Navratri glare eludes CEPT, varsity hostels

Some 2,000 students are affected as they've been getting electricity for only 7 hrs for the last five days; they have to go out to study, rest and fetch drinking water; officials say it will take 3 more days to restore normalcy

When every street in the city is illuminated to celebrate Navratri, more than 2,000 students of CEPT University and Gujarat University hostels are struggling in the dark with no electricity for the past five days. Their repeated requests to the hostel officials has got them a generator set, but it is of little help as it supplies electricity for only a few hours.

Drug-resistant bacteria in infants worry doctors

Irrationally administering antibioticsto infants has led to this condition, claim city docs; they call for greaterawareness and caution

Fifteen-month-old Aniket was suffering from a minor bout of cold and fever. Instead of taking him to a paediatrician, his parents preferred to administer some over-the-counter drug from a medical shop. When his condition did not improve after three-four days, they took him to their general physician (GP) who administered another dose of antibiotic medicine. Unfortunately, Aniket showed no signs of improvement.

Cases of heart diseases among women up by 10%

 Though three in 10 women are prone to heart diseases, they continue to ignore earlydiagnosis and eat unhealthy food, say heart specialists

Shruti Shah, a 36-year old IT professional and mother of a teenager, worked 10-11 hours every day. Along with office work, she had to take care of the household chores. Busy balancing her life between work and family, she forgot to look after her health. Irregular sleeping hours, stress and eating junk food took a toll on her heart. She suffered a heart attack last week.

Don't sweat, keep your makeup smudge-free

To dance away nine nights without worrying about their look, Amdavadi women are making a beeline for plastic surgeons and cosmetologists offering permanent makeup, Botox shots

Amee Modi bore extreme pain inflicted by repeated needle pricks for hours on Wednes day. No, the 20-year-old was not suffering from any ailment. It was all done for the perfect look this Navratri. Amee no longer has to worry about smudged kajal, fading lipstick or the sweat melting her look, thanks to permanent makeup, a cosmetic tattooing procedure. In this treatment, a needle inserts colour pigment under the skin at the base of your eyes or over lashes, on the border of your lips or on the lips fully. Colours for kajal and eyeliner come in black, blue and green. Lip colours include a range from pink to maroon.

BIAS AGAINST HIV+ PLAYS HAVOC WITH LIVES OF PATIENTS

Also, fearing refusal of treatment,HIV+ patients are prompted to hide their status; this gives rise to risk ofmedical staff getting infected

Anil, a resident of Anand, was recently diagnosed with second stage oral cancer. Because of the ailment, he could not open his mouth properly to have food. With a lot of hope he came to Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad to undergo operation. He received proper diagnosis to begin with but things changed when he revealed that he was HIV positive.Doctors refused to operate upon him. He went to Vadodara and on Saturday got admitted to a private hospital. But sadly, he was again turned away.

Social media boosts emergency network

Several organisations and philanthropists are using popular networking sites like Twitter and Facebook to raise help for needy patients in critical conditions

Philanthropists, government organisations and NGOs have jumped on to encash the reach and popularity of social media to provide assistance to patients during medical emergencies. They are also using them to spread awareness of organ and blood donations.

Hitendra Parmer's relative needed AB+ blood during an emergency.But it wasn't available in blood banks.Despite several attempts when he couldn't arrange it, Twitter came to his rescue. Within 30 minutes of tweeted about it, he received a donor.And throughout the day he kept receiving calls with offer to help.

Durga puja in city gets khub bhalo

The celebrations get bigger forBengalis with two more puja pandals being set up at Parimal Garden andBhuyangdev, taking the number from nine to 11

Pujo gets bigger this year in Ahmedabad, thanks to the growing population of Bengalis in the city. To provide Bengalis who have migrated to Ahmedabad a culturally-rich experience, two new Durga pujas have been organised this time ­ one at Parimal Garden and the other in Bhuyangdev.

MISSING, EVEN THEIR PHOTOS

Cops do not have photos of nearly 40%of the kids gone missing in the city; children cell does not have sketch artistand tracing them is difficult without this vital clue
Thirteen-year-old Devi went missing when she went to beg at Subhash Bridge. After seven days her father Manojbhai Somajibhai from Nut commu nity lodged an FIR at Sabarmati police station, but as he did not have any picture of his daughter, he could provide only the physical description.

`The police treated us worse than animals'

 Tibetan students at MSU claim they were treated brutally by Vadodara police; cops sayround up was preventive action to stop them from holding protests during Chinese prez's visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Ahmedabad has the city on its toes but the Tibetan community in the state is not very happy. To start with, the Tibetan Youth Congress' Gujarat Chapter is miffed that the police has ignored their request to hold peaceful protests on Wednesday in the city. On the other hand, the crackdown on Tibetan students in MSU carried out by Vadodara police has left the community furious.

1.1 kg hairball removed from 22-yr-old's stomach

A team of doctors at Sarvajanik Hospital at Gojharia in Mehsana operated upon a girl and removed 1.1 kg hairball from her stomach.

Rajita (name changed), a 22year-old girl with no record of major medical illness, gradually started losing weight. Simultaneously, she started complaining of stomach pain, too.A medical diagnosis found a sizeable hairball mass in her stomach that left the medical team surprised.

Viral hepatitis deaths down by 93% in Gujarat, docs question govt data

Only 6 deaths reported in 2013; many docs raise doubts over the data...
It seems the state government has achieved remarkable success in controlling deaths due to viral hepatitis. If government data is to be believed, there has been a significant drop in mortality due to viral hepatitis in Gujarat. The official data, which is in the possession of dna, reveals that in past five years, deaths due to the disease have gone down by 93% in the state.

As against 99 deaths reported in 2009, only six deaths due to the disease were recorded in 2013. Interestingly, the number of cases of viral hepatitis increased during the same period.

Viral hepatitis is inflamation of liver due to some viral infection.

Demand for yellow fever vaccine plunges over Ebola scare

Widespread fear of Ebola in African countries has resulted in few people optingto visit those places, thereby reducing the demand for yellow fever vaccinationin the city.

According to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials, around 1,200 people used to visit AMC-run hospitals to get vaccinated against yellow fever every year normally before embarking on a trip to any African nation either for business or leisure. As per rules, it is mandatory for anyone above nine months of age to get vaccinated against yellow fever before visiting any African country.

Big bags breaking the young backs

MORE OF A burden ? School students start sufferingfrom back pain by the age of 15 which causes spinal abnormality and curvatures
Bag full of books can make a child strong in the legs but weak on the spine. School students start suffering from back pain by the age of 15 which causes spinal abnormality, curvature and musculoskeletal problems.

“Normally, a child should carry a bag which is 10 per cent of their body weight. However, today’s students approximately carry bags that are 25-30 per cent of their weight,” said Dr Subir Jhaveri, a surgeon at Spine Hospital.

City produces 17,000 MT e-waste every year: Report

Ahmedabad: At a time when cities are struggling tohandle growing mounds of garbage, electronic waste (e-waste) is fast becoming abigger challenge than expected. And, believe it or not, according to a recent nationwide survey, Ahmedabad has been found to be the sixth-largest producer of e-waste in the country.

According to a report, Electronic Waste Management in India, prepared by Frost and Sullivan in partnership with Assocham, Mumbai is the largest producer of e-waste followed by New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Pune in that order.

Books on Modi a hit with readers

Theelection fever may have cooled down in the city but the Modi fever stillcontinues. And this was witnessed at the recently concluded book fair when books on BJP'sprime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi attractedthe attention of the visitors.    

The bestsellers included Modi, Muslims and Media: Voices from Narendra Modi’s Gujarat, Narendra Modi: A Political Biography and Sakshibhaav.

“This year the fair recorded the lowest footfall compared to last two years. However, books on chief minister (CM) Narendra Modi were amongst the most popular ones,” said Asoke Shukla of a publishing house, Rajpal and Sons.

As the nation went to polls, the book fair was replete with books about the CM.

Cops to ‘enjoy’ heat action plan in monsoon

The Gujarat traffic police have to wait till monsoon to enjoy the facilities under the new heat action plan designed to save them from intense heat wave. The plan has run into rough weather due to the Lok Sabha elections.

“We have several heat action plans in the pipeline. But due to elections we might have to wait till monsoon to get clearance from the government,” said additional commissioner of police (traffic), Harikrishna Patel. If the proposals are sent for approval after the polls the traffic cops can enjoy the

Treatment, awareness can save haemophilic patients

WorldHaemophilia Day In Gujarat, around 5,000 men suffer from haemophilia, a geneticbleeding disorder in which patients bleed excessively
“Once, while playing I was wounded and the bleeding didn’t stop for two hours. I had to take injection to stop it. Since then, I have never played with my friends, scaring the pain I went through,” shared Umesh Patel (name changed), a 14-year-old boy with haemophilia.
Umesh is not alone. In Gujarat, around 5,000 men suffer from haemophilia. However, sadly, only around 1,600 people are officially registered as haemophilic patients.
Haemophilia is a genetic bleeding disorder in which patients bleed excessively. People with haemophilia (PWH) have prolonged bleeding either internally or externally. The ailment remains lifelong.

Haemophilia is common among men and in rarest of rare cases a girl suffers from this bleeding disorder. As per World Health Organisation (WHO) data, the prevalence of haemophilia is one among 10,000 people.

Lack of awareness and delay in treatment in prolonged bleeding in joints and muscles, increase the risk of disability and permanent failure of body organs. It may even be life threatening, informed Mukesh Kumar Rameshbhai Marchawala, a member of the haemophilia Society (HS).

“It can be as lethal as HIV/AIDS but many people because of social stigma and inadequate knowledge don’t go through regular check-ups which can be risky for them and their family members,” said Kiran Avashia, another member of HS.

“There are 13 factors in the blood, involved in the process of normal clotting of blood. The absence or deficiency of any clotting factor in the blood, usually factor VIII or Factor IX causes haemophilia,” said Avashia.

If managed well, by providing coagulation factor concentrates in sufficient amounts and through regular physiotherapy exercises, the patients can be saved from permanent disability and pain, said experts and doctors.

Pre-natal diagnosis can help in early identification if the baby is haemophilia. “If the mother is a carrier of haemophilia then we ask the couple to go for termination in a hospital,” said Marchawala.

Experts suggest girls whose brother has haemophilia should go through ‘carrier detection test’ to save her child from the pain.

Many doctors also lack knowledge which can delay treatment to needy patients. “In the medical syllabus, only a capture on blood clotting is mentioned which is insufficient for the treatment,” said MA Husani, president of HS in Ahmedabad and father of a girl with haemophilia.

Most importantly, even if people have knowledge about this ailment, many families especially in rural areas, can’t afford the costly treatment.

In this backdrop, a year back, the state government had initiated a programme in 12 government hospitals where these patients were given free treatment. “After years of struggle we finally managed to open this facility for poor and needy patients who can’t afford to go aboard for treatment. Every year a budget of Rs five crore is sanctioned by the government,” said Husani.

“The pain can be lessened by practicing physiotherapy and providing emotional support to PWH,” said Marchawala.

‘122 mothers die per one lakh births in Gujarat’

National Safe Motherhood Day Say experts who alsobelieve that government’s maternal health programmes need improvement

 Despite initiating several hyped maternal health programmes, the Government of Gujarat has failed to reach the targeted maternity mortality rate (MMR) under the Millennium Development Goal (MDG), claim experts working for the safety of motherhood across the state.

On Nation Safe Motherhood Day, dna spoke to a few experts on maternal health, who stated that the administration has launched a number of innovative schemes, like the Kasturba Gandhi Poshan Yojana and Bal Sakha Yojana, but it is still a challenge for migrating, marginalised women and their families to avail their benefits. “MDG has set a national target of MMR to100 per one lakh births. But, according to the latest data released by the Registrar General of India in 2012, the mortality rate in Gujarat is still 122 per one lakh births,” said Dr. Harsha Shah, a gynecologist who works for maternal health.

Big question: Who moved the condom vending machines?

Asmany as 11,000 CVMs go missing across the state; activists blame it onmismanagement and poor maintenance

The use-and-throw policy applies to condoms. But in Gujarat, it seems to be applying to the condom vending machines (CVM) as well. For, a total of 11,000 CVMs have gone missing or stolen from across the state.

Across the globe, condoms have played a major role not only in curbing the spread of deadly diseases like HIV and AIDS, but also in avoiding unwanted pregnancy. Hence, National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) in association with public sector Hindustan Latex Limited (HLL) came up with the idea of installing CVMs.

Male nurses on the rise in Bangalore

Goneare the days when nursing was dominated by women. With growing number ofhospitals, demand for male nurses has also surged. The demand for male nurseshas doubled in the past 10 years in Bangalore hospitals.
Presently they constitute less than one per cent of the total nursing population.  According to statistics provided by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, the percentage of males opting for nursing course has gone up by 40 per cent in the past five years. In 2008, around 100 male nurses were registered for BSc nursing course whereas in the last academic year, 2012, the number rose to above 2,600. Similarly, more males are opting for MSc and diploma in nursing course.
Many government and private hospitals have welcomed the new phenomenon of male nurses to overcome the dearth of nurses in hospitals. “Enrolment of men in nursing courses will help to fill up the vacant posts and improve the quality of treatment in hospitals,” said Vydehi Institute of Nursing Sciences Principal Prof L E Madhumathi.
Male nurses are in high demand at select departments like OT, psychiatry, orthopaedics, dispensary and male wards. “Male nurses are considered more resourceful over female nurses at OT. We have 276 nursing staff and 25 per cent are male,” said Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain Hospital Nursing Superintendent S Sebastian.
The demand for male nurses is highest in emergency and call duties. Many private hospitals, considering safety and security of women nurses prefer to appoint male nurses. “For emergency call at night, we cannot send a female nurse outside hospital because of safety reasons. Moreover, in cases like shifting patients or providing emergency service in ambulance, brawny male nurses are more preferable,” said Apollo Hospital Director of Nursing Mary Jose, who also confirms an increase in number of male nurses. “Out of the total nursing staff, 27 per cent are male. Whereas, five years back the number was only 5 per cent,” she added.
Previously, male nurses were restricted from maternity and gynaecology wards, but now this kind of stereotype is vanishing.
“Nowadays, patients care about the efficiency of nurse not the gender. They are equally comfortable with male and female nurses,” Sebastian said.
Kumar, a male nurse working at Fortis Hospital, Cunningham Road, when asked the reason for opting for nursing career, said, “This field has great career opportunity. It has both monetary and job satisfaction. So why should not males come into this profession?”
Malla, female nurse at Jain Hospital, also shared the same opinion. “The notion that nursing is predominated by female is evolving. We are getting competition from male nurses but in a long run it would help to remunerate nursing.”
Despite rising demand for male nurses, female nurses outnumber male in nursing. Fortis Institute of Nursing Admission Coordinator Prabhuswamy said, “there is demand for male nurses but still the number of male enrolment in hospitals and nursing institutes is very less in comparison to female candidates. In future, the scope for male nurses would broaden further in Bangalore.”