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After Ministry Of AYUSH’s Surya Namaskar Programme, Freedom From Diabetes Conducts 108 Surya Namaskar Event On Ratha Saptami

by Pragati Singh
written by Pragati Singh

After Ministry of AYUSH’s global Surya Namaskar demonstration programme on the occasion of Makar Sankranti last month, India’s leading organisation specializing in Diabetes Reversal – Freedom from Diabetes (FFD) held a virtual worldwide event to perform 108 Surya Namaskars on the auspicious occasion of Ratha Saptami which fell on 7th Feb 2022. To celebrate the birth anniversary of Lord Surya, close to 500 individuals across ages ranging from 19 to 73 years, from 118 cities across 17 countries attempted to perform 108 cycles of Surya Namaskar at a stretch. Under the guidance of FFD’s founder – Dr Pramod Tripathi, over 300 participants successfully managed to perform 108 Surya Namaskars.

Ratha Saptami falls on the seventh day of February and is symbolically represented in the form of the Sun God Surya turning his chariot drawn by seven horses towards the northern hemisphere. Surya Namaskar, a combination of 8 asanas, performed in 12 steps, in coordination with mind and the body, is practiced as a salutation to the Sun to express gratitude for its life-giving and nourishing properties.

“Last month, the Ministry of AYUSH hosted a global Surya Namaskar demonstration programme for 7.5 million individuals on Makar Sankranti. This exercise was an extension to India’s efforts in promoting Yoga as a sustainable lifestyle for everyone. At FFD, we too firmly believe in the power of Yoga and performing Surya Namaskar on Ratha Saptami was our attempt to promote the practice further. Also, practicing Surya Namaskar is one of the basic steps in the diabetes reversal programme offered to our participants. We are glad that in our small way we could encourage individuals to practice Surya Namaskar through this activity,” says Dr Pramod Tripathi, Founder, FFD.

Dr Pramod Tripathi is a pioneer of diabetes reversal in India. Since 2013, through his FFD initiative, he has helped 11314 diabetics free themselves from dependency on either insulin or medicines or both. He is currently on a mission to free 100,000 diabetics by 2025.

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Health
Maharashtra

BA.2 sub-lineage of Omicron now dominant in Pune, says IISER

by Vaishali Sharma
written by Vaishali Sharma

As per the genome sequencing data for Pune city, 100% of the samples sequenced by the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) have tested positive for the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes Covid-19. A month ago, most of the samples tested positive for the Delta sub-lineage which was fast replaced by Omicron, the primary variant driving the third wave numbers. Experts now believe that since the second half of January, the BA.2 variant has become completely dominant and whether or not and how these mutations affect the severity of symptoms and the transmission rate is yet to be studied.\

In plotting the number of samples sequenced at the institute and the sub-lineage reported by the institute, while the sub-lineage of Delta, AY lineage, was the most dominant strain in the samples up until mid-December 2021, Omicron fast started catching up and within a month, became the dominant strain. December 2021 and January 2022 saw a surge in the third wave when more new Covid-19 cases were reported, and Omicron was reported to be the primary variant. Within a few weeks, it was reported that Omicron, too, was mutating and reporting multiple sub-lineages such as BA 1 and BA 2. According to experts at IISER, Omicron has completely taken over since mid-January and 100% of the samples sequenced in the week between January 16 and 22 were Omicron and experts have now said that the BA.2 sub-lineage of the variant is the most dominant one currently.

Dr Krishanpal Karmodiya, lead scientist involved with the genome sequencing, said, “Currently, Omicron’s BA.2 is completely dominant. It is everywhere including in the hospitalised cases and also at our homes. However with the numbers going down, we do not think it is more transmissible or requires any specific change in treatment as there appears to be no specific change in the symptoms. There has been a drop in the number of cases currently and so, it would be too early to comment on the picture in February however we can say that in January, BA. 2 was the dominant strain.”

Although Omicron did drive the numbers, the data also showed that Delta and its sub-lineages continued to remain significant in the city’s samples up until the end of December 2021 for samples sequenced at the IISER laboratory.

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Case StudiesMaharashtra

Maharashtra’s first Omicron patient has tested negative, got discharged from the hospital

by Pragati Singh
written by Pragati Singh

According to news agency PTI, Maharashtra’s first patient of the Omicron type of Covid-19, a 33-year-old marine engineer, has tested negative for the virus. The unvaccinated guy, a resident of the Kalyan-Dombivli municipal district in Mumbai, had flown in from South Africa through Dubai before flying to Mumbai in the latter week of November. According to a civic official, he was released from the hospital on Wednesday and told to stay in quarantine at home for seven days.
The man sought to be vaccinated but was apparently unable to do so since he was working on a private merchant naval ship and had left the nation during the peak of the outbreak in April of this year. At the time, vaccine doses were exclusively available to healthcare and frontline personnel.

The Maharashtra health authorities had then sent his swab samples for genome sequencing and the test report later confirmed that he was carrying the Omicron strain.

He had been admitted to a COVID Care Centre in Kalyan town, from where he was discharged at 6 pm on Wednesday, Commissioner of the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) Dr Vijay Suryavanshi told reporters. “Incidentally, it was his birthday today,” the Commissioner added.

“He was discharged as he tested negative for the infection. As per the standard protocol, his two RT-PCR tests were conducted and both came out negative. He is perfectly all right now and there are no symptoms,” he said

Maharashtra has so far reported 10 cases of the Omicron variant.

Maharashtra has issued strict guidelines for international travelers, particularly from “at-risk” countries. State Minister Aaditya Thackeray has also urged the Centre to allow booster shots, reduce the vaccine gap and bring down the cut-off age for inoculations to 15.

The state government has said that Mumbai has covered 100 per cent of those eligible with the first vaccine shot and more than 73 per cent have received the second.Amid the virus scare, 109 out of 295 recent foreign returnees to the township in the Thane district of the state were reported untraceable on Tuesday. Mr Suryavanshi had said the mobile phones of some of these people were switched off while many of the last given addresses were found to be locked.

 

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: 2 doctors, nurse from Nair Hospital suspended for suspected medical negligence after 4-months old infant dies

by Pragati Singh
written by Pragati Singh

Two physicians and a nurse from Nair Hospital have been suspended for suspected medical malpractice.

According to Suresh Kakani, assistant commissioner, BMC, the decision was made after a 4-month-old infant died, resulting in a delay in treatment.
“A committee has been constituted to investigate the incident, and action will be taken against anyone found culpable,” he continued.

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Covid News and UpdatesMaharashtra

Four more international passengers found Covid positive in mumbai

by Pragati Singh
written by Pragati Singh

Following the threat posed by the new Covid-19 variant Omicron, four additional foreign travellers from ‘risk nations’ were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in Mumbai. This brings the overall number of cases in the city to five.

One of the four new infected patients came on November 10: a 21-year-old guy from London. Then there’s the 47-year-old guy from Mauritius who arrived on November 25. A 39-year-old male traveller from South Africa who arrived in Mumbai also tested positive. The fourth is a 25-year-old guy from London who came on Wednesday. A quick antigen test revealed that he had Covid-19.

All four patients have been transferred to Seven Hills Hospital and are asymptomatic. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing to see if they are infected with Omicron pathogens.

 

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COVID-19
Maharashtra

Maha govt announces new Covid SOP’s, denies centre missive

by Vaishali Sharma
written by Vaishali Sharma

The Union Health Ministry informed Maharashtra on Wednesday that its revised guidelines for international travellers, following the emergence of the Omicron variant, are “in divergence” with Central norms, and urged it to “align” them for “uniform implementation” in the latest tussle between the Centre and Maharashtra over Covid norms.

However, Maharashtra Chief Secretary Debashish Chakraborty told The Indian Express that the state will not “amend or revise” its guidelines — for now. Later, official sources indicated that there “might be some changes” Thursday with revisions to some restrictions.

“Under the Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Diseases Act, the state government holds the power to put in additional conditions to prevent the spread of the virus. So the state, acting in accordance with its authority, has decided not to mend or revise the current guidelines issued for international passengers,” he said.

According to Chakraborty, the Centre’s communication is “an advisory, not a compulsion”. “There are basic requirements that need to be observed, which we are following. In future, if any changes need to be made, considering the local situation and convenience of international passengers, we will consider them,” he said.

Earlier Wednesday, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote to Maharashtra Additional Chief Secretary Dr Pradeep Kumar Vyas that four specific guidelines passed by the state for international travellers are “in divergence with the SoPs and guidelines issued” by the Ministry.

According to the Centre, the four key points of divergence are:

* Mandatory RT-PCR testing of all international travellers at Mumbai airport, irrespective of country of origin. The Centre has mandated such testing only for those from “at risk” nations.

* Mandatory 14-day home quarantine for all international passengers who test negative upon arrival. The Centre had specified seven days.

* Mandatory RT-PCR test for passengers planning to take connecting flights after disembarking at Mumbai; further travel is subject to a negative RT-PCR result. The Centre does not have such a norm.

* Requirement of negative RT-PCR test 48 hours prior to date of journey for domestic passengers travelling from other states to Maharashtra, irrespective of vaccination status. The Centre has not issued such a guideline.

“I would, therefore, urge you to align the orders issued by the state with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health…so that uniform implementation of the guidelines may be ensured across all states. I would also advise that such modified orders of the state government are given wide publicity to obviate any inconvenience to travellers,” Bhushan wrote.

Maharashtra has also mandated institutional quarantine of seven days for all passengers coming from “at-risk countries”, which is not part of the Centre’s latest guidelines.

This is not the first time that the Centre and Maharashtra have differed over issues linked to Covid, particularly after Maharashtra flagged the issue of vaccine shortage and lack of adequate medical oxygen supply several times.

On April 7, the then Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, responding to remarks from Maharashtra’s Ministers on vaccine shortage, had said that there were “deplorable attempts” by the state government to “distract attention from their failures and spread panic among the people”.

On April 17, Union Railways and Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had posted on Twitter that he was “saddened to see” Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s “gimmicks” on oxygen, claiming that Maharashtra had received the maximum quantity of oxygen in the country.

This story has been published from a syndicate feed with some changes to the text and headline.

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Missing
Maharashtra

MBBS student goes missing while on her way to college in Mumbai

by Vaishali Sharma
written by Vaishali Sharma

Since Monday, a 22-year-old MBBS student at Grant Medical College (GMC), popularly known as JJ hospital, has been missing.

Swadichchha Manish Sane, according to the police, left her home in Boisar to take an internal preliminary examination but never arrived at the college. At the police station in Boisar, a missing person report has been filed. On Monday afternoon, the third-year MBBS student was last seen at Bandra train station. “Now, the Boisar police are questioning her classmates,” said an officer.

“She always wanted to be a doctor and studied with dedication to get admission in JJ hospital. On Monday morning, while leaving, she told me that she would be back Tuesday evening after giving the last exam,” said her father Manish Sane, a writer.

Swadichchha had gone home in Diwali and was attending online classes since then.

Dattatreya Shinde, SP of Palghar district, said that police are trying to trace Swadichchha.

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OMICRON
MaharashtraCovid News and Updates

No new Omicron case detected in Maha, claims govt

by Vaishali Sharma
written by Vaishali Sharma

According to senior government authorities, no cases of the novel Omicron form of coronavirus have been discovered in India. They further said that two clusters are being looked into, one in Maharashtra and the other in Karnataka.

The explanation comes a day after a man in Dombivli, Maharashtra’s Thane district, tested positive for Covid-19. On November 24, he flew from Cape Town to Dombivli.

The man’s samples were sent to be genotyped to see if he was infected with the Omicron strain.

Meanwhile, Karnataka has ordered precautionary measures in the Kerala bordering districts of Dakshina Kannada, Madikeri, Chamarajanagar, and Mysuru. Covid is quite common among those who come from Kerala, according to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The state administration has also asked the federal government to put a ban on travellers from South Africa, Hong Kong, and Botswana.
The variation first appeared in southern Africa earlier this month, and the World Health Organization has designated it as a variant of concern (WHO). It has spread to 15 nations so far.
In the aftermath of the new strain, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked people to exercise cautious. He was speaking to the press ahead of the start of Parliament’s winter session.
India has stated that overseas travellers will be subjected to severe scrutiny, particularly those travelling from countries classified as “at danger” by the government.

Japan on Monday joined the growing list of countries which have announce ban on travel to southern African countries. “We are banning the entry of foreigners from all countries starting November 30,” Sputnik reported quoting Kishida as saying today.

Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands have already stopped flights from southern Africa.

The Omicron variant contains at least 30 mutations, more than any other previous strain. It is also believed to be resistant to vaccines, though scientists have sought more studies.

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Maharashtra

Nagpur Municipal Corp reaches out to transgenders, destitute and beggars for Covid jab

by Vaishali Sharma
written by Vaishali Sharma

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), that plans to push Covid immunisation through a door-to-door campaign, has reached out to around 1,500 low-income people who lack identification.

“These were beggars, destitute, transgenders and religious monks who do not have any identification papers but needed to be vaccinated,” said officials.

Deputy NMC commissioner Ram Joshi said it can happen through special camps — a facility available in the Co-Win app itself.

Dr Gowardhan Nawghare, immunization officer of the NMC, said, “Inmates in jails and mental hospitals have been covered under such drives apart from those living in destitute like the missionaries of charity’s shelter at Katol Road.” Vaccination of transgenders was done through NGO Sarthi trust. Another NGO Beti Bachao also took part in the drive. The homeless found near Cotton Market have also been vaccinated in a similar manner.

“If a person does not have any document as ID proof, there is a special provision in the Co-Win app. Such persons’ names can be registered against the credentials of any other person who refers them. Even a single ID proof is enough with which an entire group can be vaccinated on the basis of a single ID document,” said Nawghare. Even the NMC officials are providing their ID documents for the purpose, added an official.

The NMC has taken up the cases through NGOs.However, such persons would also be covered the door-to-door campaign planned by the civic body,” said Nawghare.Elderly who do not have any papers or even the underprivileged can be covered under the door-to-door drive.Such persons are expected to be working in shops or taking up similar callings in the unorganized sector.

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MaharashtraMedical College News

PMC has begun preparations for launch of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College

by Pragati Singh
written by Pragati Singh

PUNE: With the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) intending to open a medical college in former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s name this academic year, the municipal body’s standing committee has authorised a total of 1.97 crore for furniture and over 62 lakh for the first purchase of various books.

“The PMC has gotten all the requisite permits for building a new medical institution in the name of former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee,” said standing committee chairman Hemant Rasane. The PMC is putting up the appropriate equipment at Baburao Sanas school as admissions begin this year.” Staff recruitment for the medical college is nearing completion, according to Rasane, and the standing committee has authorised a budget of 62.51 lakh for the purchase of various publications.

Earlier on October 16, the central government gave its clearance for the PMC-run Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College to begin from this academic year. The medical college will be located at and attached to the Kamala Nehru hospital and Naidu hospital in the city. This year, a total 100 students will get admission and constitute the first batch.

A central government team had previously visited the PMC and raised objections but the mayor and municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar subsequently met Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya in the capital to sort out various issues.

Rasane said, “The PMC has established the pathological ward at Kamala Nehru hospital which spans an area of 2,200 square feet. The standing committee has already decided to run this ward with the help of Poona Medical and Relief and Research Centre.” The PMC has also approved the rates for various tests and all tests will have to be conducted at the decided rates only.

After B J Medical college, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College will be the second government-run medical college in the city. The PMC has formed a trust to run the college and is hoping that trainees from the college will serve in PMC-run hospitals.

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