Nov 21, 2024 Scurvy, a disease caused by severe vitamin C deficiency and once thought to be an illness of the past, has never truly disappeared in Canada. Most recently, 27 cases were reported in Saskatchewan, shedding light on the ongoing risk, particularly among those facing food insecurity or limited access to fresh produce, experts warn. The disease is both preventable and treatable, but without proper nutrition, a person can develop scurvy, which can lead to symptoms like bruising, gum disease, tooth loss and even death. Despite the seriousness of scurvy, it is highly unlikely to develop in people who maintain a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruit and meats, all of which are excellent sources of vitamin C, explained John Neary, an associate professor of internal medicine and McMaster University in Hamilton. “It’s not exactly a disease of the past, but it still can happen,” he said. “But the amount of vitamin C human beings need for their diet to not develop scurvy is quite low. Essentially, it’s impossible to get scurvy if you eat any fresh fruit or vegetables or meat.” Without sufficient vitamin C, the body cannot properly heal wounds, and the structural integrity of blood vessels and connective tissue deteriorates. Vitamin C also plays a crucial role in the formation of blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, bones, teeth, and gums, while helping the body absorb iron and recover from wounds and bums. “Vitamin Cs biological role in the human body is to help stabilize connective tissue,” Neary explained. “When the human body is lacking vitamin C, connective tissues are weaker than they should be, and that leads to phenomena such as bleeding gums, loosening teeth and easy bruising.” Other symptoms can also develop, he said, such as fatigue, weakness, lightheadedness, fainting, and in the end stage, it can lead to cardiovascular collapse and death. Historically, Neary explained, scurvy was primarily associated with sailors and early explorers who, during long sea voyages, were deprived of fresh food sources. This lack of nutrition often led to severe cases of scurvy, as the sailors’ diets consisted mostly of preserved foods that lacked the essential nutrients necessary to prevent the disease. “It has been rare since the mid-19th century. It was primarily seen on long sailing voyages when people had no fresh fruit for months on end. And the advent of steamships largely did away with that,” he said. Since then, Neary said episodic cases of scurvy have emerged throughout the 20th and 21 st centuries, often linked to socio-economic factors such as social isolation. Source: Global News

Nov 23, 2024 Canada’s public health agency on Friday confirmed the first case of clade I mpox in Canada, in an person in Manitoba. The Public Health Agency of Canada said this travel-related case was associated with an ongoing outbreak of clade I mpox in central and eastern Africa. “The individual sought medical care for mpox symptoms in Canada shortly after their return and is currently isolating,” the agency said in a statement. “PHAC is working closely with public health authorities in Manitoba. The National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) notified the province on November 22 that the sample tested positive for mpox clade lb,” the agency further said. The World Health Organization earlier in the day had said that the mpox outbreak continues to represent a public health emergency. The WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years in August after a new variant of the virus, called clade lb, spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries. mpox is a viral infection that spreads through close contact and typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. It is usually mild, but it can be lethal. The PHAC added that while the risk to Canada’s general population at this time remains low, it continues to actively monitor the situation. It also said that a public health investigation, including contact tracing, is ongoing. (Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard and Christopher Cushing). Source: Economic Times

Nov 22, 2024 Ahmedabad: Experts from across the country participated in TRANSCON 2024, the 49th Annual National Conference of the Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immunohematology (ISBTI). This is a major conference on transfusion medicine and blood banks. The three-day event began on Thursday at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. “We saw participation from researchers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers. The participants shared the latest developments in the field and also shared novel cases. Emphasis was also on blood and organ donation drives,” said organisers. Dr Krishan Kumar, SAG, director general of health services (DGHS), delivered the inaugural address, highlighting the importance of innovation and collaboration in transfusion medicine. The practitioners also presented papers and posters on themes such as blood safety, donor management, innovative transfusion practices, and new technologies. Source: Times Of India

Nov 20, 2024 Jaipur: Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Tuesday said providing cheap, accessible and quality medical facilities to the people of the state is the priority of the state government. He instructed officials to ensure all the budgetary announcements related to the health sector should be completed at a fast pace with an effective action plan to realise the ‘Apno Swasth Rajasthan’ concept. Sharma was chairing a review meeting of the Medical and Health Department in the Chief Minister’s Office on Tuesday. Medical and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar was also present in the meeting. He informed the chief minister that the process of recruitment on about 48,000 posts by the Medical and Health Department is going on at mission mode and so far appointment have been made on about 8000 posts. Chief Minister Sharma said that to provide quality health services in small cities and towns, the state government has decided to build Ayushman Model CHCs across the state. The chief minister said that free treatment is being provided to the general public under the Chief Minister Ayushman Arogya Yojana. The government has decided to include pediatric packages under this scheme and rationalise the rates of some packages. He instructed the officials to widely publicise the new provisions added to the scheme. Source: Economic Times

Nov 20, 2024 New Delhi: BJP National President and Union Minister JP Nadda said that the government is working relentlessly to ensure people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) get due medical care. He was speaking at the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Bocce and Bowling Competition at Thyagaraj Sports Complex on Wednesday. This event celebrates the spirit of athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). JP Nadda said, “Government of India is working relentlessly in this regard. People with IDD face difficulty in healthcare. They often do not get appropriate healthcare and support, resulting to a poor health outcome. In order to ensure that the people of IDD get due medical care, we need to upgrade the skills of the healthcare professionals so that they are not only competent in feeding physical symptoms, but also skilled in addressing specific needs of individuals with IDD. The professionals need to be trained.” He said that in order to ensure that the people of IDD get due medical care, skills of the healthcare professionals needs to be upgraded so that they are not only competent in feeding physical symptoms, but also skilled in addressing specific needs of individuals with IDD. “Medical professionals need to be trained in areas such as understanding their unique health concerns, communicating effectively through simplified language use of assistive devices or nonverbal cues, empathy and commitment to understand special needs of the patients, we must recognize the invaluable role of the family members, caregivers and the support organizations who tirelessly work to ensure that the voice of the people with IDD is heard,” he said. “Your dedication drives change and your partnership is essential to build a more inclusive and accessible and equitable healthcare system. I appreciate the remarkable work being done by Special Olympics and Golisano Foundation,” he added. A moment of pride and inspiration unfolded at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex on Tuesday as India hosted the first-ever Special Olympics Asia Pacific Bocce & Bowling Competition. This historic event celebrates the abilities, resilience, and spirit of athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The competition, running until November 22, brings together 81 exceptional athletes from 12 nations, showcasing their talents in Bocce and Bowling. Notably, this marks Bowling’s competitive debut in India. Speaking on the occasion, Naveen Jindal, Member of Parliament, expressed his admiration for the participants: “Today, we celebrate not only the inauguration of this competition but also the dedication and perseverance of these young athletes. As Swami Vivekananda said, ‘Believe in yourself, and the world will be at your feet.’ These remarkable individuals inspire us with their courage and remind us that true strength lies in overcoming challenges with grace.” Source: Economic Times

Nov 19, 2024 Ludhiana, Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Monday said 20 lakh students from schools and colleges will be trained in detecting dengue larvae and providing first aid. The minister made the announcement during a review meeting on vector- borne diseases at the Ludhiana Civil Hospital. Dr Balbir Singh highlighted the impact of nursing students in the government’s anti-dengue initiative, which, he said, led to a 70 per cent decrease in dengue cases this year. Starting next year, the health department will educate 20 lakh students, including those in senior secondary classes and colleges, on identifying dengue larvae and contributing to community prevention efforts. Students will also learn to provide first aid assistance to those in need, he said. Discussions are on with medical colleges and other nursing institutions to collaborate on training approximately 50,000 medical or nursing students, focusing on the early detection of lifestyle disorders such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and strokes – all of which are classified as non-communicable diseases (NCDs) -, he said. The minister claimed that by January next year, the Ludhiana Civil Hospital would be transformed into a state-of-the-art medical facility, offering services comparable to private hospitals. Source: Economic Times

Nov 21, 2024 Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Thursday said that the Centre has sanctioned Rs 104.66 crore for providing health care facilities in the hill districts of the state. Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Health Minister JP Nadda and DoNER Minister J M Scindia for their support in developing Manipur. Taking to X, Singh said, “For the first time, hill districts like Chandel, Ukhrul, Jiribam, Senapati, and Tamenglong will have access to advanced medical facilities like CT Scans, MRI, ICU services, and super-specialty care-bringing healthcare closer to home. Not to mention, the Churachandpur Medical College is already operational, transforming healthcare in the region.” This recent sanction of Rs 104.66 crore under the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE) is a step towards equitable healthcare for all, Singh posted on the microblogging site. The chief minister also posted a copy of the letter sent from the Ministry of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) to the state chief secretary regarding the sanction. Source: Economic Times

Nov 19, 2024 New Delhi: With the city enveloped in a haze, the demand for pollution aids is rising. According to chemists at Yusuf Sarai, Khan Market, Connaught Place and Khanna Market in various parts of the capital, the demand for N95 masks has gone up in the past few days. The sellers expect sales to increase in the coming days. A shop in Connaught Place has placed fresh orders for N95 masks. “Although we have surgical masks in stock, buyers are seeking N95 masks,” said a trader there. However, many people are using surgical masks, made ubiquitous by the Covid pandemic, because it is very affordable though they aren’t effective in shielding people against respirable pollutants. Opposite AIIMS at Safdarjung Medicos, shopkeeper Javed said. “People are opting for cheaper surgical masks. We don’t recommend its use, but it is cheaper,” the shopkeeper said. “More awareness about masks is required.” Here, as on Aurobindo Marg, which is lined with chemist stores, the shop workers were all seen wearing pollution masks. But demand for the N95 mask is slowly gathering strength. “Our supply is short,” admitted a salesman at Chawla Chemist in Yusuf Sarai, where medical shops abound due to the area’s proximity to AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital. “People are asking for N95 masks, but our stocks have been hit by the supplier having some problems. Some people are also bringing doctor-recommended prescriptions to fight pollution.” At Khan Market, catering to an upscale clientele, Ishwinder, owner of Preet Medicos, said “We have registered rising sales in masks for the last two to three days in tune with the pollution level soaring. We sell 25-30 masks every day and have ordered more N95 masks because we expect customers will want to buy them.” In the market, not everyone had their mouth and noses protected. “People are asking for allergy, cough and throat irritation medicines, but only the aware seem to also want to buy N95 masks,” said Chandan at another chemist shop. At Khanna Market, medicine sellers reported a pickup in sales of pollution masks. Mukesh Rawat, owner of MSP Pharmacy, said, “There is definitely a demand for masks. We are selling around 30 pieces a day at Rs 50. We also expect the demand to go up.” Source: Economic Times

Oct 23, 2024 Thousands of volunteers have helped to provide a snapshot of the health of the nation’s rivers and waterways, highlighting high levels of nitrates and phosphates, as well as a cocktail of chemical compounds that pose a risk to ecosystems. The WaterBlitz project, led by charity Earthwatch, is an annual water quality survey that recruits members of the public and community groups twice a year to take thousands of water samples from freshwater bodies in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. “Community science projects are increasingly important in monitoring chemical pollution in our environment. It’s thanks the help of hundreds of people across the UK who put their local knowledge to good use to collect samples and to enable such detailed snapshots of the health of our nation’s rivers. “Our analysis has already identified several chemicals at levels which exceed accepted safe limits for aquatic life. We found pharmaceuticals, pesticides and even common substances like caffeine and nicotine at detectable levels in water up and down the country. “What this work highlights is that despite treatment facilities being in place, these chemicals continuously find their way into our waterways. Rivers are the still the lifeline of the I-JK, and that none pass good overall health status represents a national failure. More needs to be done to urgently clean up our water.” Source: Imperial

Nov 12, 2024 Gorakhpur: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said all expenses of individuals seeking financial aid for treatment for serious illnesses will be covered so they can get care at top hospitals. He attended a ‘Janata Darshan’ programme in Gorakhpur today. Before departing for the Jharkhand Assembly election campaign in Mirzapur, he met around 150 people at the programme organised at the Gorakhpur Temple, an official statement said. Adityanath instructed officials to expedite the process of issuing Ayushman cards to those who don’t have it and require financial assistance, it said. “Adequate funds will be provided from the Chief Minister’s Discretionary Fund to assist every eligible individual,” he said. Adityanath emphasised that no one should feel anxious, as all problems would be addressed with the utmost seriousness and sensitivity, the statement added. He further directed officials to take swift action to resolve public grievances and warned against any negligence on their part. During the programme, a woman shared her financial difficulties in securing treatment for a family member at a private hospital. In response, CM Adityanath advised her to obtain an estimate from the hospital after admission and assured her that the government would cover the treatment costs. Source: Economic Times