Single donor enables doctors at private hospital to perform two ‘novel’ transplants

Asia’s first combined bowel and abdominal wall transplant surgery performed on a teenager; 35-year-old woman gets new lease of life

12/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Doctors at the Apollo Hospitals have claimed that they have performed Asia’s first combined bowel and abdominal wall transplant surgery on a teenager.

An 18-year-old brain-dead donor gave a new lease of life to two patients — a teenager with ultra short bowel syndrome and a 35-year-old woman on dialysis for end-stage renal disease — and enabled doctors to perform two “novel” transplants on them.

The teenager underwent combined small bowel and abdominal wall transplant.

The woman with a renal disease received a kidney that was perfused with Hypothermic Oxygenated Machine Perfusion (HOPE) at the Apollo Hospitals.

Lack of awareness

J. Shyamala, paediatrician, said that only a few bowel transplants were performed in the country — the reasons being lack of awareness among recipients, reluctance to donate abdominal wall and small bowel, need for a high level of preparedness, intensive care, pre and post-operative care.

“The 17-year-boy from Andhra Pradesh had extensive small bowel gangrene and underwent complete removal of the small bowel. He had lost 20 kg over two months, and came to us in March 2019. We put him under aggressive nutrition rehabilitation. He gained 18 kg in eight months and returned home,” she told reporters on Wednesday.

The patient had two episodes of central-line infection and Total Parental Nutrition-induced liver injury.

“Eleven months after his first admission, he underwent combined small bowel-abdominal wall transplant and was discharged on the 15th post-operative day. He is gradually gaining weight,” she said.

Doctors said that intestinal transplants were taking baby steps in India and that it still had a long way to go.

The kidney harvested from the donor was perfused with HOPE and preserved for 11 hours.

Graft function

Explaining this, Mohan Kumar, urologist, said: “It improved graft function, increased utilisation and reduces rejection.”

Venkatesh Rajkumar, nephrologist, said that kidney diseases were increasing in the community and kidney failure patients requiring transplants were 20-25 per lakh population.

Suneeta Reddy, managing director, Apollo Hospitals Group, spoke at the event.

Site finalised for medical college in Kallakurichi

12/03/2020, S. PRASAD,KALLAKURICHI

The proposed Government Medical College and Hospital for Kallakurichi will come up on a 20-acre site at Siruvangur here. The district administration finalised the site after considering various proposals.

About 20 acres of land on the Kallakurichi Government Arts College premises, now in the possession of the college, would be handed over to the Public Works Department for starting the construction work. The college will be located on 11 acres and the land parcel would be handed over.

The Government Arts College at Siruvangur would be shifted to Sadayampattu.

The administration has transferred six acres of land for the arts college, said District Collector Kiran Gurrala.

Governor’s signature must to release Rajiv case convicts: HC

12/03/2020, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The Madras High Court on Wednesday held that a recommendation made by the State Cabinet to the Governor on September 9, 2018, for releasing all seven life convicts involved in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case would come into effect only after the Governor affixes his signature and not otherwise.

Justices R. Subbiah and R. Pongiappan held so while dismissing a habeas corpus petition filed by one of the convicts S. Nalini to declare her detention since September 10, 2019, as illegal and consequently order her release forthwith on the ground that the Governor’s nod was sought only as a matter of constitutional courtesy.

The Bench said: “The mere advice tendered by the council of ministers will not entitle the petitioner to get released prematurely unless it was accepted or signed by the Governor. The signing of the order by the Governor is mandatory and in the absence of the same, the petitioner cannot get the benefit.”

The judges concurred with Additional Solicitor General (ASG) G. Rajagopalan and State Public Prosecutor A. Natarjan that the Cabinet’s recommendation per se would not entitle the convict to lay a claim of illegal detention when she and all other convicts had been put through a full fledged trial and were found guilty in the courts of law.

Further, the ASG also relied upon a 1988 judgment of the Supreme Court wherein it was held that the Governor’s nod for decisions taken by the State government was not a mere formality and that it was mandatory.

Deciding to follow the principle laid down in that verdict, the Bench led by Justice Subbiah said: “Thus, it is evident from the above decision that the order, though it may be formal, to be passed by the Governor of the State assumes significance and without the consent of the Governor or his signature on the proposal sent to him, such proposal shall not take effect.”

Insofar as the present case was concerned, the Cabinet had made a recommendation to release all seven convicts. However, “such advice has not been acted upon and it is pending consideration of the Governor. No order has been passed thereof as on date. While so, merely based on the advice of the council of ministers, her detention cannot be declared as illegal,” the Bench concluded.

Private colleges told to disclose fee collected from students, under RTI

TNIC seeks explanation from colleges for skipping hearing

12/03/2020, S. VIJAY KUMAR,CHENNAI

TNIC directed five private colleges in Vellore to divulge details of fee collected and salary paid.

The Tamil Nadu Information Commission has directed five private colleges in Vellore district to share the details of fee collected from students in aided/unaided courses and also disclose the salary paid to faculty in self-financed courses.

The case arises out of a petition filed by I. Elangovan of Vellore in 2008 seeking details of fee and special fee collected from students in under-graduate and post-graduate courses since 2003 from Dhanabagiyam Krishnasamy Mudaliar College for Women (Autonomous), Sainathapuram, Islamiah College, Vaniyambadi, Mazharul Uloom College, Ambur, C. Abdul Hakeem College, Melvisharam and Vorhees College in Vellore district, under the provisions of Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005.

Not satisfied with the reply received from the Joint Directorate of Collegiate Education, the petitioner moved the commission which passed orders in 2009 directing the Public Information Officers of the respective colleges to provide the details sought under the Act. However, the colleges moved the Madras High Court by filing a writ petition challenging the order.

After hearing both sides, the court in 2019 passed orders directing the Commission to pass fresh orders after hearing all parties concerned.

In the fresh hearing that commenced later, the PIOs of Islamiah College and C. Abdul Hakeem College assured to provide details sought by the petitioner while the PIO of Mazharul Uloom College sought more time to furnish the same. The petitioner did not turn up for the hearing. The PIOs of Dhanabagiyam Krishnasamy Mudaliar College for Women (Autonomous) and Voorhees College also failed to appear in the hearing to present their arguments. The Commission recorded their absence with dissent.

Passing orders, State Information Commissioner S. Muthuraj directed all the colleges to send the information required by the petitioner by registered post and report compliance to the Commission.

He sought an explanation from the two colleges that did not appear in the hearing as to why disciplinary action should not be initiated against the PIO and the Principal under Section 20(2) of the Act.

No more advance increment to govt. staff for higher qualification

‘Lately, highly qualified persons like doctors, engineers taking up clerical jobs’

12/03/2020, DENNIS S. JESUDASANCHENNAI

All G.O.s issued over the years for sanction of advance increment stand cancelled with immediate effect. For representational purposes onlyFor representation only

With several over-qualified candidates such as post-graduates, doctors and engineers increasingly joining the government service for clerical jobs, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to cancel the scheme of sanctioning advance increment to government staff, of all departments, for acquiring higher education qualification, with immediate effect.

Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam issued a G.O. on Tuesday in this regard to the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department, cancelling all relevant G.O.s issued over the years for sanction of advance increment. The sanction of advance increment for passing Account Test for Sub-ordinate Officers Part-I has also been dropped with immediate effect.

The scheme for advance increment for passing the Account Test exam was initially introduced in 1963 to non-gazetted employees in the Ministerial Service. In 1972, advance increment was granted to engineers in Public Works Department. Since then, the scheme underwent several modifications and included several departments.

The scheme was introduced a few decades ago when the government realised that qualified persons were rarely identified for government posts. This was not the case anymore.

“But, in present days, highly qualified persons, including many professionals (doctors and engineers) are entering into government service... even for Group C posts like Assistants/ Junior Assistants/ Typists, etc., to do clerical jobs,” the G.O. pointed out.

Increasing number of educational institutions and qualified candidates, and pay anomalies in advance increment between seniors and juniors in a department, were cited as other reasons behind the decision.

“If a government servant needs promotion/appointment to a higher post which carries higher qualification, then it is the responsibility of the government servant to qualify himself/herself for promotion/appointment to that higher post.”

The government also pointed out that in several departments, the employees with higher qualification, like those with the required qualification, were “discharging the same duty of the post concerned in routine manner only.”

Various recruiting agencies are selecting qualified persons suitable for various government posts after conducting tests/examinations at various stages.

However, the advance increment for acquiring higher qualification already granted to government employees will not be recovered from candidates.

80,448 MBBS Seats In Medical Colleges: Centre

A total of 80,448 MBBS seats are available in medical colleges in the country at present. The number of medical postgraduate seats is 40,408 which is little more than half of the MBBS seats available.

EducationEdited by Maitree BaralUpdated: March 06, 2020 05:04 pm IST

A total of 80,448 MBBS seats are available in medical colleges in the country at present.

New Delhi: 

A total of 80,448 MBBS seats are available in medical colleges in the country at present. The number of medical postgraduate seats is 40,408 which is little more than half of the MBBS seats available. This information was shared by Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan in the Lok Sabha today.

Questions were asked by Chandra Sekhar Sahu and Dr Pritam Gopinathrao Munde on whether the government proposes to enhance MBBS and PG seats in equal numbers in medical colleges in the country and whether NITI Aayog has also recommended any proposal to the government in this regard.

The Minister replied that enhancement of MBBS & PG seats is dependent on availability of adequate faculty and infrastructure as per prevalent regulations of MCI. Among the various steps taken by the government to increase the seats, Dr Harsh Vardhan said, are establishment of new medical colleges attached with district/ referral hospitals in underserved districts, enhancement of maximum intake capacity at MBBS level from 150 to 250 and upgradation of existing State Government/Central Government medical colleges.

The government has also decided to give relaxation in the norms for setting up of medical college in terms of requirement for faculty, staff, bed strength and other infrastructure.

The ratio of teachers to students has also been revised to increase the number of PG medical seats.

Replying to the question on whether NITI Aayog has recommended any such proposal to government, the Minister said, "The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare consults with various stakeholders including NITI Aayog to augment the number of medical seats in the country. The suggestions of NITI Aayog received from time to time are duly considered."

On March 4, Minister of State of Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey had informed the Lok Sabha that a total of 533 medical colleges are offering MBBS courses in the country, which 261 medical colleges under private management.

Nirbhaya case convict seeks FIR against Delhi cops

TNN | Mar 12, 2020, 04.39 AM IST

NEW DELHI: One of the death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya case has sought an FIR against two police constables for alleged physical assault inside Mandoli jail, where he is lodged. The incident, however, is stated to have taken place in July, last year.

Pawan Gupta’s counsel A P Singh filed an application and said the incident took place on July 26, 2019, when the convict was thrashed “very badly on the head and also his entire body with a stick” inside jail number 14 of Central Jail, Mandoli. Singh said that a court issued notice to the jail authorities concerned.

Gupta was beaten up again on July 28, 2019, when he once again received injuries all over his body besides being verbally abused, the application said. “Blood oozed from his head and only after repeated requests and a prolong delay he was sent to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital,” the plea claimed.

It has been contended in the application that when Gupta’s father approached the local police station to lodge an FIR, he was harassed and threatened. And despite representations before various police authorities no action was taken, it added. “Please take legal action as soon as possible,” the application said.

On March 9, another convict, Vinay Sharma, approached the lieutenant governor’s office seeking commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment.

Sharma, in his petition, described his life behind bars and what he faced during his confinement. The plea also urged the LG to allow Sharma’s lawyer to make oral submission before him.

(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)