National Eligibility cum-Entrance Test to roll out from 2013
The first ever single eligibility-cum-entrance examination for MBBS and post-graduate medical courses, will now be rolled out from 2013. This was indicated by the Union health ministry in a meeting with the Medical Council of India on Friday.
Fewer women having kids in 30s: Study
An analysis of forty years of global marriage and fertility data shows that the real effect of the decline in fertility in India has been a massive decrease in the number of women in their thirties having children. In western and northern Europe, on the other hand, women are more likely to have their first child at 30.
The United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs' World Fertility Report released last week presents 40 years of marriage and fertility data for 196 countries. The data illustrates the progress of India's fertility transition, and shows where it stands with respect to the rest of the world.
Robotic surgery to make cataract removal a five-minute affair
NEW DELHI: Cataract surgeries are soon going to be faster and hassle-free. A new technology, which uses laser machines, to operate on cataract patients is being acquired by a select few hospitals.
In this robotic surgery, a femto-second laser machine is docked on to the eye and images of the eye are captured by an imaging system attached to it. The incision of the cornea, opening of the lens capsule and fragmentation of the lens is done robotically. And the process takes less than five minutes.
Drinking water in all govt schools
NEW DELHI: India on Monday crossed a major milestone by being able to provide drinking water in all government run schools, though it took 65 years since independence and a lot of persuasion followed by coercion from the Supreme Court.The bench also said, "It is imperative that all schools must provide toilet facilities. Wherever separate toilets are not provided, parents are reluctant to send their daughters to schools. It clearly violates the girl child's right to education guaranteed under Article 21A of the Constitution."
Source: TOI
Monday, December 26, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Growing population demands, greater access
RGUHS to dole out e-books for students
Now, accessing information is going to be as simple as a click of the mouse for the students of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) and its affiliate colleges. The university will be offering a plethora of e-resources to its students and faculty.
“RGUHS already has an online bank for e-journals. But it is used by postgraduate students. Now, undergraduate students will be able to access e-books online. They may have to pay a minimal subscription fee, but now, they will be able to access important textbooks that were not available earlier,” said vice-chancellor KS Sriprakash.
Sriprakash also added that it will be a part of the university’s HELINET (Health Science Library and Information Network) system.
Students will also gain access to other applications such as virtual audio-visual 3D anatomy models.
“Through these models, you can peel away layers of the human anatomy virtually. You can learn about specific regions of the body and rotate the models at 360 degrees,” said
Dr R Rama Raj Urs, university librarian and consortium coordinator of HELINET.
“What’s great about taking things online is that you get speed and accuracy, and it’s also economical. Moreover, you can access information round-the-clock,” added Urs.
Currently, there are over 600 universities that are affiliated to RGUHS in Karnataka, and this will be made available for them as well.
The online resources, which also include a database of international pharmaceutical abstracts as well as an electronic tool called five-minute consult, provides information on the diagnosis and treatment and follow-up procedures for over 2,000 medical conditions.
“Students will be given IDs and passwords to log in to the system. They can also come to their respective libraries and access e-books and other multimedia products,” said Urs.
Currently, the university is conducting an orientation programme for students and faculty members for colleges affiliated to RGUHS.
“After the orientation is over, we are looking to getting this up and running in January,” said Urs.
Now, accessing information is going to be as simple as a click of the mouse for the students of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) and its affiliate colleges. The university will be offering a plethora of e-resources to its students and faculty.
“RGUHS already has an online bank for e-journals. But it is used by postgraduate students. Now, undergraduate students will be able to access e-books online. They may have to pay a minimal subscription fee, but now, they will be able to access important textbooks that were not available earlier,” said vice-chancellor KS Sriprakash.
Sriprakash also added that it will be a part of the university’s HELINET (Health Science Library and Information Network) system.
Students will also gain access to other applications such as virtual audio-visual 3D anatomy models.
“Through these models, you can peel away layers of the human anatomy virtually. You can learn about specific regions of the body and rotate the models at 360 degrees,” said
Dr R Rama Raj Urs, university librarian and consortium coordinator of HELINET.
“What’s great about taking things online is that you get speed and accuracy, and it’s also economical. Moreover, you can access information round-the-clock,” added Urs.
Currently, there are over 600 universities that are affiliated to RGUHS in Karnataka, and this will be made available for them as well.
The online resources, which also include a database of international pharmaceutical abstracts as well as an electronic tool called five-minute consult, provides information on the diagnosis and treatment and follow-up procedures for over 2,000 medical conditions.
“Students will be given IDs and passwords to log in to the system. They can also come to their respective libraries and access e-books and other multimedia products,” said Urs.
Currently, the university is conducting an orientation programme for students and faculty members for colleges affiliated to RGUHS.
“After the orientation is over, we are looking to getting this up and running in January,” said Urs.
News Digest
Alcohol among major global killers
NEW DELHI: Alcohol globally has become a major killer. The WHO says globally, 6.2% of all male deaths are alcohol-related, compared to 1.1% of female deaths. Around 3.2 lakh young people aged 15-29 years die annually from drinking, resulting in 9% of all deaths in that age group.
Experts say liquor raises the risk of as many as 60 diseases. What's most worrying for India is that the country is home to one of the largest alcoholic beverage industries in the world, producing 65% of the alcohol in south-east Asia.
India contributes to about 7% of the total alcohol beverage imports into the region. India was among the first countries to raise an alarm against alcohol.
Since then, it has not been able to put in place an effective anti-alcohol policy.
Stem cell study: Govt wants to draw ethical line
NEW DELHI: Should gamete donation be allowed in India? What about couples undergoing In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) donating spare embryos for research? These are some of the contentious issues on which the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in collaboration with Department of Biotechnology ( DBT), is looking to the public for answers and suggestions. Towards this end, the health research wing of the government has organised a public consultation programme in the Capital on Saturday.
According to Dr V M Katoch, director general of ICMR, the aim is to develop a consensus among scientists, pharmacists and the public. "The ICMR-DBT guidelines on stem cell research and therapy were prepared in 2007. We are revising it and the public consultation programme is an attempt to seek suggestions on the same," said Katoch. He added that the 'Biomedical Research Human Subjects Promotion and Regulation Bill,' to regulate and monitor research on the human subjects including use of stem cells for experimental and therapeutic purposes, is also being finalized.
All in family: Women take lead as kidney donors
Statistics show that it's women who are in the lead as donors. And this has much to do with saving their families. Figures from major city hospitals that conduct kidney transplant show that in over 70% cases, women - mostly the wife or the mother - donate their organs.
Cabinet nod for NRI doctors to practice, teach in India
NEW DELHI: NRI doctors are a step closer to be able to practice or teach medicine in India.The Cabinet on Tuesday cleared the National Council of Human Resources in Health (NCHRH) Bill that allows doctors who hold the Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) status to work in India. They can also join medical college as faculty.
Wake-up call on sleep apnea
Kounteya Sinha, TNN | Dec 15, 2011, 02.38AM IST
NEW DELHI: Those suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) are four times more prone to suffer from cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome (MS) such as obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and insulin resistance. Delhi has 9.3% prevalence of OSA which is a highly prevalent but an under-recognized clinical problem. In an urban setting in northern India, the occurrence of OSA is 13.7% and 3.8% in men and women.
However, patients with moderate-to-severe OSA can reverse metabolic abnormalities and lower blood pressure by undergoing three months of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.
These are the findings of two separate studies - one published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR) and the other in New England Journal of Medicine - carried out by Dr S K Sharma, who heads the department of medicine at AIIMS.
Govt hospitals have to renew fire clearance
TNN | Dec 13, 2011, 01.20AM IST
NEW DELHI: All government hospitals will have to renew their fire clearance certificates within a month, said Delhi health minister A K Walia.
He held a meeting on fire-safety measures in government hospitals with officials and PWD engineers. This comes in the wake of the blaze in AMRI in Kolkata that has claimed 93 lives so far.
"I have asked medical superintendents of all hospitals to review the fire-safety measures in consultation with PWD engineers and prepare a list of steps needed. They have been instructed to renew their fire clearance certificates in a month's time," said Walia.
Samsung flags off ‘Wheels Of Hope’ Programme
The Samsung Wheels of Hope bus, which is a converted computer lab with Samsung Notebooks /netbooks and tablets, gives these children their first exposure to the world of computers and the power of the internet.The Company’s endeavor to spread knowledge on new age technology products and the world of the internet to students from the lesser privileged sections of society.The bus started it journey to reach out to students studying in around 35 MCD and government-aided schools in Delhi/ NCR region.
NEW DELHI: Alcohol globally has become a major killer. The WHO says globally, 6.2% of all male deaths are alcohol-related, compared to 1.1% of female deaths. Around 3.2 lakh young people aged 15-29 years die annually from drinking, resulting in 9% of all deaths in that age group.
Experts say liquor raises the risk of as many as 60 diseases. What's most worrying for India is that the country is home to one of the largest alcoholic beverage industries in the world, producing 65% of the alcohol in south-east Asia.
India contributes to about 7% of the total alcohol beverage imports into the region. India was among the first countries to raise an alarm against alcohol.
Since then, it has not been able to put in place an effective anti-alcohol policy.
Stem cell study: Govt wants to draw ethical line
NEW DELHI: Should gamete donation be allowed in India? What about couples undergoing In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) donating spare embryos for research? These are some of the contentious issues on which the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in collaboration with Department of Biotechnology ( DBT), is looking to the public for answers and suggestions. Towards this end, the health research wing of the government has organised a public consultation programme in the Capital on Saturday.
According to Dr V M Katoch, director general of ICMR, the aim is to develop a consensus among scientists, pharmacists and the public. "The ICMR-DBT guidelines on stem cell research and therapy were prepared in 2007. We are revising it and the public consultation programme is an attempt to seek suggestions on the same," said Katoch. He added that the 'Biomedical Research Human Subjects Promotion and Regulation Bill,' to regulate and monitor research on the human subjects including use of stem cells for experimental and therapeutic purposes, is also being finalized.
All in family: Women take lead as kidney donors
Statistics show that it's women who are in the lead as donors. And this has much to do with saving their families. Figures from major city hospitals that conduct kidney transplant show that in over 70% cases, women - mostly the wife or the mother - donate their organs.
Cabinet nod for NRI doctors to practice, teach in India
NEW DELHI: NRI doctors are a step closer to be able to practice or teach medicine in India.The Cabinet on Tuesday cleared the National Council of Human Resources in Health (NCHRH) Bill that allows doctors who hold the Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) status to work in India. They can also join medical college as faculty.
Wake-up call on sleep apnea
Kounteya Sinha, TNN | Dec 15, 2011, 02.38AM IST
NEW DELHI: Those suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) are four times more prone to suffer from cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome (MS) such as obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and insulin resistance. Delhi has 9.3% prevalence of OSA which is a highly prevalent but an under-recognized clinical problem. In an urban setting in northern India, the occurrence of OSA is 13.7% and 3.8% in men and women.
However, patients with moderate-to-severe OSA can reverse metabolic abnormalities and lower blood pressure by undergoing three months of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.
These are the findings of two separate studies - one published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR) and the other in New England Journal of Medicine - carried out by Dr S K Sharma, who heads the department of medicine at AIIMS.
Govt hospitals have to renew fire clearance
TNN | Dec 13, 2011, 01.20AM IST
NEW DELHI: All government hospitals will have to renew their fire clearance certificates within a month, said Delhi health minister A K Walia.
He held a meeting on fire-safety measures in government hospitals with officials and PWD engineers. This comes in the wake of the blaze in AMRI in Kolkata that has claimed 93 lives so far.
"I have asked medical superintendents of all hospitals to review the fire-safety measures in consultation with PWD engineers and prepare a list of steps needed. They have been instructed to renew their fire clearance certificates in a month's time," said Walia.
Samsung flags off ‘Wheels Of Hope’ Programme
The Samsung Wheels of Hope bus, which is a converted computer lab with Samsung Notebooks /netbooks and tablets, gives these children their first exposure to the world of computers and the power of the internet.The Company’s endeavor to spread knowledge on new age technology products and the world of the internet to students from the lesser privileged sections of society.The bus started it journey to reach out to students studying in around 35 MCD and government-aided schools in Delhi/ NCR region.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Researchers to preserve city’s oral history
NEW DELHI: Museums have for long recorded the tangible heritage of a city ; the bricks and mortar with which the city was built. But can a museum capture the idea of a city , or its memories ? Can a museum capture the life of a city in transition ? This is precisely what an ambitious new project sets out to do.
In a possible first for India , a group of scholars , academicians and researchers from the Centre for Community Knowledge (CCK) at Ambedkar University Delhi have embarked on the Citizen's Memory Project , a digital archive of the lives of the people of Delhi and the oral history of the capital.
The project will tie up with the Delhi Museum, which will be housed in the Dara Shikoh Library, a historical monument that lies within the campus of Ambedkar University. While the project will focus solely on the capital , it has drawn on researchers from across the country and has ramifications for the rest of India as well.
Read More: TOI
NEW DELHI: Museums have for long recorded the tangible heritage of a city ; the bricks and mortar with which the city was built. But can a museum capture the idea of a city , or its memories ? Can a museum capture the life of a city in transition ? This is precisely what an ambitious new project sets out to do.
In a possible first for India , a group of scholars , academicians and researchers from the Centre for Community Knowledge (CCK) at Ambedkar University Delhi have embarked on the Citizen's Memory Project , a digital archive of the lives of the people of Delhi and the oral history of the capital.
The project will tie up with the Delhi Museum, which will be housed in the Dara Shikoh Library, a historical monument that lies within the campus of Ambedkar University. While the project will focus solely on the capital , it has drawn on researchers from across the country and has ramifications for the rest of India as well.
Read More: TOI
Thursday, December 8, 2011
UNESCO’s Information for All Programme (IFAP)
Objectives:
• promote international reflection and debate on the ethical, legal and societal challenges of the information society;
• promote and widen access to information in the public domain through the organization, digitization and preservation of information;
• support training, continuing education and lifelong learning in the fields of communication, information and informatics;
•support the production of local content and foster the availability of indigenous knowledge through basic literacy and ICT literacy training;
• promote the use of international standards and best practices in communication, information and informatics in UNESCO's fields of competence; and
• promote information and knowledge networking at local, national, regional and international levels
See more:UNESCO's IFAP
Objectives:
• promote international reflection and debate on the ethical, legal and societal challenges of the information society;
• promote and widen access to information in the public domain through the organization, digitization and preservation of information;
• support training, continuing education and lifelong learning in the fields of communication, information and informatics;
•support the production of local content and foster the availability of indigenous knowledge through basic literacy and ICT literacy training;
• promote the use of international standards and best practices in communication, information and informatics in UNESCO's fields of competence; and
• promote information and knowledge networking at local, national, regional and international levels
See more:UNESCO's IFAP
Friday, December 2, 2011
International Day of Persons with Disabilities is 3 December
UN Theme for 2011: “Together for a better world for all:
Including persons with disabilities in development”
Read more:http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1561
Screen kids for disabilities at birth: Activists
CHENNAI: Hospitals should be made to screen newborns to detect disabilities early, activists and teachers said at a national workshop on communication options to teach the deaf held in the city of Monday. "Early detection and intervention can ensure that the child is able to participate in an inclusive society," said Kannagi Packianathan, secretary, Welfare of the Differently Abled department. "All 32 districts in the state have facilities for screening and early intervention, but children are screened only when doctors suspect some impairment," she added.
The Medical Council of India should ensure that all doctors are trained in disability, said Major General Ian Cardozo, chairman of the Rehabilitation Council of India .....
UN Theme for 2011: “Together for a better world for all:
Including persons with disabilities in development”
Read more:http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1561
Screen kids for disabilities at birth: Activists
CHENNAI: Hospitals should be made to screen newborns to detect disabilities early, activists and teachers said at a national workshop on communication options to teach the deaf held in the city of Monday. "Early detection and intervention can ensure that the child is able to participate in an inclusive society," said Kannagi Packianathan, secretary, Welfare of the Differently Abled department. "All 32 districts in the state have facilities for screening and early intervention, but children are screened only when doctors suspect some impairment," she added.
The Medical Council of India should ensure that all doctors are trained in disability, said Major General Ian Cardozo, chairman of the Rehabilitation Council of India .....
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