Vikas Vaidya

By Vikas Vaidya, What does she get to learn in her school? Manjusha Vijay Maske, a second standard girl of E-Anganwadi at Fetri village, with shy smile replies, “Everything!”  Does her teacher read out the things on the blackboard to the students? “No! The board says all the things, we get to see it and listen,” comes the reply from that little child. Manjusha learns in E-anganwadi set up in Fetri, a village adopted by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, just 20 km away from Nagpur. Fetri is a recent example of how a small village can be transformed into a fantastic livable place if a powerful politician adopts it and lets it grow in a different way. Fadnavis adopted it responding to the call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had asked all MLAs, MLCs, MPs in the country to adopt one village and develop it.  Fetri has all amenities being developed, including, state of the art hospital, e-Anganwadi, posh administrative office, good infrastructure. T...

Pratik Harde, Prateek Malhotra and Ritu Malhotra By Vikas Vaidya In most houses leftover food is either dumped in sink, bathroom, toilet or by roadside. Often, food containers get stuck in drains leading to choking of drainage line making it difficult for anybody to clear it. The unclear drain, drainage lines and leftovers thrown by roadside pose health hazards to not only the dwellers but also other residents. Taking cognisance of health and hygiene of citizens, three young Nagpurians have come up with a solution -- Ezy Liquid Disposal Bin and Ezy Vomit Bag -- to the growing problem. Their innovation is not only useful in clean disposal of liquid waste but also in converting it in hybrid fertiliser. Acknowledging its usefulness, the product was adjudged ‘The Best Innovation’ by Godrej recently. The young innovators are Pratik Harde, Prateek and Ritu Malhotra. The trio has founded ‘Innovations’ through which they have come up with three more products and acquire...

By Vikas Vaidya With a view to bring transparency in transfers of doctors working in Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) in Maharashtra, Department of Medical Education and Research (DMER) has decided to consider the grading of doctors for choice transfers. This is probably for the first time in the country that such a decision would be implemented. Till now doctors transferred and most of them got those posting canceled through their various contacts or some never joined the duties at new places. It resulted in services getting hampered. According to sources in Mantralaya these transfers have become headache for the ministries. To find the way out of it, Medical Education department has come up with the solution of providing grading to doctors. Girish Mahajan, Minister of Medical Education told ‘The Hitavada’, “To get the gradation, doctors will have to upload their profile details on department’s website. A, B, C, D gradation will be given as per the details of individual doctors...

By Vikas Vaidya Most of the students be they of any education-medical, engineering, science, commerce, art-- lack in leadership skills, lack in communication skills, lack in efforts of self enhancement and most important they don’t have research aptitude. Considering all these aspects, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) has revamped academic structure of medical education. The change will not only compel students to do research, develop various skills but also provide them platform which was not available till now. The change is made in four parts, namely: Capacity building; providing platforms to faculty, students to present themselves; Decentralisation of academic activities and collaborations. Capacity Building Dr Mohan Khamgaonkar, Pro-Vice Chancellor of MUHS who was in Nagpur elaborated the revamp while talking to ‘The Hitavada’. “Under the capacity building aspect we trained 300 people from all pathies for research, communication skill, leadership skills. W...

By Vikas Vaidya The cochlear implant procedure, through which deaf children can be able to hear, has taken momentum with Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH) completing 13 such procedures and facility now started at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) too. With the facility started at both the public health institutions, the poor patients who otherwise were hesitant to go for it because of the cost involved in it, would be benefited largely. Fully dedicated Cochlear Implant Unit and Care Facility at GMCH was inaugurated at the hands of Dr Viral Kamdar, President of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Institute of Medical Sciences and Human Resources in presence of Padmashree Dr Milind V Kirtane, noted cochlear implant surgeon and pioneer in the field; Dr Abhimanyu Niswade, Dean, GMCH and faculty members of various disciplines of GMCH. The Cochlear Implant (CI) Unit has a fully dedicated team to manage all the aspects. The aspects include assessment of p...

By Vikas Vaidya What could be termed as mockery, Public Health Department of Maharashtra has sanctioned a meagre amount of Rs 70 for providing food per patient admitted in its own hospitals throughout the State. This food provision includes two-times tea, morning breakfast, lunch and dinner. According to some doctors in Nagpur, sanctioning such a meagre amount for providing food will not only lead to corruption but also result in not getting proper food to patients. Because one can not hire quality food service in just Rs 70. There are 495 hospitals under the department including rural hospitals, sub-district hospitals, general hospitals, women hospitals, district hospitals. The service of providing food to patients was discontinued and Government was considering to restart the service. The amount sanctioned for the food service in all these hospitals is Rs 47.28 crore. If this much amount is taken into account then daily every patient would get Rs 70 for his or her food. As per ...

By Vikas Vaidya A man, aged over 80 years, went to a city hospital with a complaint of fever. A very senior doctor suspected a positive dengue and advised hospitalisation. The old man was admitted to the hospital. His tests for dengue came negative and he was discharged. But a new disease has afflicted him-- Cellulitis, a potentially dangerous bacterial infection that affects the deeper layers of skin. Cellulitis can develop anywhere on the body, but in adults, it most commonly affects the skin of the lower legs. In this old man’s case, Cellulitis proved to be very dangerous because he was already suffering from Varicose Veins. In patients of Varicose Veins, Cellulitis can be a fatal as Varicose Veins are enlarged, swollen, twisted blood vessels often caused by damaged or faulty valves that allow blood to travel in the wrong direction. This infection he carried came after his stay in hospital. This is one of the several cases of Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI), people get admitte...

By Vikas Vaidya For many years there was a general impression that only 11th and 12th standard students would bunk their regular classes in their schools or junior colleges and devoutly attend highly paid tuition classes. But that even students pursuing medical education too following the same path, has come as a great revelation mixed with surprise and shock. Those studying in Government medical colleges across the State are learnt to be skipping their regular classes in colleges and take lessons in medicine in private tuition classes, to the extent that they even bunk the clinical tutorials in the medical colleges because they find no utility of classes in their colleges. Deans of some of the GMCs, Professors and even some students confirmed this shocking revelation. The medical fraternity says, there is a difference between poor attendance in Class XI, XII and in MBBS. The reason behind it is medical education has some different components that have direct connection with human ...

By Vikas Vaidya Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) has decided to come down heavily upon colleges which want to go for continuation of affiliation but running with teachers sans University approval. If these colleges fail to take required measures, University will freeze the admissions of such colleges, to be done for academic year 2019-20. Some colleges have permanent affiliation so they do not have to follow the required procedure. But the colleges which have to get themselves affiliated to the university every year (continuation of affiliation) have to follow the new rule. The Deans committee of University has prepared the guidelines under which they frame the new rule. At present most of the colleges have teachers with recognition from university. But this letter will not work as per the new rule. University circular says, every department of all colleges must have teacher appointed by selection procedure involving university. The selection procedure condu...

By Vikas Vaidya A TEAM of doctors at a city hospital performed a unique medical procedure where it transplanted two organs in one patient in a single operation. This procedure was conducted in New Era Hospital, Lakadganj on Sunday. The emotional part deals with the courage and humanity shown by parents of the boy whose organs were donated to a patient in the hospital. The parents are labourers and the poor 23-year-old deceased too was working with them on daily wages. Suraj Manohar Dudhpachare, a resident of Suradevi, Koradi had met with an accident on Koradi-Mahadula road when his two-wheeler was knocked by a speedy truck on November 15. Suraj suffered serious injuries including severe ones to his head. He was brought to New Era Hospital. Dr Nilesh Agrawal, Neuro-Surgeon, took lot of efforts to save the patient. But since Suraj was critical the efforts of Dr Agrawal went in vain. Finally Dr Agrawal, Dr Parag Moon, Dr Amol Kokas and Dr Sahil Bansal declared Suraj as brain dead on...

By Vikas Vaidya TEARS of happiness rolled down the eyes of a poor couple from Madhya Pradesh when doctors at Super Specialty Hospital (SSH) successfully extracted an open safety pin stuck in the esophagus of their two-year-old child, on Tuesday. Anushka Gaigwal, a two-year-old girl from district Mandla, Madhya Pradesh had swallowed the safety pin tied to her sweater on November 17. The poor parents -- Mahesh and Lata -- working as labourers immediately realised the danger and took her to Jabalpur’s Medical Hospital. Unfortunately the hospital did not have facilities so the child was brought to Paediatric Department at Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur. Doctors at the department recognised the gravity of the issue and decided to shift Anushka to Super Specialty Hospital. On Tuesday, Dr Sudhir Gupta, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology at SSH checked her and immediately decided to perform a medical procedure to remove the pin that was open and could have caused...

By Vikas Vaidya Observing fast for eight hours daily and eating raw food can make one disease-free. One may find this theory as absurd, but B V Chauhan from Gujarat is practising it for the last 26 years and he is disease-free. He calls this theory as New Diet System and is sharing his personal experiences with common public with an appeal to follow the practice if they can. Chauhan is in Nagpur to deliver lectures organised by ‘Eat Smart, Live Longer Club’ on ‘Enter the Medicine Free World with New Diet System’ to be held on November 24 and 25. While talking to ‘The Hitavada’ at the residence of Vedprakash Jaiswal, Chauhan elaborates the concept of New Diet System (NDS). “After waking up in the morning, one must observe fast for eight hours  during which one should not eat food, not drink anything other than water. After that fast, one should consume Amla juice. Never drink tea or coffee. And, never eat any food grains as well. Once you join the NDS, all you will cons...

By Vikas Vaidya Taking serious cognizance of rising cases of cancer in Vidarbha, Maharashtra Government has decided to strengthen cancer treatment provided in hospitals run by Government. Accordingly Department of Medical Education in State will be installing ultra-modern equipment worth Rs 198 crore at Radiotherapy department at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) at Nagpur. At a high level meeting held at Mumbai, Minister of Medical Education Girish Mahajan discussed various issues related to Nagpur GMCH. Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Nagpur’s Guardian Minister along with Secretary Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, Director Dr Pravin Shingare, Joint Director Dr Prakash Wakode, Dean Dr Abhimanyu Niswade attended it. Initially the amount of Rs 25 crore is approved principally. Mahajan has made it clear that the machines would be installed before the enforcement of Election Code of Conduct for Lok Sabha elections. The issue that has been haunting Government Medical Colleges in the stat...

By Vikas Vaidya Nagpur is witnessing growing awareness about organ donation. Thanks to Dr Ravi Wankhede, Secretary of Zonal Transplant Committee (ZTCC) whose efforts through Mohan Foundation now bearing fruits. It is evident from the increasing cases of organ donation in city. On Sunday the 40th cadaver organ donation was done where relatives of a youth who died in an accident took decision to donate his liver and kidneys. It was 72nd kidney and 27th liver retrieval and 12th liver transplant done in Nagpur since 2013. Satish Narad Bopache, a 27 years old youth of Usgaon, Chandori, Tahsil- Sakoli, district- Bhandara met with an accident on November 27 on Bhandara-Nagpur highway when he was going on two-wheeler. He was admitted in New Era hospital. Dr Nilesh Agrawal, Neurosurgeon; Dr Anand Sancheti, Dr Parag Moon, Dr Amol Kokas, Dr Sahil Bansal treated him. However, on the evening of December 1, doctors declared Satish as brain dead. The Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC)...

S K Krishnan, Vice-President, Mahindra and Mahindra, Dr Vrinda Jahagirdar, Director and former Chief Economist with SBI, giving away the award to Pyare Khan. By Vikas Vaidya When Motor India Magazine had first invited him to Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad to present his inspiring story to the creme de la creme of management students in India, he politely declined as he had no knowledge about what IIM was. But again this year, IIM, Ahmedabad chose his case out of 1,370 transporters in India and so Pyare Khan, a 43 year old finally narrated the story of his journey to success before top management stalwarts and ended up being adjudged the winner. Pyare Khan from Nagpur, not even a Class X passout and a former auto-rickshaw driver, answered all the questions put up by the jurists, mostly top economists, bankers and industrialists and won their hearts. So now, his story will be studied by IIM students. Pyare Khan belonged to a family with meagre means and so li...

By Vikas Vaidya Latest developments regarding removing vacancy in Laxminarayan Institute of Technology and its preparation to get three programmes accredited by National Board of Accreditation (NBA) have created hopes to get Deemed to be University status to it. Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) has already sent proposal in that regard to Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). Any technical institute aspiring to get deemed to be university status should have more than 75 per cent posts filled, the institute should have at least four programmes with NBA accreditation and a corpus fund of not less than Rs 3 crore. LIT has 62 teaching posts sanctioned. Right now it is running with 31 teaching posts. With the initiative by RTMNU Vice-Chancellor Dr S P Kane, 10 posts on contractual basis have been filled. After facing a rap from High Court, the State Government has agreed to fill 17 vacant teaching posts. This will add 27 posts to LIT’s kitt...

By Vikas Vaidya Even though there are enough facilities for starting a Government-run Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre in city, the plan is yet to take off for reasons best known to the authorities concerned. Surprisingly, in 2015, former Maharashtra Minister Shobhatai Fadnavis had written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister regarding the centre but the plan continues to gather dust. Dr Sunil Naredi, an Ophthalmologist who is a frequent traveller, while talking to ‘The Hitavada’, said, “Yellow fever vaccine protects one suffering from the viral infection (yellow fever) which is mostly found in people in African and South American countries. Most people develop immunity within ten days and 99% are protected within a month of the vaccination. Anybody who travels to above mentioned countries has to be administered Yellow Fever vaccine. A vaccination centre provides a certificate to the traveller which he/she has to carry along while travelling to the above countries.” The State Go...

By Vikas Vaidya The Public Health Department of Maharashtra has constituted State Mental Health Authority for taking measures for the implementation of guidelines given in Mental Health Care Act 2017. Apart from the officials, the authority will also have two persons representing who have had mental illness, to be nominated by the State Government. The Mental Healthcare Act came into existence in 2017. But the guidelines in it are not yet implemented. To address the guidelines properly in society, in medical fraternity and in Government officials, now the committee has been constituted. Dr Abhishek Somani, Professor at the department of Psychiatry, Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH) said, “After coming the act into existence the step of implementation was much needed. The committee now will chalk out how the rights of mentally ill patients would be addressed, whether any kind of forced treatment is being given to such patients, whether the proper care ...

By Vikas Vaidya Elaborating the concept of SWAYAM by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Dr Manpreet Singh Manna, Director, PMSSS and SWAYAM said, “SWAYAM is massive open on-line course (MOOC) aimed at unlimited participation and open access initiated by Government of India. It is designed to achieve the three cardinal principles of Education Policy viz., access, equity and quality. The objective of this effort is to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy. As this project has brought school students into its ambit, it will have larger impact.” The SWAYAM has completed one year and it celebrated it at Jhulelal Institute of Technology (JIT) during the AICTE-sponsored One Day Swayam Workshop for National Resource Centres (NRCs) on ‘How to Create E-Content’. JIT, being the only fourth college in the country to hold it, had organised it Dr ...

By Vikas Vaidya Two morning flights—IndiGo and GoAir— coming to Nagpur’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport were diverted on Friday due to heavy rains resulting in poor visibility. The flights were taken to Hyderabad and later brought to Nagpur after the weather conditions improved. All the evening flights however came on time. In the morning owing to incessant rains Wardha Road stretch of National Highway no. 7 got submerged under water. The Traffic Control Branch of Nagpur City Police promptly suspended traffic on road from Raddison Square onwards and road ahead was heavily flooded. Air travellers find it difficult to reach airport to board the flight. When the IndiGo flight came to Nagpur from Pune the passengers were asked to go through Sonegaon to reach city. The Pora river that flows through Karve Nagar and adjoining area, overflowed and its water came on Wardha Road. Sonegaon police station too remained under four to five feets of water for four to five hours. The wa...