Page 33 - Health Medical Pharma
Nipah scare: Kerala health minister meets Harsh Vardhan
Amid Nipah virus scare, Kerala health minister K K Shailaja Friday met Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to discuss the status and the administration's preparedness for containment and management of the potentially deadly infection. Vardhan, who is regularly reviewing the public health measures put in place in Kerala, assured her of all support from the Centre. "I am here to meet Dr Vardhan who has taken charge of the Health ministry and also update him about the status and the state's preparedness to prevent the spread of the virus," Shailaja told PTI. She further said that the condition of a21-year-old college student, who was diagnosed with Nipah infection, is stable and a total of 314 people who were in touch with the infected person have been kept under observation. "There have been no new cases," she said. The Nipah virus had claimed 17 lives in the state in May last year. The Union Health Ministry has already deployed a six-member team comprising an epidemiologist and ICMR ...
Master cell playing key role in fighting TB identified
Researchers have identified a master cell that coordinates the body's immune response in the early days of TB infection.
Army Chief approves plan for increased intake of jawans as officers
New Delhi [India], Jun 7 (ANI): In a major reform, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has approved plans to establish a training institute for soldiers to help them qualify as commissioned officers in the Indian Army."The institute will be known as Young Leaders Training Wing and is planned to be established inside the premises of the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai. It will focus on developing communication, leadership and team-building skills in soldiers," Army officials told ANI.The first batch of 200 soldiers will be trained from September 16 for a period of five months. There are plans for catering to two such courses in a single year.A core team of 10 officers will form the instructional nucleus of the Wing.An internal study of the Army had found that there is an overall shortage of 41.4 per cent in the intake of soldiers as officers.The Army has a varied intake schedule for its prospective officers and recruiting from an available pool of qualified soldiers is one of ...
E-cigarette vaping harms mucus clearance, study suggests
Today, people are highly resorting to the use of e-cigarettes to quit smoking. But e-cigarette vaping does more harm than good. A new study highlights that it hampers the cleaning of mucus from the airways.The study published in the Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine also stated that a single session of vaping can deliver more nicotine to the airways than smoking one cigarette.Researchers report that exposing human airway cells to e-cigarette vapour containing nicotine in culture resulted in a decreased ability to move mucus or phlegm across the surface. This phenomenon is called "mucociliary dysfunction."Mucociliary dysfunction is a feature of many lung diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cystic fibrosis."This study grew out of our team's research on the influence of tobacco smoke on mucus clearance from the airways," said senior author Matthias Salathe, University of Kansas Medical Center.Salathe added, "The question was ...
Merck Foundation meets the First Lady of Guinea to plan launch of programs in the country
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany met the First Lady of Guinea to plan the launch of their programs and initiatives in the country. The meeting was held between The First Lady of Guinea, Djene Conde and Dr Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation."Guinea is all set to welcome the programs of Merck Foundation. These programs are going to be very beneficial for our people and their social and economic well-being. Merck Foundation will help us build healthcare capacity and break the stigma of infertility in the country", emphasized the First Lady of Guinea, Djene Conde and Ambassador of Merck More Than a Mother.Merck Foundation had appointed the First Lady of Guinea as the Ambassador of Merck More Than a Mother in 2017."I am happy to work closely with Her Excellency First Lady of Guinea. We acknowledge her great efforts as 'Merck More Than a Mother' Ambassador to empower infertile women in the country. With the launch of our programs, we will underscore our long ..
Bajaj Finserv envisages a healthier India with #FitForLife campaign
Bajaj Finance Ltd, the lending arm of Bajaj Finserv, aims to further penetrate the health and wellness ecosystem of India by bringing back its successful #FitForLife campaign.Under the #FitForLife campaign, customers can avail hassle-free EMI options for a gamut of fitness and wellness products and treatments available on the Bajaj Finserv EMI Network. The campaign commences from June 6th just ahead of Global Wellness Day and will go on till June 17th.Lifecare Finance from Bajaj Finserv is principally focused on helping its customers to receive quality medical and wellness treatments without worrying about their finances. Bajaj Finserv has now extended the Lifecare Financing roster to more than 174 treatments and has increased its reach to over 2700 partners (clinics and hospitals) in more than 40 cities across India.Customers can now seamlessly convert their medical and wellness bills, into instant loans ranging from Rs 7000 to Rs 4.5 lakhs with the facility to pay through the Bajaj .
Shoolini University Pharmacy Researchers Design pH Responsive 'Smart Gel'
/ -- Smart anti-cancer nanogel for colon cancer Cancer is one of the most complex diseases and one of the main reasons for loss of human life around the world. As per the latest reports of World Health Organisation, the global cancer death rate is likely to increase from 45 per cent to 70 per cent by 2030. Though there are many hypotheses, the exact cause of cancer still remains a mystery while doctors and researchers around the world continue to make endless efforts to find its cure and to improve the present methods and existing treatments. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/792680/Shoolini_University_Logo.jpg ) Researchers of Shoolini University are involved in independent and collaborative projects relating to cancer. One such research-project being undertaken by the research scholars of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences is related to colon cancer, which is one of the most common cancers in both men and women around the world. As per the 2018 statistics of World Cancer ..
Vaping may impair mucus clearance from airways: Study
Nicotine in e-cigarettes may hamper mucus clearance from the human airways, increasing the risk of infection and injury, according to a study. The study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, found that exposing human airway cells to e-cigarette vapour containing nicotine in culture resulted in a decreased ability to move mucus or phlegm across the surface. This phenomenon is called "mucociliary dysfunction". Researchers from the University of Kansas, University of Miami and Mt Sinai Medical Center in the US report the same finding in vivo in sheep, whose airways mimic those of humans when exposed to e-cigarette vapour. "This study grew out of our team's research on the influence of tobacco smoke on mucus clearance from the airways," said Matthias Salathe, a professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center. "The question was whether vape containing nicotine had negative effects on the ability to clear secretions from the airways similar to ...
German 'killer' nurse handed life sentence for murdering 85 patients
A German court on Thursday awarded life imprisonment to a former nurse for murdering 85 patients in his care.42-year-old Niels Hoegel, who had previously admitted to killing 100 patients in the last five years, was sentenced to life imprisonment at the District Court of Oldenburg, CNN reported.During the trial, the court's judge said that Hoegel's actions were "incomprehensible". "That's the word that characterises this," the judge said.Considered to be Germany's deadliest post-war serial killer, Hoegel confessed to murdering 100 patients, aged between 34 and 96, at two hospitals in Delmenhorst and Oldenburg in northern Germany between 2000 and 2005.The former nurse is already serving a life sentence for six convictions, including resuscitation. He is accused of giving various non-prescribed drugs to his patients in an attempt to show off his skills to his colleagues.In previous hearings, the 42-year-old health worker had said that he was on cloud nine when he successfully brought ...
As heat wave grips Churu, leaves of doctors cancelled
Rising mercury in Churu district of Rajasthan has led to the cancellation of leaves of doctors in order to ensure availability of medical facilities at all times.As temperatures soared in the district, doctors were directed to avoid taking leaves, except in cases of emergencies, in order to attend to the increasing number of patients.Doctors have also been asked to report for duty on time.Speaking to ANI on Thursday, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Churu government hospital Dr Goga Ram said, " Number of patients has increased but no complicated cases have turned up so far. Only essential leaves have been allowed for doctors at this time."Earlier this week, Churu witnessed a record-high temperature of 50.3 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had said.The IMD has regulated heatwave warning for the next five days which is likely to be observed in many parts of West Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and East Rajasthan.Situated around 200 kilometres from capital city Jaipur,
Nipah: Samples of 6 test negative; Kerala min terms it big relief
Samples of six people, including three nurses and a nursing assistant, who had attended on a college student infected with Nipah virus, have tested negative and indicated the virus has not spread, Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja said Thursday. The results of the blood tests of the six have come as a huge relief for Kerala authorities trying to stop the spread of the highly infectious virus that had left 17 people dead in the state last year. Indicating that the spread of the potentially deadly virus among humans in the state has somehow been controlled, the government said a major concern related to the Nipah scare in the state was allayed. The Health Department, however, will continue to maintain vigil for sometime. The government also urged the people to continue to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease. "A major concern was allayed. But we will continue to remain alert," a visibly relaxed state Health Minister K K Shailaja told reporters here as she ..
Parvathy Hospital Takes Cartilage Repair to the Next Level
/ -- Articular cartilage repair has been approached with a new perspective by orthopaedic experts from Parvathy hospital, by reducing the two-step surgery process and thereby reducing the cost of surgery approximately by 5 times. This case has been featured in the Asian Journal of Arthroscopy. Dr. Vetri Kumar, Consultant Knee surgeon of Parvathy Hospital, along with his 4 member team - surgeons from Italy and Poland performed this innovative technique - CARTILAGE REPAIR USING MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS. This technique provides a new approach to articular cartilage repair in the form of Biological Arthroplasty. Osteoarthritis of the knee is the most common problem worldwide leading to disability. Almost 19% of population above 40 years and 50% of people above the age of 75 years in the world suffer from it. Over the years people diagnosed with osteoarthritis have offered the solution of knee replacement which helps the patient to lead a pain free but compromised life by avoiding jogging, .
Kerala CM for research on Nipah outbreak
Even after six patients suffering from fever tested negative for Nipah virus in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said studies need to find out the reason for the second outbreak of the virus in the state.
Dietary supplements linked with severe health events in young people: Study
Taking dietary supplements for weight loss, muscle building, and energy is associated with nearly three times increased risk for severe medical events in children and young adults, compared to vitamins, a study warns. "The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued countless warnings about supplements sold for weight loss, muscle building or sport performance, sexual function, and energy, and we know these products are widely marketed to and used by young people," said Flora Or from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in the US. The study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, looked at adverse event reports between January 2004 and April 2015 in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System on the food and dietary supplements database. The researchers analysed the relative risk for severe medical events such as death, disability, and hospitalisation in individuals aged 0 and 25 years that were linked with the use of dietary supplements sold for weight loss, muscle ...
NCDRC asks WB hosp, doctor to pay Rs 3.4 lakh for deficiency in service, leading to patient's death
Apex consumer commission NCDRC has directed a hospital in West Bengal and its doctor to pay Rs 3.4 lakh as compensation to the family of a 15-year old girl, who died due to delay in surgery, saying timely treatment would have increased her chance of survival. The girl was admitted to the hospital suffering from appendicular perforation and she was advised to seek treatment elsewhere. When her father expressed inability to shift her, the doctor conducted the operation later that night, saying there was no availability of a surgical team earlier. However, her condition deteriorated further and she was transferred to another hospital with ventilator support accompanied by the surgical team. The girl was declared dead the next day. Observing that timely treatment would have given her a shot at life, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission directed Arogya Niketan Nursing Home Village in Paschim Medinipore, West Bengal, to pay Rs 1 lakh and Dr Madhusudan Pal, the treating ...
Nothing more fulfilling than being mother: Tulsi Kumar
Singer Tulsi Kumar says there is nothing more fulfilling than being a mother, but it comes with some challenges.
Man kills his doctor's wife, injures son
A man, who was apparently unhappy with the medical treatment he was receiving, allegedly killed the wife of his doctor during a tiff here Thursday, police said. The doctor's son was also injured in the attack. Rafiq Rasheed (45), the accused, was arrested, said an officer of Tukoganj police station. Rasheed, suffering from a skin disease, was seeing Dr Ramkrishna Verma and was said to be dissatisfied with the treatment he was prescribed. He went to Dr Verma's clinic in Malwa Mill area here Thursday to meet him but the doctor was out of town. Verma's wife Lata Verma (50), who helped her husband at the clinic, asked Rasheed to come later. It led to a heated argument, during which Rasheed allegedly stabbed her with a knife, the police officer said. Her son Abhishek (19) rushed to her help and Rasheed knifed him too, he said. The badly injured mother and son were taken to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared Lata brought dead. Abhishek was said to be out of ...
J-K Guv expresses grief over deaths in gas cylinder blast
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik Thursday expressed grief over the death of a woman and her three daughters in a gas cylinder explosion inside their house in Baramulla district. Parveena Akhter and six children were injured in the explosion on May 27. While the 35-year-old woman and her 18-year-old daughter succumbed to their injuries on June 2, her other two daughters-- aged 16 and 14-- died a day later. An official spokesman said the Governor prayed for peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved family in its hour of grief. He has wished speedy recovery to the injured persons undergoing treatment. On the directions of the Governor, the Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla has given an ex-gratia relief of Rs 8 lakhs to the head of the family and Rs 50,000 in cash for the medical treatment of those injured, he said. "Further on Governor's directions, Baseer Ahmed Khan, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has sponsored two injured children of the family for free ...
Nipah virus: how it spreads, past outbreaks, what to watch out for
Nipah, a rare and often deadly disease which is back in the news with a student in Kerala diagnosed with the infection, is a zoonotic virus which means it is transmitted from animals such as bats or pigs to humans, and can also spread through contaminated food and people-to-people contact. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS: Human infections range from asymptomatic (no symptoms) to acute respiratory infection and fatal encephalitis, involving inflammation of the brain, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Infected people initially develop symptoms, including fever, headaches, myalgia (muscle pain), vomiting and sore throat. This can be followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and neurological signs that indicate acute encephalitis. The incubation period -- interval from infection to the onset of symptoms -- mostly ranges from four to 14 days. Most people who survive acute encephalitis make a full recovery, but long term neurological conditions have been reported in ...
Insurance claim cannot be denied on presumption of pre-existing disease: NCDRC
The NCDRC, the apex consumer commission, has held that an insurance claim cannot be denied on mere presumption that a person might be suffering from a pre-existing disease. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) said even if the insured person was suffering from a disease and did not know about it nor was taking any treatment for the same, the claim cannot be denied by an insurance company. The observations by the commission came while rejecting the revision plea filed by Reliance Life Insurance Co. Ltd against the Maharashtra state commission's order dismissing its appeal challenging a district forum's direction to pay Rs 1,12,500 to the husband of one of its policy holders who died of diabetic ketoacidosis. The district forum had also awarded Rs 5,000 towards physical and mental trauma, and Rs 3,000 as litigation cost to the husband who had filed the complaint against the insurance company. The NCDRC, while dismissing the revision plea, said the onus to prove ...
