Is polio back? UP samples ring alarm bells

The samples, from Baheri, Meergunj, Faridpur and Nawabgunj among other tehsils, have been sent to the central laboratory in Mumbai for further testing. 

BAREILLY: A mere year after the country was declared polio free, more than 200 samples have tested positive to polio-like symptoms from tehsils here, sending alarm bells ringing in the health department.

The samples, from Baheri, Meergunj, Faridpur and Nawabgunj among other tehsils, have been sent to the central laboratory in Mumbai for further testing. Officials have also been informed that the children, between the ages of 5 and 15 years, have complained of paralysis and loss of muscular strength in hands and legs.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO) rules, a country needs to have zero recorded cases of an infectious disease for three years for the disease to be eradicated. After years of intense campaigns across the country, India's last polio case, that of 18-month-old Rukhsar from Howrah district in West Bengal, was reported in 2011. Three years later, the country was declared polio free.

The latest cases were examined by a team of doctors at primary and community health centres in the affected tehsils, who in turn informed WHO officials. The worldwide organization spearheaded moves to collect stool samples of the children, numbering 208, were sent to the Mumbai lab. Reports are awaited.

Meanwhile, the local administration is taking no chances. "We have deputed special teams across the district who are keeping an eye on such cases. Weakness in hands and legs does not essentially mean that the child is suffering from polio. Only if the test report of the stool sample confirms presence of wild polio virus can it be treated as a case of polio. We have received reports of 170 samples from the lab so far and they have been negative. Reports for the remaining are awaited," informed chief medical officer (CMO) Vijay Yadav, talking to TOI.

The last polio case in Bareilly, said Yadav, was reported in 2009 from Bhamaura village, while Uttar Pradesh's last case was reported in 2010 in Firozabad district. In 2015, WHO had collected 5,551 samples in 2015. Most of them tested negative and the reports of 787 are awaited.

"Across the world this year, only 25 cases of polio have been reported from Pakistan and three in Afghanistan. We have to remain extra cautious, because we share our boundary with Pakistan and chances are that the virus will be transmitted from there," said Yadav. Doctors said that symptoms of polio include high fever, paralysis attack, weakening of muscles in hands and legs and loss of sensation in the face.

Source : Economic Times

Wadia hospital to start IVF, surrogacy unit

Egg donors, between the age of 21 to 35 years, will be registered on the basis of current guidelines.
Parel-based Wadia Hospital is set to become the first government hospital in Mumbai to start assisted reproductive technique (ART) along with surrogacy. The charitable hospital will cater to lower strata of the society where infertile couples wish to conceive a child but cannot afford the expense on surrogacy or in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures.
The hospital has applied to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for approval. The IVF department is expected to start in two months. According to the hospital administration, they will first start the IVF facility and then proceed to provide surrogacy services.
“A system needs to be put in place to ensure eligibility of surrogate mothers and authentic identification. Surrogacy needs to be handled with care,” said Dr Minnie Bodhanwala, chief operating officer at Wadia Hospital.

The hospital’s family planning department will counsel parents about the new facility and the IVF procedure.
With awareness on surrogacy and ART still poor in low socio-economic communities, the hospital’s family planning unit will be trained for handling queries in various languages. “For now, we will keep two medico-social workers for counselling couples,” said Dr Ashvini Wadia, medical superintendent.
With a separate set of surrogacy laws yet to be in place in the country, the hospital will follow ICMR guidelines. Egg donors, between the age of 21 to 35 years, will be registered on the basis of current guidelines. According to Jogade, the hospital will only charge for basic treatment and medicines.

90% of cops suffer infection linked to dirty drinking water

Ninety per cent of the city's policemen suffer from the same type of bacterial infection linked t o consumption of contaminated water, a new study suggests.

Doctors from Global Hospital, Parel, examined 250 policemen and found that most of them had the infection caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacterium. Cops were also racked by a host of other ailments.

Thirty per cent of those examined suffered from severe form of acidity and heartburn, 25 per cent complained of an upset stomach after meals and 35 per cent had constipation. The health problems were preventing them from doing their work efficiently, the doctors said.

"Most of the policemen do not get clean drinking water on duty. There is a gap of seven hours between their meals, and this is also affecting their health. Most of them eat outside while on duty, which is not healthy," said gastroenterologist Dr Amit Maydeo from Global Hospital.

Of the 250 policemen, 125 underwent an endoscopy. The procedures were conducted by doctors from Global and JJ hospitals on May 29.

The study focused on gastrointestinal issues, but it also revealed that 67 per cent of the policemen suffered from hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. Seventy per cent of the officers did not get adequate sleep, which was triggering gastric problems.

The doctors are now working on detailed health guidelines that they plan to recommend to the Mumbai police. One of the recommendations is installation of two water purifiers in every police station.

"Police should also be provided easy and free access to healthy food while they are on duty," Maydeo said.

India's government expenditure on health among the lowest in the world

When it comes to government expenditure on health, India's is among the lowest in the world. 

In 2012, at 60 PPP dollars per capita, it was barely 1.4 per cent of the US government's per capita health dollar expenditure of 4,153 PPP dollars. 

Despite having such a high per capita public expenditure on health, the extremely high cost healthcare system in the US means the government covers only 47 per cent of total healthcare costs. 

In the UK and Japan, more than 80 per cent of the cost is covered by by government. In India, government expenditure is only 30.5 per cent of total expenditure on health.

Source : WHO