Health & Medical Services – Page 8

KARNATAKA: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES : Clinical Psychology Society of India (CPSI) Launched to Boost Mental Healthcare

More investment should come into the crucial clinical psychology segment, said Capt. P Manivannan, secretary to the government, Social Welfare Department.

At the launch of the Clinical Psychology Society of India (CPSI), he said 75 per cent of employees face mental health issues because of an unstable work environment and initiatives like CPSI will help in educating professionals to provide the right care.

NIMHANS Director Dr Pratima Murty said the number of clinical psychologists at 2,900 is meagre in the country. Efforts are required to bring a drastic change in resolving mental health issues. CSPI will help in providing quality healthcare to people and training and education to medical graduates, she said.

CPSI president Dr Jamuna Rajeshwaran said the organisation will establish evidence-based care for psychological disorders. CPSI was formed as a regulating and monitoring body was lacking, she added.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: HEALTH & MEDICAL SCIENCES, VACCINE: RT-PCR Detection Kit for Human Monkeypox Virus Developed by NeoDv Biotech Labs Released

Company obtained manufacturing licence from CDSCO and is awaiting clinical validation of kit, which uses gold-standard RT-PCR method.

A human monkeypox virus (MPXV) multiplex RT-PCR detection kit was released by Minister for IT and BT and Science and Technology C.N. Ashwath Narayan on Friday.

Developed by NeoDx Biotech Labs, the MPXV kit is designed for specific detection of the Central African (Congo Basin) and West African Monkeypox virus clades. The kit uses gold-standard Taqman chemistry-based RT-PCR method.

The company has obtained the manufacturing test licence from Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and is waiting for clinical validation of the kit, according to a press release.

The kit was released on the occasion of the foundation-laying ceremony for the “Research and Training Unit for Rare Diseases” held at the Centre for Human Genetics (CHG) in Bengaluru.

The CHG, under the guidance of the founding Director, Professor H. Sharat Chandra, for the past 20 years, has been providing high quality genetic services to patients with rare diseases from all over Karnataka and other states, the release said.

Meenakshi Bhat, Associate Director at CHG said nearly 35,000 families with genetic disorders have been diagnosed and counselled in the past 15 years. “The genetic laboratories at CHG provide diagnostic testing in around 5,000 patients per year. The majority of these patients are from government hospitals in Karnataka and these services are provided free to BPL and other eligible patient families and at cost to others,” she said.

The Research and Training Unit for Rare Diseases is an extension of the present CHG building. This 40,000 sq. ft extension will have three floors in which comprehensive genetic counselling facilities for around 2,500 families with rare disorders will be evaluated annually, she said.

content/source: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: HEATH & MEDICAL SERVICES: Free Organ Transplant: 73 Patients have Benefitted since the Inception of the Scheme for BPL in 2019 by Government of Karnataka

Only below poverty line (BPL) patients are eligible under the free organ transplantation scheme -heart, liver and kidney – in government and private-empaneled hospitals in Karnataka.

A total of 73 below poverty line (BPL) patients have undergone free organ transplants and have got 622 cycles of free immunosuppressive medication under the Organ Transplantation Scheme after Karnataka launched in the scheme in 2019.

The Karnataka Government has so far spent ₹3.1 crore on the free transplants and ₹62.40 lakh on free supply of life-saving medicines that have to be taken life-long post-transplant.

As organ transplants are not covered under Arogya Karnataka – Ayushman Bharat Scheme, the government had in 2019 launched the free organ transplantation scheme — heart, liver, and kidney — for all BPL patients in government and private-empaneled hospitals. It had set aside ₹30 crore for this scheme in 2019’s budget.

The government had fixed package rates of ₹2 lakh for kidney transplant, ₹10 lakh for heart transplant, and ₹11 lakh for liver transplant. A sum of ₹1 lakh has been fixed as financial assistance for post-transplant immunosuppressive medication.

source/content : thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES, DRUG PATENT: Bengaluru-based firm Synergia Biosciences Develops a nanoemulsion intra-nasal platform for Brain-Related Disorders and gets International Patent

City-based Synergia Biosciences unveiled a nanotechnology-based intra-nasal platform of medicine for brain-related disorders.

It has acquired patents for the same in the United States of America, the European Union, India, and Japan.

Synergia Biosciences said they have developed the platform in which lipophilic drugs can be dissolved for the intra-nasal spray mode of administering to patient.

“We have patented the composition of the platform and the process to arrive at that,” Sambratha Shetty, Chief Operating Officer, Synergia Biosciences said.

The nanoemulsion platform presently is best suited to treat various brain-related disorders from cluster headaches, migraine, schizophrenia, dementia, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and vertigo, binge drinking, depression, among others.

“One of the biggest challenges in drugs treating brain-related disorders is that it is very difficult to make the drug reach the target area. But with the intra-nasal route, it bypasses the first pass metabolism, increases bioavailability of the drug, and causes rapid absorption (less than 5 minutes),” Ms. Shetty explained.

Synergia has stabilised the nanoemulsion for four drugs: two antipsychotic ones, an analgesic, and an antiemetic. The same platform can be tweaked to carry vaccines and insulin, Synergia claimed.

“The technology is non-invasive and mainly cost-effective. It is an affordable way to treat multiple diseases. This is a strategic technology which will help India treat multiple diseases at an affordable cost,” said Tobby Simon of Synergia Foundation.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL : KARNATAKA: HEALTH & MEDICAL SCIENCES: New Book Released – The ‘Operative Manual of Neurosurgery’ Authored by Dr. Balaji Pai, HOD, Dept. of Neurosurgery, Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute (BMCRI)

The atlas of neurological procedures titled ‘Operative Manual of Neurosurgery’ is a technical guide for junior neurosurgeons and neurosurgical residents.

The atlas is a guide for junior neurosurgeons before they enter the operation theatre

Junior neurosurgeons and neurosurgical residents can now delve into the technical nuances of operative neurosurgery through a new atlas of neurological procedures performed in neuro departments across the country.

The atlas – an illustrative operating manual of neurological procedures – has been brought out by Balaji Pai S., Head of the Department of Neurosurgery at the State-run Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI). The atlas is set to be released on Saturday.

Complimentary to teaching

Speaking to The Hindu on Friday, he said many neurosurgeons are not exposed to the wide variety of neurosurgical procedures and may not have performed these procedures individually or even observed them. “The atlas is a guide for the junior neurosurgeons before they enter the operation theatre. It cannot substitute hands-on training and knowledge gained by assisting seniors and operating under supervision. This atlas is a compliment to these teaching methods,” he said.

Aimed at assisting and educating neurosurgical residents and junior neurosurgeons, the atlas will help these surgeons and also boost their confidence, the doctor said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL, IN INDIA: KARNATAKA: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES / SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: GE Healthcare launches its first ‘5G Innovation Lab’ in India and the First for GE across the Globe.

GE Healthcare on Thursday announced the launch of its 5G Innovation Lab in India, the first for the company across the globe.

With the advantage of massive bandwidth, high data speeds, low latency and highly reliable connectivity, 5G has the potential to disrupt the patient care continuum, transforming diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis, the company noted.

“The 5G Innovation Lab is designed to position GE Healthcare at the forefront of these groundbreaking advances in patient care, including potentially bringing cutting-edge technology to rural and suburban regions,” a company statement said.

Situated at the John F.Welch Technology Centre (JFWTC) Bengaluru, GE Healthcare’s largest R&D centre outside of the USA, the lab will serve as a testbed to develop future-ready products and solutions, turning a new corner in innovation, it said.

5G in Healthcare was valued at an estimated USD 215 million in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 3,667 million by 2026.

“India is an important market for us globally and it is indeed the right time to venture into 5G, which will open a realm of exciting opportunities, driving the next wave of growth in Healthcare,” said Jan Makela, President & CEO, Imaging at GE Healthcare.

The GE Healthcare 5G Innovation Lab will serve as a conduit for the interplay of exponential technologies like AI/ML, IoT, Big Data, Edge Computing and Cybersecurity, the statement added.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: HEALTH & MEDICAL SCIENCES: Human Milk Bank the “Amruta-SDM Rotary Human Milk Bank” comes up at SDM Hospital in Dharwad

Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari inaugurates Amruta to cater to the needy in North Karnataka

The twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad have got their first human milk bank in the form of “Amruta-SDM Rotary Human Milk Bank” set up on the premises of SDM Hospital at Sattur in Dharwad.

On Wednesday, Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade inaugurated the human milk bank that will cater to the needs of needy patients in the North Karnataka region.

Inaugurating the human milk bank, Veerendra Heggade said that mother’s breast milk is crucial for the proper growth of the child. “Giving breast milk to another woman’s child is not a phenomenon. Such a practice has been in existence for time immemorial. Suppose one mother in a family fell sick, another lactating mother will breast feed such a child. Now, with technological advancements, human milk banks are being established,” he said.

The human milk bank has been set up by SDM Hospital with assistance from Karnataka Vikas Grameena (KVG) Bank and Rotary Club of Seven Hills which have extended help under the Rotary Foundation of the Rotary International Global Grant (Ph: 2232708). Thanking them for the support, Veerendra Heggade felicitated Rotary District Governor Gaurish Dhond, President of Rotary Club of Seven Hills Pallavi Deshpande, Secretary Gauri Madalabhavi and Chairman of KVG Bank P. Gopi Krishna on the occasion.

The human milk bank has been set up on a space of 1,000 sq m and the plan is to extend and add further services in the coming days. In addition to children getting treated at the hospital, the service will be extended to children in need from other hospitals and places.

Vice-Chancellor of SDM University Niranjan Kumar, Principal of SDM College of Medical Sciences Ratnamala M. Desai, Director of Administration Saket Shetty, Vice-Principal Vijay Kulkarni and others were present.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INDIAN RECORDS: KARNATAKA: HEALTH & MEDICAL SCIENCES / SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: Researchers at Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Develop Algorithm called (ReAl – LiFE) to Study Connectivity in Brain

Researchers at Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) have developed a new graphic processing unit (GPU) based machine learning algorithm called Regularised, Accelerated, Linear Fascicle Evaluation (ReAl – LiFE), which will help to obtain a better understanding and in the prediction of connectivity between different regions of human brain.

This algorithm can help analyse extensive data generated from diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (dMRI) scans which helps scientists study the connectivity in the brain at a speed, which is 150 times higher than a regular desktop computer or existing state-of-the-art algorithms. The study has been published in the journal Nature Computational Science.

“Even though it is difficult to pinpoint the connectomes, we are trying to infer information highway network by looking at traffic flow patterns (if molecules are like cars). We look at the movement of water molecules in the brain and we try to infer where the wires are. The water molecules have to travel along the length of the cables (axons), which have connected various parts of the brain. By measuring these lengths of water molecules, we are able to infer which areas are connected,” explained Devarajan Sridharan, Associate Professor at the Centre for Neuroscience (CNS), IISc., and corresponding author of the study.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INDIA RECORDS: KARNATAKA: Led by Prime Minister Modi, Mysuru Hosts the ‘8th International Day of Yoga , 21st June – India’s First Public Yoga Day Event Post-Pandemic Participated by 15,000-plus Participants

The iconic Mysuru palace served as the perfect backdrop to 15,000-plus enthusiasts led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate the 8th edition of International Day of Yoga after a two-year break.

Mysuru hosted the main event of the 8th edition of International Day of Yoga (IDY) with a mass yoga demonstration after a gap of two years.

It was the first International Day of Yoga (IDY) public event after the outbreak of COVID-19.

There have been no yoga demonstrations in public in India since 2020 due to curbs on mass gatherings owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: HEALTH & MEDICAL SCIENCES: Free Life-Saving Heart Surgeries for 125 children with Heart Issues at Narayana Health City

In India, over 2.4 lakh children are born with a hole in the heart and Congenital Heart Disease is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality among children, said Devi Shetty.

Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Founder and Chairman, Narayana Health City, said, “In India, over 2.4 lakh children are born with a hole in the heart and Congenital Heart Disease is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality among children. Though these ailments are treatable, 20% of the children die before celebrating their first birthday owing to economic constraints.”

He thanked Centum Electronic Limited whose donation of Rs 50 lakh made the surgeries possible. “We are confident initiatives like this will encourage greater participation and will help in addressing the situation better,” Dr Shetty said.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)