Health Ministry to observe Vigilance Awareness Week from 28th October to 2nd November, 2019

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will observe the Vigilance Awareness Week from 28th October to 2nd November, 2019 as per directions of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Government of India. The theme of the vigilance awareness this year is “Integrity- a way of life”.Vigilance Awareness Week will commence with the administration of ‘Integrity Pledge’ to the officers/staff of the Ministry by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, to fight against corruption and commit to highest standards of honesty and integrity. It is also proposed to award prizes to winners of the competitions to be conducted by this Ministry.

During the week-long Vigilance Awareness campaign, various activities like public interaction for redressal of their grievances, usage of generic medicines, surprise inspections, conducting seminars, workshops, debates among students, faculty, children of staff/ officers, poster competitions, essay writing, quiz, painting competitions inculcating moral/ethical values, and other vigilance related awareness activities will be carried out in sync with the theme of the year 2019... (PIB, Ministry of Health and Family welfare, 25-October, 2019)

HCFI PHM Consensus statement: Good personal hygiene is key to preventing infectious diseases

• Personal hygiene involves behaviors and practices to maintain good health and prevent infectious diseases.
• Nail hygiene, bathing, hand hygiene, oral hygiene, shoe hygiene are some of the important components of personal hygiene.
• Hand hygiene is a simple and inexpensive method to reduce transmission of microorganisms. It is an integral part of infection control practices in healthcare. ....read more

The festival of Annakut after Diwali in India emphasizes on the benefits of eating a mix of vegetables

The Annakut festival is celebrated on the on the fourth day of Diwali and is the first lunar day of Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik.

The five days of Diwali are:

1.Dhanteras: it marks the first day of Diwali and celebrates prosperity or wealth “dhan”; Dhanvantari, the God of Ayurveda is also worshipped.

2.Naraka Chaturdasi: On this day the demon Narakasura was killed by Goddess Kali and Lord Krishna

3.Diwali: The third day is outer Amavasya with inner Poornima ....read more

Values, Morals and Ethics

Values

• Values are our fundamental beliefs. They are the principles we use to define that which is right, good and just.
• Values provide guidance to determine the right versus the wrong and the good versus the bad.
• They are our standards. ....read more

Healthcare News Monitor

‘New antibody may lead to universal flu vaccine’

Daily Excelsior

A novel antibody protects mice against a wide range of lethal influenza viruses, according to a study that may lead to the development of a universal flu vaccine that protects against all flu strains. The study, published in the journal Science, also suggests that the antibody could help develop a drug to treat and protect against severe cases of flu, including pandemics. “There are many strains of influenza virus that circulate, so every year we have to design and produce a new vaccine to match the most common strains of that year,” said Ali Ellebedy, an assistant professor at Washington University in the US. “Now imagine if we could have one vaccine that protected against all influenza strains, including human, swine and highly lethal avian influenza viruses. This antibody could be the key to the design of a truly universal vaccine,” Ellebedy said. The antibody—an immune protein that recognises and attaches to a foreign molecule—was discovered in blood taken from a patient hospitalised with flu at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St Louis in the winter of 2017.

Govt plans to bring some veterinary drugs under price control

Mint- Leroy Leo

The health ministry has asked an expert committee to look at veterinary drugs that can be brought under the National List of Essential medicines, which will later be put under price control. “Department of Pharma had requested us that we should draw up a list of essential veterinary drugs as well. There is an expert committee which is looking into this," a senior official at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on condition of anonymity. The health ministry is responsible for making changes to the list of essential medicine, on which the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority imposes price control. The Economic Times had first reported the story earlier this week, saying that it was done in a bid to push Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new scheme to control livestock diseases. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last month launched the ₹12,652-crore National Animal Disease Control Programme (NACDP) to control and eradicate the Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis amongst the livestock in the country. The fully central government-sponsored programme will vaccinate over 600 million cattle in the country against the two diseases.

Doctor Arrested for Babys Death in Fire at Private Hospital in Hyderabad

News18- PTI

Police on Friday arrested a doctor in connection with the death of a baby in a fire that broke out in a private hospital recently. Cases were booked against two doctors, including the hospital managing director Dr V Sunil Kumar Reddy, and two nurses and an electrician in connection with the case, a press release from the police said here. They all were charged with negligence and investigation revealed the hospital building did not have a second exit and fire exits, the release said. Besides, there were no fire escape warnings on any of the floors of the building to show possible exits to use in case of an emergency, it said. The blaze had occurred following a suspected electrical short circuit. The three-month-old baby boy died in the fire while four others were injured. As many as 42 children were undergoing treatment at the time of the incident that took place on October 22.

Tamil Nadu: Government doctors hold indefinite strike demanding salary hike

The Hans India- Jagruthi Maddela

On Friday morning, an indefinite strike was begun by the Government doctors in Tamil Nadu, demanding a salary hike. While there were long queues in out-patient sections in most government hospitals in the morning. Emergency departments, ICUs and fever wards were fully functional. Most of the doctors explored their ways through for participating in the strike by signing the attendance forms and taking turns to stand with the protesting group of doctors. In Chennai, outside the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, more than 300 doctors from different government hospitals were seen raising slogans. An assistant professor in Kilpauk Medical College, said, "Most departments had professors and post graduates on the floor throughout the day. Assistant professors took breaks to join the strike." Health secretary Beela Rajesh had held talks with the striking doctors, which however failed. Until October 29, other patient facilities will be fully operational. "We have planned for a full 48-hour strike on October 30. Even on that day, we are organising teams to respond to emergencies. It is just that one doctor will have to deal with the workload of ten doctors for those two days," said a senior doctor at GRH.

Aurangabad: Govt hospital doctor, nurse booked for medical negligence after woman’s death

ET Healthworld- Arpita Sharad

Aurangabad: An FIR has been registered against a gynaecologist and a nurse of the Gangapur sub-district hospital, nearly three months after a 20-year-old woman he had operated upon died. The gynaecologist had allegedly left a cotton mop inside the abdomen of Tanushri Tupe on July 23 while carrying out a C-section on her. The woman died five days after delivering a baby boy. Tanushri later complained of loose motions and vomiting. She was referred to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on July 27 and died while undergoing treatment the following day. The immediate cause of death in the post mortem report was stated as ‘peritonitis in a case of lower segment Caesarean section.’ The gynaecologist was immediately suspended by the sub-district hospital medical superintendent for dereliction of duty.