ACB discovers private business in govt office
TNN
PANAJI: Officers of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) raided the office of the legal metrology department at Mapusa on Monday morning and found a private person operating from the department’s office.
ACB sleuths said that they had received complaints that a private person was checking Bardez taluka’s traders’ weights and measures and issuing receipts. He would charge anything between Rs 100 and Rs 500. The legal metrology department’s inspector would renew licenses only after traders acquired their receipts from this person. The department issues licenses to traders to use weights and measures in their shops and establishments. These weights and measures have to be checked and their licenses renewed every year. The license is renewed by the department’s inspector after a fee of Rs 100 is paid, said ACB sources.
ACB officials said preliminary inquiries revealed that the person—a representative from Lexprus Enterprises, a Duler-based firm—couldn’t produce any documents authorising him to operate from the department’s premises. Officials suspect that he was operating illegally in connivance with the local officials. Though the department does accord licenses to private players for maintenance and repair of weights and measures, they need to have a separate office and are not allowed to function in the department’s office, sources said, adding that it is the inspector who is authorised to issue clearance certificates. The ACB is investigating the role of three officers of the department, including the inspector and assistant inspector, as well as the role of the proprietor of the private firm.
15 September 2009,The Times of India, Goa edition
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
'Asthma drug before cardiac surgery prevents renal failure'
'Asthma drug before cardiac surgery prevents renal failure'
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: Aminophylline, a drug used to treat wheezing and other breathing difficulties such as asthma, if given to patients undergoing cardiac
surgery is an effective strategy to prevent post operative renal failure.
The effectiveness of aminophylline for prevention of renal impairment after cardiac surgery was evaluated on 138 patients undergoing cardiac surgery and it was found that patients who received preoperative aminophylline infusion had lower incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery, than those who didn't receive it.
Explaining that it is important to administer aminophylline before cardiac operation to prevent renal failure, Dr Amol Mahaldar, department of nephrology, Meenakshi mission hospital and research centre, Madurai said, "The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery remains high, despite improvements in surgical techniques and preoperative care, and is associated with an unacceptably high mortality. Aminophylline has shown to confer benefit in experimental and clinical acute renal failure (ARF) due to ischemia, contrast media and various nephrotoxic agents."
Sixty-three patients received aminophylline of 5 mg and a subsequent continuous infusion of 0.25 mg per hour for up to 72 hours, while 75 patients received usual post operative care (isotonic saline infusion). Serum creatinine concentrations were measured preoperatively and daily until day 5 after surgery, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), a marker for kidney function and post-operative hourly urine output was recorded.
The results showed that those who received preoperative aminophylline infusion had lower incidence of AKI than those who didn't receive aminophylline infusion but had post operative care.
Dr Mahaldar presented the results of the study, "A Prospective Study of Intravenous Aminophylline for the prevention of Acute Kidney Injury in Cardiac Surgery", at the just concluded silver jubilee conference of Indian Society of Nephrology West zone chapter and it won him the best paper award in the free paper section of the conference.
The paper notes that ARF, depending on the specific definition, occurs in up to 30% of all patients who undergo cardiac surgery. ARF that requires dialysis occurs in approximately 1%. "The development of kidney injury is associated with a high mortality, a more complicated hospital course, and a higher risk for infectious complications. Even minimal changes in serum creatinine that occur in the postoperative period are associated with a substantial decrease in survival," Dr Mahaldar said.
Also majority of patients develop ARF that requires dialysis and remain dialysis dependent, leading to significant long-term morbidity and mortality, he added.
15 September 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: Aminophylline, a drug used to treat wheezing and other breathing difficulties such as asthma, if given to patients undergoing cardiac
surgery is an effective strategy to prevent post operative renal failure.
The effectiveness of aminophylline for prevention of renal impairment after cardiac surgery was evaluated on 138 patients undergoing cardiac surgery and it was found that patients who received preoperative aminophylline infusion had lower incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery, than those who didn't receive it.
Explaining that it is important to administer aminophylline before cardiac operation to prevent renal failure, Dr Amol Mahaldar, department of nephrology, Meenakshi mission hospital and research centre, Madurai said, "The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery remains high, despite improvements in surgical techniques and preoperative care, and is associated with an unacceptably high mortality. Aminophylline has shown to confer benefit in experimental and clinical acute renal failure (ARF) due to ischemia, contrast media and various nephrotoxic agents."
Sixty-three patients received aminophylline of 5 mg and a subsequent continuous infusion of 0.25 mg per hour for up to 72 hours, while 75 patients received usual post operative care (isotonic saline infusion). Serum creatinine concentrations were measured preoperatively and daily until day 5 after surgery, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), a marker for kidney function and post-operative hourly urine output was recorded.
The results showed that those who received preoperative aminophylline infusion had lower incidence of AKI than those who didn't receive aminophylline infusion but had post operative care.
Dr Mahaldar presented the results of the study, "A Prospective Study of Intravenous Aminophylline for the prevention of Acute Kidney Injury in Cardiac Surgery", at the just concluded silver jubilee conference of Indian Society of Nephrology West zone chapter and it won him the best paper award in the free paper section of the conference.
The paper notes that ARF, depending on the specific definition, occurs in up to 30% of all patients who undergo cardiac surgery. ARF that requires dialysis occurs in approximately 1%. "The development of kidney injury is associated with a high mortality, a more complicated hospital course, and a higher risk for infectious complications. Even minimal changes in serum creatinine that occur in the postoperative period are associated with a substantial decrease in survival," Dr Mahaldar said.
Also majority of patients develop ARF that requires dialysis and remain dialysis dependent, leading to significant long-term morbidity and mortality, he added.
15 September 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Goa Medical College lab faces heavy pressure
GMC lab faces heavy pressure
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: With the number of blood samples being sent to the Goa Medical College and Hospital’s microbiology department to be tested for
chikungunya touching almost 40 a day, the directorate of health services (DHS) has decided not to collect samples from places where an outbreak has already been recorded and to limit the number of blood samples sent from new places recording symptoms of the disease to 5%.
The decision was conveyed to all state health officers by DHS deputy director, National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme, Dr Deepak Kabadi on Wednesday at the department’s monthly meeting in Panaji. Sources said the decision was taken after GMC authorities, unable to deal with the large number of samples , requested the DHS not to send samples from places where an outbreak has already been recorded.
Dr Kabadi told TOI, “We have decided that once it is confirmed that there are cases of chikungunya in a particular locality we won’t send new blood samples from that area to GMC as this will only increase the load on the laboratory. In case of new areas, if the number of people showing chikungunya symptoms is small, samples of all of them will be sent for tests. However, if a large number of people show similar symptoms, 5% of the samples will be sent to GMC.”
The Times of India, Goa edition, 14 September 2009
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: With the number of blood samples being sent to the Goa Medical College and Hospital’s microbiology department to be tested for
chikungunya touching almost 40 a day, the directorate of health services (DHS) has decided not to collect samples from places where an outbreak has already been recorded and to limit the number of blood samples sent from new places recording symptoms of the disease to 5%.
The decision was conveyed to all state health officers by DHS deputy director, National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme, Dr Deepak Kabadi on Wednesday at the department’s monthly meeting in Panaji. Sources said the decision was taken after GMC authorities, unable to deal with the large number of samples , requested the DHS not to send samples from places where an outbreak has already been recorded.
Dr Kabadi told TOI, “We have decided that once it is confirmed that there are cases of chikungunya in a particular locality we won’t send new blood samples from that area to GMC as this will only increase the load on the laboratory. In case of new areas, if the number of people showing chikungunya symptoms is small, samples of all of them will be sent for tests. However, if a large number of people show similar symptoms, 5% of the samples will be sent to GMC.”
The Times of India, Goa edition, 14 September 2009
GMC seeks MCI nod for MBBS seat increase
GMC seeks MCI nod for MBBS seat increase
TNN
PANAJI: Armed with temporary affiliation from the Goa University to increase the intake capacity for MBBS attheGoa Medical College and Hospital,
Bambolim, from 100 to 150 seats, GMC officials have sent a proposal to the Medical Council of India (MCI), seeking the monitoring body's nod for the increase in seats.
The government had initially proposed to increase the number of seats at GMC from 100 to 200 from the next academic year, however, new MCI guidelines do not allow for the numbers. "The maximum number of admissions in the MBBS course shall not exceed 150 annually," state the guidelines.
The decision to increase the seats at GMC was taken after the state government scrapped the proposal to have a private medical college. "We have had discussions regarding a private medical college (in Goa) and it was felt that there is no need for another medical college in the state. We will try to get MCI recognition for the Mapusa hospital to ensure that interns from GMC are posted there," health minister Vishwajit Rane had earlier announced.
Sources said that a similar pattern of posting interns would be followed at the Hospicio hospital in Margao. This, health department sources said, would solve the problem of staff shortage to some extent.
To get the MCI nod, however, GMC will have to provide additional equipment and facilities such as staff, space, funds, equipment and teaching beds for the increased number of seats.
Even GU, while granting temporary affiliation for the academic year 2010-2011, has put down a condition that the minimum requirement of faculty positions, as specified by MCI guidelines, should be appointed by GMC. Also, the number of clinical unitsneeded for 150 seats should be created as per MCI requirements, GU has said.
"At present, we are short of 30 doctors. We are working hard to meet this requirement. Besides, we have to increase the infrastructural facilities provided in the hospital, which also includes more number of clinical units," said a senior doctor at GMC. The staff shortage is mostly in PG clinical courses such as medicine, paediatrics and orthopaedics.
The government had initially proposed to increase the number of seats at GMC from 100 to 200 from the next academic year, however, new MCI guidelines state that the maximum number of admissions in the MBBS course shall not exceed 150 annually
14 September 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
TNN
PANAJI: Armed with temporary affiliation from the Goa University to increase the intake capacity for MBBS attheGoa Medical College and Hospital,
Bambolim, from 100 to 150 seats, GMC officials have sent a proposal to the Medical Council of India (MCI), seeking the monitoring body's nod for the increase in seats.
The government had initially proposed to increase the number of seats at GMC from 100 to 200 from the next academic year, however, new MCI guidelines do not allow for the numbers. "The maximum number of admissions in the MBBS course shall not exceed 150 annually," state the guidelines.
The decision to increase the seats at GMC was taken after the state government scrapped the proposal to have a private medical college. "We have had discussions regarding a private medical college (in Goa) and it was felt that there is no need for another medical college in the state. We will try to get MCI recognition for the Mapusa hospital to ensure that interns from GMC are posted there," health minister Vishwajit Rane had earlier announced.
Sources said that a similar pattern of posting interns would be followed at the Hospicio hospital in Margao. This, health department sources said, would solve the problem of staff shortage to some extent.
To get the MCI nod, however, GMC will have to provide additional equipment and facilities such as staff, space, funds, equipment and teaching beds for the increased number of seats.
Even GU, while granting temporary affiliation for the academic year 2010-2011, has put down a condition that the minimum requirement of faculty positions, as specified by MCI guidelines, should be appointed by GMC. Also, the number of clinical unitsneeded for 150 seats should be created as per MCI requirements, GU has said.
"At present, we are short of 30 doctors. We are working hard to meet this requirement. Besides, we have to increase the infrastructural facilities provided in the hospital, which also includes more number of clinical units," said a senior doctor at GMC. The staff shortage is mostly in PG clinical courses such as medicine, paediatrics and orthopaedics.
The government had initially proposed to increase the number of seats at GMC from 100 to 200 from the next academic year, however, new MCI guidelines state that the maximum number of admissions in the MBBS course shall not exceed 150 annually
14 September 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
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