Chennai Corporation gets TB diagnostic machines
12 POLICY AND REGULATORY NEWS l
BioSpectrum | November 2017 | www . biospectrumindia . com
Chennai Corporation gets TB diagnostic machines
Chennai Corporation has procured ten GeneXpert tuberculosis detection machines from National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis ( NIRT ) as part of the ‘ Stop TB Partnership ’ programme . The civic body aims to have one such machine at one urban primary health centre ( UPHC ) in each zone . GeneXpert machines will make the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis , the bacterium that causes TB , more accurate and faster than the commonly used smear test . Five more machines will be procured for five more zones under the corporation .
The GenXpert uses a chemical test that works at the molecular level to detect TB bacteria using a sputum sample . Unlike the smear test , the diagnosis takes barely an hour or two .
Sputum smear , the usual way of testing TB , is not very accurate and takes two to three weeks for results . Apart from detecting the bacterium , the GeneXpert machine can also detect the resistance of the patient to Rifampicin , the most commonly used drug to treat the illness .
In Chennai , an estimated 203 out of 10,000 people are said to have the disease , which was added to the list of notifiable diseases in 2012 . TB-DOTS ( directly observed treatment , short-course ) and treatment for MDR-TB ( Multi-Drug Resistant TB ) is available at all UPHCs in the city . Last year , in Chennai , the number of individuals tested for TB was 74,782 , out of which 7,990 patients were diagnosed with TB . The treatment success rate was 80 per cent .
Government to develop IISERs into eminent institutes
After Indian Institutes of Technology ( IITs ) and Indian Institutes of Management ( IIMs ), the central government is aiming to make its relatively new set of institutions , Indian Institutes of Science and Education Research ( IISERs ), as one of their institutes of eminence .
IISERs , which are barely 10-year-old institutions , working mostly in the field of research , have been asked by the ministry to focus on industry partnerships for research and generate funds in collaborative projects . The department of higher education in the ministry that handles IISERs is simultaneously also working on a roadmap to develop them as their trademark institutions .
Since the institutions are new , their research output is not as much as the IITs and other institutes of eminence . The ministry , however , is impressed by the progress that these institutions have exhibited in the limited time span and hence wants to develop them further . To streamline focus on research and attract the youth to pursue research projects , the ministry had earlier announced a Rs 70,000 stipend per month to scholars under the Prime Minister ’ s fellowship scheme .
Manipur plans health schemes for the poor
The Government of Manipur is planning to introduce a health insurance scheme to benefit the poor and needy people . Speaking at the inaugural session of the 22nd Annual Conference of the Association of Surgeons of India , Manipur State Chapter ( ASIMANICON – 2017 ) at Regional Institute of Medical Sciences ( RIMS ) Jubilee Hall in Imphal recently , Chief Minister N Biren Singh urged the medical fraternity to empathize with patients and their worried parties while discharging their valuable services .
Maintaining that problems related to health have a critical impact on the development and prosperity of the country , Singh expressed hope that the outcome of the conference would help in policy formation of the Government in this regard . The Chief Minister also assured that he would do whatever possible in his capacity to ensure that shortage of infrastructure and technologies do not come in the way of providing quality healthcare to the people . Urging the medical fraternity to keep up the spirit of humanity and kindness which are the true traits of a healer , the Chief Minister also stated that the Government would not tolerate any harassment meted out to health personnel and damage caused to medical properties .