Dear Colleague

I want to start with the most important silent epidemic of the society and that is hepatitis C, a global public health threat with significant morbidity and mortality. Being of asymptomatic nature, it is also a silent epidemic with an estimated 71 million infected globally, but only 20 % diagnosed. As per WHO viral hepatitis caused 1.34 million deaths in 2015, a number comparable to deaths caused by tuberculosis and higher than those caused by HIV.

The irony is that the number of deaths due to viral hepatitis are increasing over time, while mortality caused by tuberculosis and HIV is declining. But the good news is hepatitis C is curable today and it is possible to make Hepatitis Free India.Why can’t NACO take over Hepatitis B control and hepatitis C eradication also. In any way let us do our bit, next time we see a patient with hepatitis C, we must get it treated till the virus is out of the body.

Another happy news. Punjab has been declared corneal blindness free. The state has successfully cleared the backlog of corneal blindness. The health department took the initiative for Corneal Blindness Backlog Free Punjab and until now more than 1,350 keratoplasties had been performed on corneal blind patients.Next step should be to conquer the country and make it corneal blindness fee. Just remember the slogan “ Puchna mat bhulo” in any death situation just ask the relations about corneal donation.

One of the most awaited hospital in Ahmedabad KD HOSPITAL was inaugurated yesterday.It’s a hospital with a difference. MRI @ 2000 only, Lithotripsy @ 7000 only. The hospital, with five- star services, will show a way to the country how to become viable and provide state of the art technology and yet be affordable to the community.The project practices honesty, transparency, no corrupt practices and the concept of humanity first.

Public health is a major concern in developing nations. We always say do not eat cut open fruits like water melon. But the US CDC has traced typhoid due to pre-cut melons sold in stores. At least 60 people have been made sick and 31 are in the hospital after eating pre-cut melon contaminated with salmonella.

In the field of AMR, as per CDC 41% of antibiotic prescriptions written for patients with acute respiratory infections are inappropriate (JAMA Network Open). Also, 30% of patients who had lab-confirmed flu were prescribed antibiotics. Remember fever with cough and cold means viral infection and fever with sore throat with red angry looking throat is bacterial.

One of the controversy, word over, is whether to legalise medical marijuana. Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal psychoactive substance, used by an estimated 182 million individuals worldwide. The law creating Ohio’s medical marijuana control program lists 21 conditions qualifying someone to obtain medical marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation. They are AIDS, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Cancer, Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Crohn’s disease, Epilepsy or another seizure disorder, Fibromyalgia, Glaucoma, Hepatitis C, Inflammatory bowel disease, Multiple sclerosis, Pain that is either chronic and severe or intractable, Parkinson’s disease, Positive status for HIV, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Sickle cell anaemia, Spinal cord disease or injury, Tourette’s syndrome, Traumatic brain injuryand Ulcerative colitis.

Leprosy elimination means to decrease the prevalence to <1 leprosy case per 10,000 populationand Kala Azar elimination is defined as reducing the annual incidence of kala-azar to less than 1 case per 10,000 population at the sub-district level.Good news is that India is likely to befree of leprosy this year and Kala-azar by next year.

Yesterday, I received a mail from one of the medical candidate who has wasted 5 months in counselling for a PG seat. Before re the PG counselling got underway it was clear that candidates opting a seat from all India quota and state quota will not be eligible for DNB seats to avoid seat wastage. Now when all the states are done with and DNB is conducting final round of counselling the candidates are going for DNB seats when they already have a seat from state or all India counselling. This is incorrect, and it also means that these candidates will waste the seat of state. The National Board of Examinations has made document verification non-mandatory at the counselling venuemaking it a cake walk for all such seat blockers who do it intentionally. Will DNB officials investigate it?

Finally, the weather warning.Temperatures more than 40.0°C is observed at some parts of West Rajasthan and at one or two pockets of East Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat region and Bihar.

With Regards

Dr KK Aggarwal

Padma Shri Awardee

Vice President CMAAO

President HCFI