Organ retrieval: more centres, more plans
Tuesday, 16 November 2010 10:34
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Indian Express 16.11.2010
Organ retrieval: more centres, more plans
Pritha Chatterjee Tags : university, medical college Posted: Tue Nov 16 2010, 02:10 hrs Mumbai: So far, the three BMC medical colleges and the state-run JJ Hospital were the only ones in the city that could register brain deaths and retrieve organs. Now, so can two BMC-run peripheral hospitals, R N Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle and KB Bhabha Hospital in Bandra, part of a state effort to increase organ donation, organ retrieval and transplants.
A committee was set up earlier this month to inspect peripheral hospitals for certification as brain death registration centres. “Developing infrastructure for transplant centres will be time-consuming; issuing more hospitals licences to register brain deaths and retrieve organs seemed logical,” said Dr Sujata Patwardhan, panel member and zonal transplant coordination committee ( ZTCC) secretary.
Ten other peripheral hospitals have applied, said Dr Pravin Shingare, joint director of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) and part of the government panel. “A four-member panel of doctors inspects these hospitals.” Sources on the government panel said Borivali’s Bhagwati Hospital is next in line.
Dr Patwardhan said the panel is using the Tamil Nadu government’s model on cadaver transplants as a benchmark. There, transportation of an organ is allotted a maximum ten minutes, during which the traffic police block regular traffic. Dr Shingare said, “We are increasing the number of centres; for the retrieved organs to reach transplant centres on time, we need a traffic control mechanism.”
“We were the first state to start cadaver transplants, and we have had a meagre eight transplants this year, while Tamil Nadu has had 140,” Dr Patwardhan said.
The government panel and the ZTCC are trying to convince the Commissioner of Police to issue a permanent order to all police stations to issue no-objection certificates for organ transplants after brain deaths. “The Organ Transplant Act requires police personnel to do this, but awareness is abysmally low. We conducted workshops for Assistant Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of Police in Mumbai two years ago, but, after changes in staff, NOC certifications have been low,” said Dr Patwardhan.
The panel also wants postmortem centres next to all transplant rooms, so that families of donors are not harassed with formalities. Dr Patwardhan said the ZTCC has approached the Bishop of the Presbyterian Church in Mumbai to help encourage organ donation in churches. Reverend John Silas, secretary to the Bishop, said doctors had indeed met them. The ZTCC plans to meet a Muslim scholar and gurdwara representatives to promote organ donation.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 November 2010 10:40
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'Adopt Kerala model garbage collection'
Tuesday, 16 November 2010 09:59
administrator
The Times of India 16.11.2010
'Adopt Kerala model garbage collection'
CHANDIGARH: The second group of municipal councillors is all set to submit a study tour report recommending the "Kutumbh Shree" system, a Trivandrum-based initiative, which employs poor women to collect garbage from house to house. Presently functioning in Trivandrum, it collects garbage in a segregated manner so that it can be recycled completely.
"The house owners will have to segregate their garbage on their own, bio-degradable and non-bio-degradable garbage in separate containers, then only it will be collected. It ensures proper disposal in Trivandrum and we hope to replicate it here," said Dr AP Sanwaria, a nominated councillor.
In Trivandrum, the group has been provided with basic infrastructure and the system is in place from villages to state headquarters, he added.
SAD councillor and former mayor of the Chandigarh municipal corporation Harjinder Kaur said, "Kutumbh Shree got best disposal award recently for their remarkable work and we are going to recommend this system here strongly."
Significantly, group members earn two to three thousand rupees per month and ensure hundred per cent recycling of garbage.
The councilors have also recommended four-tier audit system in civic body to bring in more transparency and fix responsibility, accountability of every employee.
The group is also expected to submit their report over educational and health system of Trivandrum, where civic body only provides infrastructure and rest of the things are taken care of experts.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 November 2010 10:01
MCD probe gives the nod to toilet-cum-coffee complexes
Tuesday, 16 November 2010 09:51
administrator
The Times of India 16.11.2010
MCD probe gives the nod to toilet-cum-coffee complexes
NEW DELHI: After months of debate on whether the MCD's toilet-cum-coffee complexes should be allowed to come up, nine such facilities may finally open in prime locations of the city.
A final inquiry report filed by a committee formed by the civic agency has given its nod to the complexes despite stiff opposition from various quarters. Leader of house Subhash Arya, who is part of the committee, said a final decision on the project would be taken once the report gets the mayor's approval.
Simultaneously, the designs of these complexes will have to be approved by a technical committee - as per the terms and conditions of the contract between the MCD and the executing companies - before they become functional.
MCD now plans to construct more such complexes after changing some of the clauses in the contract to make it more favourable to the civic agency.
'' This project is in the interest of the public. People will be able to use clean and well-maintained toilets by shelling out only Re 1. The committee formed by MCD has given its nod to the opening of the nine complexes. After changing a few terms and conditions of the contract so that they are in favour of MCD, we would like to construct more such complexes in the city,'' said sources in the MCD.
The nine complexes are located at Defence Colony, East of Kailash, Nehru Place, C R Park, Kailash Colony , GK-I's M and N blocks, Model Town and opposite Moolchand Hospital. In GKI's M-block market, the toilet complex has come up on land allotted by MCD for construction of a multi-level car parking. In the East of Kailash market, the complex is located within a park. Since the project has been dragging on for nearly a year, the time period of the financial bid has also come to an end. '' The decision-making process took so long that the time set for the financial bid has expired. If the nine companies involved in the project agree, we will start financial bidding again.
"In case they have problems , we will ask only these companies to participate in the bidding and the firm with the highest bid will be given the contract for construction of more complexes,'' said an MCD official.
The companies have also suffered huge losses due to the delay. Shilpi Saxena, chairperson and MD of Garuda Advertising Private Limited, which handled the Kailash Colony market project , said: '' We spent a lot of time and money on planning the project in the hope that we will bag more such contracts . This delay is causing a huge loss. The toilet constructed by us in Kailash Colony is functional as of now,'' said Saxena. Each company spent around Rs 3 crore in constructing these prototype toilets. MCD had earlier said 250 such complexes will be ready by the Commonwealth Games. However, only nine were constructed amid various controversies. '' When we invited tenders, we had given the companies 30 days to construct live models which would be examined by an expert committee. The sites were allotted to around 28 companies.
"Twenty firms did not even begin construction. As per the contract, the technical committee will give marks — mainly on design and financial backing of the company. The prototype that gets more than 70% marks will be given permission to construct more such complexes ,'' said an official. After protests by residents and MCD councillers against the project, many companies backed out. The LG's office had also asked MCD to review the viability of the project.
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