Leprosy on rise, don't ignore skin patches
2
3
Nagpur: The city is witnessing a steady rise in leprosy cases, with 34 new cases in last two months, accroding to data released by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) health department.
This has taken the total count of leprosy patients to 222 this year.
Health officials from (NMC), who are urging citizens to immediately consult a doctor if they notice any pale, reddish patches or numb spots on their skin, as delayed diagnosis can lead to deformities and disabilities.
Leprosy is one of the slowest spreading infectious diseases and is caused by the Mycobacterium leprae, which affects the skin and nervous system.
Despite being fully curable with MDT (multi-drug therapy), stigma and ignorance still surround the disease, especially in east Vidarbha, where its prevalence remains high.
"Not every patch is leprosy, but every patch needs to be examined," said Dr Deepak Selokar, medical health officer at NMC. "Look out for signs like skin patches, nodules, thickened earlobes, or weakness in limbs. Early detection ensures full recovery and prevents lifelong disability."
Dr Selokar emphasised the importance of immediately visiting the nearest NMC urban primary health centre or informing local Asha workers for free screening and treatment.
"Leprosy spreads mainly through close contact with untreated patients, so early diagnosis not only protects the patient but also their family," he added.
Under the leadership of NMC commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari, and addl commissioner Vasumana Pant, a leprosy awareness campaign is underway to fight stigma and promote early diagnosis.
"Our health teams and Asha workers are proactively identifying cases and spreading awareness, but community cooperation is vital," said a senior health official.
Leprosy symptoms may appear mild and painless but ignoring them could lead to irreversible nerve damage and visible deformities.
Common symptoms of leprosy include pale or reddish numb patches on the skin, numbness or weakness in hands and feet, nodules or lumps on the body, thickened earlobes, and thinning of eyebrows.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Health Dept launches AIDS awareness campaign
Patna: The state health department is set to launch a two-month intensive campaign aimed at identifying HIV cases and raising awareness about its transmission and prevention. Announced by health minister Mangal Pandey, the campaign will run from Aug 12 to Oct 12, with the objective of enhancing activities that promote understanding and vigilance against HIV/AIDS. The initiative targets coverage of at least 200 villages in each district over the two-month period. "The campaign will promote information on the transmission routes of HIV and alert the public about associated risks. Additionally, an awareness drive about condoms and spread of sexually transmitted diseases will be conducted. This awareness aims to reduce discrimination against HIV-infected and affected individuals in the state and improve their quality of life," said a press release issued from the minister's office. To implement the campaign, door-to-door visits will be carried out by ASHA and Anganwadi workers, while district tuberculosis officers will organise health camps. Supplementary awareness activities will include flash mobs, rallies, procession in the morning, and painting competitions to engage the community and spread the message effectively. Pandey said the infectious nature of HIV/AIDS and the critical need for awareness among both the youth and the general public are the objectives of the campaign. "Proper arrangements for HIV testing and treatment have been made in the state. The health department aims for every HIV-infected person to be aware of their status," he said. Under the campaign, civil surgeons and district AIDS control officers will periodically inform the public through various media channels about the ongoing activities in each district during the two-month period. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
India.com
3 hours ago
- India.com
Meet Indian billionaire, was once worth Rs 200000000000, owned multiple flats in Burj Khalifa, now bankrupt after selling his Rs 12400 crore company for just Rs 74 due to…
BR Shetty was once one of the riches men in the world. (File) BR Shetty story: While there are scores of rags to riches stories of people building successful businesses from scratch and earning a large amount of wealth, rarely does one across the opposite of a such a story, where a billionaire tycoon fell into oblivion after bankruptcy and lost a major portion of his fortune. The downfall of BR Shetty, an Indian-born businessman, who once owned several companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), had net worth of over Rs 20,000 crore and lived a life of prime luxury– is one such rare tale which documents the rise and fall of a billionaire tycoon, and shows how one critical error can ruin a man and send him tumbling into the depths of obscurity. Who is BR Shetty? Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty, or BR Shetty as he is popularly known, was born in a middle-income home in Udupi, Madras Presidency, then British India (now Karnataka, India), on August 1, 1942, and was once counted among the wealthiest people on the planet, ranking on the Forbes list of India's 100 Richest People in 2015, and the 42nd richest person in 2019. In 1973, at the age of 31, BR Shetty immigrated to Dubai in search of better opportunities, where he started his career as a medical representative, and began selling medicines as a door-to-door salesman. However, within a brief period, BR Shetty, who had arrived in Dubai with just $8 to his name, developed contacts with several wealthy and influential people in the UAE, and a few years later, established UAE's first private healthcare provider, New Medical Center Health (NMC), in Dubai. How BR Shetty established UAE's first private hospital? The NMC hospital was managed by Shetty's wife, Chandrakumari Shetty, who was the only doctor in the clinic, at the time. Today, NMC is the largest private healthcare provider in the UAE with over four million patients annually across 45 facilities spread over 12 cities and 8 countries, including UAE, KSA, Oman, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Colombia, and Brazil. NMC is also the first healthcare company from the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) and the first company from Abu Dhabi to be listed on the premium segment of the London Stock Exchange and was part of the coveted FTSE 100 Index. However, the firm was de-listed from London Stock Exchange and removed from FTSE 100 index, following a request from its board of directors, and due to the on-going investigation of alleged financial irregularities. What other businesses did Shetty build? Apart from NMC, BR Shetty also founded the UAE Exchange, a company dealing in remittance, foreign exchange, and bill payment services. During the late 70s, Shetty observed that Indian expatriates living in UAE faced difficulties in sending money to their families back home in India, and thus landed upon the idea to establish the UAE Exchange, which in 2016, opened 800 offices in 31 countries. In 2003, BR Shetty founded NMC Neopharma, a UAE-based pharmaceutical manufacturer, which was inaugurated by the then President of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam in Abu Dhabi. What triggered BR Shetty's downfall? Over the years, BR Shetty's wealth ballooned thanks to owing to his diversified and successful business ventures which ranged from health, finance, to real estate, and capital investment. At one point, BR Shetty had a net worth of $3 billion (around Rs 20,000 crore), making him one of the wealthiest men globally. The Indian-born business tycoon lived a life of opulence, owned private jets and a fleet of Rolls Royce vehicles, and even bought two entire floors in the lavish Burj Khalifa, besides several luxurious villas across Dubai. However, fate took a cruel turn when in 2019, Muddy Waters Research levelled damning allegations against BR Shetty's companies. In a post on X (former Twitter), the US-based short-seller posted a report revealing that Shetty's firm owed a $1billion debt which was kept secret from the company's investors. How US short-seller report ruined BR Shetty? In its report, Muddy Waters Research alleged that Shetty had hid the debt from his investors and defrauded them by exaggerating cash flow figures. Following the allegations, the shares of Shetty's companies went into freefall, ultimately forcing him sell his Rs 12,478 crore company to the Israel-UAE consortium for just Rs 74. In 2020, amid investigations, BR Shetty resigned from his board position, and on April 8 that year, NMC Health went into Administration in the United Kingdom due to concerns over corporate governance and a share price in freefall. In the same month, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank filed a criminal complaint against NMC Health with the UAE Attorney General's Office, and days later, the Central Bank of UAE ordered the freezing of Shetty's bank accounts and the blacklisting of his firms. The embattled businessman is also under investigation in India, with agencies initiating a probe to identify potential risks to Indian banks. According to reports, Shetty's current net worth is a minute fraction of his earlier $3.5 billion fortune, consequently leading Forbes to drop him from its annual list of billionaires in 2020.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
APMC files review petition in High Court seeking more time and clarity on July 9 judgment in FMGs' case
After a Division Bench of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh issued directions on July 9 that Permanent Registration be granted to a Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) in a month of the judgment, the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council (APMC) on August 7 filed a review petition in the court seeking more time and clarity in the verdict. In the July 9 order, the Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur, said Permanent Registration should be given to the FMGs who had compensated all the practical studies, which they had missed during the pandemic period, by taking up additional offline classes. It also referred to the NMC's public notice of June 19, 2024, and said if the APMC doubted the veracity of documents produced by an FMG, the burden fell on it to ensure the validity of the same. The same Division Bench had, on August 4, given another direction for issuing speaking orders as per the norms of the NMC in respect of four petitioners who moved the court seeking Permanent Registration. The APMC sought clarity in this verdict as well. The APMC filed a review petition following a written response from the National Medical Commission (NMC), which reportedly felt that the July 9 order of the court 'will result in arbitrary relaxation of norms prescribed by it for ensuring uniform standards of study across the county.' A copy of the response is yet to be shared with the media. According to a press release from the Department of Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare on August 8, the NMC suggested that the APMC file an appropriate application before the Division Bench seeking extension of time for complying with the July 9 verdict. As per the release, Special Chief Secretary M.T. Krishna Babu sought clarification from the NMC on August 5 on various subjects with regard to FMGs after discussing it with Minister for Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Satya Kumar Yadav. The NMC, in its clarification on August 7, reportedly stated that physical study cannot be substituted by online study. It was said to have referred to the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations (FMGL) and Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship Regulations, 2021, which, in normal situations, required an FMG to undergo one year compulsory internship in India after completion of medical graduation in foreign medical institutions. The NMC, as per the release, said, for those affected by the pandemic or war, in addition to one year of compulsory internship, they were required to undergo one or two more years of clerkship in India to compensate for the period of stay in India. But, the FMGs maintained that the FMGL regulations apply to those who joined the medical course after November 18, 2021, and that they all had joined the courses before 2020. The NMC, according to the release, clarified that compensation certificates issued by the foreign medical institutions should contain all details of academic and clinical courses. The certificates need to be authenticated by the Indian Embassies in the countries where the FMG studied their course.
