Tuberculosis, leprosy

India to start universal screening for tuberculosis, leprosy: Health Minister

JP Nadda (The Indian Express: 20180612)

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-to-start-universal-screening-for-tuberculosis-

leprosy-health-minister-j-p-nadda-5213653/

ndia accounts for the largest number of TB cases in the world and 60 per cent of the global

burden of leprosy. At 27.9 lakh, India’s TB incidence in 2016 was down marginally from the

previous year’s 28.4 lakh. The number of TB-related deaths was 4.35 lakh, down by 15 per

cent from 5.17 lakh.

Health Minister J P Nadda on Monday announced that India is all set to start universal

screening for tuberculosis and leprosy. The announcement was made by the minister while

listing the achievements of the NDA government in the last four years. “We are starting

universal screening. At the age of 30 years, everyone will have to be screened not just for

diabetes, hypertension and cancers, but also for tuberculosis and leprosy,” Nadda said.

India accounts for the largest number of TB cases in the world and 60 per cent of the global

burden of leprosy. At 27.9 lakh, India’s TB incidence in 2016 was down marginally from the

DAILY NEWS BULLETINLEADING HEALTH, POPULATION AND FAMILY WELFARE STORIES OF THE DayTuesday 20180612

previous year’s 28.4 lakh. The number of TB-related deaths was 4.35 lakh, down by 15 per

cent from 5.17 lakh.

Prime minister Narendra Modi has made a suo motu commitment that India will eliminate TB

by 2025, ahead of the global sustainable development (SDG) deadline of 2030.

All states except Chhattisgarh and the Union Territory Dadra and Nagar Haveli have

eliminated leprosy. In March 2016, 551 of the 669 districts in the country had a prevalence of

less than one per 100,000 population which is defined by WHO as elimination.

Nadda also spoke about how the latest figures for maternal mortality ratio show that three

states — Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra — have already achieved the 2030 SDG

targets. He spoke about measures taken to make the new AIIMS fully functional so that the

workload for Delhi AIIMS is reduced.

“There is the problem that a lot of candidates who appear for the interview are not found to

be fit for the job, which means they are not up to the standards of AIIMS. AIIMS is a culture,

a brand. The problem with the long delay in appointments is that when a batch passes out of

AIIMS, even before their applications have been processed, they get lapped up by private

hospitals. That is why the Institute Body and Governing Body of the new AIIMS have

delegated the job of appointments to a Selection Committee,” the minister said.

He also spoke about Ayushman Bharat, which is planned as the health flagship programme of

the NDA government. “We are moving as per the set timelines for implementing ‘Ayushman

Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Swasthya Suraksha Mission’. We will sign MoUs with 14

states very soon,” Nadda said

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App

Nipah contained: Centre (The Tribune: 20180612)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/nipah-contained-centre/604002.html

The Centre and Kerala government today announced that the spread of Nipah virus disease

had been contained in the state and its further spread thwarted.

Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja made a formal announcement to this effect today saying,

“There is good news. Kerala health model has passed a fire test. Nipah virus is now totally

under control. The spread of the virus has been thwarted. Caution will, however, be

maintained till June 30.”

In Delhi, Health Minister JP Nadda said the disease was fully under control and localised to

Kerala.

“We are in constant touch with the state government. Our teams are in Kerala since the day

the news of Nipah outbreak came. The spread has been thwarted and the virus is contained

within Kerala,” Nadda said.

In all, there have been 19 confirmed Nipah virus cases in Kerala; of these, 17 people died.

The remaining two are responding to treatment and remain in isolation in Kerala.

Nadda said the government was working to find out the cause of Nipah spread in India and

research for the same was underway. The Tribune recently reported how, contrary to what

sections of the media reported, the Centre had not yet ruled out bats as carriers of the virus.

NHPS on track, MoUs with states on June 14

Health Minister JP Nadda on Monday said the National Health Protection Scheme to provide

financial cover of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 crore poor families was expected to be tested by mid-

July

“Eight states have already signed the MoUs to operaitonalise the scheme, 12 are expected to

sign on June 14 when I will release the guidelines for empanelment of hospitals,” Nadda said

National Food Security Act (NFSA

Five key states yet to come on board Centre’s cash transfer scheme for

pregnant women(The Indian Express: 20180612)

http://indianexpress.com/article/delhi/five-key-states-yet-to-come-on-board-centres-cash-

transfer-scheme-for-pregnant-women-5213663/

Union government officials state that the non-cooperation of these states could result in the

Centre being held legally accountable for not covering all states as required of it under

National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.

The Union government’s conditional cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating mothers

is yet to find takers from states that account for more than a fifth of the total beneficiaries.

According to officials from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, in the last one

year since its rollout, the Centre has disbursed Rs 673 crore to 23.6 lakh beneficiaries under

the Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana (PMMVY). However, Tamil Nadu, Telangana,

Odisha, West Bengal, and Assam have not taken the benefit of the funds from the central

scheme, said officials.

Many of these states have refused the money as they have their own state schemes that offer

higher sums and have a more universal coverage.

Union government officials state that the non-cooperation of these states could result in the

Centre being held legally accountable for not covering all states as required of it under

National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. “Some of these states are not doing their job since

they have their own schemes which are very CM- driven or are staying out for political

reasons. These states together account for 23 per cent of beneficiaries. After much

convincing, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have agreed to come on board by June-end,” said the

official, adding that these states might use the central funds in addition to their own funds

disbursed under the state schemes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in December 2016 that all pregnant and lactating

women would be given Rs 6000 under the scheme. While the scheme was started in 2010 by

UPA II government as Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahayog Yojana in 53 of the country’s 650

districts, the NFSA required the government to make the coverage universal. Even as the

coverage was made universal so as to cover every pregnant women in the re-launched

PMMVY, the cash transfer was limited to one live birth as opposed to two live births earlier

owing to poor budgetary allocation.

As against this, several states that have had their own versions of the scheme pay much more

and cover two live births. Odisha government’s conditional cash transfer maternity benefit

scheme Mamata covers two live births. Tamil Nadu’s pre-existing Muthulakshmi Reddy

Maternity Assistance Scheme already pays Rs 12,000, double the amount paid by the Centre,

covers two live births and has been proven to have had a positive effect on reducing the

maternal and infant mortality ratio. The amount is likely to be enhanced to Rs 18000 with an

infusion of Rs 6000 per beneficiary from the central scheme.

CO2 injections

CO2 injections may help cut belly fat (The Tribune: 20180612)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/health/co2-injections-may-help-cut-belly-fat/603645.html

Injecting fat pockets with carbon dioxide gas may help reduce belly fat, scientists have found.

"Carboxytherapy could potentially be a new and effective means of fat reduction. It still

needs to be optimised, though, so it's long lasting," said Murad Alam, from Northwestern

University in the US.

The new technique's benefits are that it is a "safe, inexpensive gas, and injecting it into fat

pockets may be preferred by patients who like natural treatments," said Alam, lead author of

the study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

"Non-invasive fat reduction has become increasingly sought-after by patients," said Alam.

Benefits of a non-invasive approach are diminished downtime, avoidance of scarring and

perceived safety.

Current technologies routinely used for non-invasive fat reduction include cryolipolysis, high

intensity ultrasound, radiofrequency, chemical adipocytolysis and laser-assisted fat reduction.

Carboxytherapy has been performed primarily outside the US, with a few clinical studies

suggesting it may provide a lasting improvement in abdominal contours.

The way carboxytherapy works is not well understood. It is believed that injection of carbon

dioxide causes changes in the microcirculation, and damages fat cells.

No randomised controlled trials for carboxytherapy efficacy and benefit over time have been

previously conducted.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of carboxytherapy for fat reduction

in a randomised, controlled trial, and to determine if any observed benefits persisted for six

months.

The study consisted of 16 adults who were not overweight and were randomised to get

weekly carbon dioxide gas injection to one side of their abdomens and a sham treatment on

the other side once a week for five weeks.

A high-resolution ultrasound detected a reduction in superficial fat after five weeks but not at

28 weeks. The patients' body weight did not change over the course of the study.

That the difference was not maintained at six months suggests the treatment stimulated a

temporary metabolic process that reduced the size of fat cells without inducing cell death,

Alam said.

"If carboxytherapy can provide prolonged benefits, it offers patients yet another non-invasive

option for fat reduction. But we don't feel it's ready for prime time," Alam said. – PTI

Heart attack

Avatar-based app helps recognise heart attack symptoms (The Tribune:

20180612)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/health/avatar-based-app-helps-recognise-heart-attack-

symptoms/603616.html

Scientists have developed an app that uses a simulated digital nurse to teach patients how to

recognise symptoms of heart attack and call emergency.

Patients using the SAVE app are more likely to call an ambulance when they had symptoms,

and had fewer hospital admissions, researchers said.

"Most deaths from heart attacks occur within the first few hours of symptom onset," said

Jintana Tongpeth, a PhD student at Flinders University in Australia.

"The death rate can be halved by getting patients to hospital more quickly. Delays occur

mainly because patients don't recognise symptoms or know to call an ambulance," said

Tongpeth.

An avatar is a simulated digital character that interacts by talking, and using facial

expressions and body language. The SAVE app uses an avatar, a nurse named Cora, to teach

heart attack warning signs and symptoms, and what to do when they occur.

The app has four sections heart attack warning sign quiz; heart attack signs and symptoms,

showing which symptoms are more common in men versus women; what to do when having

a heart attack; heart attack warning signs test.

During the initial development phase, a pilot study in ten heart attack survivors found that

using the app improved symptom recognition and knowledge about what to do.

These results became the preliminary data for a larger, statistically powered randomised

controlled trial.

Today researchers present results of this first randomised controlled trial testing the impact of

using the app on knowledge and response to heart attack symptoms.

The trial randomly allocated 70 heart attack survivors to the app plus routine discharge

information or routine discharge information alone (usual care group). App users received a

tablet computer, with the app installed, to use at home for six months.

Knowledge of symptoms and appropriate responses was assessed in both groups at the start

of the study and at six months. Ambulance use and hospitalisations during the six-month

period were recorded.

When symptoms occurred, app users were significantly more likely to call an ambulance (89

per cent) compared to the usual care group (43 per cent).

During the six months app users spent less time in hospital for heart problems than patients in

the usual care group (3.6 days versus 6.4 days on average, respectively).

At the start of the study, patients in both groups had similar knowledge of heart attack

symptoms and how to react. At six months, app users had significantly better knowledge of

symptoms and how to react than those who received routine discharge information alone.

Some 85 per cent of app users said Cora had increased their confidence in recognising heart

attack symptoms and knowing how to react.

"Our study shows that patients using an avatar-based app are more likely to call emergency if

they have heart attack symptoms and spend less time in hospital. A larger trial is needed to

see if this translates into quicker treatment and increased survival," said Tongpeth.

"Nurses have limited time to provide discharge education and often encounter literacy and

language barriers. This avatar app will be an essential tool to help overcome these difficulties.

The pictures do not require patients to read, and we are translating the content so that Cora

speaks 144 languages," said Robyn Clark, a professor at Flinders University. PTI

24 malaria, 23 dengue cases

24 malaria, 23 dengue cases reported till now (The Tribune: 20180612)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/delhi/24-malaria-23-dengue-cases-reported-till-

now/603816.html

Three fresh cases of malaria have been reported in the past week in the capital, taking the

total number of people affected by the vector-borne disease this season to 24, one more than

the total number of dengue cases recorded in Delhi, according to the latest municipal report

released today.

Of the 24 cases of malaria, 17 were recorded last month, three in June, two each in April and

March and one in February.

Of the 23 dengue cases, six were recorded in January, three in February, one in March, two in

April and 10 last month and one in June, according to the report. — PTI

For a breath of fresh air (The Tribune: 20180612)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/for-a-breath-of-fresh-air/603828.html

A HELPING HAND: The spirit of kar seva as shown by Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal must

supplement the Government''s efforts.

Nirmal Sandhu

For a change, the political/media focus in Punjab has shifted to citizen-centric things like red

tape, delivery of services, governance, environment, public health, clean air, safe water and

chemical-free food. This is a welcome break from regular political bickering the state

witnesses on a daily basis. The announcement of “Mission Tandarust Punjab” comes happily

from a political leadership that seldom looks beyond the next election.

How come no government in India other than the one in Punjab has ever thought of solving

the pervasive problem of red tape by just passing a law? However, from media reports

claiming Punjab to be the first state in the country to come out with a draft law on red tape it

appears the Congress government is recycling the old Punjab Right to Services Act of 2011,

one of the few good things the Akali Dal-BJP combine did during its 10-year stint in power.

The proposed law aims to provide time-bound services to citizens with a provision of

punishment for officials who sit on files in the hope of a bribe. If it is a rehash of the old law,

then the government is being too clever by half. This is the government that has shut 1,647 of

the 2,147 “seva kendar” offering citizens easy access to 67 services under one roof on the

ground that they were “financially unviable”. Profit-making was not the reason they were set

up in the first place.

A law alone will not make the systemic red tape go away, especially when top-level decision-

making is guided largely by politics. Political interests take priority over the accepted norms

of governance here. The Chief Minister has conveniently outsourced action against the “big

fish” suspected of involvement in drugs — a serious health hazard — to the high court. He

has used the court case to delay action on the report of its own Special Task Force even when

there is no stay order.

Numerous other instances of deliberate inaction exist but that is not the issue here. The short

point is: if the top leadership chooses to disrespect laws and protect favourites, how does it

hope to discipline officials down the line violating the proposed Punjab Anti-Red Tape Act or

the environment protection laws?

Earlier this year it was suggested in these columns that the state should depart from routine

budgeting and opt for a green way of fund allocations to address the key issues of poor health

of people and soil, deterioration in the quality of air and water, and the neglect of education

and healthcare. But the government decided to walk the beaten path with the Congress

political agenda of loan waiving and liberal power subsidy limiting budgetary choices. With

“Mission Tandarust Punjab” it has returned to that crucial theme.

The intent behind the “Tandarust Punjab” is to make Punjab “the healthiest state in the

country” is commendable. However, its success is doubtful if left only to the government.

NRI philanthropy, crowd funding and community effort in the spirit of “kar seva” as has been

shown by Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal will have to supplement the government initiative to

build a healthy Punjab.

Whether it is a government of the Congress or the Akali Dal-BJP combine, politicians at the

helm have done little to clean up the rivers, repair canal embankments or conserve

rain/groundwater while being ever ready to fight over the SYL canal for political gain. It is

known that chemicals are used to ripen fruits. Milk and vegetables are not tested for chemical

residues.

There are laws and there are institutions to ensure good governance and check malpractices,

but political interference renders them ineffective. The previous Akali government did not let

the pollution board do its job and transferred, on complaints of industrialists, IAS officer AS

Pannu, who as the head of the board, had tried to subject the polluting industries to the law.

To his credit, Capt Amarinder Singh has brought Pannu back to the pollution board, which

has imposed a Rs 5-crore fine on the Chadha sugar mill responsible for the recent molasses

spill into the Beas. But the Chief Minister has not shown neutrality in applying the rules to

other polluting units, including the Rana sugar mill, which has been shown on TV channels

releasing contaminated water into a drain.

Both Parkash Singh Badal and Capt Amarinder Singh have followed similar environment-

unfriendly and populist policies like free power to facilitate paddy cultivation that has led to

overexploitation of groundwater. Rainwater harvest or efficient management of the state's

water resources has seldom been a government priority.

Air pollution too has remained unchecked. As chief ministers, both have made light of the

law banning paddy/wheat straw burning. Both have neglected to strengthen public transport,

inter- and intra-city, driving more and more people to depend on private cars, resulting in

congestion on roads, traffic jams, accidents and foul air.

Haphazard urban growth has a bearing on public health. Because of lax enforcement of laws,

unauthorised housing colonies have mushroomed, with or without municipal water supply,

sewerage and roads. Resources have been diverted to expand roads and build flyovers for

motorists, while cyclists and pedestrians have been left out of this model of development.

Any mildly aware and responsible leader would have jumped at the idea of Smart City and

the Central cash that comes with it. But Punjab politicians won't cut unproductive

government expenditure or personal spending to help the state make its part of the

contribution to make cities a little less filthy and a little more livable.

To clear the environmental mess, maybe Punjab — and the country — need someone like

Saqib Nisar, Pakistan's Chief Justice. Better known for disqualifying Nawaz Sharif as Prime

Minister, he is also a crusader for getting “clean air, clean water and pure milk” to Pakistanis,

launching 30 suo motu cases this year alone. He has threatened to shut down Lahore's metro

rail if the government does not improve health and education. Here in our Punjab a chief

minister can disregard a high court order to stop the discharge of effluents into Buddha

Nullah without inviting contempt proceedings.

Our Supreme Court set an example of fixing responsibility when, after the killing of a woman

officer supervising a demolition drive in Kasauli last month, it asked for the names of

officials during whose tenure unauthorised constructions came up. If Capt Amarinder Singh

wishes to leave behind a legacy slightly better than Badal’s, he can follow the apex court's

simple management formula and make his ministers and officers accountable for anything

going wrong under their charge — be it red tape, air/water/food contamination,

encroachments, unauthorised constructions or drug trafficking. People can also exercise that

power with their vote.

nirmalssandhu@gmail.com

Child labour and trafficking (The Times of India: 20180612)

Stop enslavement of our children: Despite laws criminalising it, child labour and trafficking

continue apace (The Times of India:

https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/

I have been thinking of my daughter and the image of her body chopped up into 12 pieces by

her traffickers has not seized to haunt me every single day. I am angry. And feel helpless, for

not being able to protect her.

I look around, and the silence deafens me. Where are the spokespersons of human rights?

Where are the religious leaders, media, politicians, or candle marchers? Where is your anger?

Does a 15-year-old child not deserve our outrage until she is a symbol of a community,

religion or political group? It is evident that our outrage is contingent upon our personal

agendas and vendettas, to which our children are hostage. I am writing today to question this

growing state of selective sympathy and reactive response.

Why was my daughter so brutally murdered in the capital of India? The reason – she asked

for her wages. We cringed; we shook our head and then turned it away. Educated and

civilised, we look for communal or political gains in the death of a child. And when we find

none, we discard her. Our education, our development, and our democracy failed in the face

of our apathy.

Over 80% of India’s workforce is employed in the unorganised and informal sector. This

includes agriculture, domestic work, daily wage earners and other home-based and small

scale industry. It is in this sector that children are most abused through forced labour,

trafficking, slavery and physical and sexual exploitation. This abuse of children thrives in the

absence of regulatory policy, accountable institutions and an apathetic society. And it is on

the shoulders of this unseen, unpaid, underage and exploited workforce that we hope to

achieve real and sustainable economic growth. This is both logically and ethically

problematic.

The girl was victim of multiple violations through systemic and structural failures. Primarily,

there was a failure to prevent trafficking of the child into forced labour, through ineffective

implementation of RTE and social welfare schemes to the child and her family. Her

vulnerability was heightened as she fell through the safety net of her home, school and

community. She was then faced with structural violence committed against the child through

the very institutions that are built to protect her. Judicial orders for investigation of missing

children are disregarded. Goons and traffickers function fearlessly in absence of rule of law,

empowered by corruption and political negligence.

Placement agencies operate as hubs of trafficking, in the absence of regulatory policy. Crime

is perpetuated through inadequate police and judicial infrastructure, along with slow and

corrupt prosecution. We must stop using poverty as an excuse for slavery and bondage of our

children. If we do not educate and empower our children today, are we not perpetuating the

cycle of poverty? When over 18.6 million adults remain unemployed in India today, what is

the reason India still employs over 10 million children?

I recount my child Ashraf who worked as domestic labour in the house of an IAS officer in

Delhi in 1994. He was brutally beaten up and thrown to the streets, after being blamed for

taking a sip of milk kept for the officer’s children. What followed was a long, protracted fight

for justice that resulted in criminalising employment of children for domestic work in India.

And here we are, over 25 years later fighting the same battle. We have criminalised, but we

have not transformed. We must regulate agencies that actively traffic children through deceit

of a safe and secure life, and we must empower commissions for protection of child rights to

fulfil their mandate in word and spirit. The recent amendment to child labour law does not

consider domestic work to be a hazardous occupation for adolescents between 14 and 18.

Does the story of our 15-year-old daughter not prove otherwise? I urge the government of

India to protect children from being forced to work as domestic slaves.

On this World Day against Child Labour, I once again challenge the conscience of my

country. I challenge our selective sympathies and reactive responses, that demonstrate the

superficiality of our anger that has failed to translate into real compassion for our children.

Dig deeper and find that compassion. Our children cannot wait any longer.

The writer is a child rights activist and recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize

Carbon dioxide injections

Carbon dioxide injections may help reduce belly fat (The Times of India:

20180612)

https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/

Injecting fat pockets with carbon dioxide gas may help reduce belly fat, scientists have found.

“Carboxytherapy could potentially be a new and effective means of fat reduction. It still

needs to be optimised, though, so it’s long lasting,” said Murad Alam, from Northwestern

University.

The new technique’s benefits are that it is a “safe, inexpensive gas, and injecting it into fat

pockets may be preferred by patients who like natural treatments,” said Alam, lead author of

the study published in the ‘Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology’.

The way carboxytherapy works is not well understood. It is believed that injection of carbon

dioxide causes changes in the microcirculation, and damages fat cells.

The study consisted of 16 adults who were not overweight and were randomised to get

weekly carbon dioxide gas injection to one side of their abdomens and a sham treatment on

the other side once a week for five weeks.

A high-resolution ultrasound detected a reduction in superficial fat after five weeks but not at

28 weeks. However, the patients’ body weight did not change over the course of the study.

That the difference was not maintained at six months suggests the treatment stimulated a

temporary metabolic process that reduced the size of fat cells without inducing cell death,

Alam said. PTI

Mohalla clinics (The Asian Age: 20180612)

http://onlineepaper.asianage.com/articledetailpage.aspx?id=10874499

Hearts beat

In Chennai, the hearts beat for foreigners (The Hindu: 20180612)

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/in-chennai-the-hearts-beat-for-

foreigners/article24140243.ece

International patients get priority in cadaver transplants, bypassing long list of Indians

An organ transplant racket has surfaced in Tamil Nadu. Officials of the Union Ministry of

Health & Family Welfare have found that hearts harvested from brain-dead patients were

given to foreign nationals, bypassing Indian patients on the waiting list.

In 2017, foreigners got about 25% of all heart transplants in the State and 33% of lung

transplants.

Based on a specific input that at least three hearts retrieved from brain-dead patients were

given to international patients in recent months in Chennai, the Directorate General of Health

Services convened an urgent meeting in New Delhi recently and framed strict guidelines for

allocation of organs to foreigners.

“It is difficult to digest that Indian hearts are not matching with our own Indian patients but

matching with foreigners. How’s it possible... It seems that Indian money is not matching

with foreigners’ money. Really sorry to write that we are so greedy (that) we don’t bother to

help poor Indian patients and (are) trying to manipulate (the waiting list) for foreigners,”

Prof. Vimal Bhandari, Director, National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation

(NOTTO), said in a message on a WhatsApp group set up for the purpose of organ allocation.

The group comprises officials of the Tamil Nadu Transplant Authority and representatives of

all government hospitals and major private hospitals (licensed for organ transplantation).

NOTTO, which functions under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, is an all-India

apex body for coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of organs/tissues

and transplantation. Prof. Bhandari made the comment after learning that hearts and lungs

harvested from brain-dead patients were given to foreign nationals admitted to corporate

hospitals. Speaking to The Hindu , he said he came to know of something "fishy" in the way

hearts were allocated to foreigners in Chennai. The protocol is that an organ should first be

offered to an Indian. If no Indian is available, an NRI should be considered. The question of

an international patient arises only when both Indian and NRI patients decline an organ offer.

Director, National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO),

Three of four hearts harvested were given to foreigners (The Hindu:

20180612)

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/three-of-four-hearts-harvested-were-

given-to-foreigners/article24139531.ece

Director of national transplant body flags organ racket in Tamil Nadu

Prof. Vimal Bhandari, Director, National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation

(NOTTO), has flagged the organ transplant racket in Tamil Nadu in a message on a

WhatsApp group set up for the express purpose of organ allocation.

Going by the rule book, allocation of organs to recipients on the waiting list is based on

criteria that include the date of registration and the medical condition of the recipient. The

wealth, race or gender of a person on the waiting list has no bearing on when and whether a

person will receive a donated organ. The Transplantation of Human Organs Act of 1994

makes it illegal to buy or sell human organs in India.

In Chennai, the hearts beat for foreigners

“Now, the question is how will he (TRANSTAN Member Secretary) decide whether they

asked Indian patients, how many (were found) fit... I think they are bypassing Indian patients

and giving to foreigners. We had a meeting of all the stakeholders and decided on clear-cut

guidelines in the case of allocating organs to foreigners. Three of four hearts in Chennai were

given to foreigners... I was briefed by someone that there is something fishy and we should

sort it out. Then we completely stopped going to foreigners for about two months,” Prof.

Bhandari said, in a conversation with The Hindu.

He recommended that TRANSTAN form a committee to look into claims made by private

hospitals to the effect that Indian patients developed fever or cold at the last minute and hence

became ineligible for the transplant.

“Health is a State subject, we can only frame national guidelines. States should implement the

guidelines. They have to take strong action... they are the appropriate authority to take steps

to unravel the truth,” he added.

In 2017 alone, foreigners were the recipients in 31 heart transplants, 32 lung transplants, and

32 heart and lung transplants. During the same year, Indians were the recipients in 91 heart

transplants, 75 lung transplants, and 6 heart and lung transplants.

Interestingly, while the wait list of active patients as on June 9, 2018 had 53 foreigners, it had

5,310 Indians.

Kerala CM intervenes

There are also allegations doing the rounds that organs were harvested without the consent of

a brain-dead patient’s family to meet the needs of foreign nationals.

Last month, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to his Tamil Nadu counterpart

Edappadi K. Palaniswami seeking an investigation into an allegation levelled by a family in

Kerala that a private hospital in Salem had retrieved organs from an accident victim without

consent.

The heart taken from the brain-dead patient, P. Manikandan, was shifted to Chennai and

given to an Ukrainian. The lungs were given to an Israeli national.

An in-depth investigation headed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police is on to unravel the

circumstances that led to the harvesting of organs from the victim and how they were

allocated to the foreign patients.

Official shifted

Even as the probe was gathering momentum, the Health Department relieved Dr. P. Balaji

from the key post of Member Secretary of TRANSTAN. The official said he chose to resign

from the post due to “personal reasons.”

Asked about allegations that hearts retrieved from Indian patients were given to foreign

nationals, Dr. Balaji said the allocations were made strictly according to rules.

“We allowed the organ to go to international patients only after the private hospitals

confirmed on the WhatsApp group that there were no Indian patients eligible for the

transplantation. Though some hospitals initially proposed the hearts for Indian patients, they

made a change at the last minute, saying that the patient had developed fever or that there

were logistical difficulties, and hence the organ would be given to a foreigner. We have to go

by what the transplant surgeon of that hospital says... there is no mechanism to ascertain the

genuineness of the claim made by doctors that Indian patients suddenly developed fever or

cold,” he said.

At a high-level meeting on allocation of organs to foreign nationals held in New Delhi on

April 3, 2018, it was observed that “the cost of a transplant, especially a heart transplant, in

Chennai is so high that only foreigners are able to afford (it).”

It was decided that strategies for maximising utilisation of organs by Indian recipients should

be worked out by State governments and post-transplant data on follow-ups and outcome of

transplants for every recipient be compiled.

PM’s maternity scheme benefits

PM’s maternity scheme benefits 23.6 lakh (The Hindu: 20180612)

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pms-maternity-scheme-benefits-236-

lakh/article24138508.ece

Programme picking up after a slow start; official says many States are yet to come on board

After initial hiccups in implementing the maternity benefit programme Pradhan Mantri Matru

Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), the government has finally made some headway and provided

cash incentivs to nearly 23.6 lakh beneficiaries out of an estimated 51.6 lakh a year.

The scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet in May 2017 and expected to be rolled out

in September. However, until January 2018, the government programme had covered only

90,000 women — a mere 2% of the target.

Under the scheme, pregnant women and lactating mothers are offered a cash incentive of

₹6,000 for the birth of their first child as partial compensation for wage loss, to reduce

maternal mortality and malnutrition levels among children.

“Many States like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha and West Bengal have not yet come on

board to implement the scheme. As these States account for nearly 25% of the total

beneficiaries, we have actually been able to serve 23.6 lakh of the 38 lakh beneficiaries or

more than 60% of women,” R.K. Shrivastava, Secretary, Women and Child Development,

has said in an interview.

Huge backlog

However, due to a huge backlog from last year, the government needed to provide cash

benefits to over 100 lakh estimated beneficiaries by the end of the financial year 2017-18.

The official was confident of meeting the target.

An amount of ₹673 crore has been transferred to the accounts of the beneficiaries out of the

total budget of ₹2,594 crore set aside for the scheme last year, and another ₹2,400 crore

allocated for the current fiscal. The scheme is being implemented on a 60:40 cost-sharing

basis with the State governments.

While States like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha and West Bengal have their own maternity

benefit schemes and have been reluctant to implement the PMMVY, the senior official said

they were bound to comply because the scheme was a by-product of the National Food

Security Act.

Eyesight

Nepalese baby girl regains eyesight after treatment (The Hindu: 20180612)

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/nepalese-baby-girl-regains-eyesight-after-

treatment/article24139856.ece

Diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma when she was one month old; her parents are

visually impaired

Sampada was just one-month-old when she was diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma,

which causes loss of vision due to abnormal growth in the retina. The parents of the baby,

who belong to Nepal, are visually impaired. Sampada inherited the disease from her mother,

an eye cancer survivor who lost her vision to the disease. Her father is visually impaired since

birth.

Since the mother was aware of the disease, she sought treatment for her baby’s condition and

took her to doctors in their home town Pokhara. Realising the severity of Sampada’s

condition, she was referred to New Delhi for treatment.

Tough decision

However, the decision to come here for treatment was not an easy one, given the cost of

treatment and visit to an unknown city. Against all odds, the couple decided to risk it all for

their only daughter.

Sampada’s grandparents, both maternal and paternal, played a critical role in her treatment.

They accompanied the couple during each trip to New Delhi. This was not easy since the

family travelled from Pokhara by bus every few weeks for her treatment.

“She was four months-old when she was admitted to Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals,” noted a

release by the hospital.

Amita Mahajan, senior consultant, Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, Indraprastha

Apollo Hospitals here, said: “Cancer is a pervasive disease which can occur in any part of the

body. Retinoblastoma is a type of eye cancer which affects the retina, which is the most

sensitive lining of the eye having photosensitive cells. The retina receives the light and sends

signals to the brain, via the optic nerve, where they are interpreted as images. Retinoblastoma

is a rare type of cancer, however, it is the commonest cancer that affects children. It rarely

occurs in adults. Paediatric retinoblastoma can be fatal in rare cases. The success rate of

treatment is 90%.”

Sampada’s mother, who has a B.Ed degree, decided to forgo her M.A. degree in favour of her

daughter’s treatment.

Dr. Mahajan said, “The family’s total income is ₹5,000 per month. It was brave on their part

to seek treatment for their daughter despite the hurdles. After hearing their story, we

registered them with a non-profit organisation... We started providing travel conveyance to

the family.”

Sampada successfully underwent treatment for retinoblastoma due to her family’s

determination. Though fully cured, she still visits the hospital for regular check-ups. Sampada

is nearly one-year-old now.

Digital Nurse ( Dainik Gagaran: 20180612)

https://epaper.jagran.com/ePaperArticle/12-jun-2018-edition-Delhi-City-page_26-4404-5606-

4.html

HIV AIDS Vaccine (Hindustan: 20180612)

http://epaper.livehindustan.com/imageview_45364_102974626_4_1_12-06-

2018_i_22.pagezoomsinwindows.php

Paramedical (Hindustan: 20180612)

http://epaper.livehindustan.com/imageview_45360_103402446_4_1_12-06-

2018_i_18.pagezoomsinwindows.php