can lead to further complications,' said Mumbai-based dermatologist Ashwini Padmawar.

Experts also suggest that one should avoid going to any random piercing shop and opt for experienced hands to avoid infections.

'A lot of ENT surgeons and plastic surgeons also do piercing, it is safer to get it done from them, as they understand the body system better,' said Agarwal.

Sixteen-year-old Anamika Kalsi, who got her belly pierced without informing her parents and chose a cheaper place for piercing, realised this later.

She covered her stomach all the time and didn't take precautions to clean up the spot. End result - major infection and ultimately she had to pop antibiotics to control inflammation.

This often happens because body piercing at a local shop or a jewellery shop is cheap - it could be done within Rs.500, but at such places people are not hygiene-conscious. On the other hand, a medical expert's charges start from Rs.2,000 onwards, but he or she takes all the precautions. In case there is any complication, they are capable of taking care of the problem before it goes out of hand.

So, it is advisable that one should go to experts and in case it doesn't fit into your budget, just make sure the gun or the hands used for piercing are clean, as simple hygiene steps can keep an infection at bay.

'One should put an antibiotic ointment and gently wash the area once a day for at least 15 days after the piercing to prevent infection,' said Padmawar.

'If infections happen, they can be treated with antibiotic tablets and ointments for five-seven days. If allergies happen they need to be treated with anti-allergic and steroid antibiotic ointments,' he added.

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West Bengal to train 50,000 women to meet shortage of nurses

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:15:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Kolkata, Aug 24 - West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday said the state health ministry will train fifty thousand women to meet the shortage of nurses in the state.

'We have a very high shortage of nurses in the state,' Banerjee said while addressing a medical programme here. 'Earlier trained nurses from south India used to come and serve in hospitals and nursing homes of the state. But now those nurses from Kerala and Chennai go abroad for jobs.

'We have decided that we will train 50,000 women - create 50,000 nurses to meet the shortage. I will ask the state health ministry to look into the matter. We will also make sure that these nurses get jobs only in hospitals of the state,' Banerjee said.

Banerjee also urged doctors and nurses to work in their country rather than go abroad for more money. 'There is lot of mental peace in serving the rural people of your country,' Banerjee said. 'You won't get that peace by working abroad and earning lots of money.'

Focusing on rural areas for non-communicable diseases: Azad

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:17:29 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 23 - Rural areas are now under the health ministry's focus for their large population vulnerable to non-communicable diseases - such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and psychological diseases among others, union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said here Tuesday.

'Most of the non-communicable diseases stem from lifestyle and are not just a problem of the urban areas. The health ministry is keen on scaling up programmes in rural areas as there is lack of awareness, scattered services and high morbidity rate,' Azad said on the first day of a two-day national summit on NCDs.

The summit, organised by ministry of health and family welfare and World Health Organisation -, is taking place place ahead of the September 19-20 high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on NCDs.

The ministry has also rolled out schemes such as the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke - and National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly -.

'These programmes span across 100 districts in 21 states, focus mainly on rural districts. The programmes are in second phase,' Azad added.

WHO will provide the government with technical assistance for the programmes and research in remote areas.

'We will provide technical assistance in terms of training, development, supplying vital resources and perspective from experts. This will strengthen the surveillance system,' Nata Menabde, WHO representative to India, told IANS.

A streetcar named Nano - for Rajasthan's sterilisation drive

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:53:19 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Jaipur, Aug 23 - Will a Rs.1 lakh car prove to be a million-dollar idea? In an effort to get more people to undergo sterilisation, the authorities in two districts of Rajasthan are offering them a chance to win Tata Nano cars.

After Jhunjhunu introduced the scheme last month, it is now Pali district where one can get sterilised and drive away a Nano.

The medical and health department in Pali recently announced the scheme in which Nano cars will be offered on a lottery basis to people who get sterilised there.

'We have decided to give away two Nano cars, one on Oct 2 and the other April 7 next year, to those who get sterilised in government camps,' a senior district administration official told IANS.

Not only this, cash prizes and mobiles are also being offered.

'Men who get sterilised after the birth of one girl child are to get Rs.15,000, while the women will get Rs.10,000 for the same. This is to promote the birth of a girl child and to control the population rate at the same time,' said the officer.

'The scheme is likely to get a good response from people and we expect the rate of sterilisation to increase by a substantial margin in the days to come,' he added.

Earlier, on July 1, the medical and health department of Jhunjhunu, some 170 km from here, had announced the scheme for boosting sterilisation operations and curbing population growth.

The department offered people a chance to win a Tata Nano car, motorcycles and television sets, among other things.

'The response so far has been good and we hope to achieve our target,' a medical official in Jhunjhunu said.

He said on July 1 itself, over 1,625 sterilisation operations had been conducted.

'Our target is to achieve 21,000 operations by March 31, 2012,' the official added.

According to figures released by the latest census, Rajasthan has 883 girls between the ages of 0 and 6 for every 1,000 boys in the same age group. The child sex ratio in 2001 was 909.

The state's medical and health department has set sterilisation targets for each district on the basis of the rate of population growth.

From April 2010 to February 2011, over 296,000 sterilisation operations were carried out in the state. This was 61.58 percent of the target set for fiscal 2010-11.

'I think it is a good scheme and such population control policies should be adopted by other states too,' said Rakesh Singh, a volunteer at a local NGO.

However, some activists had earlier alleged that the medical and health department and its agents were duping and luring poor men into undergoing sterilisation to meet annual targets on such surgeries.

Activists had said there were several complaints of men being sterilised after being taken to health centres by vasectomy agents under the pretext of medical check-ups.

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Will power keeping fasting Hazare in form: Doctors

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 17:36:56 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 22 - He has not had food for a week, but Anna Hazare is apparently going strong despite weakening health. The 74-year-old anti-corruption campaigner seems to have mastered the technique of surviving without food for long periods, say health experts.

Doctors treating Hazare told IANS that the septuagenarian has lost five kg of weight as his fast continued for the seventh day at Ramlila Maidan in the capital. Hazare drinks only water during his fast.

His blood and urine samples are showing up ketone particles, that are created by the body during starvation, and are meant to provide an alternate source of fuel from fatty acids.

'Ketone particles have been traced in his blood and urine. He was 71 kg. After a week of fasting, he has lost five kg of weight; now he weighs 66 kg,' Balram Gupta of Medanta Medicity, one of the doctors treating Hazare at the fast venue, told IANS.

'His health is deteriorating but for his age he is strong,' said Gupta.

According to health experts, formation of ketone particles is dangerous as it may affect vital organs like kidney and liver. After 60 hours of continuous fasting, any human being body will get dehydrated and blood sugar levels will go down.

'Normally a person is required to take 1.5 litres of water a day for normal functioning of the body. Anna takes around 3 to 4 litres of water. Fasting is not new for Anna who is a follower of Gandhi,' said a member of Team Anna.

Meanwhile, Rommel Tickoo, senior consultant - of Max Hospital, said,'It depends on person to person. As per medical literature, anyone who goes on hunger strike can withstand for three weeks, but after that complications creep in.

'Taking Anna's age into consideration, he seems to be strong after a week's fast and his will power is admirable. He seems to be active and fasting for long periods seems to be a practice for this ex-army man. Even people who are much younger can't do this,' Tickoo said.

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, 40, had broken his fast against corruption after only nine days. His condition worsened after he kept away from solid food for around a week.

Hazare had earlier gone on a one-day fast protesting police brutality against Baba Ramdev's supporters in June and a five-day-long fast in April when the government conceded to his demand on drafting a strong Lokpal Bill.

'Hazare has high cholesterol and we advised him not to go for such frequent fasts as his health could deteriorate. But he is still going on with the strike,' Parag Sancheti, a Pune-based doctor who treated him for osteoarthritis, said.

'We advised him to eat at regular intervals and bed rest. It was really surprising to see Anna running in Rajghat after fasting for four days. I am totally amazed by his will power and determination,' Sancheti said.

Hazare has been suffering from osteoarthritis and has been under treatment for the last five years.

Government hospitals may run short of DPT vaccine

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:54:54 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Kasauli -, Aug 20 - Government hospitals in India are likely to face shortage of the DPT - vaccine as the state-run Central Research Institute - here is unable to meet its targets for want of staff.

DPT vaccination is part of the Indian government's national immunisation programme. It's administered to children free of cost in government hospitals and dispensaries.

A CRI official told IANS that the central government's target of producing 100 million DPT doses in the current fiscal year would not be met, mainly due to staff shortage.

'In the past four-and-a-half months, the institute has produced only 140 lakh - doses. There is a huge gap between the target and the actual production,' said the official, requesting anonymity.

CRI's licence was suspended by the Drugs Controller General of India in January 2008 as it was not found in compliance with the World Health Organisation - norms for manufacturing.

However, the government allowed CRI Kasauli to restart production last year after it upgraded its machinery and laboratories by spending Rs.50 crore -, according to norms of WHO's Good Manufacturing Practices -.

'And whereas the entire matter has been carefully considered by the government...now, therefore, the central government, in exercise of its powers... hereby orders revocation, with immediate effect, the suspension of the above licence,' the health ministry said in its order March 2, 2010, for CRI Kasauli.

'The appellant institute shall ensure that the production line is made fully compliant with GMP standards within three years from the date of the issue of this order,' it added.

CRI director H.G. Brahmne admitted that the institute is far behind its target in the production of DPT vaccine.

'The institute is suffering mainly due to staff shortage. Now, we have the latest machinery and other infrastructure but there is a shortage of manpower,' Brahmne said.

'We need more employees to meet WHO standards - right from supervision to technical to quality control. With the existing, we are not in a position to achieve the targets,' he added.

However, the CRI received a setback this month when the Central Administrative Tribunal - disallowed it to make any fresh recruitment on a contract basis.

The CAT order came following the plea by regular employees that the appointments on contractual basis are blocking their promotional avenues.

The matter is listed for next hearing Sep 1.

The 104-year-old CRI manufactures more than 15 vaccines, including DPT, measles, typhoid, tetanus and anti-sera vaccines.

-

In Lucknow, doctors write out anti-graft message

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 11:28:44 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Lucknow, Aug 20 - Doctors in this Uttar Pradesh capital are expressing solidarity with social activist Anna Hazare in a novel way - they are printing pro-Anna messages on their prescriptions and diagnostic reports.

Under the banner of Lucknow Association of Practicing Pathologists and Microbiologists -, doctors in the city have been getting messages like 'We support Anna Hazare, we support Jan Lokpal Bill' printed at the bottom of their prescriptions and reports.

'Hundreds of private doctors attached with the association and also those working with nursing homes in the city have taken up the unique way to support Hazare and his anti-graft campaign,' LAPPM president P.K. Gupta told reporters Saturday.

'Doctors too want to vent ire against corruption and support Anna Hazare. However, considering the nature of our job, we cannot boycott work or participate in sit-ins for a long period as it would adversely affect our patients. Therefore, the association has come up with a way that enables the doctors to lend support to Hazare without hampering their work,' he added.

LAPPM members are of the view that the messages printed in support of Hazare on prescriptions will sensitise people against corruption.

'We believe that the messages on prescriptions and reports would not only be read by the patients but also by their families. Therefore, with a single message several people would get connected with our drive,' said Gupta.

'We would continue with the drive till we get an assurance from the central government about implementing the civil society's version of the Lokpal bill,' he added.

LAPPM members have also initiated SMS campaigns to solicit support for Hazare's crusade against corruption.

Meanwhile, people from various walks of life continued to converge on the Jhulelal Park - the main site in Lucknow for holding programmes in support of Hazare.

'Be it kids, youths or elders, people across various age groups have been assembling at the park to show solidarity with Anna Hazare,' R.K Agarwal, a member of India Against Corruption -, which is backing Hazare, told reporters.

Hyderabad hospital performs rare kidney transplant

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:51:09 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Hyderabad, Aug 19 - For the first time in the country, a hospital in Hyderabad has successfully performed kidney transplant between non-matching blood groups.

Kamineni Hospitals doctors transplanted the kidney of an A+ donor - to an O+ patient - which was earlier believed to be impossible.

Kamineni Hospitals CEO B. Shashidhar Reddy told reporters Friday that a team of doctors comprising nephrologist Kamal Kiran and transplant surgeon Srinivas Guttha performed the operation on July 19.

Kamal Kiran said this would bring hope to patients suffering from renal failure who have no compatible donors in the family. He pointed out that cadaver - waiting list is long. Though an ABO incompatible transplant costs around Rs.8 lakh, compared to Rs.3 lakh for an ABO-matched transplant, waiting on the cadaver list costs Rs.4 lakh every year.

He said the ABO kidney transplant is a rare procedure, but if protocols were implemented to transplant across blood-group barriers, it is estimated that an additional 1,500 live donor kidney transplants could be performed each year in India.

According to Srinivas Guttha, kidney disease affects one out of 10 people. Kidney failure requiring dialysis affects 2-3 lakh people in the country every year. About 17,000 patients receive some form of dialysis. Only 3,000 go through transplantation. Fifty percent patients on dialysis die in three years and 90 percent in five years.

If 100 patients undergo transplant, 85 of them live for 10 years and beyond.

HIV/AIDS bill still pending: Azad

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:40:25 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 19 - The HIV/AIDS bill, which aims to protect the rights of people living with the dreaded disease, is yet to be introduced in parliament, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Friday.

Azad said the 'contents of the bill' are being examined.

'Representations have been received, primarily from NGOs and networks of people living with HIV, for introduction of the Bill in parliament,' he said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

He said that at the moment the 'draft of the bill is being examined by the department of AIDS control.' The department is under his ministry.

The health ministry had prepared the bill in August 2007. It was then sent to the law ministry, which cleared it in March 2010. Since then, the bill is pending with the health ministry.

For the last five years, groups working in the field of HIV, including the HIV- positive people, have been demanding early passage of the bill.

Medical aid for Hazare's supporters at Ramlila ground

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:27:23 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 18 - A team of doctors from the Delhi Medical Association - would provide medical help to thousands of people who will fast with Anna Hazare at Ramlila ground where the Gandhian would continue his indefinite strike from Friday.

'We will be taking position at Ramlila ground once Anna Hazare reaches there. The aim is not just to help the supporters but also support the movement against corruption,' DMA president Vinod Khetarpal told IANS Thursday.

DMA, with over 12,000 doctors affiliated to it, also provided medical aid to supporters who were fasting with Hazare during his protest at Jantar Mantar in April.

'Our doctors will be sporting black ribbons. We will make sure that no services are hit at the hospitals,' Khetarpal added. 'A team of 4-5 doctors will be there to monitor on an hourly basis.'

Anna Hazare has been on indefinite since Tuesday, protesting against the government's version of the Lokpal Bill.

Dengue toll rises to 16 in Orissa

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:55:21 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Bhubaneswar, Aug 18 - One more person died of dengue at a private hospital here Thursday, taking the death toll in the outbreak of the infectious disease in Orissa to 16 this month, officials said.

The man who died in Apollo Hospital was in his 50s and belonged to Angul district which has been worst hit by the mosquito-borne virus.

As many as 53 new patients were tested positive for the virus till Wednesday evening, taking the total cases in the state to 295, an official of the state health control room told IANS.

The latest cases were 52 in Sriram Chandra Bhanj Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack and one in Maharaja Krishna Chandra Gajapati Medical College and Hospital at Berhampur, he said.

The official said dengue cases have been reported from 19 of Orissa's 30 districts and of them highest 175 were tested positive in Angul where the disease was mainly concentrated and most deaths have taken place.

Encephalitis claims 55 lives in Bihar

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:41:53 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 16 - As many as 55 people, mostly children, have died in Bihar in the last one-and-a-half months due to encephalitis, the Rajya Sabha was informed Tuesday.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said clinical and epidemiological data suggests that it was an outbreak of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome resulting in 150 cases and 55 deaths, mostly among children.

In a written reply, the minister said these cases were reported early June to middle July.

He said cases of encephalitis, a rare brain inflammation caused by a virus, were reported from Muzaffarpur and its bordering areas in Bihar.

Azad said rapid response teams - consisting of experts in epidemiology, entomology, microbiology and medicine have been trained and positioned at district, state and central levels to mount rapid response to disease outbreaks.

He said RRTs at central level are dispatched to affected areas as and when the need arises to support local health authorities in prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment of outbreak-prone diseases.

AIIMS patients to have online access to treatment history

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:26:05 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 16 - Soon patients at the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences - here will have online access to all information on their treatment and care.

This information will be made available by the Knowledge Centre, proposed part of the Convergence Centre whose foundation stone was laid by Union Health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Aug 14, which is expected to be built in the next 18 months.

'The plan is to introduce a database of all types of patients and drugs prescribed,' AIIMS spokesperson Y.K. Gupta said. 'The databank will - contain information related to the surgeries done, clinical research at the institute, and its findings.'

Gupta further said: 'The Knowledge Hub will map the disease pattern prevalent in the country and how it is reflected in OPD - patients at AIIMS. The patients will get all recent information on treatment modality.'

The Convergence Centre, being built at a cost of Rs.50.85 crore, will house the departments of anatomy, electron microscopy, pathology, bio-chemistry pharmacology and microbiology.

PM regrets declining sex ratio

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:06:14 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 15 - Expressing regret over the declining sex ratio in the country, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday called for a change in the mindset of society with respect to women and girls.

'The figures of census 2011 show improvements in most areas. But it is a matter of deep regret that the sex ratio has shown a decline from the level of last census,' he said in his Independence Day address.

According to the prime minister, it was not only necessary to implement the existing laws effectively but it was essential to change the approach 'with which our society views girls and women'.

'I would especially appeal to the state governments and social service organisations to take steps for empowerment of women and for improving their status in society,' he added.

According to the 2011 census, the sex ratio has dropped to 914 girls for 1,000 boys.

Need to stop doctors migrating abroad: Azad

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:16:41 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 14 - Expressing concern over doctors migrating to foreign countries, union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Sunday said the 'poaching' needs to be stopped.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone of a new block in Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences -, Azad said in the last three years over 3,500 doctors have gone out of India.

'In the last three years, around 3,500 doctors have joined other countries as medical professionals. This poaching needs to be stopped as it is India that is spending money and resources on their training and skill development,' Azad said.

Speaking about increasing the health infrastructure, the health minister said six new AIIMS like institutions will be ready by 2013 in the states of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa and Uttarakhand.

The minister said special incentives were being given to agencies constructing the projects to ensure timely completion.

'We have introduced incentive-based projects where the agencies given the task of building projects are awarded with incentives. So this should speed up the infra development in health sector,' Azad said.

The minister laid the foundation stone of a new convergence centre in AIIMS which will have the department of anatomy, electron microscopy, knowledge centre, pathology, bio-chemistry pharmacology and micro biology.

Being built at a cost of Rs.50.85 crore, it is likely to be completed in 18 months.

20-minute treatment for blood pressure on the anvil

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:57:35 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 14 - Soon, patients suffering from high blood pressure will be able to get long-term treatment for the lifestyle-related disorder in a span of 20 minutes, experts said here Sunday.

'Cardiology is heading towards many newer innovative techniques to provide patient friendly and less invasive methods of treatment. Very soon, we will be able to provide a long-term treatment to high blood pressure in mere 20 minutes,' said Rajneesh Kapoor, director of interventional cardiology at Medanta Medicity.

'A radio frequency based catheter is advanced from the groin into the kidney arteries to deliver some lesions into the arteries. The lesions block neural signals which possibly bring down the high blood pressure,' Kapoor explained at a summit on innovations in cardiology.

The mode of treatment, yet to be approved by the Medical Council of India and the Drug Controller General of India, will cost around Rs.1 lakh.

'If further studies show this reduction to be sustained, it will be a giant leap forward in management of such patients,' Kapoor said.

Uttar Pradesh hospital offers free CT scans Monday

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:37:29 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Lucknow, Aug 14 - A state-of-the-art CT scan centre at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh will offer free services to all patients on the Independence Day Monday, an official said Sunday.

The centre is of the Sir Sunderlal Hospital which functions under the Banaras Hindu University -.

'The initiative is primarily aimed to help and serve poor and needy patients, who visit the centre not only from various parts of Uttar Pradesh but also from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh,' K.K. Singh, director of the centre, told reporters in Varanasi, some 300 km from here.

'Anyone who comes at the centre for a CT scan will be asked only for the doctor's prescription, following which the scan would be conducted free of cost. The free service would remain available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.,' he added.

The centre houses the latest and the most advanced scanner - 64 Slice CT.

According to officials, this scanner performs rapid and high resolution imaging of the entire body within a few seconds, which is a boon especially for acutely ill patients.

The major advantage of the 64 Slice CT is the non-invasive image of blood vessels of the heart which enables speedy diagnosis of heart diseases.

Orissa cancels doctors' leave as dengue spreads

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 11:35:40 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Bhubaneswar, Aug 13 - Orissa Saturday cancelled the leave of doctors working in three state-run medical colleges after a spurt in dengue cases in 11 of the state's 30 districts.

The three medical college-cum-hospitals, which are also the main testing centres for the mosquito-borne disease, are in Cuttack, Berhampur and Burla towns.

'There was no report of any death Friday. However, 54 new positive cases have been reported,' a senior state health official told IANS.

He said 82 samples were tested in Sri Ram Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, 26 km from here, Friday and 54 of them were found positive.

With the latest cases, the total number of people infected by the virus in the state in about a fortnight has increased to 132, he said.

The districts from where dengue cases have been reported so far are Angul, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Khordha, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Nuapada and Sundargarh.

The disease is, however, concentrated in Angul district, which reported the highest 106 positive cases, he said.

A three-member team of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, led by its deputy director Kalpana Barua, rushed to Angul Saturday to assess the situation.

NHRC slams health ministry for drug trial deaths

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:48:07 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 12 - The National Human Rights Commission - Friday slammed the health ministry and the Indian Council of Medical Research - for the loss of hundreds of lives, allegedly because of drug trials in the country.

Taking suo moto cognisance of a media report alleging that 1,725 people have lost their lives to drug trials in the last four years, the commission issued notices to the health secretary, ICMR secretary, and the Drug Controller General of India and asked them to submit their comments in the matter within four weeks.

In a statement, the commission said: 'Allegedly, there has been evidence of weak monitoring of requests of the companies approaching the Drug Controller... it seems that many of the drugs tested are not even of specific relevance to the country'.

The commission also sought information if there is any uniform policy of compensating the victims.

'A notice has also been sent to the Centre for Studies in Ethics and Rights, Anusandhan Trust, Mumbai seeking its comments within four weeks on the subject,' it said.

The commission has also decided to take up the case of six women, who allegedly became victims of an unauthorised drug trials in Andhra Pradesh.