Govt sets max monthly limit for vax stock in pvt hospitals

Govt sets max monthly limit for vax stock in pvt hospitals

Ceiling Linked To Daily Use; No Direct Purchase

Sumitra DebRoy@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:30.06.2021

Private hospitals have to place orders for vaccines on CoWin and cannot directly procure it from manufacturers, July 1 onwards. The Centre has also devised a formula to decide the ‘maximum monthly limit’ of stocks that a private vaccination centre can purchase to ensure a level-playing field.

According to an SOP document circulated among Mumbai hospitals on Tuesday, the maximum vaccine stock a private hospital can procure is double their average daily consumption for a particular week in the previous month. Hospitals can pick a week of their choice to derive the daily average and place orders. The details will be taken from the CoWin site.

For instance, if a private vaccination centre submits the order for July by selecting the June 10-16 week when 630 doses were administered, then daily average doses would be 90 (630/7 = 90). The hospital, therefore, can place a maximum order of 5,400 doses for July (90 x 30 x 2 = 5,400). The document says maximum limit for a month can be revised in the second half, based on consumption during the first 15 days.

For hospitals that plan to join the vaccination drive now and do not have a prior consumption record, maximum limit will be worked out based on number of hospital beds available. A 50-bed hospital can order a maximum of 3,000 doses, a 50-300 bed hospital can order up to 6,000 doses and a hospital with more than 300 beds can order up to 10,000 doses.

The SOP document says private vaccination centres can place orders in four instalments in a month.

“There will be no need for approval by any government authority. Successful submission of the procurement order on CoWIN shall be sufficient,” it says. Once the demand is submitted, CoWIN will aggregate the numbers district- and state-wise before passing it on to manufacturers. The private centres will have to make payments on the National Health Authority (NHA) portal.

Dr Dilip Patil, state immunisation officer, confirmed that the SOP for procurement of vaccines by private hospitals was released on Tuesday though clarity on distribution is still awaited. “We are not sure if private hospitals will directly get it from the manufactures or it will come to state or respective corporations as was the system before May 1,” he said.

Mumbai hospitals welcomed the new formula. Joy Chakraborty, COO of PD Hinduja Hospital, said this strategy will prevent hoarding. “All categories of hospitals, big or small, can log on to CoWin and place their demands. They needn’t have direct contacts with manufacturers which was a hindrance for many,” he said.

Dr Prince Surana, CEO of Surana Group of Hospitals, said it was a good idea to link procurement with consumption. Dr Sunil Agrawal, head of Malad-based Sanjeevani Hospital, said he has managed only 25,000 doses since May 1. “And that too after making dozens of phone calls and going back and forth with manufacturers for weeks,” he said. “The online system sounds promising.”

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TN to get its first lab for genome sequencing at Dr MGR Medical varsity

TN to get its first lab for genome sequencing at Dr MGR Medical varsity

The university already has a lab to study zika, chikungunya, dengue, AIDS and other viruses. It also conducts RT-PCR tests.

Published: 30th June 2021 04:39 AM 

A medic at the Spicehealth Genome Sequencing Laboratory. (Photo | Shekhar Yadav, EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will soon have its first laboratory for genome sequencing analysis of coronavirus, at the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University campus, said Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Tuesday. Speaking to the press at the university, he explained that the existing lab on the campus would be developed to study variants of the coronavirus, especially the Delta Plus variant. This will be the State’s first lab for research on coronavirus variants.

The university already has a lab to study zika, chikungunya, dengue, AIDS and other viruses. It also conducts RT-PCR tests. As of now, coronavirus samples are sent to InSTEM, Bengaluru for genome sequencing. The Health Minister, along with Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, inspected the lab at the university on Tuesday.

‘AIADMK should clarify its stand on NEET’

Regarding a writ petition filed by the BJP in the Madras High Court against the nine-member committee headed by former Judge AK Rajan, formed by the State government to study the impact of NEET on students from socially-backward classes, Subramanian said the AIADMK government, which is an ally with the BJP, should clarify its stand on NEET in Tamil Nadu.

The writ petition filed by the BJP only shows its double stand on NEET. Former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami asks if the present government is for or against NEET, so he should now clarify his party’s stand. The DMK always opposed NEET, and now, the committee has been formed to study its impact on students. The AK Rajan committee has so far received over 86,000 complaints, the minister said. The committee will soon submit its report to Chief Minister MK Stalin. The State is also against the EXIT exam for undergraduate doctors, the minister added.

No privacy in Omandurar Medical College, even to relieve oneself

No privacy in Omandurar Medical College, even to relieve oneself

As the number of Covid cases has been reducing, the male and female units have been merged, both in the general Covid ward and the Covid ICU, patients said.

Published: 30th June 2021 04:35 AM |

By KV Navya

Express News Service

CHENNAI: 70-year-old Valarmathi (name changed) who is bedridden due to a Covid-related illness at the Government Omandurar Medical College Hospital, has been relieving herself in front of other patients and their attendants, including men, for the past week.

As the number of Covid cases has been reducing, the male and female units have been merged, both in the general Covid ward and the Covid ICU, patients said. The hospital’s dean, Dr R Jayanthi, said male and female patients are lodged separately, but photos from patients suggest otherwise.

“Only two screens are provided to cover the patient. So, at least one person can see the patient at all times. This is the case in both ICU and general Covid ward. This adds to the emotional trauma and suffering,” said Valarmathi’s attendant.

Only two screens are provided to cover the patient, so at least one person can see  the patient at all times, said an attendant;

Besides, attendants are again being allowed in Covid wards though the government has prohibited this. Photos shared by patients in the Covid ward show attendants sitting on the beds along with patients.

Valarmathi’s attendant added that the body of a patient who died was only taken away one-and-a-half hours later.

P Ravi, whose father was admitted to the hospital, said the washrooms are seldom cleaned. “There is an unbearable stench, and this adds to the patients’ suffering. When the patient beside my father died, my father started panicking as his body remained there. Though the doctors are doing a great job, the facilities are poor.”

Another patient, on condition of anonymity, said the oxygen concentrators were not working. “They had to check three or four concentrators before finding one that works. But even them the flowmeter knob was not working. Before the number of cases rises again, the government should repair the equipment,” he said.

The dean said she would assess and address the situation.

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'ரஜினிக்கு மட்டும் என்ன ஸ்பெஷல்?'

'ரஜினிக்கு மட்டும் என்ன ஸ்பெஷல்?'

Updated : ஜூன் 29, 2021 07:08 |

சென்னை : 'அமெரிக்கா செல்ல இந்தியர்களுக்கு தடையுள்ள நிலையில், ரஜினி மட்டும் சிகிச்சைக்காக சென்றது மர்மமாக உள்ளது' என, நடிகை கஸ்துாரி கூறியுள்ளார்.

அண்ணாத்த படப்பிடிப்பை முடித்து, அமெரிக்காவுக்கு சென்று சிகிச்சை மேற்கொள்ள திட்டமிட்ட ரஜினி, இதற்காக மத்திய அரசிடம் அனுமதி கேட்டிருந்தார். அனுமதி கிடைத்த நிலையில், கடந்த வாரம் ரஜினிக்கு சிகிச்சை நல்லபடியாக முடிந்துள்ளது. சில வாரம் ஓய்வுக்கு பின், இந்தியா திரும்ப உள்ளார்.

இந்நிலையில், ரஜினி அமெரிக்கா சென்றது குறித்து, நடிகை கஸ்துாரி, 'டுவிட்டரில்' கேள்வி எழுப்பியுள்ளார். அவர் கூறியுள்ளதாவது: கொரோனா காரணமாக, இந்தியர்கள், மே மாதம் முதல் நேரடியாக அமெரிக்கா செல்ல தடை விதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. மருத்துவ விதிவிலக்குகள் எதுவும் வழங்கப்படவில்லை.

பின், எப்படி இந்த நேரத்தில் ரஜினி பயணம் செய்தார்? அவர் அரசியலில் இருந்து விலகியது உள்ளிட்ட எதுவும் சரியாகப் படவில்லை. இதை ரஜினி தான் தெளிவுபடுத்த வேண்டும். அமெரிக்காவில் பணிபுரியும் இந்தியர்கள் அல்லது படிப்பவர்கள் மட்டும், அமெரிக்கா திரும்ப அனுமதிக்கப்படுகிறது. அதுவும் மற்ற நாடுகளின் வழியே தான் அனுமதி கிடைக்கிறது.

ரஜினி, இந்திய அரசிடமிருந்து மருத்துவ விலக்கு பெற்று பயணித்து இருக்கலாம். இந்தியாவில் சிறந்த மருத்துவமனைகள் உள்ள நிலையில், ரஜினிக்கு சிகிச்சை தர முடியாத அளவுக்கு என்ன பாதிப்பு உள்ளது என்பதையும் அவர் தெளிவுபடுத்த வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறியுள்ளார்.

Univ bags 2 patents in 2 months

Univ bags 2 patents in 2 months

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Coimbatore:29.06.2021

Bharathiar University has bagged two patents for its innovative projects in the last two months.

While a patent is for identifying and isolating compounds with anti-diabetic potentials from wild jamun fruit tree, the other is for standardizing a method for recovery of metals from metal bearing solid wastes.

According to a statement from the university, patent application for the former project was filed on September 9, 2015 and after the screening process by the patent committee, the patent was granted on June 25 (Friday). Similarly, the patent application for the latter project was filed on October 1, 2020 and patent was granted on May 18, 2021.

Patent officer and professor T Parimelazhagan said this is the first time that compounds with anti-diabetic properties are found in wild jamun fruit tree, scientifically known as Syzygium mundagam, in the Western Ghats. A professor in the department of botany, Parimelazhagan started to explore the scientific biological properties of the tree. The research in this field was carried out by research scholar Rahul Chandran, who is currently working as a research coordinator in Laser Research centre at the University of Johannesburg.

Parimelazhagan said, “We have identified four compounds that are rich in anti-diabetic properties from the paste of the tree’s bark. We have standardized the process as well.”

The statement said it could be a natural medication with less side effects for treating diabetic patients, cost effective and would benefit a lot of people. Farmers can also gain benefit by cultivating the plant based on the demand and therefore in turn can improve their socioeconomic status.

Another research was done by K Ramachandran, associate professor, department of physics, along with his research scholars R Saravanakumar and PV Anathapadmanabhan.

The statement said their research involved reduction of metal oxides and recovery of metals from the heterogeneous waste of complex oxide mixture containing elements like aluminium, magnesium and iron. It is typical composition of the chromium bearing solid waste dumped in Ranipet district.

“This process is superior and efficient when compared to the conventional bio, hydro and other pyrometallurgical processing of metal bearing wastes. It is fast, environment-friendly and single step process. This process could be used to recover metals such as iron, chromium, nickel, cobal, zinc, manganese and silicon from metal beating wastes,” the statement added.

INNOVATION AT WORK: Bharathiar University got a patent for identifying and isolating compounds with anti-diabetic potentials from wild jamun fruit tree, and another for standardizing a method for recovery of metals from solid wastes