Jaundice shuts down BITS campus
Preetu Nair, TNN 25 September 2009, 06:53am IST
PANAJI: The Goa campus of the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, has been closed down till October 11 because of an outbreak of jaundice and students have been asked to vacate their hostels immediately. At 7 pm on Thursday, students were called to the institute’s auditorium and informed of the decision by professor in charge of students welfare B J C Babu.
The exact number of students affected is not known, but state health authorities put the figure at around 40, while college sources say it is 60. The BITS, Pilani, campus at Zuarinagar has about 14 hostels, which house around 2,400 students. “Students of two hostels AH-2 and AH-6 have been largely affected.” said sources. The institute’s public relation officer Dr R P Pradhan said holidays had been declared to prevent the spread of the disease. He put the number of affected at 30.
Health services director Dr Rajnanda Desai said, “We have met the BITS authorities and have advised them to check the water supply line for contamination. We also emphasized on the need to vaccinate the students for hepatitis.”
Sources said BITS authorities on Thursday contacted the railways and made arrangements for Tatkal tickets. “We have several students from Andhra Pradesh and there is just one train a week to that state. So, our college authorities requested the railways to reserve at least one compartment for BITS students,” said college sources.
25 September 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Friday, September 25, 2009
No Tamiflu in Goa pharmacies yet
No Tamiflu in Goa pharmacies yet
TNN
PANAJI: Most chemists across India have begun selling the only antiviral drug known to be effective against the deadly H1N1 swine flu virus, oseltamivir (Tamiflu), against a prescription. However, the drug is still not available across the counter at Goan pharmacies. Pharmacists in Goa claim that this is because, "there is no demand and, therefore, no supply".
President of the chemists and druggists association of Goa Ratnadeep Kurtarkar said, "H1N1 is not a major problem in Goa. Also, the drug is easily available in government hospitals and the few selected private hospitals which have partnered with the state to treat H1N1. Till date, we have not got a single inquiry at counters for oseltamivir. Due to this, most chemists have not placed an order for the drug. Till there is no demand, there will be no supply."
However, local food and drug administration authorities (FDA) said, "The notification allowing pharmacies having a scheduled X license was issued just last week. It will take some time before the drug is available in pharmacies. The manufacturers will first have to confirm that the pharmacy that places an order has a scheduled X license.
India has already spent over Rs 70 crore on the purchase of Tamilfu, whose retail sale was banned till now. In Goa, it was available in designated government and private hospitals identified by the government for treating and quarantining H1N1 cases. Goa has seen 35 H1N1 cases and 3 deaths.
The FDA, Goa, has sent a list of 35 pharmacies in the state which have a license to sell scheduled X drugs to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization. While Margao has the highest number of pharmacies with a license to sell scheduled X drugs, 12, Panaji and Mapusa have 6 each, Ponda has 4, and Porvorim, Canacona, Vasco, and Quepem have 1 chemist each. This list was sent on September 15.
In contrast, the directorate of health services has submitted a list of 26 chemists having a license to sell scheduled X drugs to the Central ministry of health and family welfare. This was sent almost a month back. "Though we have sent a list-which was provided to us by the FDA-to the Centre, we have not received any communication from them regarding the rules and regulations which need to be followed by chemists. Also, we don't know if pharmacies can directly place an order with manufacturers or it has to be done through government agencies," said a state health official on condition of anonymity.
Therefore, it doesn't come as a surprise that some of the chemists from the FDA's list of 35 are surprised at being included. "We had a scheduled X license in the past. But we didn't renew it nor do we intend to renew it in the future. The paperwork is a lot," said a chemist. Scheduled X drugs, as per the Drug and Cosmetic Rules, 1945, are controlled drugs such as sedatives and tranquilizers that can't be sold without prescription. While selling or distributing scheduled X drugs, they have to keep a record of its sale or distribution, maintain a separate record or register showing the name of the drug, batch number, name of manufacturer, date of transaction, quantity of drug received, name of the purchaser and the remaining quantity of drug at the end of a working day.
"Likewise, to buy Tamiflu, suspected patients will have to produce two copies of the prescription of a registered medical practitioner, of which one will be stamped and returned to the consumer while the other will be kept by us. This prescription has to be retained by us for at least 2 years," said a chemist. The sale of Tamiflu and Relenza will be monitored by the respective state drug controllers.
On the other hand, Kedar Jirage, who has license to stock schedule X drugs, said, "We were told a month ago that we will be able to sell the drug across the counter. We hope to get the stock soon."
25 September, 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
TNN
PANAJI: Most chemists across India have begun selling the only antiviral drug known to be effective against the deadly H1N1 swine flu virus, oseltamivir (Tamiflu), against a prescription. However, the drug is still not available across the counter at Goan pharmacies. Pharmacists in Goa claim that this is because, "there is no demand and, therefore, no supply".
President of the chemists and druggists association of Goa Ratnadeep Kurtarkar said, "H1N1 is not a major problem in Goa. Also, the drug is easily available in government hospitals and the few selected private hospitals which have partnered with the state to treat H1N1. Till date, we have not got a single inquiry at counters for oseltamivir. Due to this, most chemists have not placed an order for the drug. Till there is no demand, there will be no supply."
However, local food and drug administration authorities (FDA) said, "The notification allowing pharmacies having a scheduled X license was issued just last week. It will take some time before the drug is available in pharmacies. The manufacturers will first have to confirm that the pharmacy that places an order has a scheduled X license.
India has already spent over Rs 70 crore on the purchase of Tamilfu, whose retail sale was banned till now. In Goa, it was available in designated government and private hospitals identified by the government for treating and quarantining H1N1 cases. Goa has seen 35 H1N1 cases and 3 deaths.
The FDA, Goa, has sent a list of 35 pharmacies in the state which have a license to sell scheduled X drugs to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization. While Margao has the highest number of pharmacies with a license to sell scheduled X drugs, 12, Panaji and Mapusa have 6 each, Ponda has 4, and Porvorim, Canacona, Vasco, and Quepem have 1 chemist each. This list was sent on September 15.
In contrast, the directorate of health services has submitted a list of 26 chemists having a license to sell scheduled X drugs to the Central ministry of health and family welfare. This was sent almost a month back. "Though we have sent a list-which was provided to us by the FDA-to the Centre, we have not received any communication from them regarding the rules and regulations which need to be followed by chemists. Also, we don't know if pharmacies can directly place an order with manufacturers or it has to be done through government agencies," said a state health official on condition of anonymity.
Therefore, it doesn't come as a surprise that some of the chemists from the FDA's list of 35 are surprised at being included. "We had a scheduled X license in the past. But we didn't renew it nor do we intend to renew it in the future. The paperwork is a lot," said a chemist. Scheduled X drugs, as per the Drug and Cosmetic Rules, 1945, are controlled drugs such as sedatives and tranquilizers that can't be sold without prescription. While selling or distributing scheduled X drugs, they have to keep a record of its sale or distribution, maintain a separate record or register showing the name of the drug, batch number, name of manufacturer, date of transaction, quantity of drug received, name of the purchaser and the remaining quantity of drug at the end of a working day.
"Likewise, to buy Tamiflu, suspected patients will have to produce two copies of the prescription of a registered medical practitioner, of which one will be stamped and returned to the consumer while the other will be kept by us. This prescription has to be retained by us for at least 2 years," said a chemist. The sale of Tamiflu and Relenza will be monitored by the respective state drug controllers.
On the other hand, Kedar Jirage, who has license to stock schedule X drugs, said, "We were told a month ago that we will be able to sell the drug across the counter. We hope to get the stock soon."
25 September, 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Colon, rectum cancer No 1 killer in Goa
Colon, rectum cancer No 1 killer in Goa
TNN
PANAJI: Modern lifestyle changes, genetic alterations added with changing dietary habits are increasing the risk of cancer of the large intestine and rectum among urbanized Indians.
"People in India develop cancer of the large intestine or rectum 10 years earlier than people in Europe or USA. In other words, if a majority of the people in the USA or Europe are at a risk of developing cancer of the large intestine or rectum at the age of 60, then in India, they are at risk by the age of 50", said Dr Shailesh Shrikhande, gastrointestinal and hepato-pancreatic biliary surgeon at Tata memorial hospital, Mumbai.
Dr Shrikande was in Goa to attend the national congress of the Asian Federation of Coloproctology and Association of Colon and Rectal Surgeons from September 25 to 27.
Even in Goa, cancer of the colon and rectum is considered to be the number one killer among cancers. "The reason for this is the eating habits of Goans. Just like Westerners, our diet is rich in red meat, cheese, butter etc," said Dr Shekhar Salkar, oncology surgeon in Goa.
Colorectal surgery deals with simple diseases like piles, fissure, fistula-in-ano to complex ones like constipation, incontinence, diverticular disease and the dreaded cancer of the colon, rectum and anus. Even as the doctors listed advances in the field, they warned people to beware of quacks who use unscientific methods while claiming to treat these ailments without surgery.
"Man suffers from piles once in his lifetime. But 70% of piles can be treated with medicine and only 30% require surgery. The common man needs to beware of quacks and come out of the mindset that these diseases can't be treated or that their treatment is painful," said surgeon Dr S Chivate.
25 September 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
TNN
PANAJI: Modern lifestyle changes, genetic alterations added with changing dietary habits are increasing the risk of cancer of the large intestine and rectum among urbanized Indians.
"People in India develop cancer of the large intestine or rectum 10 years earlier than people in Europe or USA. In other words, if a majority of the people in the USA or Europe are at a risk of developing cancer of the large intestine or rectum at the age of 60, then in India, they are at risk by the age of 50", said Dr Shailesh Shrikhande, gastrointestinal and hepato-pancreatic biliary surgeon at Tata memorial hospital, Mumbai.
Dr Shrikande was in Goa to attend the national congress of the Asian Federation of Coloproctology and Association of Colon and Rectal Surgeons from September 25 to 27.
Even in Goa, cancer of the colon and rectum is considered to be the number one killer among cancers. "The reason for this is the eating habits of Goans. Just like Westerners, our diet is rich in red meat, cheese, butter etc," said Dr Shekhar Salkar, oncology surgeon in Goa.
Colorectal surgery deals with simple diseases like piles, fissure, fistula-in-ano to complex ones like constipation, incontinence, diverticular disease and the dreaded cancer of the colon, rectum and anus. Even as the doctors listed advances in the field, they warned people to beware of quacks who use unscientific methods while claiming to treat these ailments without surgery.
"Man suffers from piles once in his lifetime. But 70% of piles can be treated with medicine and only 30% require surgery. The common man needs to beware of quacks and come out of the mindset that these diseases can't be treated or that their treatment is painful," said surgeon Dr S Chivate.
25 September 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Abandoned baby dies in GMC
Abandoned baby dies in GMC
TNN
PANAJI: A baby who was recently found wrapped in a gunny bag, abandoned by her parents at Old Goa, expired at Goa Medical College and hospital,
Bambolim, on early Thursday morning. She was admitted to the hospital on late Wednesday evening.
Incidentally, even as the police had booked a woman for abandoning the child and sent the minor to Apna Ghar, they failed to get a DNA test of the two, to establish if the woman is really the child's mother or she had falsely admitted to be the child's mother.
It may be recalled that some persons had found a two-day-old baby in a gunny bag on August 16. They had opened the bag, which was lying near a garage on hearing a child's cry. Later, the Old Goa police claimed that they had traced the mother to a 35-year-old woman from Karnataka who had come to Goa in search of a job and arrested her for abandoning the new born. She is now lodged at Aguada jail. Meanwhile, the police have sent a letter to the "mother" informing her about her daughter's death. The postmortem will be conducted on Friday in the mother's presence, said police sources.
25 September 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
TNN
PANAJI: A baby who was recently found wrapped in a gunny bag, abandoned by her parents at Old Goa, expired at Goa Medical College and hospital,
Bambolim, on early Thursday morning. She was admitted to the hospital on late Wednesday evening.
Incidentally, even as the police had booked a woman for abandoning the child and sent the minor to Apna Ghar, they failed to get a DNA test of the two, to establish if the woman is really the child's mother or she had falsely admitted to be the child's mother.
It may be recalled that some persons had found a two-day-old baby in a gunny bag on August 16. They had opened the bag, which was lying near a garage on hearing a child's cry. Later, the Old Goa police claimed that they had traced the mother to a 35-year-old woman from Karnataka who had come to Goa in search of a job and arrested her for abandoning the new born. She is now lodged at Aguada jail. Meanwhile, the police have sent a letter to the "mother" informing her about her daughter's death. The postmortem will be conducted on Friday in the mother's presence, said police sources.
25 September 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
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