Study focuses on key structure of C. difficle bacteria that could lead to future treatments

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and their colleagues used cryo-electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography and other biophysical methods to identify the microscopic structures of the bacteria.

Washington D.C: Researchers have identified the structure of the most lethal toxin produced by certain strains of Clostridium difficile bacteria, a potentially deadly infection associated with the use of antibiotics.

The finding of the study was published in the journal of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and their colleagues used cryo-electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography and other biophysical methods to identify the microscopic structures of the bacteria. The researchers mapped out the delivery and binding components of the toxin, which could pave the way for new drugs to neutralize it. ....read more

Important 2019 take home heart messages

• Icosapent ethyl a prescription omega-3 fatty acid, reduced the risk for cardiovascular events by 25% in people with elevated triglyceride levels who were taking statins (REDUCE-IT led the US FDA to approve icosapent ethyl for CV risk reduction in December.
• COMPLETE trial: STEMI heart attack with multivessel disease benefit from complete revascularization of any other angiographically significant lesions, rather than a strategy of intervention only in the culprit lesion. ....read more

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Telangana government set to use AI to provide better healthcare services

The New Indian Express - Oishani Mojumder

In an effort to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public healthcare, the State government along with Intel, Public Healthcare Foundation of India (PHFI) and International Institute of Information Technology-Hyderabad (IIIT-H) will work in the field of diagnostics, proactive public healthcare, health services optimisation, evidence based social strategy and policy, and treatment protocol discovery. Dr Srinath Reddy, president of PHFI, explained to Express how AI can be used to collect data from public healthcare centres to build a data system, to recognize patterns in diseases, offer solutions and help in research for various diseases in a quicker and more accurate way. “Healthcare can be transformed through AI applications, which will move from deep-learning to self-learning, to reinforced learning. We will be able to witness this transformation not only on the level of diagnostic algorithms, on the individual-level, but also in terms of population health where data from multiple sources has to be integrated to decide what would be the appropriate interventions for specific population groups and public health is the best kind of platform for that knowledge integration,” Dr Reddy added.

Kota infant deaths: Rajasthan health minister takes veiled jibe at Sachin Pilot

The Indian Express

Rajasthan health minister Raghu Sharma on Friday took a veiled jibe at Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, saying that the administrative officers of Kota’s JK Lon hospital had written to the Public Works Department numerous times for repair work and it was their responsibility to get the work done. Incidentally, Pilot holds the portfolio of Public Works Department in the state and is the PWD minister. “If there is my mistake there should be my accountability too. Today, maintenance work is also done in hospitals. This question was also raised that doors and windows are broken, sewage water enters, water dripping from the roof. When numerous times the administrative officers of the hospital write to the PWD, then the responsibility is theirs to ensure that timely repair is done,” Sharma told reporters on Sunday.

Arvind Kejriwal inaugurates 152 mohalla clinics, government says a record

ET Healthworld – PTI

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated 152 mohalla clinics in the national capital on Sunday, taking the number of such facilities in Delhi to 450, officials said. Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain was also present at the event held in Pitampura. The Delhi government, in a statement released after the event, claimed that the inauguration of 152 mohalla clinics has "set a world record". "Today is a very happy day for the people of Delhi as 152 new mohalla clinics at various places have been inaugurated. So far, there were around 300 such clinics. The total number of these clinics has now gone up to 450," Kejriwal said. Since the launch of the facility in 2015, mohalla clinics have served two crore OPD patients and 18 lakhs tests have been conducted there until November 2019, he said.

Only three duty doctors in Assandh civil hospital

ET Healthworld – TNN

The sub-divisional civil hospital in Assandh town of the district is facing a shortage of doctors, staff and infrastructure. It has just three doctors out of a sanctioned strength of 11 medical officers (MO). Posts of several paramedical staff and Class IV employees are also yet to be filled due to which the hospital is unable to deliver to the satisfaction of a large number of patients in the region. The 50-bed hospital has been reduced to a referral hospital with matters related to emergency care. Due to the shortage to doctors, there is no health service at night. The authorities prefer to refer critical patients and accident victims to Kalpana Chawla Medical College and Hospital in Karnal. The ultrasound facility also is not available here, forcing the patients, mostly pregnant women, to go to private centres. The hospital also does not have any obstetrician, despite about 100 deliveries reported every month. Reportedly, staff nurses handle delivery cases in the hospital. The sub-divisional civil hospital sees around 1,000 outpatient department visits on a daily basis, but the shortage of doctors has crippled healthcare services and most of the patients end up going to private hospitals. Against sanctioned post of two, the hospital has only one senior medical officer (SMO), while of 11 sanctioned posts of medical officer (MO), only three are filled. Two posts of staff nurses are vacant, out of 12 sectioned . Two posts of nursing sister, three of lab technicians, two posts of clerk/storekeeper/ cashier, one each of pharmacist, dental hygienist, radiographer, ECG technician, accountant/assistant, steno-typist, OTA, radiographer and 13 of class-IV employees, including sweepers, dresser, ward servant, cook, gardener, washerman, and watchman are also vacant.