Ten Best TEDMED 2011 Videos And Takeaways

TEDMED is a medical technology conference eagerly awaited by all of us. In 2011, it was held in Feb-March at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, but the videos have only recently been uploaded on YouTube.

You can watch the Top 10 videos here.

Also check out this PowerPoint about Top 10 takeaways from the TEDMED 2011 gathering:

10 TEDMED 2011 Takeaways from Luminary Labs

View more presentations from Luminary Labs

Related articles

• Exploring What We Don't Know at TEDMED 2011 (rwjfblogs.typepad.com)

Council of Indian Medicine sets deadline for MGR varsity on syllabus

The tussle between the Tamil Nadu MGR Medical University and the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) has got bitter with the council serving a deadline on the varsity to spell out its stance on the syllabus for students of Indian systems of medicine.

The council wrote a letter on October 5, demanding reversal of the university's decision to remove allopathic content from the syllabus for courses on Indian systems of medicine, within 15 days. CCIM, the apex body for Indian medicine had earlier threatened to withdraw recognition for all courses on Indian medicine being conducted by the university.

The university had promised to withdraw another of its controversial decision - to remove the 'surgery' part from the name of the degree - but has been silent on reinstating the removed portions of the syllabus.

The university had decided that undergraduate students of traditional medicine course will not study allopathic contents including surgery, pharmacology, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynecology.

Following this, on August 17, CCIM secretary P R Sharma wrote a letter to the university stating that the university would be violating provisions of the Indian Medicine Central Council Act 1970 if it deletes contents from the syllabus fixed by the council. State health minister V S Vijay had held a meeting with the university officials, Indian medicine experts, students and health department officials and announced that the university will neither tamper with the syllabus nor change the nomenclature of the degree.

But the university registrar Dr Sudha Seshayyan in a reply to CCIM on September 14saidthe university has decided not to alter the nomenclature of undergraduate degree in Indian medicine and homoeopathy courses. In a letter dated October 5, P R Sharma has asked the university to inform the CCIM about the action taken on the issue of syllabus revision within 15days. ACCIM official said the council would derecogonise all Indian medicine courses if the university does not oblige. The university decision will be vital for the students, who have threatened to go on an indefinite strike on October 20 if the university does not invalidate its syllabus revision.

Link: Original Article

In a first, college to teach medicos with mannequins

COIMBATORE: A new methodology of using third generation robotic mannequins instead of patients in imparting medical education has come into being at PSG Institute of Medical Science and Research here on Saturday. This is the first in India, according to PSG medical college director Dr Vimal Kumar Govindan.

Addressing media persons here, Govindan said the innovative way of using 3G mannequins to teach medicos on how to treat patients would be accessible to all the 2,000 students of its group institutions from now onwards. The mannequins made of Norwegian technology would respond to medical care as the same way as that of an actual patient, said Govindan.

"The 3G technology will be enough to help students to learn the first lessons on treating patients. They can also get training on emergency procedures starting from injections to many of the serious cardiac and other health issues over the mannequins," he added.

The mannequins are being made in such a way to have practical training on accident care, maternity care and other medical emergency care. The students can conduct the procedures on these models and the teachers could comfortably explain the corrections, without having embarrassing them in front of patients.

"The major factor which comes as a relief to both the students as well as the patients is that, the students will not have to learn in front of the patients who definitely feel uncomfortable," said Dr S Ramalingam, the principal of the PSG medical college.

The whole idea according to Dr G Dhanabhagyam, the co-ordinator of the programme, is that they have great expectations on the output as they have methodologies to create and monitor the processes.

"From a nearby room, the faculties will be with the help of computers creating medical situations on the 'patient' models. The students will then have to respond with the right procedure. The monitor kept adjacent to the 'patient' connected with the wires will show the recordings as in actual situations. So students can easily understand the various situations they are into and later easily evaluate them," according to Dr G Dhanabhagyam.

The electronic models are equipped in such a way that 'emergency situations' can be created with the computerized mechanisms prompting students to respond appropriately. Mannequins to teach various usual issues were installed.

"There are models for delivery to all the usual everyday emergencies which a medical professional have to encounter routinely," told Dr P Jayakrishnan, an anesthetist. He accepted that the technology will be limited with many of the routine issues faced by the medicos.

Link: Original Article

Approve MBBS syllabus at earliest: CBSE to Min

Even as the Union Health Ministry deliberates on the fate of the All-India Common Entrance Test (CET) for MBBS courses, the CBSE has asked it to approve the syllabus at the earliest so that it can finalise prospectus etc for the examination scheduled for May 13, 2012.

The CBSE is entrusted with conducting the test for the largest entrance test for CET which is also known as National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for undergraduates (NEET-UG). The course which has been prepared and released by the Medical Council of India (MCI), however, still awaits nod from the Health Ministry in view of severe opposition from some states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. These states have cited difficulty in holding the examination from 2012.

Racing against time as only five months are left for the CET for admission to all medical colleges across the country, the CBSE has shot off a letter to the Health Ministry saying that timing is crucial as it involves the fate of the lakhs of students.

“The Ministry needs to notify the NEET-UG at the earliest so that we can prepare the prospectus and other logistics accordingly. What if they seek last minute changes in the course. We cannot give wrong information in the prospectus?” said sources in the CBSE.

CBSE was zeroed in for conducting tests as it has the experience of conducing the largest entrance test in India - AIEEE for engineering entrance which close to 11 lakh students take every year.

The CET, since its announcement last year has been mired in the controversy with the MCI and the Health Ministry at loggerheads over its implementation. While the MCI claims the CET with one test for UG medical admissions would avoid stress to students, the Ministry has remained undecided about it citing opposition from the states.

Presently, lakh of students, sit for different tests, including the All India PMT which the CBSE conducts and various state-level medical entrance tests in over 300 colleges including 180 in private sector.

A common test will check private colleges from charging exorbitant sums for admitting students, says the MCI. One test will ensure quality students entering medical education because states would be obliged to fill seats in their respective jurisdictions with students who figure in the All-India merit list. They would be free to prefer students from their areas but they won’t be able to compromise on merit, says the medical education regulator.

Link: Original Article

Delhi gets first family clinic on Britain's NHS model

Family doctors might make a comeback in the country with Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit Saturday launching the first-of-its-kind family health clinic based on Britain's National Health Services (NHS) model. “Access to quality, affordable healthcare has been a huge issue in the country and there is a huge gap which the government alone cannot fill. Such projects will reach out to both urban and rural communities,” Dikshit said at the launch.
The clinic — set up by private firm Pathfinder — in Janakpuri area of west Delhi would work through a general physician and nurses in the clinic.

The low-cost primary health care provider will charge Rs 100-300 for the first consultation and is aimed at boosting the primary healthcare system at a local level where tertiary care centres may not be required.

"The centres will also focus on areas such as immunisation, cervical screening, minor surgery, family planning, integrated health-ayurveda, palliative care, district nursing, and diagnostics among others,” said Hardev Pall, director, Pathfinder Health India.

Link: Original Article

Plan to relax ban on sex determination tests draws sharp reactions

The Planning Commission’s proposal for relaxing ban on sex determination tests has evoked sharp reactions favouring and disapproving it. The proposal envisages relaxing rules for sex determination of the foetus but giving incentives to stakeholders and mothers, if it is a girl child, to ensure safe delivery.

The National Commission on protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson, Shantha Sinha, fully agrees that the government should ensure the safety of the foetuses through its network of anganwadi workers, anuxiliary nurse midwives, and accredited social health activists (ASHAs).

The question of adoption is to be interpreted as taking charge of the health of a woman, tracking every pregnancy from the time of conception to the time the child is at least two years old whether boy or girl child. The Pre Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) Act alone is not sufficient to combat foeticide.

However, the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) has strongly condemned the Planning Commission’s proposal to promote the “adoption” of unwanted female foetuses in a bid to stem the continuous decline in child sex ratios.

It should be noted that the ban on sex selection was achieved after a long struggle by women’s and health rights organisations, in the face of stiff opposition from certain sections of the medical profession who have utilised existing son preference to earn huge amounts of money by indulging in sex selective practices, a statement issued by the president Shyamali Gupta and general secretary Sudha Sundararaman said.

The Planning Commission’s regressive move, made in the name of “flexibility and choice” tantamounts to accepting the argument that sex selection is a matter of “freedom of choice”, which has already been struck down by the courts while upholding the PC&PNDT Act. However, both the 2001 and the 2011 Census reports have clearly shown that the implementation of the Act has been tardy.

It is most unfortunate that the Planning Commission is actually proposing to undermine existing legal safeguards, by making this preposterous proposal that will only encourage the virtual abandonment of a large number of girl children. It is well known that conditions of most orphanages and remand homes are insecure and deplorable, and innumerable cases of physical and sexual abuse, trafficking, etc. have come to light. The solution is not to “incentivise” the adoption of female foetuses, but to encourage the birth of girls with a slew of economic and social measures that will help to root out the discrimination faced by them.

We demand that the proposal should be immediately withdrawn. The AIDWA plans to petition the Planning Commission and the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, HRD, Panchayati Raj and Information& Broadcasting in this regard.

The Human Rescue Team (a live knowledge network for human rescue from institutions from India and abroad) on Saturday said it was “legally opposing” the proposal of relaxed sex determination of foetus as it violated the medical ethics and reasonably endangered the girl child.

In a petition filed with the National Human Rights Commission, the National Commission for Women, National Commission on Protection of Child Rights and the Prime Minister’s Office, the team said it found the idea erroneous. “We are also afraid that an arbitrary relaxation in sex determination tests and attached incentives may cause a tremendous increase in female foeticides and even run the risk of projecting girls as a money earning mechanism that may be an uncalled burden on national economy.”

Link: Original Article

Superbug scare meant to hit Indian medical tourism

The scare abroad over the superbug or NDM-1 (New Delhi Metallo beta lactamase) last year was deliberately created to tarnish India's image as a medical tourism destination, says VM Katoch, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

"A hype to create some kind of a scare about superbug theory obviously helps some countries," Katoch, who is also secretary in the department of health research, told IANS.

He said there was nothing unusual. "The superbug has been known for years. The scare obviously suited some interest groups abroad. We have always stressed greater precautions and care in levels of hygiene and sanitary conditions in our hospitals."

Katoch was in Agra to attend a conference on advances in molecular techniques and their application in health and diseases.

The conference was jointly organised by the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) and nature, life sciences department of Agra College and the National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, Agra.

Katoch did not see any new threat or condition to raise an alarm on the superbug issue.

"Health facilities and treatment in India are fairly good and affordable and there has been a discernible interest in citizens of several countries to take advantage of available medical advances in our country," he added.

The director general of ICMR informed the conference that work on the malaria vaccine was in an advanced stage of trial.

In October, Delhi Health Minister A.K. Walia downplayed the threat of the superbug in the capital and said the prevalence of the infection was "very low" and could not be termed "alarming".

"There is a very low prevalence of NDM-1 infection which exists as confirmed in tests conducted in the ICUs of a number of hospitals. It is between the range of 0.04 percent to 0.08 percent which cannot be stated as alarming," Walia said.

Reports from a British Medical journal had earlier alleged the presence of a bacteria with multi-drug resistant gene NDM-1 that was resistant to almost all antibiotics.

The journal later reported in a study that the NDM-1 was found in Delhi's sewage and drinking water. Scientists feared the spread of the enzyme worldwide due to its high antibiotic resistance, to fight which nothing has been developed so far.

While the health ministry has not admitted on the impact of the NDM-1 on public health, it has been mulling over an antibiotic policy that will also address the issue of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) in the country.

Officials from the health ministry had said the naming of the enzyme after 'New Delhi' was an attempt to malign India as the superbug was found in many countries, not just India.

Link: Original Article

40% medicos fail first-year exams

CHENNAI: From topping exams to failing, it has taken them less than a year. Months after acing their 12th standard exams, nearly 40% of all first-year medical students in 27 colleges across the state have failed. They will take the exams again in February 2012 to be promoted to the second year.

This year, the failure percentage has increased by 3-11% in anatomy, physiology and biochemistry, the subjects that first-year students are taught.

The increase is largely attributed to changes in exam and evaluation policies. Unlike in previous years when students would get 40 marks as grace, this year not more than five grace marks were awarded as per Medical Council of India guidelines. Some 221 students benefited from the grace marks this year.

Also, in 2011, a student had to pass all the theory, oral and practical exams. Earlier, a student only needed a combined score of 50% from the two anatomy papers, but this year he/ she had to get 50% in each.

Earlier this year, the academic board of the Dr MGR Medical University fixed the passing minimum in each component of the examination, and this came into effect from August 2011. Deans and principals of all affiliated colleges were informed eight months before the examinations. "We had to do this to build better doctors. Medicos can't afford to leave out portions in choices. They can't say I failed in anatomy first paper but scored high in the second paper. It does not work," said university vice-chancellor Dr Mayilvahanan Natarajan.

Changes in exam and evaluation rules have led to this year's increase in the failure percentage of first-year medical students, academicians say. While these procedural changes may have contributed to this year's spike, a high percentage of first-year students fail every year, they add.

The dean of Madras Medical College (MMC) Dr V Kanakasabai agrees with the medical university's examination reforms, such as awarding fewer grace marks, but insists on better school education.

"We get the cream of students into our college. The quick dip in academic performance has something to do with the quality of students coming into medical colleges. They probably are so used to rote-based learning that they simply can't adapt themselves so quickly to concept-based learning," he said. At MMC, where seats get filled hours after counselling for admissions begins, nearly 17% of students failed in anatomy this year.

Every year, the fight to enter medical colleges gets tougher with more and more students scoring better in their class 12 examination. Unlike other states, students in Tamil Nadu are admitted to colleges based on their score in class 12. The state government feels eliminating common entrance will give rural students a chance to get into medical colleges. Senior doctors like Dr Rajasekaran feel that it's important to test students' aptitude before they are admitted to medical colleges and that can be done only through a common medical test. Among the 2008 batch of students who appeared for the break batch exam in February 2010, only 45% of the students passed in physiology. "We really don't know if they even like to study medicine or if they are pushed into it by parents," he said.

The reasons could be systemic, too. First year courses are considered non-clinical and the faculty of these courses is in short supply. For instance, there are less than 10 forensic experts for 17 medical colleges across the state. "Students are used to being spoon fed. In many medical colleges, they would only brief students on topics in almost all non-clinical subjects," said Dr G Ravindranath, who heads the Doctors Association for Social Equality.

Added to these are the new challenges of a professional education. From being school students, they are suddenly considered adults and thrown into a high-pressure environment of long hours, late nights and unsupervised lives. Living in hostels could add to the suddenness of the change that's taken over them. "Many students are forced to move to cities. Some come from villages and small towns. They have to adapt a lot. They tend to miss out on academics while they are adapting," said Dr Ravindranathan.

TIMES VIEW

Faculty and eminent doctors are not surprised that students with near-perfect scores in class 12 do poorly in the first year medical exams. Inching up, the failure rate stands at 40% this year. The current increase is attributed to a change in exam rules which gives fewer grace marks and requires students to pass all subjects. But the problem is deeper and systemic. The failure of students exposes the limitations of the school education system. Toppers coming from TN are reared in rote-based learning whereas professional education requires conceptual learning. School education is clearly in need of an overhaul

Link: Original Article

How Effective Are Antibiotics For Acne?

There are many known causes of acne and one of the most common one is the hormonal effect on pilosebaceous unit which is where hair, sebaceous gland and hair follicle is situated.Treating acne can at times be frustrating since if you fail to get the right medications, you will spend a lot of time and money while trying to get a product which can wipe out the condition.

The mechanisms in which antibiotics work:

There are several mechanisms in which antibiotics work. The first one is to ensure that there is a decrease in the number of bacteria which is found around the follicle area. The antibiotics also ensure that the chemicals which are produced by white blood cells are not irritating and also help reduce the amount of free fatty acids that are found in the sebum area. This goes a long way to ensure that the inflammatory response is reduced drastically.

There are many brands of antibiotics for acne treatment. Some of the commonly used ones are:

Tetracycline

Tetracycline is commonly used when treating acne. The recommended dose is 500 mg taken twice a day until when a significant improvement is noticed. Afterwards, the dose can be cut by half a day or its use halted altogether. To act effectively, the antibiotics for acne should be taken when no food has been eaten as this helps in improving its effectiveness. Someone who eats frequently may not find this type of antibiotic to be an ideal choice. Children under the age of 9 years and pregnant women should not use this antibiotic to treat acne.

Doxycycline

This is a perfect choice for those people who cannot tolerate tetracycline or erythromycin. The dosage is between 50 to 100 grams twice within a day and there is need to take it with food lest it causes nausea and discomfort. Other than nausea, some of the side effects include sensitivity to the sun and may also cause the occurrence of sunburns.

Erythromycin

This drug has many advantages over Tetracycline since it comes with anti-inflammatory properties that helps in reducing the redness associated with lesions and also helping kill bacteria. It can also be taken together with food without destroying its effectiveness hence those people who cannot make it through the entire day without food will find it to be an ideal choice. The dosage which is taken depends on the extent in which you have been affected by acne. The dosage lies between 250-500 mg within a day. Although it could cause nausea and discomfort, pregnant women can also use it.

Minocycline

This is an antibiotic which have been in use to treat acne for many years. Some of the side effects which are associated with this drug include nausea, dizziness, changes in skin pigmentation and teeth discoloration. People who have used Minocycline for longer will experience some changes in the appearance of their skin and teeth. It should be known that antibiotics may cause yeast infection in many women and many of the oral antibiotics for acne may make birth control pills ineffective.

Acne is a very troubling disease for those who suffer from the effects of this annoying condition. With severeacneproducts.com, you always have a unique way to discover how to treat this condition. Sandra Wellington is an expert writer on matters of skin health and has many years of experience in writing on this subject.

Now, I invite you to take a look at http://www.severeacneproducts.com where you will discover more with us on how effective anitibiotics are in treating Acne.

Acne Treatments

Acne is caused by many different factors. Not only does dirty, oily skin cause outbreaks in people, but so does the normal maturity of an adolescent into adulthood. Also sometimes something as small as stress can cause a breakout of acne in an individual. Each reason for an acne breakout will call for a different form of treatment per the individual.

There is a wide array of medical treatments but one of the lesser known forms of treatment is simple exercise. When you exercise the body, you promote the blood flow through the body. This increased blood flow will assist the skin cells by bringing extra amounts of oxygen and necessary vitamins to the upper layers of the skin. The increased blood flow will also move waste from the skin cells which can cause acne outbreaks. Exercising can also reduce stress which is one of the main causes of acne breakouts.

Medicated treatments work just as well if not better but they do not solve the root of the problem, just treat the effects of the problem. Benzoyl peroxide is a cream which is rubbed onto the skin. This works by having the topical seep into the pores thus drying out the skin and pushing all the dirt to the surface. Sometimes there are some small side effects from using benzoyl peroxide such as redness of the skin and even peeling of the first layer of skin.

A second, commonly used treatment which works similar to benzoyl peroxide without all the side effects is simple alcohol. This dries out the skin, making it easier to push the 'black heads' to the surface. In some cases, people also steam their face which also tightens the pores.

Hormonal treatments are also popular. These treatments are most commonly used by women and not available within the United States. This treatment used an antiandrogen cyproterone in unison with estrogen, also called Diane 35. This effectively reduces the androgenic hormone levels. In some cases people have tried anti-inflammatories. These are made of Nicotinamide which is vitamin B3. This treatment is most commonly used by dermatologist.

However the best and easy way to treat a basic case of acne is to wash your face with warm, hot soapy water. This is the best way to clean the pores if the condition you are experiencing is not severe. It is wise to get the advice of a dermatologist if the acne persists or becomes worse.

Claire Jefferies is writing on behalf of Acnigon, who offer effective acne treatment and new acne treatment.

Cisco Helping Provide Healthcare For All In India

The vast distances and the low density of healthcare professionals require extensive use of telemedicine to enable Healthcare For All in India. Cisco, the technology and networking giant, recently (9th November, 2011) announced the launch of its Cisco healthcare solution pilot in collaboration with Government of Madhya Pradesh.

Using the telepresence solution provided by Cisco, patients in remote primary health centers will now be able to consult specialist doctors present at far away district hospitals in real time. The patients will be helped in this by the nurses and other paramedicals present at the rural setups.In total, eleven community/primary health care centres across four districts of Sehore, Datia, Gwalior, and Chhindwara will be connected to district hospitals remotely using Cisco Healthcare Solution.

Check this video for a demonstration of how the system will work:

Related articles

• Cisco Builds More Mobility Into Telehealth Platform (informationweek.com)
• Can Cisco positively impact the Health of our population and Healthcare Ecosystem? (blogs.cisco.com)
• Doctors Slow To Embrace Telemedicine, Cloud Computing (informationweek.com)
• How WWW Has Changed Healthcare Over 20 Years (digital-medicine.blogspot.com)

Bahrain jails 20 doctors after democracy protests

Bahrain jailed 20 doctors on Thursday for between five and 15 years on theft and other charges, the state news agency said, in what critics claimed was reprisal for treating protesters during unrest in the Gulf kingdom this year.A security court also sentenced a man to death for killing a policeman by driving his car over him several times and joining illegal gatherings for "terrorist goals," the BNA news agency said. Another man was handed a life term for his involvement. The doctors, who denied the charges, were among dozens of medical staff arrested during protests led by the island's Shi'ite majority demanding an end to sectarian discrimination and a greater say in government.Bahrain's Sunni Muslim rulers quashed the protests in March, with the help of troops from fellow Sunni neighbours Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. At least 30 people were killed, hundreds wounded and more than 1,000 detained -- mostly Shi'ites -- in the crackdown.The doctors were charged with stealing medicine, stockpiling weapons and occupying a hospital during the unrest and in addition were jailed for forcibly occupying a hospital, spreading lies and false news, withholding treatment, inciting hatred of Bahrain's rulers and calling for their overthrow."We were shocked by the verdicts because we were expecting the doctors would be proved innocent of the crime of occupying the Salmaniya medical complex," defence lawyer Mohsen al-Alawi said, adding the hearing had lasted no more than 10 minutes.The doctors say the charges against them were invented by the authorities to punish medical staff for treating people who took part in anti-government protests."Those doctors who have been found guilty were charged with abusing the hospital for political purposes. Nobody is above the law," a spokesman for the government's Information Affairs Authority (IAA) said.Ten of the doctors, including senior physician Ali Al-Ekri, were given 15-year terms, two were sentenced to 10 years in prison and the rest to five."After today's verdict and those issued yesterday we feel pessimism," Alawi said, adding they would appeal against the decision.On Wednesday a military court upheld life sentences against Shi'ite opposition leaders for organising protests in a trial described as a "sham" by Amnesty International, which also called the latest proceedings a "travesty of justice."In Washington, a U.S. State Department spokesman said the United States was "deeply disturbed" by the sentencing of the doctors."We continue to urge the Bahraini government to abide by its commitment to transparent judicial proceedings, including a fair trial, access to attorneys and verdicts based on credible evidence," spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.The British government voiced concern over the sentences."These sentences appear disproportionate to the charges brought," British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Thursday."These are worrying developments that could undermine the Bahraini government's moves towards dialogue and the reform needed for long-term stability in Bahrain."OPEN FOR DISCUSSIONA senior Bahraini official said the government was still prepared to hold more talks with all opposition parties on political reforms to try to end protests that threaten to hold up the economy and scratch its business-friendly image.Sheikh Abdul-Aziz bin Mubarak al-Khalifa, a senior adviser at the IAA, also said Bahrain had begun receiving some of the $10 billion in economic aid promised by fellow Gulf Arab nations."Everything is open for discussion except regime change. That doesn't mean it has to be discussed today (but) the king said reforms are not going to stop," he said. "Other issues can be brought to the table -- when and how, I'm not sure."Bahrain says it will expand parliament's powers of monitoring government ministers, recommendations that came from a national dialogue held after the U.S. ally crushed pro-democracy protests earlier this year.But Shi'ite opposition groups, headed by the Wefaq party, want the elected chamber to have real legislative power as well as a new prime minister. The current incumbent, an uncle of the king, has occupied the post since 1971.The conflict dragged in regional powers; Bahrain accused the opposition of pursuing a sectarian agenda backed by non-Arab Shi'ite giant Iran, just across Gulf waters. The United States, whose Fifth Fleet is stationed in Manama, says the government should talk to Wefaq.Link: Original Article

SMS system soon to check fake drugs

Pharma companies in the country may be asked to install an SMS-activated system to counter fake drugs in the market. Companies will need to print a unique number on medicine strips which the buyers can SMS to the customer care for verification.Recommendations of a task force report expected on Friday will make it mandatory for drug-manufacturing companies to have the software that will respond to text messages from consumers. Unique ID and bar-coding are the other options before the task force and will be weighed against SMS alerts, task force chairman HG Koshia told ET. The central government-appointed task force has representatives from various ministries and drug controlling authorities. It will hold final discussions on Friday in Gandhinagar on the way ahead in tackling the counterfeit medicines menace."We are seriously pondering on the SMS-based system to counter the counterfeit menace in the country, says Koshia who is also the commissioner of Gujarat Food & Drug Control Administration.Globally, the counterfeit drug industry is estimated at $75 billion. No figures are available for the Indian market, but a government's response in Lok Sabha last year put the number of fake drugs at 46 per 1,000.Indian government has already mandated bar-coding of all drugs meant for exports from October 1. Indian companies faced major embarrassment in December 2009 when spurious anti-malaria drugs bearing made-in-India tag were seized in Nigeria. Later, it was discovered that the drugs originated from China and the Chinese government awarded death plenty to six traders found involved.The Task Force for Tracing and Tracking of Spurious Medicines (TF-TTSM) has been set up by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare with representations from health, commerce, law and consumer affairs ministries. Drug controllers of Karnataka and two representatives from Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) office too are in the task force which will submit its report in two months.Mr Koshia said, the task force will look at simplified approach that can assist patients inspect a drug without opening the package and verify the source or manufacturer. A handful of companies have voluntarily adopted different verification systems to overcome the spurious drug problem, he pointed out.Pharma associations however, are apprehensive of the cost burden that the new system will put on the manufacturers.KS Chhabra, honorary secretary, Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association (IDMA), Gujarat state board, said: "Prima-facie it's a right move. The government has to modernise the drug industry as per the global norms. While the big companies have the resources, those in the small and medium segment may not be able to invest in the new system immediately."Link: Original Article

XLRI launches course in healthcare management with Apollo Hospitals

XLRI Jamshedpur has joined hands with the Apollo Hospitals Group to start a one-year full time course in healthcare management. The first batch of the programme, christened Executive Diploma in General Management & Health Care, will kick-off from March next year. The course designed and developed jointly by XLRI Jamshedpur and Apollo Group will have 28 courses which will be taught in one year. Faculty members from both the institutes will conduct the programme and will entail a one-month internship in healthcare industry."This alliance with Apollo Hospitals will provide a plethora of opportunities for those planning to pursue a career in healthcare industry. The need for professionally trained hospital managers is being increasingly felt in Indian hospitals, whether private or public," said XLRI director E. Abraham, S.J.As per a recent CII report, employment opportunity in healthcare is expected to increase by at least 2.5 million by 2012. "This program will help in creating management professionals with domain knowledge and will offer ample career opportunities in both the management and health care sector either in a business role or a functional role," said Abraham.Graduates from any recognised university and in any discipline with minimum of three years of experience after graduation can apply for this program. Aspiring candidates will have to appear for a written test, to be conducted at seven selected centres of Apollo, followed by interviews at XLRI campus. After successful completion of the program, students will be awarded certificates jointly by XLRI and Apollo Group.Incidentally, Apollo Hospitals and XLRI have also partnered to promote leadership and management education by introducing a one-year postgraduate certificate in general management for Apollo Hospital employees.Link: Original Article

Docs to spend more time with patients soon

The Medical Council of India (MCI) may soon specify how much time doctors should spend with their patients so that the regimen of medicines being prescribed to them is clear.A recent World Medicines Situation 2011 report brought out by the World Health Organization (WHO) — as reported by TOI first — had recently said that doctors, on an average, in developing countries spend less than 60 seconds in prescribing medicines and explaining the regimen to their patients. Consequently, only half of the patients receive any advice on how to take their medicines and about one-third of them don't know how to take drugs immediately on leaving the facility.Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Friday that the government proposes to issue an advisory to the MCI to disseminate appropriate instructions among all registered medical practitioners.According to WHO, the dispensing process greatly influences how medicines are used. The WHO database shows that the dispensing time is a minute. "In such circumstances it is not surprising that patient adherence to medicines is poor," the report said.Azad said, "The doctor population ratio is not favourable in our country. Hence, there is tremendous pressure on the doctors serving in public sector hospitals. This may be the major reason for patients getting less than adequate time for consultation."MCI's own assessment says India has just one doctor for 1,700 people. In comparison, the doctor population ratio globally is 1.5:1,000. MCI has set a target to have 1 doctor for 1,000 people by 2031.The assessment note, available with TOI, also looked at the situation in other countries. Somalia has one doctor for 10, 000; Pakistan has 1:1,923 and Egypt 1: 1,484.China's doctor population ratio stands at 1:1,063; South Korea 1:951; Brazil 1:844, Singapore 1:714, Japan 1:606; Thailand 1:500; UK 1:469; the US 1:350 and Germany 1:296.Kathleen Holloway from WHO's department of essential medicines and pharmaceutical policies said, "Irrational use of medicines is a serious global problem that is wasteful and harmful. In developing countries, in primary care, less than 40% of patients in public sector and 30% of patients in private sector are treated in accordance with standard treatment guidelines."The report cites, only about 60% countries train their medical students on various aspects of prescribing medicines and only about 50% require any form of continuing medical education.The basic training for nurses and paramedical staff, who often do a bulk of prescribing, was even less — only about 40% of countries give them any basic training on how to prescribe.The report shows, though around 80% of all prescribed medicines are dispensed — usually, they are done by untrained personnel — and as many as 20%–50% of medicines dispensed are not labelled.WHO feels many countries are making relatively little investment in promoting rational use of medicines.The report had also said that two-thirds of all antibiotics are sold without prescription through unregulated private sectors. Low adherence levels by patients are common and many patients are taking antibiotics in less than the prescribed dose or for a shortened duration — like three instead of five days.Link: Original Article

Govt. concerned over exodus of doctors: Health Min

Government on Friday expressed concern over the growing exodus of doctors from the country and maintained that appropriate measures, including relaxing norms for opening new medical colleges, to meet the shortage are being taken.Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad informed the Lok Sabha during Question Hour that 3,600 doctors had left the country to work abroad in the last three years. “There is an overall shortage of doctors in the country. So private sector will try to attract the doctors from the public sector,” Mr. Azad said.He said most of these doctors who were working for the private sector or had gone to countries like the U.S. and the U.K. were specialists and super-specialists.Mr. Azad claimed that the government was taking measures to deal with the situation.“Enhancing human resources for health particularly in the rural areas is one of the focal areas of the government. It has been taking measures like relaxing norms for opening new medical colleges and providing central assistance for upgrading and strengthening of existing state medical colleges,” the minister said.Other steps being taken are multi-skilling of doctors to overcome shortage of specialists and providing incentives to serve in rural areas and augmenting human resources in health to improve the overall health delivery system.Link: Original Article

Acne Scars: Treatment and Prevention

Acne scars are one of the most pervasive dermatological problems. They are common for people of all ages. Typically, they are a result of inflammation that occurs when bacteria, dead cells and access oil combined together and started pressing on the walls of the skin pore and breaks the follicle wall. Up to 80 percent of people in their teenage years are getting affected by acne. While many of these people recover from the said skin condition without permanent effects, some are left with scars.

There are a few topical skin care medications that can help improve mild scarring. Most acne scars can also be treated by means of skin resurfacing and surgical procedure combinations.

Treatment Options

Not all scars can be avoided even with careful treatment. But the good news is there are now a number of treatment options that you can choose to minimize the appearance of acne scars. Your doctor will check how severe your scars are and may recommend you any of the following treatment options:

• Dermabrasion. This is a kind of skin smoothing surgery where the skin's top layers are removed. A special device is used in this treatment option to gently sand the surface of the skin to normal and healthy skin. Normally, an antibiotic ointment or petroleum jelly is applied on the skin to lessen scaring and scab formation.

• Chemical Peels. In this procedural treatment, a chemical or exfoliating agent is applied on the skin. Among the most common agents used include lactic acid, trichloroacetic acid, glycolic acid, carbocilic acid and salicylic acid. Chemical peels usually range from light to deep strength, depending on the chemical agent used and how much time it should stay on the skin. How much peeling should be made also depends on the skin condition and expected results. Chemical peels are often suggested to those who have mild acne scars.

• Laser Treatments. There are two (2) categories of laser that are used to treat acne scars. These are ablative or resurfacing laser and non-ablative lasers. Ablative lasers take off the skin's outer layer, burning scar tissues and tightening the dermal collagen. Through this way, the visibility of the scar is reduced. In laser resurfacing, erbium YAG laser and ultrapulsed carbon dioxide laser are commonly used. Since the skin is damaged and unprotected tissues are exposed, effort should be exerted in wound care and avoiding infection. The skin may redden for a couple of months or even a year afterwards.

Non-ablative lasers sets off changes in the dermis without damaging the epidermis. The newest FDA approved laser for this kind of treatment is called "smoothbeam."

• Filler Substances. For shallow and saucer-shaped acne scars, filler substances are commonly used. There has been an increase in the amount of filler substances used in plumping up acne scars. Cosmoderm, Fasciian, Restylane, Artecoll, Cymetra and bovine collagen are available.

Acne Scar Prevention Tips

As soon as acne develops, treat it! The most effective means in avoiding acne scars is by preventing the development of acne into a severe form. Do not wait for acne to go away on its own, but start treating it right away. Consult a dermatologist to know if your acne is unresponsive to topical medications or over-the-counter treatments. As possible, avoid doing things that could irritate your skin like using harsh skin care products and aggressive scrubbing.

Still having trouble getting rid of acne scars? Click to learn how to get rid of acne scars NOW!

Outsourcing education: Malaysian doctors will be made in Belgaum

While organisations are known to outsource IT projects and various works to other countries, here is a case you might not have heard of: University of Science Malaysia (USM) has outsourced the entire process of education to a medical college in Belgaum, which caters exclusively to students from the south-east Asian nation.KLE Group of Institutions has set up a college on a 10-acre campus in Belgaum that imparts medical education exclusively to students from south-east Asian countries, mainly Malaysia. Prabhakar Kore, chairman of the group, told DNA that they started the college after USM approached them in this regard. “We will provide good teaching along with infrastructure but the examination and curriculum is as per their (USM) syllabus,” Kore said.He informed that USM would select the students. The five-year course, called MD, is different from Indian syllabus.How it happenedKore said USM wanted to start a college in Malaysia itself but could not do so because of various hurdles posed by local rules. He said Malaysia has few teachers for medical stream and hiring Indian teachers is not practical either because getting a local licence for it is tough.Further, he said, even his group cannot set up a college there because of the rules.However, he said the KLE Group could cater to the needs of the foreign students with their existing infrastructure in India. He said they have been getting students from other countries since 1965. Shifting his attention to the college that is being started in association with USM, he said from this academic year they would be getting 100 students in every batch.About fees, Kore said it was not finalised yet and a call on it would be taken after considering expenditures on lab, faculty, building, hostel and other infrastructure.Link: Original Article

Using Social Media For Practicing Evidence Based Medicine

The two biggest buzzwords in medicine today are Social Media and Evidence based medicine (EBM). Social media allows people to easily share information (via blogs, twitter, Facebook etc). This information can easily reach fellow professionals. With more and more doctors using these tools to share information (evidence) they find useful, such social media platforms are becoming important information resources.

Check this Presentation on using Social Media to Promote Evidence-Based Practice :  A Primer on Blogs, Wikis & Twitter by Dean Giustini et al.

Cochrane Social Media Workshop 2011

View more presentations from Dean Giustini

Related articles

• Tactical Healthcare Social Media (#THCSM) (thehealthcaremarketer.wordpress.com)
• Social Media in Medical Education (scienceroll.com)

India records highest number of new born deaths: UN

More new born babies die in India annually than in any other country, even though the number of neonatal deaths around the world has seen a slow decline, a new study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. New born deaths decreased from 4.6 million in 1990 to 3.3 million in 2009, and fell slightly faster in the years since 2000, according to the study led by researchers from WHO, Save the Children and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.The study, which covers a 20-year-period and all the 193 WHO member states, found that new born deaths - characterised as deaths in the first four weeks of life (neonatal period) – account for 41 % of all child deaths before the age of five.Almost 99 % of the newborn deaths occur in the developing world, with more than half taking place in the five large countries of India, Nigeria, Pakistan, China and Congo."India alone has more than 900,000 newborn deaths per year, nearly 28 % of the global total," WHO said, adding that India had the largest number of neonatal deaths throughout the study.Nigeria, the world's seventh most populous country, ranked second in new born deaths – up from fifth in 1990. Three quarters of neonatal deaths around the world are caused by pre-term delivery, asphyxia and severe infections, such as sepsis and pneumonia.WHO pointed out that two thirds or more of these deaths can be prevented with existing interventions.Link: Original Article