AIIMS-II launched in Haryana village |  |
- AIIMS-II launched in Haryana village
- Chhattisgarh's government hospitals to transport dead bodies home for free
- Himachal court questions government on ailing cancer centre
- WHO warns against tobacco industry pushing sales
- Smoking hasten cardiac problems, cancer in youngsters
- Beware! Passive smoking riskier than you think
- Study: In-patient, out-patient stroke rehab might benefit from yoga
- Time is ticking for some crop's wild relatives
- UCSF researchers identify a potential new HIV vaccine/therapy target
- AIIMS to help set up multiple sclerosis database
| AIIMS-II launched in Haryana village Posted: 30 May 2012 11:25 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Gurgaon, May 30 - The construction of the second campus of All India Institute of Medical Sciences -, perhaps bigger than the one in Delhi, began in a village in Haryana's Jhajjar district Wednesday, an official said. It is being built at a cost of Rs.1,000 crore. The new institute would house many such facilities which could not be created in the Delhi AIIMS due to lack of space. Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, accompanied by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, laid the foundation stone some 25-km from here in Badhsa village. We are planning to have some national institutes of excellence here that will contribute to health research as well as framing of national health policies and programmes for implementation, Azad said during the ceremony. The minister announced that the AIIMS Outreach OPD would be completed in next four months time, a nursing school would be set up through National Rural Health Mission - and 5 to 10 per cent reservation would be given to youths of Badsha village in class-IV and other non technical jobs in the upcoming AIIMS-II. He described it as the 'Baadshah' - of the health institutes in the country. He said that this AIIMS-II would have a research institute, where the best health policies would be drafted. The new AIIMS will alos house a National Institute where cancer, heart and infectious diseases would be treated. He said that new technologies to provide health treatment at reasonable prices would also be researched. Azad said that AIIMS is a big project and would take five to six years in completion. In the mean time, Outreach OPD would provide health services like general medicine, orthopedics, gynecologists and ENT among others. He said that the government was looking for the required measurement of land in the neighbouring NCR region to set up a branch of AIIMS-II. This branch or the second campus of AIIMS-II at Badhsa will see modern, state of the... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Chhattisgarh's government hospitals to transport dead bodies home for free Posted: 30 May 2012 11:15 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Raipur, May 30 - The Chhattisgarh Health Department will transport home the dead bodies of poor patients who die in government hospitals for free, with Chief Minister Raman Singh approving the project, an official said Wednesday. The plan, in its first phase, would be implemented in all 27 district hospitals, in big hospitals in major towns and in those located along national highways. The state government has provisioned Rs 75 lakh for this project in the current fiscal and we are working overtime to implement it at the earliest, Health Secretary Vikas Sheel told IANS. Three dozen ambulances would be initially commissioned, two of which would be stationed at Mekahara, the biggest health facility in the state, while the remaining would be earmarked for the district hospitals. As per the plan, in the event of a patient expiring in a government hospital, the relatives would simply have to inform the hospital in-charge, who would be responsible for providing an ambulance within 15 minutes to the deceased person's family to transport the body home. Health Minister Amar Agrawal described the state government's decision as pro-humanity. It is really painful that the body of a deceased person sometimes reaches home very late for want of money as the poor cannot pay the hefty sums demanded by private ambulance operators. The government has decided to take on this responsibility, as a service to humanity, he said. The rate for carrying a dead body within the city varies between Rs.2,000 and Rs.5,000, while the charges for transporting it outside city limits is prohibitive. Packaging and hiring a freezer to keep the body safe during longer transportation costs another Rs.2,000. Some NGOs like Badhte Kadam provide cheaper ambulance services, but owing to limited number of vehicles, the facility eludes the vast majority of the poor. http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Himachal court questions government on ailing cancer centre Posted: 30 May 2012 08:52 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Shimla, May 30 - The Himachal Pradesh High Court Wednesday directed the state government to file a reply on why posts of medical physicists and physicist technicians in the regional cancer centre here, of the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, had not been filled. The court noted that it was only on account of delay in filling vacancies that the cobalt unit for radiotherapy had not become functional, despite dire need of its services. A division bench comprising Chief Justices Kurian Joseph and Dharamchand Chaudhary passed the order on the writ petition of Namita Maniktala on non-implementation of the of the National Cancer Control Programme in the state. The petitioner had requested increase of bed capacity in the hospital, in view of the increasing numbers of patients. The bench directed the state to clarify whether it had assessed the need for more beds in terms of the larger numbers of patients availing chemotherapy. It shall also be clarified that what steps have been taken to implement the National Cancer Control Mission in the state, the bench observed. The state has been directed to file its reply within a month, and the next hearing has been fixed for July 11. http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| WHO warns against tobacco industry pushing sales Posted: 30 May 2012 02:28 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, May 30 - The World Health Organisation - Wednesday urged governments in Southeast Asia to beware of the tobacco industry's interference in tobacco control programme by targeting the youths through increased advertising budgets in several countries. On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day May 31 -, the WHO said that as countries move to meet their obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control -, the tobacco industry is becoming more aggressive in its attempts to undermine the treaty by acting against the policies contained in it. The industry is targeting the youth through increased advertising budgets in several countries of the WHO Southeast Asia Region. One in ten school students are offered free samples of tobacco products, the WHO said in a message. The tobacco industry has sued central and local governments over the pictorial warnings on cigarette packets, claiming that they infringe on the industry's rights to use their legally-registered brands and freedom of speech. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey shows that health warnings are effective and a large number of tobacco users noticed the warnings and thought of quitting. Governments must protect people's health from tobacco use and be vigilant about the tobacco industry's interference in tobacco control measures, said Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO regional director for Southeast Asia. According to the WHO, India and Indonesia are among the top ten tobacco leaf producers in the world. In addition, the region is one of the largest producers of smokeless tobacco products. Ninety percent of global smokeless tobacco users live in Southeast Asia. The sale of smokeless tobacco products in India increased by over 25 percent between 2005 and 2010, it added. http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Smoking hasten cardiac problems, cancer in youngsters Posted: 30 May 2012 01:27 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, May 30 - Abhishek Shetty led the typical life of a young employee in an IT company. A regular smoker, the 32-year-old had a hectic schedule, odd sleeping hours and irregular meals - all of which caught up with him, and he suffered a heart attack at what his doctor called a shockingly young age. Five years back such cases were unheard of. But increasingly, we have young people coming to us with cardiac problems. It's a serious problem and smoking is a major factor, Ravindra L. Kulkarni, cardiologist and director of Just for Hearts, an organisation for heart care, told IANS. Abhishek's is a case in point. A study of his case revealed that he led a very stressful life, thanks to the nature of his work. To add to that, he smoked regularly to relieve his stress. Ultimately he had a cardiac arrest, Kulkarni added. An angiography revealed a blockage in one of Shetty's main arteries, for which an angioplasty had to be done. He has now changed his lifestyle completely. Cardiac ailments have become an increasingly common feature among people as young as in their late 20s and early 30s, and smoking is found to be one of the main contributing factors. Health problems that you would have normally seen in people in their sixties - like those related to the heart or lungs - you see them in young people in the age group of 30-35 these days. It's an unhealthy trend, to say the least, said Suchetna Das, a cardiologist. According to Kulkarni, in the past few years there has been a 30-40 percent rise in cardiac related ailments amongst those below the age of 40. Among his patients, 30-40 percent are heavy smokers. A number of young patients are those in high-stress and sedentary lifestyle jobs, like in BPOs and the IT sector. Studies reveal that peer pressure and curiosity are the two most common reasons for a person to take up smoking. Most smokers also claim their regular dose of puff is a stress relaxant. A number of young... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Beware! Passive smoking riskier than you think Posted: 30 May 2012 12:58 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, May 30 - For all those smokers out there, chances are you're not thinking about your child, spouse or others around you when you light up a cigarette. Think twice, say doctors. Passive smoking, often dubbed the 'silent killer', is more dangerous than you believe and the complications it creates have gone up like never before. Passive smoking is little talked about. But it's critical. Getting exposed to second-hand smoke is just as bad as active smoking and passive smokers often suffer from lung problems, breathlessness and allergies, Ravindra L. Kulkarni, a cardiologist and director of Just for Hearts, an organisation for heart care and lifestyle management, told IANS. The first global study on passive smoking estimated that it causes 600,000 deaths every year. One-third of those killed are children who are often exposed to smoke at home, the World Health Organisation - estimated. Just by getting yourself exposed to smoke, you unknowingly expose yourself to all kinds of health problems. Women and children are especially vulnerable, Amol Akhade, a consultant medical oncologist at International Oncology Services, told IANS. According to experts, a smoker's exhaled smoke is called exhaled mainstream smoke. The smoke drifting from their lit cigarette is called sidestream smoke. The combination of mainstream and sidestream smoke is called second-hand smoke - or environmental tobacco smoke -. Most of the smoke that hangs in a room is sidestream smoke, which contains higher levels of cancer-causing compounds than mainstream smoke. Second-hand smoke is a common indoor pollutant at homes... sometimes because of reasons beyond your control, like a guest smoking, or smoke drifting in from outside. Children in particular are at risk of serious health effects from second-hand smoke, said Aarti Goyal, a health activist. According to Kulkarni, there have been rising number of asthma-like cases and of allergic reactions because... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Study: In-patient, out-patient stroke rehab might benefit from yoga Posted: 30 May 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) SAN FRANCISCO -- Researchers looking into the value of adapted yoga for stroke rehabilitation report that after an eight-week program, study participants demonstrated improved balance and flexibility, a stronger and faster gait, and increased strength and endurance. The study, involving researchers from the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and IU Bloomington, exposed older veterans recovering from stroke to yoga. The men and women had completed their post-stroke occupational and physical therapy before the study but continued to have impairments. The findings from two new analyses of the study will be presented on Wednesday during the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in San Francisco. Arlene Schmid, rehabilitation research scientist at the Roudebush VA Medical Center and principle investigator of the VA-funded study, said loss of functional strength, flexibility and endurance is common after a stroke, which can lead to long-term disability. She said 5 million Americans are living with the consequences of stroke, which can alter patients' lifestyles through decreased independence in activities of daily living, limited mobility and reduced participation in society. Clinicians need methods to manage and improve these post-stroke physical impairments, said Schmid, also an assistant professor of occupational therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at IUPUI. Her analysis, Physical Improvements After Yoga for People With Chronic Stroke, examined gains in functional strength, flexibility and endurance as a result of the yoga and found significant improvements in all areas. The yoga activities, she said in her report, might have improved neuromuscular control, likely allowing for strength improvements in affected limbs, sides or areas of disuse. Tracy Dierks, associate professor of physical therapy in the School of... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Time is ticking for some crop's wild relatives Posted: 30 May 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Wednesday, May 30, 2012 - A botanist brings a species of alfalfa from Siberia, to the United States. His hope? The plant survives, and leads to a new winter-hardy alfalfa. But what also happened during this time in the late 1800's, isn't just a story of legend and lore. The truth of the matter is creating a current revival in both interest and conservation of what's now called a crop's wild relative. And several researchers members of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) say it couldn't come at a better time. The lack of attention has put crop wild relatives in a precarious position, says ASA and CSSA member Stephanie Greene. Green is a plant geneticist with the USDA-ARS in Prosser, WA and the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System, the country's primary steward of seed and other crop genetic material. Twenty percent of all wild plants are now threatened with extinction, according to recent estimates, and that's before the potential impacts of climate change are factored in. Yet, as the world moves forward with all these initiatives to conserve biodiversity, Greene says, it's recognized that crop wild relatives have been left behind. Green is leading new efforts to tally crop wild relatives living in the United States, identifying which are most important to global and American agriculture, and developing a nationwide strategy for protecting the plants both in gene banks and in the wild. But conserving crop wild relatives is only the first step. The real goal is to get the diverse stock of genetic material, or germplasm, into the hands of plant breeders, especially those seeking to adapt crops to the increased drought, greater disease pressure, and erratic weather climate change is expected to bring. But few are studying crop wild relatives more intensely or championing for protection more vigorously than Nigel Maxted, a scientist at the University of Birmingham in England. Maxted... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| UCSF researchers identify a potential new HIV vaccine/therapy target Posted: 30 May 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) After being infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in a laboratory study, rhesus macaques that had more of a certain type of immune cell in their gut than others had much lower levels of the virus in their blood, and for six months after infection were better able to control the virus. SIV is a retrovirus that infects primates. Strains of SIV that crossed over to humans resulted in the evolution of HIV. In rhesus macaques, SIV causes simian AIDS (though in many primates it is harmless) and studying the virus in these animals offers crucial insights into how HIV acts in humans, the researchers said. The discovery by researchers at UCSF may shed light on the mystery of why some people infected with HIV are better able to control the virus, live longer and have fewer associated health problems than others who have been infected as long, they said. It also provides a potential new target for developing therapies or vaccines. The cells that have the protective effect, called Th17 (T helper 17) cells, are a subset of the type of disease-fighting immune cell targeted and killed by HIV and found in the gut of both primates and humans. A prior study from the same UCSF team found that SIV infection causes a normally protective immune response to infection to go awry, leading to reduction in the protective activity in the gut of these Th17 cells and weakening of mucosal defenses against bacteria. Interestingly, in that study, Th17 cells were not affected by SIV in another primate, African green monkeys, in which SIV infection is harmless and does not cause disease. Animals with more of these Th17 cells were better able to control SIV and this was due in part to macaques developing a more effective immune response by producing more SIV-specific CD4-positive T-cells to fight the infection. Our next step is to see if we can augment the Th17 effect, perhaps by looking at interleukin 17 (IL-17), the cytokine released by these... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| AIIMS to help set up multiple sclerosis database Posted: 29 May 2012 09:43 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, May 29 - The All India Medical Institute of Sciences - will help set up a national registry for multiple sclerosis -, a rare autoimmune disease, doctors from the premier health institute said Tuesday. The neurology centre at AIIMS has today is seeing more MS patients residing in tier I and tier II cities from across the country. Therefore efforts are being made to collate the data and understand the disease from an Indian perspective, which as of now, is not the case as the disease is considered more predominant in the western countries, said Rohit Bhatia, an additional professor of neurology at AIIMS. In this regard, the AIIMS is keen to set up of a National MS Registry for maintenance of epidemiological data of MS patients from across the country for evidence based research, treatment, and education, he added. Since 2011, the department of neurology at AIIMS began collecting data of MS patients undergoing counselling and treatment at the institute to track their demographic profile, medical condition, quality of life, disability stage and post treatment outcome. Relatively rare in the country, multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease affecting brain and spinal cord. With the body attacking its own cells and tissues, common symptoms include numbness, weakness in the limbs, sudden loss of balance, blurred vision and paralysis. MS affects youth in the age of 20-40 years. A three year national programme 'reaching out' pilot project has been initiated since February across cities in Uttar Pradesh to gather more data on MS patients. The final structured project will be implemented in all other states of India in the coming years, said Bipasha Gupta, national secretary, Multiple Sclerosis Society of India. http://www.rxpgnews.com |
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