Archive for category disease
Swine flu claimed death in Coimbatore
Posted by Admin Madurai Tamilnadu India in Coimbatore, Death, Health, Information, disease, hospital, illegal on September 8th, 2010
Swine flu claimed the life of a 48-year-old man at a hospital here.
The man, working as a Deputy General Manager in a nationalised bank in Chennai, was admitted to the hospital on Monday night after he tested positive for swine flu in a private hospital, CMCH sources said today.
The man was undergoing treatment for respiratory track infection and throat and nasal swab tests confirmed that he was suffering from swine flu. He was rushed to CMCH on Monday night in a critical condition.
He died without responding to treatment in the wee hours of yesterday, the sources said.
Four suspected cases of swine flu have been reported in the city in the last two days and of them one had tested positive. All the patients, including two children, are kept in the isolation ward,
Apollo hospitals launches a special cancer detection programme
Posted by Admin Madurai Tamilnadu India in Chennai, Departments, Health, Information, Public, disease, hospital, programme on September 7th, 2010
Leading health service provider Apollo Hospitals today launched a special cancer detection programme for Rotarians here.
The programme was inaugurated by Apollo Hospitals Group Chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy here.
Dr Reddy said “while the cancer prevalence status in the country is grim, it can be contained with early detection of the disease”.
He also announced that his hospital would offer cancer detection at Rs 2,280 to the Rotarians in Chennai, which is 30 per cent additional discount on the existing cancer screening tariff.
“As a special gesture, Apollo Hospitals has decided to donate 25 per cent of the proceeds, back to the Rotary Cancer and Research Foundation, towards treatment of below poverty line patients”, he said.
He also said Apollo Hospitals and the Rotary Club had screened 1,100 children of whom 120 were diagnosed with congenital defects.
“Apollo Hospitals is now mobilising resources internally and from NGOs, Corporates and the Kalaignar insurance scheme to offer the children, the requisite treatment”
HIV-TB co-infection is increasing in the western districts
Posted by ganesh in Coimbatore, Departments, Health, Information, Public, disease, hospital, illegal on August 19th, 2010
The incidence of HIV-TB co-infection is increasing in the western districts of Namakkal, Salem, Coimbatore and Erode and must be addressed immediately, V.K.Subburaj, Principal Secretary, Health, said.
The incidence was over 24 per cent in Karur, while globally, 15 per cent of people with HIV develop tuberculosis, he added. The government was trying to address this by increasing the special attention paid to these districts. The reason Tamil Nadu has not made significant progress in addressing TB-HIV is because it has not been integrated into the public health system. He was speaking at the launch of the Global Fund Round 9 programme for civil society engagement organised in the city by REACH on Wednesday.
The State will also consider a proposal to introduce a multi-sectoral approach within various health departments to address the issues posed by TB, its detection, treatment, cure and resistant strains. At the local level, the health inspectors have been instructed to be involved with and take responsibility for all diseases that occur at the village level.
Another problem is that the TB control units are small and suffer from manpower shortage. The government is trying to address that as well, by posting qualified personnel in the labs and PHCs.
Mr. Subburaj stressed that emphasis must be given on the need to stick through the course of the drug regimen, in order to avoid drug-resistant TB. What would be a six-month treatment period gets extended to two years, with more complications if drug resistance develops, he added.
Rajesh Lakhoni, Chennai Corporation Commissioner, said the tendency among persons detected with TB to go into denial first, leads to delay in taking up treatment. P.Kuganantham, Health Officer, Chennai Corporation, said the civic body intends to mainstream HIV and TB detection and treatment activities.
C.Udayshankar, State TB Officer said, the government is planning to start a 24-hour helpline for TB support in the State.
Nevin Wilson, Director, The Union – South East Asia, said the aim of the Global Fund Round 9 was to engage communities and community-based care providers to improve TB care and control. Sr. Anbarasi, representative of CHAI, and Vijay Edwards of World Vision also spoke.
‘Illavattam – Youth Carnival 2010,’ an HIV/AIDS awareness
The three-day ‘Illavattam – Youth Carnival 2010,’ an HIV/AIDS awareness event, got off to a colourful start here on Tuesday.
Nearly 1.5 lakh students from various schools and colleges across the State are participating in a string of cultural and sports events, organised as part of the carnival by the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS).
Inaugurating the event, Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam said that people in the 16-28 age-group were more susceptible to HIV/AIDS and awareness campaigns are necessary to sensitise them. Over 500 Red Ribbon Clubs would be set up in schools and colleges across the State to strengthen the awareness among the students.
Of the 1.82 lakh people with HIV/AIDS in the State, nearly 45,000 are under ART treatment. “The ‘Varumun Kappom’ scheme has integrated counselling in the medical camps to sensitise people to HIV/AIDS,” he said.
Terming the carnival as ‘India’s largest youth cultural event,’ Mr. Panneerselvam said youth should be the torch-bearers and carry forward the awareness messages to people.
Principal Secretary Health V.K. Subburaj said that nearly Rs.100 crore was being spent on measures to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS every year. “Awareness campaigns form the core of prevention mechanism. As many have misconceptions about HIV transmission, the social taboo is high,” he said.
Mayor M. Subramanian reiterated the importance of youngsters knowing the right information about HIV/AIDS. TANSACS Project Director Shambu Kallolikar, Chennai Corporation AIDS Prevention and Control Society Project Director P. Jyothi Nirmala, Tamilnadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University Vice-Chancellor Mayil Vahanan Natarajan, University of Madras Registrar P. Saravanan and Director of Collegiate Education S. Jayabaskaran Charles participated in the event. District-level competitions were held last month and the winners were selected to participate in the State-level events. Over 14,000 students are participating in cultural programmes and 25,000 students in sports events. Awareness film screenings, variety entertainment, Gana fest and exhibition are to be held as part of the youth carnival.
TANSACS in collaboration DTERT is inaugurat Red Ribbon Clubs
Ever wondered how to discuss issues related to HIV and AIDS with your children? You probably wished their teachers did that and spared you the effort. Very soon, teacher trainees going to over 750 teacher training institutes in the State will be trained in this aspect.
The Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS), in collaboration with the Directorate of Teacher Education, Research and Training (DTERT), is inaugurating Red Ribbon Clubs in all government, aided and self-financing teacher training institutes in the State on August 11.
According to Ganesh Kumar, technical officer (youth), National AIDS Control Organisation, the clubs would hold activities such as awareness camps, sensitisation programmes to combat stigma, talks by HIV positive persons and visits to Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres.
“The teachers will be visiting schools and interacting with students during their training, and they will also be working with children from the time they pass out of the institute. It is very important they are sensitised to the issue of HIV/AIDS,”
Alex Parimalam, joint director (Information, Education and Communication), TANSACS, said a curriculum titled ‘Celebrating life’ would be followed in the clubs. “It will have sections on Adolescence and growing up, mental health, HIV, WHO-recommended life skills and drug abuse.”
Emphasis would also be given to blood donation to encourage youngsters to donate blood, officials said.
A senior official of the DTERT said that the setting up of Red Ribbon Clubs would be valuable to the teacher-trainees.
“It is important that such aspects of health are covered during their pre-service training, so that they are in a better position to address related issues when they actually begin interacting with students as teachers, on a regular basis.”
Also, it becomes important for teachers to be educated on these issues, as they can be sensitive while teaching children with HIV/AIDS, too. The Red Ribbon Clubs would be inaugurated in all DIETs, and teaching training institutes,
Prabhakaran’s mother can come but only for treatment
Posted by ganesh in Communication, Departments, Health, Information, Other, disease, government, hospital on May 10th, 2010
The Centre has allowed slain LTTE leader Prabhakaran’s mother Parvathi Ammal to visit Tamil Nadu for medical treatment on certain conditions, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said today.
The Union Government’s decision has been conveyed through a letter to the Indian Mission in Kuala Lumpur where she is staying at present, Karunanidhi said in a suo motu statement in the state Assembly.
He said the Centre’s permission to 80-year-old Parvathi was solely for the purpose of medical treatment.
Immigration officials had last month deported Parvathi to Malaysia from where she had come to Chennai for treatment.
Listing the various conditions, Karunanidhi said the slain LTTE chief’s mother should confine herself to the hospital and should not stay anywhere else.He said Parvathi can take treatment in a government hospital if she so desired.
“State will make all necessary arrangements for it,” he said.
However, Parvathi should not have any contact with any political party or banned organisations or those connected with them, the Chief Minister said, adding, she should interact only with close relatives whom she has mentioned specifically.
Karunanidhi said the Centre had passed the order to grant Parvathi a six-month visa without interrupting a pending case in the High Court.
“Usually this type of procedure will take a long time.
However, considering Parvathi Ammal’s health, the Centre and the state had taken the initiative (to speed up the process),” he said.
After the deportation of Parvathi, some political parties in Tamil Nadu had raised the issue in the Assembly but Karunanidhi had then denied any knowledge about her visit.
The Madras High Court had on April 30 given two weeks time to Parvathi to represent to the state government if she wanted to undergo medical treatment here following which she had sent an e-mail to the government seeking permission.
The state government had written to the Union Home Secretary to consider allowing Parvathi for treatment provided certain conditions were met.
Villagers block highway protesting lack of bridge across river
Posted by ganesh in Communication, Death, Departments, Dindigul, Health, Information, Other, Public, Transport, disease, government, hospital, illegal, programme, strike on May 6th, 2010
More than 300 persons blocked road traffic on a highway near Thadikombu in this district after three persons died of gastroenteritis at a village because ambulance could not reach the hamlet as there was no bridge across the river, police said.
People of Athupatty village, home to 250 families had called the ambulance service after three persons fainted due to diarrhoea and vomitting. But the vehicle could not reach the hamlet as there was no bridge, they said.
A woman noon meal worker, her relative and another man died and five others have been hospitalised in serious condition, they said.
District officials held talks with the villagers and persuaded them to disperse.
poor patients completely free of cost by Krishna Eye & ENT Hospitals
Worldclass medical facilities are being provided to about 15-20 poor patients completely free of cost by Krishna Eye & ENT Hospitals at T Nagar, Chennai.
To name a few of the innumerable treatment are endoscopic nasal surgeries, ear surgeries, microscopic ear surgeries and head and neck surgeries.
The surgeries were telecast live for ENT surgeons to learn at a three-day live surgical workshop on endoscopic otorhinolaryngeal, microscopic ear and head and neck surgeries that began yesterday.
Over 200 delegates, including ENT surgeons from within the country and Malaysia, attended the workshop.
The hospital is run by senior consultant ENT & head and neck surgeon Dr G Sundhar Krishnan and Dr Kanthamani.
Chennai Corporation will incorporate detection of tuberculosis into its health camps
Posted by ganesh in Chennai, Departments, Health, Information, Public, disease, government, meeting, programme on March 24th, 2010
The Chennai Corporation will incorporate detection of tuberculosis into its health camps. Follow up and referrals for those testing positive, in addition to starting them on drug treatments will also be taken up.
The camps will be held in all the zones and special equipment will be brought to test people for Tuberculosis, Corporation Health Officer P. Kuganantham said at a meeting organised by the State TB Control Cell, on the occasion of World TB Day. “We are hopeful to detect a large number of cases and put them on the DOTS regimen,” he added. Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni later said, “We do not want to have special TB camps as there is much stigma still surrounding the disease and people may not turn up. However, they will feel more comfortable in a general health camp,” he added.
Shambu Kallolikar, project director, Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society, said the two challenges ahead of those who work in the sector are detection of cases and creating awareness among patients on the need to stick to the DOTS regimen.
Actor Suhasini Maniratnam launched ‘Swasam,’ an awareness CD, and distributed mementos to DOTS providers. She urged people to utilise the free diagnosis, and treatment facilities being provided at all government facilities.
M. Nandagopalaswamy, Director of Medical Services, said with 85 per cent cure rate the State has achieved the targets set by the Central government. Earlier, Principal Secretary, Health, V.K. Subburaj flagged off an awareness rally from Labour Statue to Queen Mary’s College.
Governor Surjit Singh Barnala was discharged from a hospital
Posted by ganesh in Chennai, Health, Information, disease, government, hospital, release on March 17th, 2010
Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala was discharged from a private hospital in Chennai on Tuesday. An official communication said the Governor is hale and healthy.
The Governor was admitted to the hospital last week due to illness followjng which he was unable to attend the inaugural of the Secretariat-Assembly complex, which was attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
While Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi sent him bouquets wishing speedy recovery, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi personally visited Barnala at the hospital and enquired his health condition.
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