BMHRC's med centre to beta test India's CBRN prep against ‘radioactive threats'
It'll be integrated with a state-of-the-art Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) facility. The project has progressed with high-level discussions taking place this week regarding construction plans.
According to BMHRC director (in charge) Dr Manisha Shrivastava, "This facility is unique in itself—a dedicated medical management centre for disaster response, specifically Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) emergencies, integrated with a Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Centre at BMHRC.
In such emergencies, BMT becomes a critical requirement."
The centre will include a critical operation theatre and a 50-bed facility.
BMHRC doctors have already undergone specialized training in Gujarat, with two more heading to Brazil for advanced learning. NDRF teams have visited BMHRC for training and preparedness exercises.
A research component is also embedded, with BMHRC collaborating with other agencies to advance knowledge in CBRN medical response. Facility entry and exit will be strictly controlled under CBRN defense management protocols. Only Chennai and Bhopal will host such specialized centres—both are currently under development. The estimated cost is Rs 112 crore and expected to take two years to complete. To begin with, the first two centers are coming up in Chennai and Bhopal.
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
5 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Ineligible persons posted at drug rehab, de-addiction centres, finds DC
An inquiry conducted by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Tarn Taran has allegedly found a nexus involving officials and a private contracting firm for recruiting ineligible persons into the district's drug de-addiction and rehabilitation facilities through outsourced contracts. The border district is one of the worst affected by the problem of drug menace. DC Rahul has recommended registration of police case based on inquiry report. The complainant claimed that contract was allegedly awarded illegally by the then Deputy Medical Commissioner, Dr Ramandeep Singh Padda. 'The contractor Davinder Singh was allegedly running a nexus through which he and his associates prepared fake degrees and documents, collected large sums of money from people, and gave them jobs. In this scheme, Rs 5 lakh was taken for the post of counsellor, Rs 3 lakh for staff nurse, and Rs 2 lakh for data entry operator, despite the degrees being fake. In July 2023, the company allegedly collected Rs 6,000 from each person in the name of verification, without issuing any receipt. The documents of the company's director and those submitted by the company are alleged to be fake. At the time of awarding the contract, Dr Padda is alleged to have carried out no verification,' says complainant Harjinder Singh. The inquiry report states that Asian Advanced Development Pvt Ltd, contracted to provide manpower from July 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, charged unlawful 'verification fees' and allegedly took bribes for recruitment. The company's manager and contractor, Davinder Singh, has been accused of concealing facts about the contract, failing to follow contractual terms, submitting incomplete or misleading records, and harassing employees who raised complaints. The report further adds that the then Deputy Medical Commissioner Dr Padda, now posted as Senior Medical Officer (SMO) at Sur Singh, is alleged to have colluded with the contractor by failing to scrutinise documents and by ignoring irregularities in the recruitment process. The report cites evidence that fake certificates were used to hire several outsourced employees, including counsellors and data entry operators. It also refers to a legal agreement dated August 16, 2023, which allegedly shows that Rs 26.86 lakh was collected for recruitment as bribe. Several other outsourced staff are suspected to have been appointed without proper verification. The Deputy Commissioner has recommended forwarding the matter to the Senior Superintendent of Police, Tarn Taran, for detailed investigation, describing it as a matter of criminal nature. In a letter dated July 28, 2025, the incumbent Deputy Medical Commissioner of Tarn Taran reported alleged false patient entries and misuse of Buprenorphine tablets at two state-run opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) centres in the district. Buprenorphine, a controlled substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, is intended to help individuals gradually withdraw from opioid dependence. However, health officials say that some addicts extract and inject the medicine for a more intense 'kick'.' 'These tablets are not available in the open market and are dispensed strictly through prescription under controlled medical supervision,' a senior health official said. 'They are primarily used in de-addiction centres as part of opioid substitution therapy.' In letter addressed to the Senior Medical Officers of Ghariyala and Khadoor Sahib, the Deputy Medical Commissioner said that inspections at the OOAT Centre in Kiratowal (CHC Ghariyala) on July 28, 2025, and the OOAT Centre in Khadoor Sahib on July 25, 2025, revealed 'serious irregularities' in patient records and the distribution of medicines. According to the official, when the previous week's records were reviewed, the number of patients at the centres did not match the number of entries made online. The letter alleges that staff were 'consistently making false entries' and misusing OOAT medicines. The matter had also been referred to the Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police, Tarn Taran, for further investigation and possible action against the staff involved. In this matter too the police investigation hasn't started yet. Besides, these irregularities, these centres also witnessed theft of Buprenorphine from OOAT centres. The most recent incident occurred on July 1 at the Bhagupur Drugli Rehabilitation and OOAT centre in Tarn Taran. According to officials, a thief broke into the premises but was apprehended on the spot by security personnel and handed over to the police. The police also registered an FIR against the accused for stealing the fan from the facility at the Sadar Patti police station. On February 2, 2025, staff at the community health centre (CHC) at Ghariala reported that the door of the OOAT centre was found broken. Upon inspection, they discovered that the box containing Buprenorphine medicines had been forcibly opened. As many as 296 tablets of 2 mg and 5,626 tablets of 0.4 mg were reported stolen, according to officials. On March 3, 2025, thieves again targeted the CHC Ghariala. Items stolen included an air conditioner, a camera, a fan, and 3,151 tablets of 2 mg buprenorphine, officials said. Further, on May 25, all the Buprenorphine tablets were stolen from the civil hospital in Ajnala. Another theft was reported on December 13, 2024, at the Aam Aadmi Clinic in Rattagudda village in Tarn Taran. In this case, one air conditioner and a tablet charger were reported missing.
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
Shaving vs waxing: Which is better for your skin?
(Image Credits: Pinterest) Every woman, once in her lifetime, has experienced the pain of waxing or the wrath of ingrown hairs after shaving her hands, legs, and underarms to gain a smooth and hairless finish. But the question each time after the process is, which is the best option? Many ask this question when looking for the best method to remove body hair. From the effect on the skin, wallet, and schedule, let's see which of the two is a better choice for your skin. But let's start with understanding the difference between shaving and waxing. Shaving involves trimming the hair right from the skin level, so the root remains intact, and the hair just grows a little bit for it to break through the skin again, which takes around a few days or a week. On the other hand, waxing pulls your hair out from the root, taking longer to regrow. With waxing, you likely won't see any growth for at least a week and even longer, depending on the growth of your hair cells. Secrets to anti-ageing: 7 simple daily habits that give us healthy skin So, let's get down to the root of the issue and see which is better for your skin in the long term. What are the benefits of shaving ? Shaving is relatively convenient, as all you need is a sharp razor, shaving cream, shaving cleanser, and water. It is accessible, as you can get a good-quality razor under Rs 500, which can be used at least 5 times before replacement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The 5 Books Warren Buffett Recommends You To Read in 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo In some settings, you can simply replace the blades and use your old ones like a brand new set. (Image Credits: Pinterest) Downsides of shaving While shaving helps you achieve a sleek and smooth look instantly, it leads to skin irritation and an ingrown hair issue, which can be a nuisance for sensitive skin. It is also a time-consuming process and depends on your desired look, which can be a hassle. However, it is only a temporary solution, as the hair eventually grows back in a week with the same thickness, which is a hassle for you. So, to have a clean look with shaving at all times, you need to keep up with a weekly routine. Benefits of bikini waxing: Why it's better than shaving? What are the benefits of waxing ? When you wax consistently, your hair will likely grow back finer and sparser over time, making the hair removal sessions more swift and easy. Waxing can be less aggravating for your skin than shaving, as razor burns lead to ingrown hair. This process is always done by a professional, ensuring that the possible results can be gained with minimal effort. Plus, these professionals are also able to reach areas of your body where you cannot physically act on. Waxing itself is an exfoliation process that removes dead skin cells, tanning, and clogged pores and helps you reveal brighter and glowing skin. While waxing can be more expensive than shaving, it is considerably cheaper than laser hair removal, where the regrowth process is also much slower than shaving. The hair removal lasts anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks, making the amount charged worth it. It depends on which type of wax you're choosing, which mainly starts from Rs 600 and can go to around Rs 1200 or more. (Image Credits: Pinterest) Downsides of waxing Like shaving, your skin can become inflamed, causing redness for some time, which can be dealt with by waxing aftercare. This includes the application of aloe vera gel or oil, which makes the redness fade away in an hour. Also, the process can take some time, as a full body waxing session can easily take up to 1.5 hours or sometimes 2 hours before you can see the full results. Final verdict! Waxing or shaving - which is better for my skin? This answer depends on the person's unique skin type, but generally, people suggest waxing services in order to ditch ingrown hair, cuts and scrapes, and the rigorous process every week. The biggest benefits waxing can give you are the removal of tan, exfoliation, and unclogging the pores, which come with the process. It also boosts skin cell regrowth and leads to overall collagen production. Thus, to get away from every week's hair removal process of shaving, waxing makes your skin feel smoother, hydrated, radiant, and healthier.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Can anti-inflammatory diets work? AIIMS diet guidance app helps 35-year-old beat colon ulcer
As a 35-year-old bank executive, completing deadlines and travelling to cities every other day, Sudheer Sharma often skipped breakfast and lunch, grabbing a small bite in between and having that big meal only after work. He never found his routine to be disruptive till the day he crumbled in a heap with severe abdominal cramps and stool in his blood. His work stress and poor meal habits had completely distorted his gut health, resulting in ulcerative colitis — inflammation and ulcers in the colon and rectum. Now a food guidance app helps him tame it. This is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which could be caused by genes, an immune system dysfunction, where the immune system mistakenly attacks the digestive tract as the enemy, or when the balance of good and bad gut bacteria is severely disrupted. In Sharma's case, the stress and poor diet just exacerbated the condition further. 'The pain was sharp. And the rectal bleeding was scary. Such were my bouts that my mental health got affected too,' says Sharma, a resident of Agra. After an endoscopy revealed his condition, he consulted several doctors in Agra. Dr Ahuja, who has been seeing IBD patients mostly between their 20s and 40s, says although many of them are advised immunosuppressive therapy, this can be very expensive, setting the patient back by anything between Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5-6 lakh per year. 'Besides, this is a finite therapy. There's no known cure,' he says. Which is why dietary management is the key pillar of disease management. Initially, Dr Ahuja advised an almost liquid diet for Sharma, which included khichdi at times. Then he and his team of dieticians gradually included curd, pulses, nuts, fruits, rice and gluten-free grains. Sharma was asked to focus on whole, unprocessed foods, healthy fats, lean proteins like fish, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. For breakfast, Sharma takes 250 grams of poha with nuts, khichdi or chilla followed by fruits — all a mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fibre, the last of which clears the gut, flushes out toxins and promotes the growth of good bacteria. He has curd and curd-based products in large quantities. 'I make sure I consume curd every day in different forms, including buttermilk or chhaas, raita or yogurt dip and plain curd,' says Sharma. He avoids other milk products, occasionally indulging in paneer. 'Curd has a lot of probiotics and has a positive effect on the gut microbiome itself. Lactobacillus-containing yogurt can correct imbalance of gut microbes,' says Dr Ahuja. At lunch, Sharma has ragi or bajra (both millets) roti along with dal and salad, again a mix of complex carbohydrates, protein and fibre. He follows a similar meal plan for dinner. 'We took him off red meat, wheat and ultra-processed foods because they trigger inflammation,' says Dr Ahuja. So Sharma effectively stays away from wheat, maida, all-purpose flour, semolina, bread and dairy products. With wholesome meals that lend satiety, Sharma does not crave junk food. He now takes home-made food to work and if he cannot, buys only curd and fruits instead of the junk and thali meals he ordered before. Although initially he consulted AIIMS dieticians in person, he now follows their food guidance app called IBD Nutricare, which has been designed to help patients keep to an anti-inflammatory diet. 'The patients following the diet have to upload details of what and how much they eat daily. Based on these details, the app tells you where you are going wrong or what you can do to rectify your food combination,' says Sharma. Within a month of using the app, both his cramps and rectal bleeding stopped. 'My haemoglobin levels have also gone up to 10g/dL now,' he adds. Once Sharma got accustomed to a changed diet, Dr Ahuja put him on an exercise schedule that would relieve his severe work stress. He goes for long walks in the mornings and does yoga whenever he gets time. Normally any moderate intensity exercise and strength training should top up the benefits. 'I also take care to sleep seven to eight hours so that my body can heal,' says Sharma, who has begun to take mini breaks over weekends. Dr Ahuja is seeing a spiral, attending to almost 250 cases a week. 'It is a very large number. In some cases, prescribed medicines, like 5-amino salicylic acid, are used. But then this is just 50 per cent of the medication. In serious cases, steroids are used. Still if they don't work, then biological injections are used. Biologics are used to treat IBD because they help the immune system target certain proteins that cause inflammation,' says Dr Ahuja. If we look at actual incidence figures, these may be lower than the US and Europe. But because of the population, when we look at absolute numbers, then India has almost the same number of patients as the US for the whole of Europe combined. So that is roughly around 2.5 million patients. Dr Ahuja says there has been a cohort of around 10,000 patients with IBD ever since AIIMS started its specialised clinics in 2004.
