Nasheman News : Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said that governments scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY) has been a game changer in India’s healthcare sector.

“Many people from the weaker sections avoided hospital treatment in order to avoid the burden of an unbearable payment. Today, 40 per cent of India’s poorest are assured of a treatment in a hospital at the cost of public expenditure,” Jaitley wrote in his blog.

The Ayushman Bharat Scheme, which was launched on September 23, 2018, has completed 100 days. The scheme eyes providing benefit to 50 crore people by providing a cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation through a network of Empanelled Health Care Providers (EHCP).

“This will lead to more hospitals, especially in Tier II and III cities, and those with better equipment. Health sector jobs are set to increase. PMJAY will help create an accountable health system because beneficiary feedback is an integral part of its implementation,” Jaitley said.

In the first 100 days, more than six lakh patients have been provided hospital treatment so far while around five lakh claims have availed of the scheme, for which payment has been released. This averages 5,000 claims per day for the first 100 days. 

“No patient had to pay a single rupee. Thus, once awareness of the scheme increases, it is anticipated that in the next few years, almost one crore-plus families will benefit each year,” the Finance Minister stated.

The total number of hospitals covered by this scheme are both government hospitals and private hospitals. About 30 states and Union Territories have signed an MoU and started working on implementing the mission. 

“More than 50 per cent of the implementing hospitals are in the private sector. Thus, a patient can enroll himself in empanelled hospital and get himself hospitalised up to charges of Rs 5 lakh in a totally cashless and paperless manner,” Jaitley noted.

Over 100 students from Chikkaballapura district in Karnataka were hospitalised with what doctors have diagnosed as food poisoning, after eating food from their hostel mess.

Around 120 resident students of Chikkaballapura BGS Hostel were taken to the government hospital on Thursday following complaints of stomach pain, nausea, and loose stools after having eaten food served at the hostel mess.

“All the students are recovering well. They are being treated with IV fluids and oral rehydration solution (ORS) to control the dehydration, all are responding well,” said District Health Officer Dr Ravi Shankar to media. “As of now, a team of officials have been sent to the hostel and are taking samples of the water and food. These will be analysed and we will be able to confirm what caused so many students to fall ill.”

He further stated that the doctors and officials suspect that the food which was served to the students may have gone bad, as a result of which all the students fell ill.

“We feel that there may have been some preformed toxins on the food, which would have resulted in the food becoming spoiled, as a result of which all the students have fallen ill,” he said.  

In a similar incident earlier this month, nearly 80 students of the Veterinary Science Diploma College in Tiptur taluk of Tumkur district, were taken ill after eating breakfast served at the college mess. They were subsequently taken to the government hospital in Tiptur and diagnosed with food poisoning and were treated. While most were treated on an outpatient basis and sent home, a few were admitted for treatment.

TNM

 Baghirathi Group Organizes Blood Donation Camp 

Baghirathi Group, a sustainable mobility solutions provider, has been offering great transportation experience for every journey from home, school or office. Continuing its CSR endeavors to enhance & save lives, the company organized a voluntary blood donation camp on 20^th Dec, 2018 at Karle Town Centre, Bangalore. Several enthusiastic participants from different walks of life participated in the noble cause. The day long campaign attracted 81 volunteers & could gather a total of 81 units of blood. The blood units were collected by Rotary Bangalore TTK & sent to Bangalore Medical Service Trust (BMST).

 Every donor had to pass through the preliminary medical tests like BP, Hemoglobin, weight etc. before donating the blood. All the donors were given a rotary club card for future use. Speaking on the occasion, CEO, Baghirathi Group, Mahesh Hariharan said, “Safety of lives have been at the core of our mission at Baghirathi. We are committed to ensure that we make our contribution. The objective of the camp was to propagate the significance of blood donation in saving lives & ensure community participation in the cause. I thank all the participants for making it a success & we hope to continue our efforts in the future”. With a fleet size of over 1500 vehicles, Baghirathi Group is operating in Bangalore region currently. Founded in 2003, with 1 vehicle & a young group of entrepreneurs, the company has been incorporating latest technology to deliver safe & efficient transportation solutions to its customers. 

About Bhagirthi Group In Jan, 2018, the company became the 1^st ever in its category to launch rydS, a low-carbon, zero-emission electric vehicle brand. Over the next few years, the company aims to run 10,000 electric vehicles across segments from a 5-seater sedan to a 50-seater bus, pan India, providing people-centric & planet-friendly mobility solutions.

Nasheman News : Bidi smoking costs India over Rs 80,000 crore in ill health and early deaths every year which is equivalent to 0.5 per cent of the goods and services (GDP) the country produces and more than two per cent of its total health spend, says a study.

Direct costs – tests, drugs, doctors’ fees, hospital stays, and transport – make up around a fifth of this total with the remainder made up of indirect costs – accommodation for relatives/carers and loss of household income, showed the findings published in the journal Tobacco Control.

The findings, based on National Sample Survey data on healthcare expenditures, data on bidi smoking prevalence from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey and relative risks of all-cause mortality from bidi smoking, were for the year 2017.

However, the tax revenue derived from bidi smoking came to just Rs 4.17 billion in 2016-17, said the study. 

Nearly one in five households in India faces “catastrophic expenditures” due to healthcare costs, with more than 63 million people pushed into poverty, as a result, said study author Rijo M John from Centre for Public Policy Research in Kochi, Kerala.

“Diseases associated with bidi smoking add to this, potentially pushing more people into poverty,” he said, suggesting that about 15 million face poverty because of spending on tobacco and associated health costs.

The findings suggest that unhindered use of bidi smoking could push more households into poverty.

“Expenditure on tobacco also crowds out expenditure on food and education in India, especially among the poor,” he added.

Bidi is very popular in India, accounting for over 80 per cent of the tobacco smoked and 72 million regular users over the age of 15.

Although bidi contains less tobacco than conventional cigarettes, the nicotine content is significantly higher. 

And the relatively low burn point forces smokers to breathe in more of the harmful chemicals produced.

Bidi smoking is implicated in several types of cancer, tuberculosis, and various long term lung conditions. 

But despite its impact on the nation’s health, it has been taxed at a rate that is a fraction of that applied to cigarettes, John said.

Most of the students have been discharged, while around 20 remain hospitalised for food poisoning.

Nearly 80 students of the Veterinary Science Diploma College in Tiptur taluk of Tumkur district, fell sick after eating breakfast served at the college mess. On Sunday morning, students had gone to the mess for breakfast, where idli, sambar and chutney were served to them. At around 11am, several of the students began experiencing severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.

They were subsequently taken to the government hospital in Tiptur and diagnosed with food poisoning and were treated. Most were treated on an outpatient basis and sent home, while a few have been admitted and are undergoing treatment at present.

“Around 80 students in the hostel had eaten breakfast in the mess. They’d had some idli, sambar, and chutney. Within an hour they all presented with stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting,” said Dr Chandrika, Tumkur District Health Officer (DHO), speaking to media. “Most were given supportive treatment and were discharged yesterday itself, however around 20 to 23 students are still in the in-patient wards, getting treatment for the same.”

Food samples were sent to a lab for testing, it has yet to be determined what caused so many students to fall ill at once. The students have alleged that the warden of the hostel, Rudraswamy, would not visit the premises or ensure that hygiene was maintained in the mess. It was reported that the warden was out of town during the time of this incident as well.

In a similar incident last month in Telangana, around 40 girls from a hostel in Suryapet area came down with food poisoning after eating dinner at their hostel mess. Doctors began treating them immediately and all of them recovered subsequently. Following this, district health officials conducted medical camps to spread awareness about food poisoning.

New Delhi, (IANS) A new municipal report suggests that dengue cases have increased in the months of November and December this year compared to 2017.

According to the weekly report by the MCD released on Monday, 1,062 dengue cases were recorded in November 2018 while it was 816 in 2017. Even in December 2017, only 81 cases were reported in the national capital while this year 117 cases have already been reported till December 15. Forty-two fresh cases have been registered in the past one week.

So far, four deaths caused by dengue have been confirmed in Delhi which includes a 13-year-old girl from Wazirabad area. The other three cases are reported to be from west and north Delhi.

However, as per the report, 2,774 people have been diagnosed with the vector-borne disease in Delhi so far in 2018. However, the number is less than what it was in 2017 — 4,704.

In 2015, Delhi saw its worst dengue outbreak with more than 11,800 cases and 60 deaths, according to the city’s civic bodies.

As for malaria, only one new case surfaced last week taking the toll to two till now for the month. In November, 33 malaria cases were reported in the city, according to the municipal report. So far, 473 malaria cases have come to light, while in 2017 it was 575.

No new cases of chikungunya were reported this week keeping the total number of cases at 3 in the national capital while in November, there were 28 cases. Till date, a total of 164 chikungunya cases have been reported in the city compared to 551 in 2017.

Chandigarh, (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday underwent a minor surgery to remove a stone from his kidney.

The surgery was successful and the Chief Minister is likely to be discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, his spokesperson said here on Monday.

Doctors at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) where the surgery was performed said the stone had been troubling Amarinder Singh for some time and it was decided to remove it as early as possible. 

“A simple procedure, lasting about 40 minutes, was conducted on him this morning by a team of doctors,” the spokesperson said.

“It was a minor procedure and the Chief Minister would be fit to be back at his normal functioning within a couple of days,” a doctor added.

The spokesperson said that the Chief Minister was recovering well and was expected to resume work in a day or two.

Amarinder Singh was admitted to the hospital on Sunday.

He was admitted to the PGIMER earlier on November 28 after he developed fever. He was kept in the hospital for the night and was discharged after completion of medical tests.

Amarinder Singh became Chief Minister of Punjab in March 2017, leading the Congress party to a thumping majority in the Assembly elections. Earlier, he was Chief Minister from 2002 to 2007. 

Matty Healy, frontman of the Brit Award-winning band The 1975, has been vocal about his drug addiction, but he doesn’t find it “particularly brave” to talk about it in the band’s new song or other platforms.

“Give yourself a try” from the band’s latest album “A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships” has a line — “And you’ll make a lot of money, and it’s funny ’cause you’ll move somewhere sunny and get addicted to drugs”. Healy has also spoken about his addiction to drugs in past interviews.

A lot of celebrities feel uncomfortable talking about drugs, so what made him take this brave step?

“I don’t think it is particularly brave… telling the truth is kind of the only option. That’s why I represent it in my art and the way I speak and the way I am with people,” Healy told IANS in a telephonic interview.

“It is important for me to be upfront. People can deal with anything as long as it is true. When you mess around with somebody, that’s when you lose people,” the 29-year-old added.

The songs of the Grammy-nominated group have also touched upon topics like sex, love and even US President Donald Trump.

“It’s just me trying to understand the world and that’s what everybody is trying to do; so I think that’s why people understand the record,” shared the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, who once said “F*** Donald Trump” during a performance.

Like their previous two albums — “The 1975” (2013) and “I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It” (2016) — “A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships” has also secured UK No. 1 album spot.

Was there any kind of pressure on the band, which also consists of lead guitarist Adam Hann, bassist Ross MacDonald and drummer George Daniel, due to their past success?

“There was probably… initial fear of not being as good as we were, but when we started making the record, we did it just for fun. If it stopped being fun, then we would move on to something else,” said Healy.

He is currently promoting their third album, but the announcement for their fourth one has already been done. Isn’t it little taxing to move on to another album so quickly?

“No. That’s the safest option for us. I love making music. If we aren’t making music in between, (we are) trying to tell everybody about ‘A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships’… we have the opportunity to party, get loose and lazy. It’s much better (to make music),” he said.

Asked about their fourth album, he shared: “I don’t know. I care about my music, but I don’t care if the record lives up to people’s expectations or if they think it’s going to be like a continuation from ‘A Brief Inquiry…’. I am really not interested in people’s preconceptions.”

Next year, they will also perform in Asia, but the list doesn’t include India.

“We haven’t been to India or Pakistan. We will definitely come to India. The fact that we have not been (to India)… is a bit crazy. I am sure we will play there,” he said.

And it seems like there is a lot of time as he has no plans of parting ways with bandmates anytime soon.

“We have been together for 17 years already. I don’t think we are going anywhere. I can’t imagine that we will ever really split up,” he said.

IANS

PUBG has emerged as one of the most popular games in India but some young gamers have taken their obsession too far. 

Ever since the multiplayer game released on smartphones, PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) has become a rage in the gaming community. There’s a cafe themed around the viral game in Jaipur. Even the members of the Indian cricket team are hooked on to it.

On Tuesday, Google released its annual list of Android’s best applications and games of 2018 and PUBG Mobile took home the award in the ‘Best game’, ‘Most Competitive Title’ and ‘Fan Favorite’ categories. With PUBG Mobile reaching 100 million downloads in September, it comes as no surprise that kids and adults are hooked onto the game for hours.

Such is the craze around the game that some schools in Bengaluru have begun to warn parents about the ill-effects of playing the game for hours at a stretch after cases of addiction were reported to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, media reports. 

According to the report, the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Private Schools Karnataka (KAMS) will also issue advisory to parents to keep a tab on the hours spent by their kids on the multiplayer game. 

“We will ask our member schools to write to parents about this. We have, in the past, had discussions with the education department on imposing restricts on the number of hours a child spends playing such games,” KAMS was quoted by media. 

The news comes only days after reports of kids addicted to another massively popular game, Fornite, came to light, and who are opting for videogame-rehab to stay off the game. 

PUBG is developed by Tencent Holdings Ltd. and is available in the free-to-play variant. The game was released back in March 2018. 

News Agencies