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U.S. hospitals have turned down about a third of their allocated supplies of the COVID-19 drug remdesivir since July as need for the costly antiviral wanes, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed on Friday. Some hospitals said they are still buying the Gilead Sciences medicine to build inventory in case the pandemic accelerates over the winter. But they said current supplies are adequate, in part because they are limiting use to severely ill patients. The Food and Drug Administration has allowed more liberal remdesivir use, but 6 out of 8 major hospital systems contacted by Reuters said they were not using it for moderate cases. The slowdown suggests that a shortage of the drug is over and threatens Gilead's efforts to expand use of remdesivir, which it sells under the brand name Veklury in some countries. An HHS spokesperson confirmed on Friday that between July 6 and September 8, state and territory public health systems accepted about 72% of the remdesivir t

Kolkata, August, 2020: For the first time in Eastern India, ILS Hospitals have introduced a contactless health monitoring system called Dozee for treating asymptomatic Covid-19 patients. This facility is being made available for such patients recovering at their home or the make shift quarantine facilities set up by ILS Hospitals at Hotel Sonnet in Kolkata. ILS Hospitals has utilized the shortage of beds to its stride and is providing 14 days complete quarantine solutions as such remote vitals monitoring, daily video consultation by nurses and Doctors, Covid-19 testing, gloves, sanitizer, digital thermometers, etc.in the home and hotel setting. Dozee plays an integral role by offering remote and contactless health monitoring through tracking respiration, heart rate, oxygen saturation levels, stress levels on a daily basis and is helping doctors remotely check on patients’ progress. The AI powered system is also helping in flagging off health deteriorations well in advance. Doctors &

Overcoming a rare life-threatening auto-immune disease, student secures 76% marks in class 10th exams Aster CMI Hospital’s crowdfunding initiative ensures that student gets a second chance to pursue her dreams of becoming a lecturer Bangalore, August, 2020: In a show of tremendous willpower and determination, 16-year-old Sushma, hailing from Bengaluru overcame a rare life-threatening auto-immune disease and secured 76% marks and a distinction to clear her SSLC exam. Sushma was suffering from Juvenile dermatomyositis for the past 2 years, a rare autoimmune disorder, where the immune system attacks blood vessels throughout the body causing muscle inflammation. The disease had severely affected her breathing muscles (muscles of the chest) and kidneys. She urgently needed dialysis, blood transfusions, and ICU supports along with steroid medications without which she would not have survived for long. However, due to the economic condition of the family, the

There is an immediate need to establish a sturdy, scalable, agile and healthcare infrastructure: DVS Somaraju, Executive Director, SLG Hospitals opinedon the topic of the post-Covid future of the healthcare ecosystem Forecasting the disease progression is essential for capacity planning, and PHC, UPHC and primary level private healthcare mechanism in districts should be scaled up to cater to the three-fold increase in Covid cases by September: SubodhKandamuthan, Professor & Director, Centre for Health Care Management, ASCI Hyderabad, August 21, 2020: SLG Hospitals, in collaboration with FICCI, Hyderabad Chapter organised a webinar titled: ‘Reimagining the Healthcare Ecosystem – Covid-19 Learnings.’ The panelists included DVS Somaraju, Executive Director, SLG Hospitals, Dr. V Jaganmohan, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. P Vijay Varma, Nephrologist, Dr.Aarathi Bellary, Internal Medicine, Dr. Edmond Fernandes, CEO, CHD Group and SubodhKandamuthan, Professor & Director, Centre for Healt

Having fulfilled the immediate target of delivering 30,000 ventilators to support India's fight against Covid-19, Skanray Technologies, the preferred partner selected by the Government of India, is all set to position India as an export hub for state-of-the-art ventilators. Skanray, in its resolve to strengthen the visionary 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India' platforms and provide critical support to the Government of India in strengthening the health infrastructure to fight the pandemic added 30,000 advanced ICU ventilators to the national stockpile. The company is already in advanced talks with neighbouring countries including Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka to meet their requirements for advanced ventilators to aid their fight against the pandemic. Skanray is also renegotiating with countries in Europe, Ukraine, Africa, Brazil, Mexico and the US where orders were held up due to the export ban. Skanray manufactured 1,000 plus units of their globally certifi

Amid the current COVID-19 crisis, 60-year-old businessman Shailesh Kanani from Mumbai was successfully and safely operated after heart experts at the Asian Heart Institute performed a valve replacement surgery to fix his severely narrowed heart valve and treat the abnormal enlargement that had developed in his aorta- the largest artery in the body Kanani who was diagnosed with a narrowing of his heart valve in 2006, suddenly started experiencing difficulty in breathing in March 2020 and was rushed to the Asian Heart Institute. While talking about Kanani's heart condition, Dr Ramakanta Panda, chief cardiovascular thoracic surgeon and vice chairman, Asian Heart Institute shared, “As the patient developed symptoms he immediately consulted me. On reviewing him with a new echocardiogram, it was observed that his valve narrowing had progressed to a very critical level.” Kanani’s aortic valve was filled with calcium deposits, as a result of which his heart was not able to pump enough bloo

Currently, 1 in 1000 individuals globally and possibly, more than 10,000 individuals in Bangalore suffer from a problem in their immune system and are unable to fight infections in a normal way The book aims to strengthen the capacity of every Pediatrician and physician and help them diagnose these children early Bangalore, August, 2020: While everyone in the healthcare industry is currently focused on how to cure COVID -19 or find its vaccine, instances of primary immunodeficiency diseases are currently going unchecked and under-diagnosed. The current pandemic has now more than ever made it crucial for stakeholders in the healthcare industry to invest in the understanding of Immunology as many children continue to suffer immune deficiencies and are possibly, at an increased risk of developing severe COVID illness. Keeping this in the view, Aster CMI Hospital, a leading healthcare provider in the country has launched a book, titled, “Primary Immune deficiencies Made Simple.” The book

New Delhi , July 27, 2020: MGM Healthcare has performed a complex artificial heart implant procedure for the first time in Southeast Asia, Middle East& Africa involving two artificial heart pumps known as ‘Berlin Heart’ to support both the right and left side of the heart of a 3-year old Russian boy, weighing 10 kg. The procedure was performed on 25th May by a team led by Dr. K. R. Balakrishnan , Chairman & Director of Cardiac Sciences and Director of the Heart and Lung Transplant & Mechanical Circulatory Support Program at MGM Healthcare. Other members of the team that performed the procedure, included Dr. Suresh Rao K G , Co-Director – Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant & Mechanical Circulatory Support and HOD – Cardiac Anaesthesia, and cardiac surgeons Dr. V.Srinath and Dr S. Ganapathy, Senior Consultants, MGM Healthcare. The team has performed the largest number of mechanical circulatory device implantation for heart failure management in India. The first of

Bangalore, July 2020: In a life-saving surgery, 6-year-old Sarvesh, a child from RR Nagar received a live liver transplant from his mother recently. He was suffering from a very rare kind of tumour called hepatoblastoma, which had grown to a large size and had almost occupied his liver. Hepatoblastoma are rare malignant tumours which mostly occur in children less than 5 years of age. The boy was only 5 years and 6 months old when the tumour was detected. Sarvesh initially had symptoms of stomach pain in Dec 2019 and his mother noticed that he had developed a swollen abdomen. Investigations revealed a growth within the liver. This tumour is very sensitive to chemotherapy and the child had already undergone 6 cycles of chemotherapy at another specialist hospital. Following this t hey were referred to the Integrated Liver Care Group at Aster RV Hospita l. Dr. Rajiv Lochan, Sr. Consultant – HPB and Liver Transplant ation Surgery , Aster RV Hospital said, “Chemotherapy shrinks the tumour

Bangalore, July, 20 20: Punyashree a five- year-old child, was undergoing a liver transplant surgery at Aster CMI Hospital recently, was revived on the operating table, 40 minutes after her heart stopped beating. Punyashree was suffering from jaundice from the age of seven months due to a rare disorder called PFIC – progressive familial intra-hepatic cholestasis. This disease had resulted in irreversible liver damage and growth failure necessitating a liver transplant. The patient’s heart stopped beating and her blood pressure dropped to zero. The doctors wasted no time, and for the next 40 minutes, kept giving her cardiac massage and instituted other resuscitation and life support measures, to keep pumping blood and maintaining circulation to Punyashree’s vital organs. The patient’s heartbeat was fluctuating in between, and it took nearly 40 minutes for her to become stable. In a surgery that lasted for 14 hours, a team of doctors consisting of Dr. Rajiv Lochan J, Sr. Consultant,

Kolkata, 29 th May: Medica Group of Hospitals , the largest private hospital chain in Eastern India, hosted its first COVID-19 virtual discourse, highlighting, the subject – “Adopt the new normal – Let’s work together and build a safe and healthy future” . Dr Alok Roy, Chairman of Medica Group of Hospitals and Chair -FICCI Health Services Committee enlightened viewers on how private hospitals should prepare to treat both COVID as well as non COVID patients. Sharing their experiences, the COVID Warriors, doctors, who have been front liners, were other panelists, Dr. Tanmay Banerjee, who spoke about ‘Defining COVID, Challenges and Outcome’, Dr. Amitabha Saha, made a ‘ Clinical presentation on Triaging and Imaging’, Dr. Aviral Roy, highlighted the ‘ Management and Myths surrounding COVID-19’ on behalf of the Medica Kolkata Critical Care team and Dr. Prashanta Behera , Head of Critical Care medicine from Tata Steel Medica Hospital at Kalinganagar, Odisha, shared his experience of hand

National:  The Coronavirus outbreak has completely changed our way of life and children are no exception. It is essential to educate them about the pandemic and make them aware of the dos and the don’ts that will revolve around their lifestyle, eating habits, travel and entertainment, academics, hygiene, and more from now on. Parenting plays a vital role in understanding what the children are facing during the COVID-19 times and encouraging them to abide by the pandemic protocols. Keeping in mind the importance of child health during the lockdown,  Sakra World Hospital  organized the 2nd part of its webinar series on Lockdown Impact on Parenting and Child Health on Thursday, May 21, 2020. The one-hour-long talk by  Dr Ravikiran S, Senior Consultant Pediatrics and Neonatology at Sakra World Hospital  and  Ms Jamuna Kakarla, Clinical Psychologist, Sakra World Hospital  have enabled parents and children to get an easy walk through the various ways of tackling children’s health – both phy

Bangalore, 27 April 2020: The spread of COVID-19 and the subsequent world-wide lockdown has left many people with questions about the future and way forward. Aster RV Hospital in association with Aster Volunteers has organized a Live Webinar session on the new normal post COVID-19. Dr. Pavan Yadav , Interventional Pulmonologist will answer frequently asked questions such as the life cycle of a pandemic, the concept of herd immunity, how society will cope with the crisis and the changes to expect in life ahead. The doctor will also be answering live questions send in by the audience. To tune in, please access: https://www.facebook.com/AsterVolunteers/ Date: Tuesday, 28 th April 2020 Time: 4 P.M IST People who have any doubts or queries pertaining to COVID-19, how to access emergency medical consultation and services during this time, and the important measures to keep themselves safe and healthy, can participate in the session.

Mumbai: A 34-year-old, South Mumbai resident became a ray of hope for Mumbaikars amidst current Coronavirus pandemic. The woman completely recovered from this disease and was discharged from Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital on Friday. “I had continuous cold but no cough or fever. I underwent testing on doctor’s advice and it came Covid-19 positive. The psychological impact of being tested positive was worse than my medical condition,” said the patient. Citing the state-wide lockdown and lack of travelling options, the patient contacted Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital. A special ambulance, equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kit was sent to her residence. She was admitted in the dedicated isolation facility for Covid-19 patients on March 24. Dr. Abdul Samad Ansari, Director, Critical Care Services, said the patient was admitted in the hospital with Covid-19 positive status. “Throughout the treatment, the patient faced no major respiratory distress and remained haemod

SLG Hospitals, the multi super specialty tertiary and quaternary level care hospital operating from Nizampet, Hyderabad, has added result-oriented Oncology Care to its 40+ list of specialties. The Hospital has already gained a form footing in the areas of Cardiology, Gastroenterology. Gynecology, Orthopedics, Urology and other specialty areas that demand a highlevel of precision and experience. The Oncology Department at SLG Hospitals was inaugurated today by Mr. Manthena Venkata Rama Raju, Chairman, Vasudha Foundation, Vasudha Group of Industriesto extend the best available treatment options at an affordable price bracket to benefit as many patients as possible. With some of the top specialists ledby Dr. Ch. SwarnaKumari, MDRT, FHPRT, PDCR, Consultant Radiation Oncologist and Dr. B. BhanuPrakash, MD, DM MED ONCO , Consultant Medical Oncologist, the Department hasup-to-date technologies, sophisticated equipment and the strictest protocols, to provide the latest procedures in Medic

To mark the  International Women’s Day, the city’s leading hospital Nanavati Super Specialty Hospital initiated several programmes and campaigns for making women aware of preventive healthcare. The initiatives at the hospital and other parts of the city included urological consultation for senior women ( Live360@60 ), lecture about Women Health Complications and Preventive Techniques, the importance of Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation ( CPR ),  ‘Health Mela’  for preventive check-ups and a social media campaign ( I Make it Happen ) among others.    The International women’s day aims at promoting and celebrating the achievements of women and raising awareness around having Generation Equality across our communities. Aligning with the aims and objectives with the Women’s Day Nanavati hospital celebrated womanhood by hosting special two-day programs in several locations of Mumbai. The programmes and campaigns primarily aimed at educating women to reduce the risk of lifestyle diseases by em

Nanavati Hospital’s Specialised Drug Testing Laboratory is receiving 5-6 requests by walk-in parents and in-house patients on Monthly basis.Along with common drugs such as Cocaine, Amphetamine, Methamphetamine, Methadone and Opiates, experts cite rising abuse of deadly Phencyclidine (Angel dust), Barbiturates, and Benzodiazepines in patients aging 13-25 years. Mumbai: Over last one year, over 50-60 parents walked in Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital for voluntary drug testing of their children. Citing the extent of drug addiction and available variety of dangerous drugs, experts advised immediate need to create awareness about ill effects of drug abuse in schools and colleges. “A large number of youngsters are struggling with addiction than ever before. We get around 5-6 drug test requests per month, predominantly for male patients,” said Dr Maya Varde, Consultant Pathologist, Laboratory Medicine from Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital. It is observed that majority of these drug abus

In yet another brilliant medical and philanthropical initiative to help children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions, Aster CMI Hospital has helped one-year-old infant, recover successfully from a rare kind of serious autoimmune disease described as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly known by the name lupus. Aarush (name changed) was suffering from SLE, an inflammatory disease caused when the immune system attacks its own healthy tissues. The debilitating disease got compounded with the aggravation of infections spreading all over his body putting his life at risk. This is when Aster CMI hospital decided to intervene medically and financially aid the child’s treatment through the Aster Sick Kids Foundation as part of its CSR initiative. Aarush was unwell for over six months and had been suffering from repeated fevers, skin rashes and ulcers in the mouth. He was diagnosed to have SLE at 11 months of age and was started on an appropriate therapy, steroids and ot

Calcification of coronary artery plaques poses unique challenges in treatment with angioplasty and stent. Hard calcified blockages do not yield easily to balloon and therefore the stent doesn’t expand well. This effect long term outcomes of angioplasty. Various methods have been hitherto available to deal with this situation, such as rotablation , very high pressure balloons , atherectomy devices etc. A very recent addition to the armamentarium is Shockwave lithotripsy also called intravascular lithotripsy, which uses a special balloon to deliver high pressure waves at the blockage and breaks the calcium. This softens the blockage and facilitates successful angioplasty and stenting. Sakra World Hospital, one of the city’s leading multispecialty hospital, performed Karnataka’s first Coronary Shockwave Lithotripsy surgery recently. This surgery was carried out by   Dr Sreekanth B Shetty, Senior Consultant and Head of Interventional Cardiology, Sakra World Hospital on  a 75-year-old pati

A diagnosis of cancer is more often than not a sentinel event in someone’s lifetime. There are several challenges to be faced in such an event like choosing the right treatment, dealing with side effects, absence from social life, financial constraints and family issues including challenges for the caregivers. The most important risk factor for getting cancer is age and most patients in any oncologist’s OPD belong to the elderly population. The management of cancer does not stop at just giving chemotherapy. Incorporation of latest diagnostic and treatment modalities along with a more holistic approach for all round wellbeing is needed. Mrs Prathiba (name Changed) 69-year-old lady was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma in 2014. Multiple Myeloma is a disease with a unique set of challenges like exacerbation of age-related bone degeneration, weakness due to low blood haemoglobin levels and kidney dysfunction. She was initially treated with a combination of chem