Need for integrated approach in providing medical care: President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil

President Pratibha Patil today favoured integration of various therapies to provide affordable medical care to common people in the country. Noting the creation of 'AYUSH' by the government which aims at coordination of Ayurveda, Unani, Homeopath and Siddha therapies to supplement allopathic treatment, Patil said every branch of medicine has its own importance and it is necessary that the benefits of integrated approach reach the last man. Speaking at the golden jubilee function of Maharashtra Arogya Mandal (MAM) here, she underlined the importance of raising standards of medical education in the country and spreading health awareness through adoption of scientific attitude. "Health awareness and preventive approach is necessary to achieve the people's empowerment," Patil observed. Hailing the contribution of MAM for the welfare of the downtrodden, Patil urged service and non-government organisations (NGOs) to work to facilitate cheaper health care for women and the deprived section of the society.
Source:IBNLive

Like Humans Animals Have Spiritual Experiences Too

 Just like human beings even animals have spiritual experiences, says a prominent neurologist. 
Research suggested that spiritual experiences originate deep within primitive areas of the human brain-areas shared by other animals with brain structures like our own.
"Since only humans are capable of language that can communicate the richness of spiritual experience, it is unlikely we will ever know with certainty what an animal subjectively experiences," Discovery News quoted Kevin Nelson of the University of Kentucky as saying.
"Despite this limitation, it is still reasonable to conclude that since the most primitive areas of our brain happen to be the spiritual, then we can expect that animals are also capable of spiritual experiences," added Nelson.
The finding is an extension of his research on humans, which has been published in many peer-reviewed journals.
"In humans, we know that if we disrupt the (brain) region where vision, sense of motion, orientation in the Earth's gravitational field, and knowing the position of our body all come together, then out-of-body experiences can be caused literally by the flip of a switch.
"There is absolutely no reason to believe it is any different for a dog, cat, or primate's brain," he said.
Other mammals also probably have near-death experiences comparable to those reported by certain humans, he believes. Such people often say they saw a light and felt as though they were moving down a tunnel.

 

Huge Commonwealth Games cock-up leads to condoms blocking drains

The troubled Commonwealth Games in Delhi have been hit by a new problem: thousands of condoms blocking drains at the £150m athletes' village.Games organisers have said they will work round the clock to clear the prophylactics from pipes at the accommodation blocks housing more than 7,000 athletes and officials.Mike Fennell, president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, sought to put a positive spin on the story at a news conference, saying: "If that is happening, it shows that there is use of condoms and I think that is a very positive story. Athletes are being responsible.""If they are so active then that's very good," a spokesperson for the organisers said. "We are promoting safe sex."One official told the local Mail Today newspaper, which broke the story, that more than 4,000 condoms had already been taken from free vending machines since athletes started arriving 10 days ago.The condom blockage follows an outbreak of gastrocolic problems such as diarrhoea among swimmers this week.  Source:Guardian.co.uk

PCI proposes setting up of premier institute for pharmacy education

The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has proposed to the Central government to set up a premier institute for pharmacy education, similar to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), to explore and develop innovative curriculum for pharmacy courses to be implemented in the rest of the pharmacy institutions in the country. 

The proposal is to set up a national institute of pharmacy, which will develop innovative curriculum to produce trained manpower as per the requirement of pharmaceutical industry, nurture sponsored and contract research and to provide continuing education to institutions and industry in pharmacy sector, according to PCI sources.

“Since the fund is to be issued from the government, we have submitted the proposal to the ministry and is waiting for approval,” said Dr B Suresh, president, PCI. He added that in the mean time, the PCI has initiated efforts to upgrade some of the existing pharmacy institutions with good records to be apex institutions supporting the national institute.

The PCI has already called for proposals from pharmacy institutions to extend one time financial assistance for up-gradation of government diploma pharmacy institution to degree pharmacy institution and for introduction of M Pharm course or new M Pharm specialization in government degree pharmacy institutions.

The council has so far received 23 proposals from different government institutions and plans are to allocate funds from the Rs.100 crore grant allocated to PCI under the 11th Five Year Plan, for the purpose. The project is expected to materialise immediately and these institutions will later work as apex institutions for introduction of innovative curriculum developed in the national institute, once the government okays the proposal and the premier institution is established, said Suresh.
The fund allocated for PCI will also be used to set up Drug Information Centres (DICs) in state pharmacy councils. Priority will be given to the State councils in establishing DICs, though the support will also be provided to well established and functioning institutions in pharmacy practices, to ensure success of the objective in setting up the centres.
Further, a faculty development programme would also be initiated by PCI utilising the fund, as a continuing education programme for teachers who will help the council to train the rest of the pharmacy community with the latest developments in the segment. 
Strengthening of pharmacy institutions, introduction of bridge course for in-service diploma pharmacists working in community, hospital and dispensary pharmacy practices to upgrade their qualification from diploma to degree by supporting them with incentives or subsidy in fee, and continuing education of pharmacists are some of the other areas the PCI is currently focusing apart from its routine activities. 

Source:Pharmabiz

Research Indicates Happiness is Not Just Gene Deep

The idea that happiness is a genetic trait influenced by early life experiences has been challenged by a German study. It found that feelings of happiness and well being respond to external factors such as healthy lifestyle, religion and working hours. 
Lead author, Associate Professor Bruce Headey of the Melbourne Institute at the University of Melbourne, says the findings suggest genes only account for around 50 percent of wellbeing, with external factors accounting for the rest.
The researchers used data gathered by the German Socio-Economic Panel Survey (SOEP), interviewed more than 60,000 people aged 16 years or older, every year between 1984 and 2008.
A large numbers of the participants reported substantial and apparently permanent changes in satisfaction, or happiness, indicating that set-point theory has significant flaws, reports ABC Science.
The dominant theory in psychology has been the set-point theory, which holds that long-term happiness in adults is essentially stable, or has a set-point, relying on genetic factors, including personality traits moulded and expressed early in life.
Set-point theory has long caused consternation among economists. At its core, it suggests that because happiness levels are both innate and unique to each individual, and there is little point in intervening in people's lives on either micro or macro levels, such as through economic policy, which would have little if any long term effect.
This suggests economists would be better off measuring happiness - also known as subjective utility - indirectly by looking at consumption and leisure choices.
Source:MedIndia

Omega 3 Fatty Acids Can Treat Chronic Illness: Study

A new study has been undertaken to find out how healthful natural compounds known as Omega 3 fatty acids, which are found in fishes like salmon and albacore, help us protect against chronic diseases. 
The ongoing study is conducted by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) chemist Darshan S. Kelley and co-investigators are helping uncover new details about how these fish-oil components help protect us from chronic diseases.
In an early study with laboratory mice, Kelley and colleagues investigated the interplay of two omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil-DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)-and a third fatty acid, CLA (as trans-10, cis-12 CLA) found in some dietary supplements. 
Kelley's 8-week test with 50 laboratory mice indicated that DHA protected the animals against two harmful side effects of CLA: LA-induced insulin resistance and CLA-induced non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease. 
In contrast, EPA offered only partial protection against CLA-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and provided no protection against insulin resistance. 
If untreated, insulin resistance can lead to diabetes. An estimated 36 million to 57 million Americans are insulin-resistant. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease can result in cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer. The study appeared in a 2007 issue of Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders.
Source:MedIndia

Lifestyle Intervention Program Can Reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Four-year results of the Look AHEAD study have shown that an intensive lifestyle intervention program designed to achieve and maintain weight loss improves diabetes control and cardiovascular disease risk factors in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. 
Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) is a multi-center, randomized clinical trial investigating the effects of an intensive lifestyle intervention program.
It will evaluate the effect of reduced caloric intake and increased physical activity on the incidence of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular-related death. 
At study entry, 5,145 participants at 16 centers across the United States were randomly assigned to one of two interventions. 
Those in a so-called "intensive lifestyle intervention group" met regularly with a lifestyle counselor in a combination of group and individual sessions. 
They were given specific caloric consumption and exercise goals, were encouraged to maintain a diet and exercise diary, and were taught behavioral skills such as problem solving and goal setting. After the first year, participants were seen individually at least once monthly, had at least one additional phone or email contact each month, and were invited to attend additional group classes. 
Those in the "diabetes support and education group" were invited to group sessions each year focused on diet, physical activity, or social support. They were not weighed at these sessions or counseled on behavioral strategies.

Source:MedIndia