Archive for month: August, 2024

New Delhi: The Supreme Court bench comprising the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has listed the RG Kar case for further hearing today i.e. August 22, 2024.

Meanwhile, associations of doctors and resident doctors have filed interventions in the matter. Approaching the Apex Court bench, the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) has prayed for directions to the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the State Health authorities to make safety at workplace & basic amenities, as mentioned in the Supreme Court order, a mandatory criteria for recognition of medical colleges and hospitals.

An intervention has also been filed by the National Federation of Resident Doctors of the All India Institute of Medical Association (AIIMS), which highlighted the concerns of various resident doctors in all AIIMS across the country.

The United Doctors Front Association (UDFA) has also approached the Apex Court with various prayers to effectively deal with the issue at hand and other connected matters that directly impact the welfare of the healthcare service personnel and the functioning of healthcare institutions across the country. Among them are formation of the Central Protection Act (CPA) Committee to address the critical concerns of healthcare professionals, ANI has reported.

Doctors and resident doctors filed these intervention applications in the case concerning the brutal rape and murder of a PG medical student at Kolkata-based RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Recently, the Apex Court bench took suo motu cognizance of the matter and during the hearing of the case on Tuesday, the top court constituted a National Task Force comprising of nine doctors and five ex-officio members to draft an action plan to ensure the safety of the doctors, residents, interns, nurses and other healthcare professionals across the country.

This Task Force has been directed to submit its interim report within 3 weeks and the final report within 2 months before the Supreme Court bench. Listing the matter for further hearing on Thursday, the Supreme Court bench had asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a status report into the RG Kar incident.

Intervention by DMA: 

After filing an intervention into the matter, DMA yesterday made an submission before the Apex Court and demanded the following:

1) Directions to NMC & State Health Authorities to make Safety at Workplace & basic amenities as mentioned in Court Order a Mandatory Criteria for recognition of Medical Colleges and Hospitals.

2) Mandatory Filing of Institutional FIR within 2 Hours

3)Creation of Compensation Distress Fund for victim & family.

4) Inclusion of DMA Representative on the Task Force.

Intervention by National Federation of Resident Doctors: 

ANI has reported that the National Federation of Resident Doctors of AIIMS has moved an intervention application in the Supreme Court, highlighting the concerns of various resident doctors in all AIIMS across the country.

Advocate Tanvi Dubey is representing the National Federation of Resident Doctors of AIIMS. The federation highlighted the concerns of various resident doctors in all AIIMS across the country and urged the top court for interim measures for the doctors till the recommendations made by the NTF are implemented.

The organisation has also mentioned that, by the very nature of their profession, healthcare workers are entitled to a certain degree of protection and safety mechanisms at the workplace.

Intervention by United Doctors Front Association (UDFA): 

UDFA, which is a collective organization representing doctors and healthcare professionals across India and committed to advocating for the rights, welfare, and professional interests of medical practitioners, said, “In light of the increasing instances of violence against healthcare professionals, there is an urgent need to revisit and enhance the existing legal framework to ensure their safety and security.”

The association urged the top court to recognize the significance of this legislative proposal and support its swift enactment. “Such legal protection is vital for maintaining the integrity of the healthcare system, safeguarding the rights of those who serve in it, and ensuring that the public continues to receive uninterrupted and quality healthcare services,” the application said.

UDFA has made various prayers to the top court to effectively deal with the issue at hand and other connected matters that directly impact the welfare of healthcare service personnel and the functioning of healthcare institutions across the country. Among them are the formation of the Central Protection Act (CPA) Committee to address the critical concerns of healthcare professionals.

Among others are request for ordinance, representation of youth in National Task Force, immediate Implementation of the NDMC Health Professional Violence Act as an interim measure until the CPA is enacted, issuance of directions to the Central Government to urgently formulate and implement uniform safety protocols across all healthcare institutions and deployment of a trained and designated security force at sensitive hospitals and medical institutions.

Also Read: Breaking News on RG Kar Case: Supreme Court Constitutes National Task Force to draft Action plan for Safety of Doctors

A new study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal suggests that through at-scale service delivery, type 2 diabetes can be remitted outside of research settings. Total diet replacement (TDR) has been found in randomized controlled studies to be effective in type 2 diabetes remission. The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission (T2DR) program, a 12-month behavioral intervention to support weight loss that involves an initial 3-month period of TDR, was developed in response to the English National Health Service’s (NHS) 2019 commitment to establishing a TDR-based interventional program delivered at scale within real-world environments. Thus, this study by Jonathan Valabhji and colleagues evaluated program participants of type 2 diabetes remission.

As part of a nationwide prospective service assessment the people in England between the ages of 18 and 65 who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within the previous 6 years. The National Diabetes Audit and program data were connected to determine HbA1c values and prescriptions for medications that decrease blood sugar. Remission of type 2 diabetes at 1 year was the main outcome, which was outlined as two HbA1c measurements of less than 48 mmol/mol reported at least 3 months apart and no prescription for glucose-lowering drugs starting 3 months prior to the first HbA1c measurement and the second HbA1c measurement recorded 11 to 15 months after the start of program.

A total of 7540 participants were referred to the program between September 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022. Of which, 1740 began TDR prior to January 2022, giving them a full year to complete the program by the time data extraction took place at the end of December 2022. 960 people (55%) of the participants who began TDR prior to January 2022, finished the program.

There was an average weight reduction of 8·3% or 9·4 kg for the 1710 individuals who began the program before January 2022 and had no missing data, and an average weight loss of 9·3% or 10·3 kg for the 945 participants who finished the program and had no missing data. In a subset of 710 (42%) of 1710 patients who began the treatment before January 2022 and had two HbA1c measures recorded, 190 (27%) experienced remission, with a mean weight reduction of 13·4% or 14·8 kg. Of the 945 patients who finished the program, 450 (48%) had two HbA1c values recorded. 145 (32%) experienced remission, with a mean weight reduction of 14·4% or 15·9 kg.

Source:

Valabhji, J., Gorton, T., Barron, E., Safazadeh, S., Earnshaw, F., Helm, C., Virr, M., Kernan, J., Crowe, S., Aveyard, P., Wilding, J., Willis, T., Ells, L., O’Neill, S., Robertson, E., Jebb, S., Taylor, R., & Bakhai, C. (2024). Early findings from the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme: a prospective evaluation of real-world implementation. In The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2213-8587(24)00194-3

Vijayawada: Minister for Labour and Factories, Vasamsetti Subhash has inaugurated the new premises of the Employees State Insurance (ESI) Hospital at Gunadala in Vijayawada. He announced that the 110-bed ESI hospital in Vijayawada will be upgraded to a 300-bed hospital.

The Minister stated that the hospital has been serving thousands of labour families since 1968, now this will be expanded to a 300-bed capacity. This increasing bed capacity will provide more space to accommodate patients and reduce waiting times for treatment. He further stated that all ESI hospitals across the state would undergo phased development, with comprehensive measures being implemented to ensure this enhancement. This expansion is set to enhance the hospital’s capacity and improve healthcare services for the growing population of the region. 

Also Read: ESIC approves Rs 1128 crore for construction of 7 hospitals, 800 beds to be added

Minister Subhash emphasized that all ESI hospitals will be upgraded to provide comprehensive treatment for various diseases and to ensure prompt medical services for labour families. He also criticized the previous YSRC government for neglecting ESI hospitals over the past five years. He highlighted the issues which caused significant difficulties for the workers such as inadequate equipment and unfilled job vacancies. He also revealed that a vigilance inquiry has been launched to investigate irregularities related to YSR Bhima. This YSR Bhima has allegedly set up its own insurance company, raising concerns about its practices.

Misappropriating funds received from the Centre had caused significant frustration within the labour department. Subhas has accused YSRC of this. He also indicated that efforts are actively underway to expand the ESI scheme to cover every organization with 10 or more workers, intending to significantly boost membership.

According to The New Indian Express, Gadde Rammehan Rao, the MLA of Vijayawada East Constituency has stated that the government would continue to prioritise the labour sector after agriculture. He said that both Central and State governments would allocate funds for labour welfare. Labour, Industries, Boilers, and IMS Secretary M Naik, MLC P Ashok Babu, Karmik Rajya Bima Medical Services Director V Anjaneulu, ESIC Regional Director A Venugopal, and officials from various departments were present.

Also Read: Expansion of ESI Hospitals: ESI Corporation to set up 105 Hospitals

China: A new study has highlighted the increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in men with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) who gain weight after quitting smoking. This research, which followed participants over seven years, underscores the importance of weight management for those with NAFLD who have recently stopped smoking.

Participants on a self-directed dietary education program who had the greatest success at losing weight across a 25-month period consumed greater amounts of protein and fiber, a study found. Personalization and flexibility also were key in creating plans that dieters could adhere to over time.

At the one-year mark, successful dieters (41% of participants) had lost 12.9% of their body weight, compared with the remainder of the study sample, who lost slightly more than 2% of their starting weight, according to a paper on the study published in Obesity Science and Practice.

The dieters were participants in the Individualized Diet Improvement Program, which uses data visualization tools and intensive dietary education sessions to increase dieters’ knowledge of key nutrients, enabling them to create a personalized, safe and effective weight-loss plan, said Manabu T. Nakamura, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the leader of the research.

“Flexibility and personalization are key in creating programs that optimize dieters’ success at losing weight and keeping it off,” Nakamura said. “Sustainable dietary change, which varies from person to person, must be achieved to maintain a healthy weight. The iDip approach allows participants to experiment with various dietary iterations, and the knowledge and skills they develop while losing weight serve as the foundation for sustainable maintenance.”

The pillars of iDip are increasing protein and fiber consumption along with consuming 1,500 calories or less daily.

Based on the dietary guidelines issued by the Institutes of Medicine, the iDip team created a one-of-a-kind, two-dimensional quantitative data visualization tool that plots foods’ protein and fiber densities per calorie and provides a target range for each meal. Starting with foods they habitually ate, the dieters created an individualized plan, increasing their protein intake to about 80 grams and their fiber intake to about 20 grams daily.

In tracking the participants’ eating habits and their weights with Wi-Fi enabled scales, the team found strong inverse correlations between the percentages of fiber and protein eaten and dieters’ weight loss.

“The research strongly suggests that increasing protein and fiber intake while simultaneously reducing calories is required to optimize the safety and efficacy of weight loss diets,” said first author and U. of I. alumna Mindy H. Lee, a then-graduate student and registered dietitian-nutritionist for the iDip program.

Nakamura said the preservation of lean mass is very important while losing weight, especially when using weight-loss drugs.

“Recently, the popularity of injectable weight loss medications has been increasing,” Nakamura said. “However, using these medications when food intake is strongly limited will cause serious side effects of muscle and bone loss unless protein intake is increased during weight loss.”

A total of 22 people who enrolled in the program completed it, including nine men and 13 women. Most of the dieters were between the ages of 30-64. Participants reported they had made two or more prior attempts to lose weight. They also had a variety of comorbidities-54% had high cholesterol, 50% had skeletal problems and 36% had hypertension and/or sleep apnea. Additionally, the dieters reported diagnoses of diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cancer and depression, according to the study.

The seven dieters who reported they had been diagnosed with depression lost significantly less weight-about 2.4% of their starting weight compared with those without depression, who lost 8.39% of their initial weight. The team found that weight loss did not differ significantly among participants with other comorbidities, or between younger and older participants or between men and women.

Body composition analysis indicated that dieters maintained their lean body mass, losing an average of 7.1 kilograms of fat mass and minimal muscle mass at the six-month interval. Among those who lost greater than 5% of their starting weight, 78% of the weight they lost was fat, according to the study.

Overall, the participants reduced their fat mass from an average of 42.6 kilograms at the beginning of the program to 35.7 kilograms at the 15-month mark. Likewise, the dieters reduced their waists by about 7 centimeters at six months and by a total of 9 centimeters at 15 months, the team found.

In tracking dieters’ protein and fiber intake, the team found a strong correlation between protein and fiber consumption and weight loss at three months and 12 months.

“The strong correlation suggests that participants who were able to develop sustainable dietary changes within the first three months kept losing weight in the subsequent months, whereas those who had difficulty implementing sustainable dietary patterns early on rarely succeeded in changing their diet in the later months,” Nakamura said.

The team hypothesized that this correlation could also have been associated with some dieters’ early weight loss success, which may have bolstered their motivation and adherence to their program.

Reference:

Mindy H. Lee, Annabelle Shaffer, Nouf W. Alfouzan, Catherine C. Applegate, Jennie C. Hsu, John W. Erdman Jr., Manabu T. Nakamura, Successful dietary changes correlate with weight-loss outcomes in a new dietary weight-loss program, Obesity Science & Practice, https://doi.org/10.1002/osp4.764.