Punjab takes steps to encourage doctors to work in rural areas

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/punjab-takes-steps-to-encourage-doctors-to-work-in-rural-areas/323595.html

Chandigarh, Sep 15 (PTI) In a bid to encourage government doctors to work in rural areas, the Punjab government today revised the eligibility guidelines for admission in state-run medical colleges to pursue post graduation. According to the policy, 60 per cent PG seats will be reserved for Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) doctors who have completed three years of rural service. Every year's additional service beyond three years would fetch one extra mark, a spokesman said. The revised guidelines would be implemented with effect from November 1, 2010. Rural service for this purpose means service at health institutions situated beyond 15 km of the notified municipal areas. The 15-km limit has been fixed for all the municipal towns irrespective of their size and the category of municipal committee, the spokesman said.

GE "Smart Patient Rooms" System to Take Aim at Hospital Errors

From : http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/728628?src=mp&spon=25&uac=151679DJ

 In its century in the healthcare business, General Electric Co has tackled big tasks from inventing the X-ray machine to helping drive the spread of electronic medical records.

Now the largest U.S. conglomerate is turning its attention to a seemingly simple problem that costs the U.S. healthcare system $10 billion to $15 billion per year -- making sure that physicians and nurses wash their hands.

That's one of the first things the company's forthcoming "Smart Patient Rooms" system is intended to track.

"(Caregivers) get into such a routine that it's, 'This is what I do,' and they don't realize that they haven't" washed their hands properly before treating patients, said Mike Harsh, chief technology officer at GE Healthcare. "We're able to analyze that in real time and say, 'Hey, remember to do this.'"

GE, which generates about $16 billion of annual revenue from its healthcare business, is getting ready to test the system at Bassett Medical Center, a 180-bed hospital in Cooperstown, New York, not far from GE's Global Research Center in Niskayuna.

Hand-washing is just one of the practices that the system is designed to track. Using a series of cameras that analyze movement, it can also warn hospital staff if a patient is trying to get out of bed.

The system relies on technology GE developed for security services, initially to provide automated scanning of large crowds in public places for signs of unusual activity.

It can also track how frequently doctors and nurses check in on patients in their hospital beds.

The system is designed to make it easier for hospitals to track "near-miss" incidents -- skipped steps that could have left a patient sicker or injured.

"This technology could be a method of tracking those items that are near misses that otherwise might not be tracked or recognized," said Dr. James Kruse, chief of critical care at Bassett.

Bassett will be testing an early version of the system. GE officials said they have not yet estimated potential revenue for the business, which joins a healthcare portfolio ranging from CT-Scan machines to consulting with hospitals on how to run their operations more efficiently.

International Business Machines Corp offers a hospital system called "SmartRooms" that uses ultrasound tags and wall-mounted monitors to communicate patient information and work flow quickly to nurses and other caregivers.

GE's goal is for the smart room system over time to track a wider range of doctor and patient behaviors, which can be added on to the existing infrastructure over time.

"We have to solve a clinically relevant problem first and take it from there," Harsh said.

Medical bodies demand CM's appology

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Medical-bodies-demand-CMs-appology-/articleshow/6568658.cms

JAIPUR. The medical community has strongly objected to the comments made by chief minister Ashok Gehlot on private hospitals during a state level function on Wednesday. Doctors of almost all the medical associations have deplored the chief minister's remarks.

The health organisations plan rallies and burn effigies of the chief minister at all district headquarters on Friday. They also plan to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi over the issue.

"The chief minister needs to publically apologise for his statements and should ensure security and good working environment for medicos," the organisations said in a joint statement.

The BJP too strongly objected to the CM's comments. "Instead of accusing the entire fraternity, the CM should have taken legal action against cases of unfair practices at medical institutions that might have come to his knowledge," said former health minister Digamber Singh.

According to some doctors, the CM's statement may have a lasting adverse impact on patient-doctor relationship and would hamper treatment.

The Indian Medical Association ridiculed the statements and demanded the chief minister prove the allegations or make a public apology.

"The chief minister accused private hospitals of keeping dead patients on ventilators for days. Hwever, medically it is not possible to keep a dead body on a ventilator for more than four hours," said Dr S S Agarwal, state secretary, IMA.

"However if some doctor has been able to keep a body for longer duration and the issue is in notice of the chief minister he should prove it," Dr Agarwal added.

The doctors are planning to file an application under the Right to Information demanding a list of such instances that might have come in notice of the chief minister. Also the action initiated against such medical institutions.

"Trust has a keen role in treatment of a patient, chief minister's remark will deteriorate confidence of the patients and affect the treatment process" said Dr Vijay Kapoor secretary, Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Society, Jaipur.

Though the chief minister has specifically mentioned the private hospitals, the doctors in government setup also felt offended with the statement. "There remain few rogue elements in every fraternity however those cannot be sighted at a public platform to accuse the entire community" said a senior faculty member at the SMS medical college.

"Such a statement is expected to further increase in instances of patient doctor dispute, it appeared as if chief minister was provoking public anger against the medial practitioners" he added.

The medical organisations held meeting and officially condemned the chief minister's action. Demanding an apology from the state government, medical associations across the state have decided to hold protests at district level and burn effigies of the chief minister.

"Its only when a patient is critically ill that he is put on ventilator, people now may want to give a second thought before shifting their patients to ventilator" said Dr Surendra Kala, president medical practitioners society.

State government has had bitter relations with the medical community over the past few weeks. The private hospitals had held a demonstration against alleged police atrocity against a senior gynecologist in Jaipur, the issue was subsequently followed by a state wide strike by resident doctors following police assault on the S N Medical college in Jodhpur.

Read more: Medical bodies demand CM's appology - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Medical-bodies-demand-CMs-appology-/articleshow/6568658.cms#ixzz10b1kHqbM

Tamil Nadu Government, DMK, ADMK all oppose CET

From http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/cet-an-intrusion-into-states%E2%80%99-rights/209521.html

Reiterating its stiff opposition to the proposal of a Common Entrance Test (CET) to medical courses in the country, the government of Tamil Nadu on Thursday said it viewed the Centre’s move as an intrusion into the States’ rights to administer education.

In an official release, the State government recalled all the efforts made by it to prevent the implementation of CET to both under- and post-graduate courses by the Medical Council of India (MCI).

Chief Minister M Karunandihi wrote to both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad opposing the move.

It was cited in the letters that the State had abolished the entrance test through an act of the legislature and from 2007-08 admission was being given based on the mark-score of students. “The Chief Minister has strongly stressed that this system must be allowed to continue.”

Also, the government of Tamil Nadu has impleaded itself in a case involving the issue in Supreme Court on August 19. When the case came up on September 17, Tamil Nadu government’s counsel opposed the CET move.

Stating that CET would adversely impact the welfare of the Backward and Most Backward classes besides the Scheduled Castes and Tribes, the government said it had drawn the Centre’s attention to the issue.

State Health Minister opposed the move at a meeting of the Central Council of Ministers of Health and Family Welfare. Similarly, the Principal Health Secretary registered the State’s opposition to CET at a meeting convened by the MCI’s Board of Governors.

The Union Health Minister had promised Karunanidhi on August 27 that a final decision on the issue would be taken only after wider consultations at the national level.

“In keeping with their practice of deliberately criticising the government by overlooking all the facts, some had given statements that are far from truth.”

From http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article582304.ece

In a rare show of unity, DMK and AIADMK today joined hands in Rajya Sabha to oppose the Centre’s decision to introduce Common Entrance Test for medical colleges.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Paul Manoj Pandiyan (AIADMK) said the decision amounts to infringement on the rights of the States and will affect the prospects of students from rural areas.

He said the decision has sent shock waves among poor students wanting to enter into medical field.

Supporting him, Tiruchi Siva (DMK) said students from rural areas were not getting opportunity to enrol in medical colleges.

Members of AIADMK and DMK, rival political parties in Tamil Nadu, said that the entrance test in the State has been abolished.

Mr. Siva said the decision for CET was unwarranted. “We strongly oppose the move, which is aimed at usurping the powers of the State government,” he said, demanding that the status quo be maintained.

From http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article695371.ece

The Centre on Friday informed the Supreme Court that it supported the Medical Council of India's proposal to have a common entrance test (CET) for admission to post graduate medical courses and that it wanted to notify it within a week.

Solicitor-General (SG) Gopal Subramaniam, appearing for the Centre, also told a Bench of Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice H.L. Gokhale that for the proposed MBBS CET the draft rules and regulations would be submitted to the court and the response of all States would be sought.

When Mr. Subramaniam sought the court's nod for issuing the notification, Justice Raveendran said: “We do not want to be party to the policy decision. How can we approve a proposal which is not before us. We must know what the proposal is. You first place the proposal before us, then we shall see.”

Justice Gokhale cautioned the Centre: “Now Tamil Nadu is opposing the CET for MBBS. A number of other States will also oppose. Students are now volatile, you have to understand this. Go step by step. Do it for PG first. Otherwise there are chances that you [Centre] may land in some other problem.” Referring to the Centre's plea for allowing notification of the PG CET, Justice Gokhale, in a lighter vein, said: “The court has contributed to many problems. We don't want to add one more problem.”

Justice Raveendran told Mr. Subramaniam: “If you notify the CET for MBBS without hearing the States, they will challenge it. We will be glad if some consensus is developed after the State governments respond to the notices. We cannot put a seal of approval without hearing the States, as one State government [Tamil Nadu] ad already opposed the system. Let us not rush it through. The proper way is to seek the response of the States and then notify it.”

To which, the SG said: “We will notify the CET for PG within a week and place on record the draft rules for MBBS CET.”

Counsel Harish Kumar, appearing for Tamil Nadu strongly opposed the CET both for MBBS and PG courses and said the State had enacted law abolishing CET for professional courses. Earlier, Mr. Subramaniam explained the steps being taken for arriving at a consensus and said it had received support from doctors, private and government medical colleges. Justice Raveendran was quick to point out “unfortunately, doctors don't make laws.”

Mr. Subramaniam said the CET was intended to improve the quality of medical education and medical services in the country.

Senior counsel Amrender Saran, appearing for the MCI, said new rules and regulations for the CET had been put in place and they had been approved by the government. There would be centralised counselling after the CET and at the end of the course there would an exit test for doctors. The Bench directed the matter to be listed after a week.

Docs may serve till 65 in rural TN

From : http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/docs-may-serve-till-65-rural-tn-793

Good News for all those working in PHC.

Especially Good News for those who joined service late

7 years more service will make you eligible for full pension and increased retirement benefits

Here is the full News

The Union health ministry’s proposal to overcome the shortage of doctors in rural areas by increasing the retirement age of government physicians in villages from 58 to 65 is a major policy decision and will be taken up for consideration in the state, say senior Tamil Nadu officials. “We will take the decision on this soon after consulting the CM,” says state health secretary V.K. Subburaj.

But another radical proposal in the health ministry’s recently released ‘India Health Report 2010’ — to employ doctors from private hospitals in villages on case-by-case basis — is unlikely to be implemented in the state. “With doctors in nearly 95 per cent of rural areas in Tamil Nadu, there may not be a need to hire private doctors,” Mr Subburaj points out.

A senior official in the ministry of health and family welfare told DC that the Union government is worried about the shortage of skilled manpower in rural hospitals across India.

The Union government had constituted a task group under the chairmanship of the director general of health services, which recommended that the age of retirement of doctors be increased to 65 years, preferably with posting near the physicians’ hometowns.

Training Programme on Strategic Health Communication for Development Professionals to be held at New Delhi from 10 – 13 November, 2010

Dear Sir/Madam,

Greetings from Sambodhi!

Excella Orbit, the training division of Sambodhi Research & Communications Pvt. Ltd, is pleased to announce the Training Programme on  Strategic Health Communication for Development Professionals to be held at New Delhi from 10 – 13 November, 2010.Please find the brief below.

Specifically the training programme would aim for:

·                  Understanding Health Communication

·                  Understanding models and frameworks for health communication and their application

·                  Understanding messaging and use of different channels of communication for

          designing health communication programme

Who should attend? It is designed for development practitioners, communication & documentation officers and health consultants involved in implementation of various health programmes.

Pedagogy: Audio/Visual aids, Practical Exercises, Case studies, Brainstorming Sessions, Experience Sharing and Training Handouts are few techniques that would be used in the training program.

If you are interested in attending the training programme please send an email to vidhu@sambodhi.co.in requesting for the flyer and registration form. You may avail discount on early bird and group registration. We shall be happy to answer any queries that you may have in this regard.

Kindly share this information with your colleagues and other relevant organization who may be interested in attending the training programme.

With Warm Regards,

Vidhu/Rebika

Excella Orbit
Sambodhi Research & Communications Pvt. Ltd.
O2, 2nd Floor, Lajpat Nagar - II
New Delhi - 110024
+91 11 40560734,47593300 

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Fees for Medical examination and issue of physical fitness certificated payable to the Assistant Surgeons and Civil Surgeons

HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT

G.O. (2D)No.10 Dated : 1-2-1993

Read again :
1. G.O. Ms. No. 1410 H& FW, dated 20-3-1984
Read also
2) Govt.Ir.No.87327/S2/92,H&FWdt. 24-12-1992.

Order:
In the G.O. First read above, orders were issued amount other enhancing the fees for Medical
examination and issue of physical fitness certificated payable to the Assistant Surgeons and Civil Surgeons or
indicated below:
Nature of certificate Existing Rate Revised Rate
in Rs in Rs.
(i) Medical Examination and issue
of physical fitness certificate
Assistant Surgeon 5 10
Civil Surgeon 15 20
2. The Tamil Nadu Assistant Surgeons association has requested for revision of fee as indicated below:-
Postmortem certificate : Rs. 150/-
Fitness certificate : Rs. 50/-
Wound certificate : Rs. 50/-
After careful examination, Government have decided to enhance the existing rate of fees
3. Accordingly the Government direct that the fees for Medical examination and issue of physical fitness
certificate etc., payable to the Assistant Surgeons and Civil Surgeons be enhanced as indicated in column 3
below :
Nature of certificate Existing rate Revised rate
(1) (2) (3)
1) Medical Examination
and issue of physical
fitness certificates

Assistant Surgeon 10/- 30/-

Civil Surgeon 25/- 50/-

ii) Wound Certificate:

Assistant Surgeon -- 50/-

Civil Surgeon -- 50/-

The Government also direct that the question of the fee payable for the postmortem certificate will be
considered later.
4. The Director of Medical & Rural Health Services is requested to send proposals to Government for
amending the appropriate paragraphs in the Tamil Nadu Medical code Volume I
(By Order of the Government)

Notification of Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani Tibb Registered Medical Practitioners as persons practicing the modern scientific system of medicine

ABSTRACT
Indian System of Medicine – Notification of Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani Tibb
Registered Medical Practitioners as persons practicing the modern scientific system of
medicine under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 – Orders – Issued.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (IM 2 -2) DEPARTMENT
G.O. (Ms) No. 248 Dated : 08.09.2010
Thiruvalluvar Aandu 2041
Aavani 23
ORDER :
The following Notification will be published in the Tamil Nadu Government
Gazettee .
NOTIFICATION.
WHEREAS, the rights of practitioners of Indian System of Medicine are
protected under section 17(3) (b) of the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970
(Central Act 48 of 1970) ;
AND WHEREAS, as per section 2 (1) (e) of the said Act, “Indian Medicine“
means the system of Indian Medicine commonly known as Ashtang Ayurveda, Siddha
or Unani Tibb whether supplemented or not by such modern advances, as the Central
Council of Indian Medicine may declare by notification from time to time ;
AND WHEREAS , the Central Council of Indian Medicine in its Notification
F.No.28-5/2004-AY.(MM), dated the 19th May 2004, has clarified that the word “Modern
Advances” in clause (e) of section 2 (1) of the said Act as advances made in the
various branches of modern scientific medicine in all its branches of internal
medicine , surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics , anesthesiology, diagnostic procedures
and other technological innovation made from time to time and declare that the courses
and curriculum conducted and recognized by the Central Council of Indian Medicine are
supplemented with such modern advances ;
AND WHEREAS , the Central Council of Indian Medicine has improved and
strengthened the syllabus of Indian Medicine by including subjects with regard to
National Programmes like National Malaria Eradication programmes, Tuberculosis,
Leprosy, Family Welfare Programme, Reproductive and Child Health Programme,
Immunisation Programme, AIDS, Cancer etc ;
-2-
Now, THEREFORE, under sub - clause (iii) of clause (ee) of rule 2 of the Drugs
and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 the Governor of Tamil Nadu hereby declares every
registered medical practitioner holding the qualifications specified in the second, third
or fourth Schedule to the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970 (Central Act
48 of 1970) and Part III of the Schedule to the Tamil Nadu Siddha System of Medicine
(Development and Registration of Practitioners) Act , 1997 (Tamil Nadu Act 34 of 1997)
and registered in the Medical Register of the State maintained under the aforesaid
Acts, as a person practicing the modern scientific system of medicine for the purposes
of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (Central Act 23 of 1940.)
(BY ORDER OF THE GOVERNOR)
V.K.SUBBURAJ
PRINCIPAL SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT
To
The Principal Secretary and Commissioner of
Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy,
Arumbakkam, Chennai – 106.
The Works Manager,
Government General Press,
Chennai.- 2 (for publication of Notification in the Government Gazette)
The Registrar,
Tamil Nadu Siddha Medical Council,
Arumbakkkam, Chennai – 106.
The Registrar,
Tamil Nadu Board of Indian Medicine,
Arumbakkkam, Chennai – 106.
The Director General of Police,
Chennai – 4,
SF/SC
// Forwarded / By Order //
SECTION OFFICER

Fees for Medical examination and issue of physical fitness certificated payable to the Assistant Surgeons and Civil Surgeons

HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT

G.O. (2D)No.10 Dated : 1-2-1993

Read again :
1. G.O. Ms. No. 1410 H& FW, dated 20-3-1984
Read also
2) Govt.Ir.No.87327/S2/92,H&FWdt. 24-12-1992.

Order:
In the G.O. First read above, orders were issued amount other enhancing the fees for Medical
examination and issue of physical fitness certificated payable to the Assistant Surgeons and Civil Surgeons or
indicated below:
Nature of certificate Existing Rate Revised Rate
in Rs in Rs.
(i) Medical Examination and issue
of physical fitness certificate
Assistant Surgeon 5 10
Civil Surgeon 15 20
2. The Tamil Nadu Assistant Surgeons association has requested for revision of fee as indicated below:-
Postmortem certificate : Rs. 150/-
Fitness certificate : Rs. 50/-
Wound certificate : Rs. 50/-
After careful examination, Government have decided to enhance the existing rate of fees
3. Accordingly the Government direct that the fees for Medical examination and issue of physical fitness
certificate etc., payable to the Assistant Surgeons and Civil Surgeons be enhanced as indicated in column 3
below :
Nature of certificate Existing rate Revised rate
(1) (2) (3)
1) Medical Examination
and issue of physical
fitness certificates

Assistant Surgeon 10/- 30/-

Civil Surgeon 25/- 50/-

ii) Wound Certificate:

Assistant Surgeon -- 50/-

Civil Surgeon -- 50/-

The Government also direct that the question of the fee payable for the postmortem certificate will be
considered later.
4. The Director of Medical & Rural Health Services is requested to send proposals to Government for
amending the appropriate paragraphs in the Tamil Nadu Medical code Volume I
(By Order of the Government)

Training on Monitoring & Evaluation and Proposal Development & Report Writing

Dear Sir/Madam,

Greetings from Sambodhi!
Excella Orbit, the training division of Sambodhi Research & Communications Pvt. Ltd., is pleased to announce the following bouquet of trainings during the month of September 2010.
September 21-23, 2010 - Monitoring & Evaluation of Development Projects, New Delhi
September 24-25, 2010 - Proposal Development & Report Writing for Development Projects, New Delhi
Our training has been designed as a participatory programme that would build-upon the experiential learning of participants. The pedagogy focuses on interactive group learning and aims both at knowledge development and skill upgradation through peer learning.
The programme brief is discussed below.
Monitoring & Evaluation of Development Projects
The aim of the training programme is to augment the knowledge and skills of operational-level and middle-level functionaries in various developmental organizations involved in M&E functions. Upon completion of the training programme, participants would better appreciate M&E concepts, design and roll-out monitoring systems and evaluation studies, analyze and interpret M&E information for informed decision making; and present M&E analyses in user friendly formats for wider dissemination.
Proposal Development & Report Writing for Development Projects
The training programme on Proposal Development and Report Writing provide individuals with the skills for improving structure, content and format of proposals for funding, for business opportunities and for developing reports. The programme focus is on translating good proposals to 'winning proposals” and good reports to “excellent reports”.
In case the programme interests you, please write to us at this email id. We shall subsequently send the flyer and registration form for the training. 
You can also avail special discounts on the training fee on group registrations. Kindly note that last date for registration is 18th September 2010. 
We shall be happy to answer any queries that you may have in this regard. 
With warm regards,Anish Kumar Sahay 
Excella Orbit
Sambodhi Research & Communications Pvt. Ltd.
B-23, 1st Floor, Lajpat Nagar-II, New Delhi 110024
Phone :+91-11-49242424 / 65492502
www.sambodhi.co.in
www.excellaorbit.com