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Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
Dog bite cases rise, govt prepares rabies elimination plan
1 2 Guwahati: Dog bite cases in Assam have surged significantly — from 90,000 in 2023 to 1.5 lakh in 2024 — according to sources in the state health department. The spike comes amid inadequate coverage of anti-rabies vaccination for dogs and limited infrastructure for animal birth control (ABC) surgeries. In response to the escalating situation, the state govt has prepared the State Action Plan for Rabies Elimination 2030, which outlines the roles and responsibilities of the departments concerned. Health officials said the rise in reported cases is partly due to increased public awareness and improved hospital reporting. "People are now more proactive in seeking treatment at govt hospitals, where vaccines are available at lower costs," the source said. Stray dogs have become a nationwide concern, following the Supreme Court's ruling on street dogs in Delhi. Sources said approximately 50% of dog bite cases stem from street dogs, with the remaining half involving domesticated pets. Low vaccination rates among indigenous breeds in rural areas and street dogs in urban zones remain a major challenge. "An estimated 80% of domesticated dogs, especially the improved dog breeds, in urban areas are vaccinated," the source added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Readers says this maybe the best Cable TV Communications Search Now Undo Veterinary department sources estimate the state's stray dog population at just over 2 lakh, while pet dogs number around 4 lakh. In Guwahati, official data on street dogs is unavailable. However, over the past three months, more than 5,000 dogs have been vaccinated in the area under GMC by Just Be Friendly (JBF), a registered animal welfare organisation, in collaboration with UK-based group Mission Rabies and supported by the GMC. In response to complaints, JBF and GMC have also conducted ABC surgeries in recent months. "Several rabies-positive cases in dogs have been reported in Guwahati and its outskirts. ABC surgeries and anti-rabies vaccinations must be scaled up urgently," said Dr Sashanka Sekhar Dutta, managing trustee of JBF. While anti-rabies immunoglobulins and anti-rabies vaccines (ARVs) are available in medical college hospitals, district hospitals, sub-divisional civil hospitals, model hospitals, first referral units and community health centres, ARVs are also available at primary health centres 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.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Tailors, weavers, clerks are under construction workers' welfare board, says CAG
Bengaluru: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Wednesday pulled up Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board for irregular and unauthorised expenditure of Rs 259 crore during the first wave of Covid-19 in 2020. In a report tabled in the legislature, CAG said the board had initially proposed a preventive health training and check-up programme for five lakh registered construction workers across the state. Its first proposal in July 2020, estimated at Rs 10 crore, was rejected by the finance department, which sought more clarity. A second proposal in Dec 2020 was also blocked after the finance department demanded justification for awarding the project to three agencies directly, without following the tender process, and for seeking 4(g) exemption under the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Gold Rates Today in Bengaluru | Silver Rates Today in Bengaluru Instead of providing the required justification, the board secretary on April 12, 2021, sent a fresh proposal to the labour department to call for a tender to empanel agencies for a year. He also sought administrative approval to implement the scheme on a pilot basis in Dharwad circle for Rs 9 crore. Soon after, the board decided to split the same work into 30 individual projects, thereby avoiding the need for cabinet approval, and proceeded to call for quotations. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it better to shower in the morning or at night? Here's what a microbiologist says CNA Read More Undo The board later approved these projects post-facto in June 2022, citing exemption under Section 4(a) that was originally provided during the first and second waves of Covid-19 for supply of food and ration kits to labourers. The CAG noted, "Thus, the award of contracts from Sept 2021 to May 2022 in contravention to the act/rules resulted in irregular expenditure of Rs 258.8 crore." Responding to the audit, the govt said in Aug 2024 that the work was entrusted directly since a 4(a) exemption was accorded and that there was no contravention of rules. However, CAG rejected this defence, stating the reply was "unacceptable" as it was meant to address the Covid-19 emergency and criticised the labour department for approving work by splitting them into 30 sub-works of Rs 10 crore each despite finance department objections and without cabinet approval. The report also flagged irregularities in the registration of members. Of the board's 42.5 lakh registered workers, CAG found a significant number were not actually construction workers. A random survey of 399 applicants who registered through the Seva Sindhu portal revealed beneficiaries included tailors, clerks, weavers, and others from unrelated professions. The audit recommended that the board devise a mechanism to identify and weed out ineligible beneficiaries. 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.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Superbugs threaten hospitals as antibiotic resistance rises: PGI study
1 2 Chandigarh: What if a simple cut or common infection turns deadly because our usual medicines no longer work? That's the scary reality of "superbugs" —bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics due to overuse. A study led by doctors at PGIMER, Chandigarh, shows this problem is widespread in Indian hospitals, calling for urgent changes to how we use these life-saving drugs. The research looked at eight major hospitals across India: All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal; All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh; All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda; All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jodhpur; All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Gorakhpur; All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raebareli; and Government Medical College, Baroda, with the central coordinating site being PGIMER, Chandigarh. The study, 'Antimicrobial Prescription Patterns in Tertiary Care Centres in India: A Multicentric Point Prevalence Survey', was conducted under the Society of Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices in India (SASPI). Led by Dr Nusrat Shafiq from PGIMER's clinical pharmacology unit – the central coordinating site – the survey analysed data from 3,974 patients. PGI was the nodal centre led by Dr Shafiq, the lead researcher from PGIMER. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Most Beautiful Female Athletes in the World Click Here Undo About 60% hospital patients were taking antibiotics. That's six out of every 10 people in the wards getting these drugs, often in intensive care units, revealed the study. Common antibiotics included ceftriaxone and metronidazole. Over half were from the 'Watch' group – stronger drugs the World Health Organization (WHO) says should be used carefully because they can speed up resistance. A small but worrying 5% were 'Reserve' drugs, like last-resort options for superbugs. Almost half the prescriptions were 'empiric', meaning doctors started them without laboratory tests to confirm the infection type. This is common when quick action is needed, but it can lead to unnecessary use. Many were for everyday infections caught outside the hospital (31%) or to prevent issues during surgery (31%). Hospital-caught infections made up 13% for the total infections, which is better than past studies but still a big concern. In some cases, up to half of the prescriptions were "irrational" – like giving drugs for too long or in the wrong dose. There were also "redundant" combos, where patients got extra drugs that didn't add much benefit but raised resistance risks. Common culprits were bacteria like E. coli and Acinetobacter, often in patients with long hospital stays or medical devices. Older hospitals like PGIMER, which handle more serious cases from referrals, used stronger drugs more often. These places see patients with weakened immune systems, such as those with cancer or transplants, making superbugs a bigger threat. 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.
