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Doctors at a Delhi hospital have successfully restarted the blood circulation of a 55-year-old woman after her death to enable organ donation, marking a pioneering achievement in Asia, officials said on Saturday. The procedure, conducted at HCMCT Manipal Hospital in Dwarka, is the first of its kind in Asia, where blood circulation was restarted post-mortem to retrieve organs. Geeta Chawla, who had been bedridden and paralysed due to Motor Neuron Disease, was brought to the hospital on November 5 with severe breathing difficulties. As her condition worsened, the family decided not to place her on life support. She passed away at 8:43 PM on November 6. Honouring her wish to donate her organs, the medical team performed a rare and complex procedure known as Normothermic Regional Perfusion (NRP). Using an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator (ECMO), the doctors successfully restarted blood circulation in her abdominal organs, even after her heart had stopped and she had been declared dead
The Supreme Court has referred to a larger bench the question whether doctors practising indigenous medical systems such as Ayurveda, Unani, homeopathy can be treated on par with "allopathic" doctors for determining service conditions, retirement age, and pay scales. On May 13, a bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran reserved its order on the pleas seeking answer to whether there can be a different age of superannuation for doctors practising modern medicine from the practitioners of AYUSH in government hospitals and clinics. In an order delivered on October 17, the bench said "there is divergence of opinion" on whether doctors of the two systems can be treated equally for service benefits and hence, the issue required an authoritative pronouncement. The term 'allopathy' was coined by the founder of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann, who used it to disparage the mainstream medicine system prevailing then. The court noted that earlier decisions had taken .
The Madhya Pradesh police have formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the death of 14 children in Chhindwara due to suspected renal failure, linked to the consumption of a toxic cough syrup, officials said. Dr Praveen Soni from Chhindwara has been arrested for alleged negligence in connection with the child deaths, while a case has been registered against the Coldrif cough syrup manufacturing company, the officials said on Sunday. The body of the last victim was exhumed on Sunday for a post-mortem. Chhindwara Additional Collector Dhirendra Singh said that ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each, announced by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, has been transferred to the bank accounts of the victims' families. Eight children are being treated in Nagpur -- four in a government hospital, one at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and three in private facilities, he said. Meanwhile, two children in MP's Betul district have died allegedly after taking Coldrif cough syrup, heal
Making eye care accessible to citizens, a team of leading ophthalmologists in Delhi have launched a national eye helpline number to connect doctors with patients from all over the country. The initiative, spearheaded under the banner of Sight Sarthi India Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation, promises free telephonic and video consultations for anyone across the country struggling with eye problems. Headed by Dr Ikeda Lal, cornea, cataract and refractive surgeon and medical director at Delhi Eye Centre, the helpline is set to become a lifeline for millions - especially those in remote towns and villages who often struggle to access quality ophthalmic care. With a dedicated team of leading ophthalmologists from Delhi, the project is designed to break barriers of geography, cost, and access. From cataract and refractive errors to preventable blindness, millions either delay or avoid treatment due to lack of access or high cost of travel, Dr Lal said. "The newly launched helplin
Once considered an adult ailment, gallstones are increasingly affecting children across India, prompting paediatricians to call for greater awareness and preventive care. In a surprising shift in pediatric health trends, hospitals and clinics across India are reporting a steady rise in cases of gallstones among children, experts said. Traditionally viewed as a condition affecting middle-aged adults, gallstones are now being diagnosed in children as young as six, raising concerns among medical professionals and public health experts. Gallstones are solid deposits that form in the gallbladder, often composed of cholesterol or bilirubin. While many cases remain asymptomatic, they can cause intense abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and digestive distress when they obstruct bile flow. "We're seeing a clear increase in pediatric gallstone cases, especially in urban centres," said Dr Shandip Kumar Sinha, the director of pediatric surgery and pediatric urology at Mednata-The Medicity in ..
Several doctors, psychologists, rights activists and lawyers on Thursday opposed attempts seeking lowering of legal age of consent from 18 to 16 years, with NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo terming the move a "time bomb", which, if "not defused", will "explode inside families". At a roundtable held here on the sensitive subject, many doctors argued that at 16, a human brain is "not mature enough" to take decisions related to healthy sexual relationship or weather its psychological impact, and for such girls it also carries the risk of teenage pregnancies and "concomitant health hazards". The Supreme Court has been urged by amicus curiae and senior advocate Indira Jaising to read down the statutory age of consent from 18 to 16 years. Jaising, who is assisting the top court in the 'Nipun Saxena vs Union of India' case, recently filed her written submissions challenging the blanket criminalisation of sexual activity involving adolescents aged 16 to 18 under the Protection of Children from