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Telangana: “Medicine from Sky” initiative launched by Jyotiraditya Scindia, K.T. Rama Rao

by Medically Speaking Team September 11, 2021

On Saturday, the Telangana government inaugurated the “Medicine from the Sky” programme, which would use drones to distribute medications to rural locations.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Union Minister for Civil Aviation, and K. T. Rama Rao, the Telangana Minister for Industries and Information Technology, formally launched the initiative in Vikarabad, making Telangana the first state to employ drones to transport medications.

The maiden drone delivered a five kg box of vaccine doses to a community health centre located three kilometres away in 10 minutes.

The first sortie was carried out by a drone built by SkyAir Mobility for its Consortium partner ‘Blue Dart Express’.

Life-saving drugs, vaccines, blood and even organs for transplantation could easily be transported to remote places while saving precious time, Rama Rao said while speaking at the launch event.

‘Medicines from the Sky’ initiative is spearheaded by the Emerging Technologies Wing of the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications in partnership with the World Economic Forum, NITI Aayog, and HealthNet Global (Apollo Hospitals).

The project entails India’s first organised ‘Beyond the Visual Line Of Sight’ (BVLOS) trials as multiple drone consortiums are participating together to establish the use-case of long range drone-based medical deliveries. This is also the first drone programme since the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation had recently liberalised its drone policy.

As the first organised drone delivery programme in Asia, the trials are focused on laying the groundwork for the drone delivery network that will improve access to vital health care supplies for remote and vulnerable communities.

The project has eight participating consortiums comprising of drone operators, experts in healthcare and airspace management, among others, that will demonstrate short and long-range drone-based deliveries to assess the efficacy of low altitude aerial logistics in healthcare.

The launch marks the beginning of nearly a month-long continuous trials by the eight selected consortiums, that have been batched into two per week on a lottery basis. They will conduct BVLOS trials and collect the data from each flight.

The insights from these trials will be used to drive adoption strategy for the state, and also publish reports that highlight Telangana’s experience and how the same can be leveraged by all states across India.

The selected eight consortiums along with their operators are Airserve Consortium (Airserve Initiatives); Bluedart Med Express Consortium (Skye Air); CurisFly Consortium (TechEagle Innovations); Dunzo Med Air Consortium (Skye Air); Flipkart Air Consortium (DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations); Hepicopter Consortium (Marut Drones); Medisky Consortium (Sagar Defence Engineering); Redwing Consortium (Redwing Labs) where each consortium in addition to having a drone operator, also has an UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) partner, and a healthcare/cold-chain partner.

Speaking on the occasion, Scindia said the Union Civil Aviation Ministry’s new drone rules have unlocked the drone industry and the innovation on the principles of trust, self-certification, and non-intrusive monitoring.

“Drones is a frontier technology that can be used to access the otherwise inaccessible areas, and thus allow equitable access to basic services like healthcare for even the farthest and remotest of areas. India is all set to become the drone hub of the world by 2030, and the potential of our innovators is only infinite,” he added.

Minister Rama Rao said Telangana has always acted as a testbed for innovative solutions to support scaling across the nation. “Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted that the healthcare supply chains can be further strengthened, and drones offer a robust value proposition especially when it comes to remote areas and emergencies. The ‘Medicine from the Sky’ is the first-of-its-kind initiative in the country to generate insights that shall benefit the entire ecosystem. The enthusiasm and support by all partners are deeply appreciated,” the Telangana Minister added.

The launch programme was attended by Telangana’s Education Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals, Sangita Reddy, and Vignesh Santhanam, India Lead, Drones & Aerospace, World Economic Forum from the project’s partner organizations.

September 11, 2021 0 comment

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Zydus Cadila’s Covid-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D likely to be launched in early October, say sources

by Medically Speaking Team September 11, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

The Centre is expecting Zydus Cadila’s needle-free coronavirus vaccine ZyCoV-D to be available in early October, according to news agency ANI‘s report.

Indigenously developed Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D last month received approval for Emergency Use Authorisation from the drug regulator, making it the first vaccine in India which would be administered in the age group of 12-18 years.

Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V vaccines are being given to only those above 18 years and unlike ZyCoV-D, which is three-dose, these are administered in two doses.

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) had earlier said that ZyCoV-D is the world’s first DNA-based vaccine against Covid-19 and when injected produces the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits an immune response, which plays a vital role in protection from the disease as well as viral clearance.

It said that interim results from Phase-III clinical trials in over 28,000 volunteers showed primary efficacy of 66.6 per cent for symptomatic RT-PCR positive cases. This has been the largest vaccine trial so far in India for COVID-19, the DBT said.

The Covid-19 vaccine had already exhibited robust immunogenicity and tolerability and safety profile in the adaptive phase one and two clinical trials. Both Phase one/two and Phase three clinical trials have been monitored by an independent data safety monitoring board, the DBT added.

September 11, 2021 0 comment

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USFDA Nod for Zydus Cadila for the treatment of schizophrenia

by Medically Speaking September 11, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

Drug company Zydus Cadila announced on Thursday that Brexpiprazole tablets, used for the treatment of Schizophrenia, have received market approval from the US health regulator in the American market.

Tentual marketing approval for Brexpiprazol tablets of 0.25, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg, 3 mg, and 4 mg was granted to the Company by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), the medicine company said in a statement.

Brexpiprazole is an atypical antipsychotic for the treatment of major depressive disorders (MDD) and schizophrenia, and is indicated as an adjunctive therapy with antidepressants.

Zydus Cadila noted that it would manufacture the drug at its manufacturing facility at the SEZ, Ahmedabad.

The Ahmedabad-based group now has 321 approvals and has so far filed over 400 abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) since the commencement of the filing process in FY 2003-04.

September 11, 2021 0 comment

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11 Times Less Likely To Die Of Covid: US for Fully Vaccinated People

by Medically Speaking September 11, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

Washington: Compared with those not vaccinated, the risk of Covid’s dying was 11 times lower, and 10 times lower, because highly contagious delta was the commonest variant, US health authorities said Friday. Fully vaccinated patients

The figures came from three new documents published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all of which highlighted the continued effectiveness of the Covid vaccines against severe results.

For reasons that are not yet well understood, data from one of the studies suggests Moderna’s vaccine has offered a slightly higher level of protection in the Delta period.

It comes a day after President Joe Biden announced an aggressive new immunization plan that includes requiring companies employing more than 100 people to either vaccinate their workers or test them weekly.

“As we have shown in study after study, vaccination works,” said CDC director Rochelle Walenksy during a press briefing on Friday.

The first study examined hundreds of thousands of cases in 13 US jurisdictions from April 4 – June 19, the period before Delta was dominant, and compared them to June 20 – July 17.

Between these periods, a vaccinated person’s risk of Covid infection rose slightly: from being 11 times less likely to be infected compared to an unvaccinated person, to five times less likely.

Protection against hospitalization and death remained more stable, but fell more among people aged 65 and above than for younger age groups.

The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration are assessing the need for booster shots, and it is likely the elderly will be among the first to receive them when the Biden administration starts to roll them out later this month.

One of the studies, which assessed vaccine effectiveness from June-August at more than 400 hospitals, emergency departments and urgent care clinics, stratified efficacy by brand.

Efficacy against hospitalization was highest for Moderna at 95 percent; then Pfizer at 80 percent; and finally Johnson & Johnson at 60 percent.

Overall efficacy against hospitalization was 86 percent for all age groups but this fell to 76 percent for those over 75.

The two mRNA vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, have always performed slightly better than the J&J adenovirus vector vaccine — possibly because the latter is administered as one dose.

It isn’t clear why Moderna’s vaccine appears to have a slight edge on Pfizer in the Delta period.

It could be linked to its higher dosing level of 100 micrograms versus 30 micrograms, or possibly the greater interval between the first and second shots (four versus three weeks), which might be associated with a heightened immune response.

September 11, 2021 0 comment

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Covid case Update: India reports 33,376 new cases, 308 deaths

by Medically Speaking Team September 11, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

On Saturday, India recorded 33,376 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours. This is down 4.6 percent from the daily case count of 34,973 cases on Friday. There are currently 3,91,516 active cases in the country, which is 870 higher than the previous day’s total.

Additionally, India reported 308 Covid-19 fatalities in 24 hours on Saturday, taking the total reported toll to 4,42,317.

A total of 32,198 patients recovered from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing India’s total recoveries to 3,23,74,497. India’s recovery rate now stands at 97.49 per cent.

The weekly positivity rate in the country is 2.26 per cent. It has been less than three per cent for the last 78 days. The daily positivity rate is 2.10 per cent currently. A total of 15,92,135 samples were tested for Covid in the last 24 hours.

India administered a total of 65,27,175 Covid-19 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of doses administered across the country under the nationwide vaccination drive to 73,05,89,688.

September 11, 2021 0 comment

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OperationNEET: NEET 2021 Paper Leaking Reports on Internet Abuzz

by Medically Speaking September 11, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

The New Delhi Conference: Tens of thousands of medical candidates, the AISF, the NSUI (National Students Union of India, etc.) and others on Twitter have recorded their concern over the matter using #OperationNEET. Focusing on reports on NEET 2021 paper leaks. NSUI and AISF have demanded a high-level investigation of the case because the student fraternity has suffered sufficiently.

According to reports on the TV channel showing a Mafias dealing with NEET question papers, social media are abused by the news of the alleged NEET paper leak.

September 11, 2021 0 comment

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In October, US Decision Pfizer COVID-19 shot at children aged 5-11, sources say

by Medically Speaking September 11, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

The two sources familiar with the situation said Friday that top U.S. health workers believe Pfizer Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine could be authorised by the end of October for children aged 5-11 years.

The timeline is based on the expectation that Pfizer, which developed the shot with Germany’s BioNTech, will have enough data from clinical trials to seek emergency use authorization (EUA) for that age group from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) towards the end of this month, the sources said.

They anticipate the FDA could make a decision on whether the shot is safe and effective in younger children within three weeks of the EUA submission.

Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci outlined the timetable during an online town hall meeting attended by thousands of staff at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Friday, according to one of the sources. A second source familiar with the situation said that the FDA anticipated a similar timeline for Pfizer.

If Pfizer submits its EUA by the end of September, and the data support its use, “by the time we get to October, the first couple of weeks of October… the Pfizer product will likely be ready,” Dr. Fauci said, according to the source. Dr. Fauci said that Moderna Inc will likely take about three weeks longer than Pfizer to collect and analyze its data on children age 5-11, according to the source. He estimated that a decision on the Moderna shot could come around November,according to the source. The second source said Dr. Fauci’s timeline for Moderna appeared “optimistic.”

NIH officials did not immediately comment on the Dr. Fauci remarks.

Pfizer has said that it would have data on children age 5-11 ready in September and planned to submit for an EUA shortly after. Previously, federal health regulators, including Dr. Fauci have suggested that an FDA decision might come in November or later. Moderna on Thursday told investors it expected data from its children’s study by the end of the year.

September 11, 2021 0 comment

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SC refuses to defer NEET exam, Experts suggest tips to maintain stress free mind in the days left

by Medically Speaking Team September 10, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

The Supreme Court rejected granting any ruling in favour of the petitioner students on Monday, dismissing a petition seeking a deferral of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance test (NEET) UG 2021. According to the Supreme Court, the examination will go place on September 12 as planned.

The Court refused to intervene in the exam date because it would cause “pain and strain” to the 1.6 million NEET applicants.

Several students appearing for NEET have been demanding the deferment of the exam for some time now and they even started trending hashtags such as #delayNEETUG and #postponeneetUG2021tilloctober etc.

The students pointed out on Twitter how the exam was clashing with several other examination dates such as CBSE private and improvement and ICAR.

Responding to this, Dr Kaushal Verma, Professor of Dermatology from AIIMS, told Medically Speaking that, “NEET has been administering the test for quite some time, and we’ve been telling and asking of other significant institutions that we’ll be taking exams on this day, and that you must schedule your tests around ours. We need to schedule the dates such that they are convenient for everyone and that we have enough time to study for the exam.”

“When the date was determined, I feel a clear decision should have been made. The candidates are informed that they will have thus much time in three months, and that exams will be held for which they must prepare. This is how AIIMS conducted exams, collaborating with other exam-conducting agencies. We had a set system in place where tests were held on a specific day, regardless of the day or holiday,” he added.

“My advise is to get a good night’s sleep and watch something entertaining because there are just a few days left and not much can be managed in that time. Whatever you’ve learned so far will be extremely beneficial to you, and you must have complete confidence in it. Relax, spend your time calmly, and maintain a stress-free mind,” Dr Verma recommended the aspirants to mitigate their anxiety in the days prior to the exam.

September 10, 2021 0 comment

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Prioritizing suicide prevention is a pressing issue

by Medically Speaking September 10, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

Since 2003, World Suicide Prevention Day has been observed on September 10th to raise awareness about one of today’s most pervasive health issues: mental health and suicide. It emphasises the idea that suicide may be avoided with prompt intervention and aims to create awareness about the need of taking preventative steps to minimise suicides all over the world.

International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) organizes hundreds of events along with World Health Organisation to raise awareness on suicide prevention in more than 60 countries

The theme set for this year is ‘Creating Hope Through Action’ which seeks to highlight how helping people showing symptoms of distress can lead them on the path of well-being and prevent them from taking the extreme step of ending their life. It aims to highlight that there is always an alternative which can lead on to better things in life.

According to National Crimes Record Bureau (NCRB), more than 1.39 lakh Indians died by suicide in the year 2019; 67 percent of which were young adults (18-45 years). There was a four percent rise in young adults committing suicide and 3.8 per cent rise in overall deaths.

This data is believed to have worsened as pandemic brought with it numerous insecurities and tough life decisions. Majority of people agreed that their mental health worsened due to the pandemic according to the findings; fear of catching the virus, health risks, no social gatherings, losing a loved one, anxiety associated with job losses could have been some of the possible reasons for mental health deterioration.

There are many complex reasons pushing people to take this extreme step of suicide like financial losses, debt, abuse, and physical illness amongst others. But experts suggest that noting warning signs and providing treatment to vulnerable people can have a great impact in reducing the number.

Awareness around how to spot signs of depression and mental health issues which enables the identification, intervention and ultimately prevention of suicides all around the world is the very motive behind celebrating the day.

September 10, 2021 0 comment

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Saveetha Dental College & Hospital is the first hospital to complete 10000 implant surgeries in the country

by Medically Speaking September 10, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

Tamil Nadu, Chennai, India (NewsVoir) Saveetha Dental College and Hospital today announce that 10,000 implantation procedures have been successfully performed with an average success rate of 99.6 percent, the highest in the country. On the morning of 7 September 2021, the hospital also revealed that the team completed a 10000th operation.

On celebrating this landmark achievement, Saveetha Dental Hospital is inaugurating “SMILING FACES” a free awareness and screening campaign for implant treatment. Dr. Deepak Nallaswamy, Director Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences said, “In India Prevelance of edentulism (patients with missing teeth) is 16.3% that is 22,75,25,961 patients are in need of teeth replacement. With missing teeth, there are a host of other things that you miss too. Things like your natural smile or not being able to eat the food that you desire or just missing the taste of life itself. One may also experience muscle strains and discomfort as the remaining teeth shift. Dental Implants at saveetha are the most effective tooth replacement option and cost effective too. Most dental Implants cost INR 30,000 to 60,000 in most centres.

Although our facility is the most sophisticated in the country, we offered these implants free of cost for the past 8 years. Even if we take the lower end of the charges, the value of free therapy done by the centre is more than 32 Crores, even the material charges were completely subsidised by the institution. Saveetha is proud to make such high end therapy accessible to the most economically challenged sectors of the society.” “In addition, People who have just recovered from COVID-19 it will beneficial to get checked for mucormycosis (Black Fungus). Black fungus has a high spreading potential and if not treated in time especially in diabetic patients. In most cases, surgery is required by removal of the infected bone before the fungus could damage other parts along with antifungal medications. Early detection is important,” said Dr. Deepak.

“It is a proud moment and congratulations for all the dental doctors for achieving this milestone, At Saveetha Dental College and Hospital Implantology Department has infrastructure worth 20 crores dedicated for implant therapy. 10,000 sq. ft. centre with 50 dental surgeons, 12 physio-dispensers, most advanced real-time navigation surgery, sophisticated software, 3D printers, CBCT and many advanced surgical facilities. and many advanced surgical facilities making it the go to destination of quality, subsidised implant therapy,” said Dr. NM Veeraiyan, Founder and Chancellor Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences. Saveetha Dental College is the first education institution to incorporate implant training for under graduates (UG).

Also postgraduates and practitioners from other institutions join for training after degree completion; So far more than 500 foreign practitioners were trained at saveetha dental campus. Image: 10000th Implant surgery at saveetha Dental College and Hospital PWR PWR

September 10, 2021 0 comment

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