Search on for leopard in Telangana University

12/01/2020,NIZAMABAD

Search for catching the leopard that strayed into the Telangana University campus at Dichpally continued on the second day on Saturday. Forest officials and university security guards in a jeep and an ambulance criss-crossed the campus searching every place and bushes. They set up a makeshift shelter and installed CC cameras at Koppugutta, which is covered with bushes. However, they found no signs of the animal’s fur or pug marks, according to authorities.

Myeloma app launched

12/01/2020, STAFF REPORTER,HYDERABAD

To help multiple myeloma patients know about government schemes for free treatment, options of treatment and other information, a mobile application titled ‘Care4Myeloma’ was launched on sidelines of The Indian Myeloma Congress-2020, held at Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), on Saturday.

Dr Uday Yanamandra, professor at Army Hospital Research and Referral, who conceived the idea of the app said that it has information on NGOs which are trying to help myeloma patients, government run schemes for free treatment, FAQ on the blood cancer, various insurance schemes (including private) for it, and other details will be available in it.

They can get general queries cleared by doctors. It has separate chat box for patient-to-patient interaction to share treatment experience.

The web application has ‘National Myeloma Registry’. Major cancer centres feed data on patients into the application. This helps to know number of people in the hospitals suffering from the blood cancer.

Dr Uday said that hospitals can feed data investigation reports, date of consultation, and other details into the app. Patients can access the data using secure log in.

People confuse multiple myeloma with other health complications

They slip into stage-II or III form of blood cancer by the time it is diagnosed

12/01/2020, STAFF REPORTER,HYDERABAD

Owing to lack of awareness on multiple myeloma ( a type of blood cancer), people tend to confuse its symptoms with other health complications and they slip into stage-II or III form of the cancer by the time the blood cancer is diagnosed.

Addressing a meet on sidelines of The Indian Myeloma Congress-2020 held at NIMS on Saturday, medical specialists said that one of the agendas of the congress is to raise awareness about multiple myeloma - which affects bone marrow. If haemoglobin levels are low, bones become weak, kidneys fail, infection is detected, people have to suspect multiple myeloma. They can consult a medical oncologist or any cancer care centre for the diagnosis and treatment. People tend to overlook the possibility of the cancer and consult a physician when haemoglobin levels decreases, approach an orthopaedician when bones become weak, and a nephrologist when kidneys fail. Every year, at least 100 new patients suffering from multiple myeloma consult doctors at NIMS. Head of Medical Oncology Department at NIMS, G Sadashivudu said that most of the patients were in stage-II or III of the disease. While prevention is not known, Dr Sadashivudu stressed that early diagnosis will be of help. NIMS Director Dr K Manohar said that bone marrow transplantation is offered free of cost at the institute to people who are beneficiaries of Aarogyasri Health Scheme. From 2017, over 50 people availed the treatment under the scheme at the institute. The treatment costs up to ₹ 10 lakh at corporate hospitals. Speaking at the press conference, Dr Shaji Kumar said that lifespan of blood cancer patients has increased from two to three years, to more than 10 years because of the medicines available for treatment. Medical specialists said that the best medical care available in developed nations is offered in India too.

Kite and Sweet festival from tomorrow

Traditional games to be added attraction at the three-day festival concluding on Sankranti

12/01/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,HYDERABAD

Minister for Excise, Tourism and Culture V. Srinivas Goud and officials posing with kites at a media conference in the city on Saturday.By arrangement

Hyderabad is getting ready to host its popular annual event — the International Kite and Sweet Festival 2020 — coinciding with the three-day Sankranti festival at Parade Grounds from January 13 to 15.

Kite flying is a tradition during the festival and since 2016, the Tourism Department has scaled it up to a major festival by inviting national and international kite flyers from across the globe. It subsequently added Sweet festival from 2018 to popularise traditional sweets prepared by people from different States who have made Hyderabad their home.

Minister for Excise, Tourism and Culture V. Srinivas Goud, sharing details of the festival at a media conference here on Saturday, said the kite festival will have participation from 15 countries with 40 international and 60 national flyers. A special night kite flying event is also scheduled on all three days, he said.

The unique feature this time is that traditional games will be included in the festival and introduced to the present generation. Games like ‘gilli danda’ (game of tip and cat), ‘Taadu Bongaram’ (spinning top), sack race, three-leg race, ‘Thokkudu Billa’(hop scotch), marbles, ‘Isurrayi/thiragali’, lemon and spoon race, ‘Ashta Chemma’ and art like ‘Rangoli’ etc., will be organised at the Gymkhana Grounds during the three-day festival, he said.

Hyderabad has about 1.5 crore population and many will go to their native places to celebrate the festival but for those celebrating the festival in city, the kite and sweet festival with traditional sweets and snacks, prepared by women hailing from different States, will re-create the ambience in the city itself.

About 1,000 varieties of sweets and snacks will be prepared and displayed during the festival by homemakers hailing from Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, apart from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, he said. There would also be food courts with cuisine of Telangana, and stalls showcasing handicrafts and handloom as other attractions.

15 lakh expected

Tourism and Culture Secretary Burra Venkatesham said the festival drew over 10 lakh visitors last time and this time, they were expecting 15 lakh visitors. He made an appeal to public to cooperate with the Department to make the festival eco-friendly and requested them to bring cloth bags to carry sweets and carry their own water bottles and refill them with the water provided at the venue to reduce plastic pollution although bottled water would also be available. The Minister and officials later visited Parade Grounds to oversee the arrangements for the festival.

Committee completes probe into scientific papers

An article in The Hindu had flagged papers published with problematic images

12/01/2020, R. PRASAD,CHENNAI

Shekhar C. Mande

An independent committee, formed in early June 2019, to investigate the issue of image duplication and manipulation in papers published by researchers of the Lucknow-based Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), has submitted its report to Shekhar C. Mande, Director-General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The committee was formed in response to an article published in The Hindu about 130 scientific papers that had problems with images.

Elaborate exercise

According to Dr. Mande, the remit of the committee was expanded to cover four-five CSIR laboratories that had similar problems with images.

“It was a massive exercise as the committee looked into each case of the alleged image duplication and/or manipulation in published.” says Dr. Mande.

The committee had given all scientists an opportunity to defend their case and tell the committee what action they had taken. “The directors of each CSIR laboratory will follow the CSIR administrative procedures and give the scientists an opportunity to defend their case and take action where necessary,” said Dr. Mande.

In June 2019, immediately after the committee was formed, Dr. Mande told The Hindu: “The CSIR has a zero tolerance policy on the issue of scientific integrity ... If anyone is found to be guilty of manipulations, thereby leading to deliberate scientific fraud, the person will face suitable disciplinary action.”

Detained for poor attendance, KMC students stage protest

Warangal medical college authorities decide to revise list

12/01/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,WARANGAL

Students of Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) in Telnagana’s Warangal district staged a protest on the campus after 180 from third year and 80 from second year were detained for poor attendance.

The students demanded revision of the ‘detained’ list, alleging that the head of department (HoD) had submitted it to officials of the Kaloji Narayan Rao University of Health Sciences, to which the college is affiliated, without issuing any notices to students and parents.

As per rules, 75% attendance is compulsory to be eligible to appear for semester exams. A 10% relaxation is given to students upon producing a medical certificate with prior intimation to the principal.

Third year students of KMC, who wished not to be identified, said the HoD unfairly detained the students by preparing a random list and forwarding it to university officials.

“According to rules, authorities need to display the attendance records on the college notice board two months before exams. They neither displayed nor informed parents while detaining students,” alleged a protesting student.

Meanwhile, members of the Junior Doctors’ Association submitted a representation to higher officials about the matter. KMC officials were instructed to conduct a meeting with the HoDs and submit a report. Following the directions, KMC principal Sukaranemi Sandhya held a meeting with the HoDs and staff. The meeting concluded with authorities deciding to revise the list of detained students to be submitted to the university.

‘Non-teacher’ status irks resident doctors in medical colleges

12/01/2020, SATHISH G.T.

Medicos with PG diploma have said that the stand taken by RGUHS is against the guidelines of the Medical Council of India.

A communication from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), terming junior residents and senior residents working in medical colleges with post-graduation diploma as “non-teachers”, has left the community disappointed.

The medicos with PG diploma have objected to the stand taken by RGUHS and said it is against the guidelines of the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The Karnataka Medical Council in a letter recently asked RGUHS its opinion on whether junior resident/PG students are teachers in medical colleges. The KMC had sought clarification because of the on-going elections to members of the board of management of the council.

The RGUHS, in its reply to KMC, on December 24 said: “Junior residents and senior residents are not considered teachers in a medical college as per MCI regulations.” With this letter, faculty with PG diploma working in medical colleges have lost the opportunity to contest in the KMC elections.

Pruthvi Chakravarthy, a medical practitioner with PG diploma, told The Hindu: “This is unacceptable. There are enough directions from the court and MCI to treat PG diploma holders as teachers,” he said. Dr. Chakravarthy, who till recently worked in a medical college, pointed out that with the latest stand taken by RGUHS some of his friends had lost a chance to contest the KMC elections.

G.P. Ramanath, senior resident with Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, said in a notification issued by MCI in August 2019 defined a senior resident as teacher. “Even in the past, the MCI has maintained that junior resident and senior residents are teaching staff. If we are not teaching staff, what else are we?” he asked.

When The Hindu contacted S. Sacchidanand, Vice-Chancellor of RGUHS, he said the KMC, being a part of MCI, should not have asked the university for clarification. “When you ask me to define the job profile, I have to state that junior residents and senior residents work in the hospital, not in the college. The university has said the same,” he said. However, he said he had written to the KMC suggesting that it get the issue clarified from MCI.