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MRI machine kills man wearing 9 kg metal necklace in New York

MRI machine kills man wearing 9 kg metal necklace in New York

India Today6 days ago
A man has died after being pulled into an active MRI machine at a medical centre in Nassau, Long Island, New York, while wearing a heavy metal necklace. The tragic incident occurred when the man, identified by his wife as Keith, entered the MRI room while the machine was still running. According to the Nassau Police Department, Keith was wearing a large metallic chain around his neck when he was drawn into the powerful magnetic field of the scanner. The force caused what authorities described as a "medical episode", and he was later pronounced dead.advertisementKeith's wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, told News 12 Long Island she had just completed an MRI scan on her knee and needed assistance getting up. She said she asked the technician to call in her husband for help."I yelled out Keith's name, 'Keith, Keith, come help me up,'" she said. According to her, he was wearing a 20-pound (9 kg) chain with a large lock used for weight training when he entered the room.
"At that instant, the machine switched him around, pulled him in, and he hit the MRI," McAllister recounted. "He waved goodbye to me and then his whole body went limp."She said both she and the technician tried to pry her husband away from the magnet. "I'm saying, 'Could you turn off the machine? Call 911. Do something. Turn this damn thing off!'"McAllister also noted that this wasn't their first visit to the facility, nor was it the first time staff members had seen her husband's chain. She recalled a prior exchange with an employee who had previously commented on the chain, saying, "Oh, that's a big chain."The facility, Nassau Open MRI, has not issued a public comment. The investigation is ongoing.In 2018, an Indian man died after being pulled into an MRI machine while visiting a relative at a Mumbai hospital, police said at the time.Rajesh Maru, 32, was dragged into the machine by its powerful magnetic force after entering the MRI room with an oxygen cylinder, according to a police statement, according to a report by The Guardian.THE REASON BEHIND KEITH'S DEATHMRI machines use strong magnetic fields to produce detailed internal images of the body. Because of their intensity, they can turn metal objects into high-speed projectiles.Patients and anyone entering the MRI room are typically required to remove all metallic items, including jewellery, clothing with metal components, phones, and even hairpins.The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has long warned about the dangers posed by metal objects around MRI machines. Even small items such as keys or phones can become dangerous projectiles.advertisementMetal in a room that has the magnet will fly across the room to the scanner, to this large magnet, and will really hit anything in its way, Dr Rebecca Smith-Bindman, a radiologist, told CNN in 2011."So within radiology training, one learns very early that that's not OK, that you can't have external metal in the room, and you can't have metal in the patient," she said, adding "That could lead to a problem."- Ends
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Aundh District Hospital operating sans MRI machine for a year, adding to patients' woes
Aundh District Hospital operating sans MRI machine for a year, adding to patients' woes

Hindustan Times

time25 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Aundh District Hospital operating sans MRI machine for a year, adding to patients' woes

PUNE: Aundh District Hospital (ADH), a major government hospital in Pune district, has been operating without an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine for almost a year now, forcing hundreds of patients—many of whom are from low-income backgrounds—to turn to expensive private hospitals. Pune, India - Aug. 5, 2023: District Hospital in Aundh in Pune, India, on Saturday, August 5, 2023. (Photo by Kalpesh Nukte/HT PHOTO) According to officials, MRI scans are crucial for diagnosing a wide range of medical conditions, including brain injuries, tumours, spine problems, and joint disorders. However, patients at ADH must now wait for weeks or travel long distances to other government hospitals that are already overloaded to avail this facility. Besides, many patients cannot afford the cost of private scans, which range from ₹4,000 to ₹12,000 depending on the body part which is to be scanned. The government of Maharashtra in November 2023 appointed 'Unique Wellness', a private agency, to provide CT scan and MRI services at ADH. As per the agreement, the private agency was handed over possession of a designated space at ADH to set up CT scan and MRI services. As per the agreement, the CT scan and MRI services were supposed to be started within six months from the date of the private agency taking possession of the space. However, only CT scan services have been initiated at the hospital in August 2024 while MRI services are yet to be started, officials said. Pune district civil surgeon, Dr Nagnath Yempalle, has written to the private agency on July 17, 2025 calling for an explanation for its failure to start MRI services at ADH since February 2025. 'The stipulated six-month period to start the MRI service has lapsed in February 2025. This has resulted in inconvenience to the patients at the hospital. We have asked the private agency to submit an explanation regarding the non-initiation of the MRI service immediately. Also, in case of failure to respond, the issue will be reported to the higher authorities for further action,' said the civil surgeon. Dr Yempalle further informed that when patients bring up the issue of the absence of an MRI facility, the hospital authorities ask the private agency to get the MRI done at the latter's private facility in Aundh. Whereas the transport and manpower for the same is arranged by ADH. But it is still an inconvenience to patients, not to mention a waste of resources and time; Dr Yempalle said. Health experts say that the lack of timely MRI services can delay diagnosis and treatment, especially in cases of stroke, tumours, and internal injuries. The situation is challenging in severe cases. Sunanda Jadhav (name changed), a housemaid who had travelled from Talegaon, said, 'The doctor advised me to get an MRI of the spine. But I was told the machine is not available at ADH. I don't have the money to go to a private lab…' The ADH, on an average, has over 1k patients seeking treatment at the outpatient department (OPD) daily and has a capacity of 300 beds. While more than 100 patients are admitted to different wards of the hospital. On an average, around five to six patients require MRI services daily, and the number is high during the dedicated 'Ortho OPD' days. Besides, patients with severe/critical illnesses are referred from sub-district hospitals and rural hospitals of the district to ADH. Health activists have also raised concerns over the state's slow response, and have demanded urgent action. 'The absence of such key diagnostic services defeats the purpose of a district hospital meant to serve poor and middle-class citizens. Not every patient goes and meets the civil surgeon, asking for help to get the MRI done. The staff at the hospital only say that an MRI is not available at the hospital, and no transport is provided to take the patients to another MRI facility at Aundh. Even the civil surgeon is not always available at the hospital,' claimed health activist, Sharad Shetty. On his part, Jaipal Ravat, who manages the unit at ADH, said, 'The process to install a new MRI machine at ADH is underway and the issue will be resolved in a month. There was no stipulated time period given by the government in writing to us. Some costing issues related to MRI services are pending with the government, and the decision is yet to be taken.'

Hovering over the toilet? You may be hurting your bladder
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Time of India

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  • Time of India

Hovering over the toilet? You may be hurting your bladder

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53% of Indian Youths Are ‘Personality Malnourished': Study
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Time of India

time3 hours ago

  • Time of India

53% of Indian Youths Are ‘Personality Malnourished': Study

1 2 Nagpur: India is often called a young country, with nearly 26 crore people between the ages of 18 and 29. This is seen as our greatest strength. However, a new study brings serious concern — 53% of Indian youth are 'personality malnourished'. This means their overall growth as individuals is not happening well — they are missing important life skills, emotional strength, and social values, the study found. This study was conducted by Amrut Bang, project director of NIRMAN, who presented three research papers at the Emerging Adulthood Conference held in Charleston, USA, recently. NIRMAN is a youth educational initiative started under Gadchiroli-based NGO SEARCH (Society for Education, Action, Research in Community Health). Bang's key paper is based on research involving 4,283 young people between 2021 and 2024. The conference focused on the life phase of Emerging Adulthood (18 to 29 years) — a time when young people explore their identity and build their future. The term was introduced by psychologist Jeffrey Arnett, who also attended the conference with over 300 researchers from across the world. "The National Education Policy 2020 calls for the complete, all-round development of youth. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Where Your Search Ends Hotel Deals | Search Ads Browse Now Undo NIRMAN has developed a way to measure this overall growth," said Bang. "Our research clearly shows that more than half of Indian youth are malnourished in their personality. This is a big concern that needs attention." He added, "While 35% of Indian children are physically malnourished, 53% of youth are personality malnourished. This is an even bigger problem." There were 50 questions in total. If a youth scored poorly in two-thirds (2/3) of the questions in any one area, they were considered personality malnourished in that domain. The study found that 53% of youth were personality malnourished in four or more areas. Only 9% showed good growth in all seven important areas of life. "We have tools to check if a child is growing well physically. In the same way, we need tools to check if our youth are growing well as people. That's why we created this method," said Bang. # How is Personality Malnourishment Measured? NIRMAN developed a simple method to check the overall growth of youth in seven important life areas: - Physical health - Mental health - Character and values - Relationships - Professional growth - Life skills - Social contribution More Insights Amrut Bang also presented two more studies: - The Emotional World of Indian Youth: A study on the most common emotions experienced by Indian youth - The Questions Indian Youth Are Asking: Based on 6,100 real questions from young people. The most frequently asked question: 'Who am I, and what is the purpose of my life?'

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