Teen beats TB, appears for board exams

When there is a will, there is a way. A 15-year-old Class 10 student has proved this by appearing for her board examinations despite undergoing a critical surgery to treat tuberculosis in her spine, neck and lower back.
Mahek Shah was preparing for her Class 10 examinations in mid-2015 when she suddenly started experiencing pain in her back, which gradually became severe. Mahek, who lives in Mumbai with her family, endured the pain for four months, which also affected her studies. Her family consulted many doctors and orthopaedics but their efforts were vain, with the teenager continuing to suffer from pain.

Government brings in biometric system for doctors, officers

Taking a stern step to discourage the absence of government doctors and medical officers from their work place, the state health ministry has decided to make biometric attendance compulsory. Their attendance will be linked with their Aadhaar card and their salary. So, if they fail to log in, they would suffer a cut in their salaries. Disciplinary action can also be taken against such doctors or officers.
This new initiative will be implemented at all primary health care centres, rural sub district hospitals, and district hospitals, along with State Employment Insurance Scheme, National Rural Health Mission, Maharashtra AIDS Control Society and State Transfusion Council. The officer in-charge shall be responsible to ensure that all employees are biometrically registered, the government resolution stated.

Still no CCTV at most hospitals

Despite repeated demands for installing CCTV cameras in maternity homes for better security for new born babies, so far only 37 per cent of the proposed CCTV cameras have been installed in 27 maternity homes and one maternity hospital.
Every year, around 80,000 babies are born in civic run maternity homes in the city. In the past, several newborn babies have been kidnapped from the hospitals due to lack of security.
In January of this year, a newborn child was kidnapped from the hospital.

Centres for rape victims face staff crunch

The Bombay high court directed the state government on March 22 to set up trauma centres across the state for rape victims, but medical experts have stated that one-point crisis centres are reeling under manpower crunch and poor infrastructure, which is affecting victims.
In Mumbai, there are three such centres, which function at KEM, Nair and Sion Hospitals. They were established to ensure that rape victims are provided with better treatment, counselling and rehabilitation immediately after registration of an FIR.

Mumbai fares worst in health insurance

Mumbai fares worst among metro cities in a comparison of the number of households covered by health insurance in India. Only 12.4 per cent of the total households in the city are covered by health insurance, according to the National Family Health Survey 4 recently released by the Union health ministry.
Mumbai consists of 6,74,339 households but only 80,920 households have health insurance, the survey said. Chennai has recorded the highest health coverage of households under health insurance with 54 per cent success rate.

‘KEM Hospital flouting norms’

A Right to Information (RTI) query by a doctor has revealed that KEM Hospital has been flouting norms while collecting blood during blood donation camps.
According to the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, to collect blood from 50 to 70 donors in about three hours or from 100 to 120 donors in about five hours, it is compulsory to have one medical officer, two nurses or phlebotomists to manage six to eight donor tables, two medico-social workers,

Blood banks run out of kits

All blood banks supported by National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) are buying HIV ELISA (human immunodeficiency virus enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) kits, which are used to identify HIV-antibodies in the blood, from other sources as the organisation has run out of them. NACO has informed the Maharashtra State Aids Control Society (MSACS) that the supply of the kits would resume only after March 31.
According to documents that are in the possession of The Asian Age, the Sion Hospital blood bank, in an email to the Mumbai Districts AIDS Control Society (MDACS), has stated, “We don’t have HIV kits, so kindly try to as early as possible to mobilise the kits.” In reply to this, Dr Seema P. Todur, quality manager (blood safety), MDACS, provided contacts of NACO-approved suppliers to provide National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) validated kits to all the blood banks.

Blood bank officials discuss speculation on blood tax

In relation to a speculation that the central government may impose a 14.5 per cent tax on blood and blood products delivered from blood banks in the upcoming budget, representatives of such banks were summoned to prepare a resolution that would be submitted to the state health minister.
The meeting was held last Tuesday. However, no official circular or notice on the matter has been released yet.
To discuss this, the Federation of Bombay Blood Banks (FBBB) summoned representatives from 25 blood banks on February 9 at S.L. Raheja Hospital. Confirming the news, Dr Neelam Nijhara, secretary, FBBB, said, “We held a private meeting regarding this but until we get an official statement from the government, we cannot disclose further information.”
According to documents accessed by The Asian Age, the representatives might meet the state health minister on February 23 to discuss the issue. Dr Sunil Rajadhyaksha, head of of the department of transfusion medicine, Tata Memorial Hospital, one of the representatives who were part of the meeting, said, “This has been going around but until something concrete comes out, we can’t say anything. The tax on blood may be a presumption but we have to wait till the budget is declared.”

Maharashtra records fall in polluted water

At a time when much ink is being spilled on deteriorating air and water quality in the state, there is some respite in the knowledge that water-contaminated habitations in the state have plunged by 42 per cent in comparison to last year, according to recently concluded state data.
2015 data shows that there has been an almost 42 per cent fall in number of contaminated habitations in the state. In 2014, over 239,739 habitations had contaminated groundwater whereas in 2015, only 138,056 habitations had contaminated groundwater.

Hospital staff rallies around fired sweeper

Since Tuesday, Class IV staffers from Prince Aly Khan Hospital have been wearing black ribbons in protest of alleged mismanagement on the part of hospital authorities. However, staffers claim that their agitation has proved futile with neither the management nor the police paying any heed to their demands.
Three months ago, a woman sweeper from the hospital named Rama Gignesh Parmer attempted suicide by consuming phenol after being suddenly fired from the job on grounds that “her character was questionable”. A police complaint was filed at Byculla Police Station however no action has been taken so far.

Cop donates deceased wife’s organs

Nandakumar Naik, a constable at Nagpada police station lost his wife Sheela Naik on Thursday when she suddenly succumbed to brain haemorrhage. However, after Sheela’s death, Nandakumar decided to donate her cornea and liver.
Fifty two-year-old Sheela, mother of three, suddenly fell unconscious while cooking in their house. She was admitted at Nanavati Hospital for treatment where she died on Thursday and Nandakumar gave his consent to donate her organs. Her liver has been sent to Fortis Hospital and cornea to Lilavati Hospital for transplantation.

Doctor rues delay in BMC projects

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in its latest budget, allocated Rs 3,700 crore to the department of health and also announced addition of beds, but its long-pending project for a new building at Harilal Bhagwati Hospital with 110 beds is still pending. The authority is uncertain when it would be functional even as the old building was vacated in 2013 for the construction. As per a Right to Information application filed by a doctor, the new building was supposed to start functioning by February 2016.
“We are still preparing the building. All the equipment is being placed so we can’t provide any date till now, but it would take more than three months to start,” said Krishnakumar Ganapat Pimpale, medical superintendent of the hospital who had replied to the RTI.

FIR against doctor for forged documents

An FIR has been filed by the Maharashtra Medical Council against Dhiraj Ramchandra Patil for submitting forged documents to the council for obtaining registration under Foreign Graduate Registration in 2014 from the council.
Patil submitted all the required documents that were duly certified as true copy by headmaster, Balaji Madhyamik Vidyalay, Pune in 2014. Based on the documents, Patil was issued a registration number 2014/02/0459 from the council on February 28, 2014.

51 vacancies, but BMC won’t hire from Tata Memorial Hospital

Sunita Naik, a 24-year-old, was admitted in Nair Hospital after suffering from a leg fracture. She was immediately taken to the hospital where the doctor asked for an X-ray of her leg immediately. But, she had to wait for more than 40 minutes to get her X-ray done thus delaying treatment.
Currently, the hospital that has a capacity for five X-ray technicians is functioning only with two technicians and so X-rays are not done at nights and evening.
Many times, patients have to be referred to JJ or KEM hospitals.

Drunks light up parts of dumping ground ‘for fun’

Though the police has filed an FIR against three unknown people who are allegedly involved in lighting the fire at the Deonar dump yard, the site is still vulnerable to more such incidents due to lack of guards.
Just a day after the Maharashtra chief minister declared an investigation into allegations of sabotage, locals have been found lighting a fire at the site just for ‘fun’. This raises doubts as to whether the police will be able to stop such activities.

Fire worsens Mumbai pollution levels

On Monday the air pollution levels in Mumbai were recorded higher than Delhi which has been in the news due to its high air pollution levels. The information was received from SAFAR and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
Environmentalists have blamed the worsened conditions on the continuous emission of smoke from the Deonar dumping ground for the past few days.
The city’s air quality index (AQI) on Monday read 320 ug/m3, which again falls under the ‘very poor’ category as per the guideline of World Health Organisation (WHO). However, the pollution level of Delhi, the most polluted city of the world, according to WHO, experienced a sudden decline in the pollution levels. The capital recorded ‘moderate’ air pollution with 180 ug/m3 in AQI on the same day. In fact, Pune also recorded low AQI with 200 ug/m3 AQI. This is the fourth consecutive day that Mumbai has recorded ‘very poor’ air quality.

Selfie obsession dangerous: Experts

In the wake of the tragic drowning of a college student at Bandra, researchers have said that the quest for the perfect selfie can have seriously adverse consequences.

Earlier, in January 2015, a 16-year-old suffered 90 per cent burns while performing a stunt on the roof of a train while trying to click a selfie. He had received an electric shock from a 25,000-volt overhead wire.

Throwing light upon the growing selfie addiction, Dr Sagar Mundada, psychiatrist, JJ Hospital, said, “In the past one year, 12 people have died in accidents while clicking selfies. It is becoming an addiction. I have seen two cases where if the patients don’t click at least five selfies every day, they would become very anxious.”

A patient is abandoned at JJ Hospital every week

The odour of bandaged wounds is the first sensation that is experienced when one sets foot in ward number 4 at JJ Hospital. At the end of this ward lies Hema Mohanty, a patient who receives no visitors or well-wishers. The 26-year-old can be seen reeling in pain with blood oozing from her left leg, which has rotted away due to gangrene. Ms Mohanty is in need of immediate surgery to stop the infection from spreading all over her body. And in addition to her agony, she has come to grips with the fact that it was her own husband who had abandoned her here.

Medical neglect hearing a let down

The public hearing by the National Human Rights Commission to hear the complaints of medical negligence turned out to be a damp squib for many who had turned up at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Deonar on Wednesday as the commission refused to hear complaints against private hospitals from Maharashtra. This left many complainants disappointed as well as angry with the NHRC. While the NHRC officials claimed they had no power to act against private hospitals, complainants said the whole exercise was meaningless if the commission was going to hear matters related only to government and civic hospitals.

‘Private hospitals need effective grievance redressal cells’

The much-awaited public hearing of the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) concluded on Thursday but many complainants of medical negligence cases had to go back home empty-handed after the body refused to hear cases against private hospitals. However, during the two days of hearing, the commission also highlighted several lapses in the health services and raised the need for effective grievance redressal cells (GRC) at private hospitals.
The commission will submit its suggestions to the Medical Council of India (MCI) and its state bodies with the observation made during the hearings. Though the official website of NHRC stated that the body would hear cases against public and private health services, the latter was refused on Wednesday.

SHRC sends suo moto notice to Aids society over fund crunch

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has sent a suo moto notice to Maharashtra State Aids Control Society (MSACS) for shortage of funds for HIV treatment, irregular distribution of condoms, and lack of drugs at Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centres in the state. SHRC has made these observations based on articles published in the media.
“We have sent a suo moto notice to MSACS by acting on reports published in the media. We are yet to receive any response, as it has been sent just a few days ago. In the past one year, we have taken up 52 cases under suo moto,” said Justice Bhannurmath, chairperson, SHRC.

NGO, hospital give baby new lease of life

Eight-month-old Kavya Shinde, who has been suffering from a serious cardiac ailment, will finally get a new lease of life as a hospital and an NGO joined hands to arrange the money for her surgery and further treatment.
Vision Child Foundation has collected `2 lakh for Kavya’s surgery while Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital will pay another Rs 2 lakh required for her treatment. She will be admitted at the hospital on Monday for the surgery.
The infant is suffering from a congenital heart disease, a birth defect that affects the normal functioning of the heart. According to the doctors, she needs to undergo an urgent open-heart surgery followed by intracardiac repair that helps in increasing blood flow to the heart. If not operated upon immediately, Kavya may not survive much longer, the doctors said.

Indore woman donates heart to 16-year-old Mumbai girl

The heart of a 20-year-old brain dead girl travelled 546 km between Indore and Mumbai within one hour and 58 minutes, saving a 16-year-old girl suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy. It is the first inter-state heart transplant on a minor to be conducted in the city and the first one in India this year.
A team of doctors at Fortis Hospital, Mulund conducted a successful heart transplant on the 16-year-old recipient from Vikhroli on Sunday. When the Indore patient was declared brain dead, her family gave the consent to donate her heart and liver. The donor was then moved to Choitaram Hospital, Indore for evaluation and assessment.

5 children die every month due to HIV

Raghu, a three-year-old from Narole, has been diagnosed with HIV infection and is currently staying with a local NGO. Sadly, both of Raghu’s parents, who were HIV-infected, did not opt for treatment even when Raghu was conceived owing to social stigma. Which is why, the HIV virus got transmitted into Raghu and he is now under continuous medication at ART Centre.
“Due to social stigma, Raghu’s parents did not take any medical precautionary measures to save their children from the infection. The child was delivered at home to save themselves from the shame,” said Bharat Tamang, project manager, Desire, an NGO working for HIV-infected children.

Women helpline functions for only 8 hours a day in Maharashtra

The centralised women helpline number — 181 — that was proposed for better safety of women after the Delhi gang rape incident has failed to assist women in need as it is functional only between 10 am and 6 pm. Also, none of the one-stop-crisis centres have been connected to the helpline. This, in spite of Mumbai ranking high in terms of the number of criminal cases recorded in India.
The central government announced the centralised helpline number in all states, but it got delayed in Maharashtra. So, in June this year, a fresh announcement was made to start the helpline number in the state. But surprisingly, the helpline functions only between 10 am and 6 pm. There are no call attendants at night.

Lack of penalty increases HIV threat

Every year, hundreds fall prey to HIV infection through blood transfusion, states the data given by National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco). However, medical experts said many infected patients do not reveal their medical condition while donating blood. But government bodies that monitor transfusion don’t have any regulations to curb such incidences.
As per a Right to Information application in possession with The Asian Age, the central government body, Naco along with Mumbai Districts AIDS Control Society (MDACS) that function under it don’t have any penal provision under the blood policy. The person who filed the RTI application did not want to reveal his identity.

Separation units are a bloody mess

Even as the government has invested more than Rs 16 lakh to provide expensive equipment to Dr RN Cooper and Rajawadi hospitals’ blood banks for establishing blood component separation units, it is yet to start functioning.
To provide the infrastructure to separate life saving components from whole blood to more hospitals, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced in 2010 that a blood component separation unit would be started in Rajawadi hospital. The executive committee sanctioned the proposal to construct another one at Cooper Hospital on September 17, 2014. However, as per the documents accessed by The Asian Age, both the units are still pending.

Flashback 2015: Work on making Aruna’s room a crisis centre yet to begin

As soon as you enter the 250-square-foot room on the ground floor of ward number 4 of KEM Hospital, a notice on the board greets you saying, “This is Aruna Shanbaug’s room’. Indeed, a semi-comatose, cortically blind Aruna spent 42 years of her tragic life, bed-ridden in this room, after she was inhumanly raped and violated by a former KEM ward boy. Finally, on May 18 this year, she succumbed to her untold suffering. The room became a poignant reminder of her struggle and similar hardships that many other rape victims like her might have endured.
As a mark of respect, the state government, in September this year, announced that the room would be made part of a 1,000 square foot open crisis centre. However, when The Asian Age paid a visit to the ward just the other day, we found that nothing had moved since the announcement.

Amputee gets verdict, but no justice

After fighting for 13 years, Raghavendra Rao, 39, won the first battle of his medical negligence case when the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission held the accused doctor accountable of not taking proper consent before conducting the surgery.
A fine of Rs 25,000 was imposed on the doctor that was supposed to be handed over to the victim but even after a year has passed since the incident, the victim is yet to receive the amount.

80 per cent Mumbaikars go online to read up on health issues

With the growing usage of Internet in mobile phones, 80 per cent of Mumbaikars refer to the Internet to enquire about health-related issues. Moreover, 14 per cent of them take medication based on information without consulting doctors that often mislead them, deteriorating their health condition. This was revealed in a recent study done by Medical Association of Resident Doctors (MARD).
The study was done over the past two weeks and included 400 respondents. Anshika Malhotra, an 18-year-old from Thane, was recently admitted to a hospital after she started bleeding profusely from her private parts. Ms Malhotra, a tech-savvy college student, had consumed medication for pain related to menstruation without consulting with a doctor. Upon talking with her, doctors discovered that she had searched the Internet and bought the suggested medicine from a nearby medical shop.