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BMC lab gets ready to test H1N1 samples

Wednesday, 09 September 2009 10:59 administrator
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Indian Express 9.09.2009

BMC lab gets ready to test H1N1 samples

With the H1N1 outbreak in Mumbai abating considerably, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now getting ready to face a second wave in case one arises. The civic body is upgrading its Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratory at Kasturba Hospital for testing H1N1 samples, as part of its preparedness to combat any fresh outbreak. The lab will start swine flu tests from October.

The lab, equipped with a PCR machine to test samples from BMC hospitals to confirm leptospirosis and other monsoon-related diseases, will soon have a real-time RT-PCR machine for testing suspected H1N1 samples and will comply with safety measures prescribed in the CDC and WHO guidelines.

“A team of technical experts from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune reviewed the lab and gave a list of equipment to be added. We are procuring the machine and the lab will be functional by October. NIV will endorse the PCR machine and provide reagents. The first 50 samples will be sent simultaneously to both NIV and Kasturba lab for accuracy,” said Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner, BMC

“We have given them technical guidance and will give them reagents. They have told us that they will meet level-II bio-safety measures,” said Dr A C Mishra, director, NIV.

During the H1N1 spread, the civic authorities had faced several bottlenecks in examination of throat samples sent to NIV, Pune, and Haffkine Institute, Mumbai, for tests to confirm swine flu and the civic authorities were eager to start the facility in its own lab.

“Approval to start testing was given to us long back. Six technicians will be sent to NIV for training,” added Mhaiskar. On sharing load of samples, Mhaiskar said, “Once the lab is functional, it will serve on need-based response.”

On Friday, the Government of India gave the nod to Super Religare Laboratories (SRL), a private laboratory, to share the burden of carrying out H1N1 confirmatory tests in the state.

Two more die of swine flu
A five-year-old boy died of swine flu on Tuesday taking the H1N1 death toll in the city to 16 until Tuesday. Faizan, admitted to Kasturba Hospital on September 3, tested positive for the virus on Friday and was put on Tamiflu.

His condition deteriorated and he was transferred to Nair Hospital on Saturday where he died on Tuesday afternoon.

Twenty-year-old Sapna, who was nine months pregnant, died on Sunday. She had been admitted to Holy Spirit Hospital in Andheri on August 29 for fever, cough and cold. She developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) on September 1.

Her throat swabs were taken the following day and she was put on Tamiflu the same day. She was tested positive on Saturday and passed away on Sunday.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 09 September 2009 11:04
 

BPS application processing speeds up at GHMC

Wednesday, 09 September 2009 10:55 administrator
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The New Indian Express 09.09.2009

BPS application processing speeds up at GHMC

Express News Service


HYDERABAD: June 9 saw the State High Court had ordered GHMC officials to execute and complete the Building Penalisation Scheme (BPS) within six months from the date of the order. In this connection, the GHMC Commissioner S P Singh noted on Tuesday that the BPS is a time bound programme and the GHMC would thus attempt to dispose off all the applications within the stipulated time frame.

Subsequently, the Commissioner issued instructions to Zonal Commissioners, deputys and City Planners, instructing them to segregate eligible and ineligible applications with due effect. Meanwhile, sources at he GHMC noted that the incomplete forms would be requirted to be filled up by the defaulting applicants, and a team would be formed in this regard to guide applicants to submit the same immediately.

The constituted teams would maintain proper mechanism to deal with the people and provide need-based assistance to applicants.

For this purpose, they would visit the people and localities to apprise them to submit document and balance payments immediately.

All the Deputy Commissioners in turn, have been asked to prepare an action plan to process the applications within the time limit of 40 days, for which, daily progress reports are to be sent to Head Office. The Commissioner in this connection has asked the circles at L B Nagar, Seri Lingampally and Ramchandrapuram among others to improve their performance.

At the timing of writing, applications in excess of 2 lakhs had been recieved by the GHMC, out of which around 15 percent are ineligible for incompleteness, while 1,31,753 applications are in full shape.

The percentage of disposal to the total eligible applications is 24 percent; while Percentage of disposal to the total applications which are in full shape are 32 percent. The total amount collected so far is about Rs 70.62 crore, informed GHMC sources.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 09 September 2009 10:57
 

To decongest roads, BMC comes up with cycle-track plan

Wednesday, 09 September 2009 10:54 administrator
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Indian Express 9.09.2009

To decongest roads, BMC comes up with cycle-track plan

In a city with more than 17 lakh vehicles congesting roads and the number rising at 5.10 per cent annually, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is hoping to offer some relief by introducing localised bicycle tracks for covering shorter distances.

Not discouraged by the failure of a similar project in neighbouring Thane, the civic administration wants to encourage cycling as an alternative mode of transportation. Also on the cards is a redesigning of all major traffic junctions for smoother traffic movement once the cycle lanes come up.

The BMC is in the process of finalising a consultant to study the concept alongside an areawise traffic management plan. About 10 firms having international partners are willing to study the proposal. The report should be ready in a year, said officials.

“There is a need for redesigning traffic junctions, as there are conflicting movements that hamper the flow resulting in snarls. Obstructions like right-turns at junctions and the possibility of making certain roads one-way will be looked into and implemented after the study,” said Additional Municipal Commissioner R A Rajeev.

With temporary traffic diversions in Mumbai resulting in stiff opposition from commuters, as evident when the arterial Peddar Road had been turned into a one-way lane in April, the civic officials feel the need for a long-term plan. So all traffic junctions across the island city, eastern and western suburbs will be studied and an area-wise local traffic management plan prepared with the help of the traffic police, MMRDA, MSRDC and PWD.

Consultants will also study where to create cycle tracks that many residential groups and activists have been demanding. Officials said these tracks will most probably be around neighbourhoods like Malabar Hill, Juhu, Lokhandwala Complex, Carter Road, etc.

“We want to give cyclists dedicated lanes so that they can use them for short-distance commuting. At points like railway stations, we may provide them with facilities to park bicycles,” Rajeev said.

In Thane, a cycle track had been developed six years back in Wagle Estate area. It is now lying unused and has been encroached upon.

Hemant Chhabra of the Bicycle Project, an NGO that promotes use of cycles by donating old ones to poor schoolstudents, welcomed the proposal. “Air pollution is getting worse due to four-wheeler and two-wheelers. We need to tell people to use bicycles,” he said.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 09 September 2009 10:58
 
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