Latest news with #Aiims
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Business Standard
6 hours ago
- Health
- Business Standard
Aiims Delhi could expand footprint across NCR under new NITI Aayog plan
In a bid to ease pressure on the overstretched medical infrastructure at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (Aiims), Delhi, the NITI Aayog is likely to propose a comprehensive revamp of the institute, according to a news report by The Economic Times. This includes a significant expansion aimed at enabling the institute to deliver clinical services across multiple locations within the National Capital Region (NCR). A report outlining short-term, medium-term, and long-term policy measures is anticipated to be submitted to the Ministry of Health in the latter half of this year. The objective is to ease the burden on existing infrastructure and allow doctors to dedicate more time to medical research, The Economic Times quoted a government official as saying. Utilisation of existing infrastructure The committee is considering the use of underutilised or unutilised facilities in other government hospitals and potentially even private hospitals for running Aiims ' outpatient department (OPD). The move aims to allow the premier healthcare institution to focus on critical and trauma-related cases, while also reducing waiting times for other essential medical procedures, the report noted. A committee led by NITI Aayog member VK Paul is examining the existing systems and processes at the AIIMS. It is expected to produce a detailed blueprint of the proposed reforms soon, complete with defined timelines for implementation, to elevate the healthcare services at Aiims to meet international standards. The Terms of Reference for the reform include identifying ways to streamline patient inflow, developing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to ensure optimal research outcomes, and recommending strategies for financial prudence in managing Aiims. In collaboration with the Centre for Social and Economic Progress Research Foundation, NITI Aayog has analysed the experiences of various countries that have implemented Universal Health Coverage (UHC) models. These findings are intended to inform India's policy development in this domain. Support for rare disease treatment Earlier, the public policy think tank had recommended fast-tracking indigenously manufactured dosage forms (small molecules) for selected rare diseases. As a part of this initiative, four drugs have been introduced at prices significantly lower – ranging from 1/60th to 1/100th – than their imported counterparts. Separate law to tackle public health crises Last year, NITI Aayog had recommended a separate legislation, the Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA), to effectively manage disease outbreaks and pandemics. This proposal is part of the broader Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response (PPER) framework, which aims to establish a comprehensive roadmap and action plan to tackle any future public health emergencies.
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Business Standard
01-06-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Delhi schoolkids face surge in obesity and hypertension, warns Aiims study
Health issues like obesity, high blood pressure or even high cholesterol are no longer problems that only adults deal with. A new study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Aiims), Delhi — funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and published in the medical journal PLOS One — reveals that school-going children in the national capital are facing a serious health crisis. Private school kids five times more likely to be obese, says Aiims Titled Cardio-metabolic traits and its socioeconomic differentials among school children, including metabolically obese normal weight phenotypes in India, the study finds that children in private schools are over five times more likely to be obese. Hypertension now affects nearly one in 14 children in both private and public schools. The report also highlights that many slim-looking kids are metabolically unhealthy on the inside. What does the Aiims study reveal about children's health? Conducted across five schools in Delhi and involving 3,888 children aged 6–19 years, the Aiims study paints a dual picture of malnutrition in urban India: obesity and underweight. Obesity prevalence: 22.70 per cent in private schools vs 4.48 per cent in public schools Central obesity (belly fat): 16.77 per cent (private) vs 1.83 per cent (public) Hypertension: 7.37 per cent among urban adolescents across school types Underweight: Nearly five times more prevalent in public schools Hidden risks: 43 per cent of adolescents with normal weight are metabolically unhealthy Impaired fasting glucose: 20.74 per cent (private) vs 10.93 per cent (public) Dyslipidemia (abnormal blood fat levels): Seen in ~33 per cent of students Metabolic syndrome: 5.76 per cent in private schools vs 1.75 per cent in public schools Why are obesity and BP rising more in private schools? According to lead author Dr M Kalaivani, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics at Aiims-Delhi, private school environments often mirror high-income lifestyles with sedentary routines, reduced physical activity, and easy access to calorie-dense foods. Junk food is rampant, screen time is high, and physical education is often sidelined. Even public school children are not immune. 'They may not afford large, high-priced packs of nutritious food, but they often consume cheap, fried street food,' Dr Kalaivani told Business Standard. The calorie load is high, but nutritional value is low. What is MONW syndrome and how does it affect normal-weight kids? The study highlights a surprising trend: children with normal or even underweight body mass index (BMI) often have hidden fat accumulation and abnormal metabolic markers — a condition called Metabolically Obese Normal Weight (MONW), or Metabolically Obese Underweight (MOUW). What are the health risks of obesity and metabolic syndrome in kids? These are not just temporary issues. As children grow, these conditions increase long-term risk of: Type 2 diabetes Heart disease and stroke Lifelong obesity Mental health problems Dr Nikhil Tandon, co-investigator and Head of Endocrinology & Metabolism at Aiims, said, 'Early-life parameters are predictive of adult disease. Overnutrition is just as dangerous as undernutrition.' What role do schools play in this health crisis? Schools are both part of the problem and the solution: Private schools: Often offer canteens with unhealthy food choices and minimal physical activity Public schools: Struggle with carbohydrate-heavy mid-day meals and rising screen exposure Aiims researchers urge schools to overhaul food policies, prioritise physical activity, and embed health education into daily learning. How can parents help reverse the trend? Parents play a crucial role too. Overfeeding, using screen time as babysitting, and poor nutritional awareness are key contributors. Experts call for targeted awareness campaigns to engage and educate families. What needs to change to protect children's health? To reverse the trend, experts recommend: Enhancing mid-day meals with more protein and fibre Ensuring mandatory physical activity in all schools Reducing screen time and encouraging healthy snacks Conducting routine screenings for early metabolic markers Launching parent education programs on balanced diets
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Business Standard
17-05-2025
- General
- Business Standard
Close call for 3 as heli ambulance makes emergency landing in Kedarnath
A 'Sanjeevani' heli ambulance operated by Aiims, Rishikesh on Saturday made an emergency landing in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath after developing a technical snag, an official said. Two doctors and a pilot on board the helicopter are safe, District Tourism Development Officer Rahul Chaubey said. The Sanjeevani heli ambulance had gone to Kedarnath to rescue a pilgrim suffering from respiratory distress when it developed a technical snag in its tail rotor forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing, said Chaubey, who is also the nodal officer for the Heli Service said. The heli ambulance's tail rotor broke when it was making an emergency landing on a flat surface close to the helipad, he said. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will conduct an investigation into the incident, Choubey said. The heli ambulance was coming to Kedarnath from Aiims Rishikesh to rescue a patient, Shree Devi. Before landing on the main helipad of Kedarnath, the helicopter developed some technical fault. Realizing it on time, the pilot thought it best to land on a flat surface just before the helipad. However, the helicopter's tail rotor broke during landing, the official said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Business Standard
09-05-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Hospitals prepare for emergencies; Aiims, others cancel leave of employees
Hospitals across India are readying for emergencies that may arise due to the heightened India-Pakistan tensions. The Union Health ministry on Friday held a high-level review meeting to assess the preparedness. At the review meeting, Union Health Minister J P Nadda directed all states to ensure that medical emergency response health systems are adequately equipped and functional at all times. He was emphatic about ground level linkages with state governments at the district level for immediate emergency healthcare. While Centre-run hospitals have started undertaking mock drills and training programmes for essential staff and doctors, private facilities too have activated their emergency preparedness protocols. A spokesperson for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Aiims), New Delhi, said a mass casualty management mock drill was conducted at the facility. Aiims also confirmed that leave of all doctors and essential staff had been cancelled. Other Central government hospitals and health facilities would follow a similar drill. New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have also ordered their employees not to go on leave in view of the current situation. Hospitals and medical institutions have been advised to ensure availability of essential drugs, adequate supply of blood, oxygen and trauma care kits. 'They have also been asked to coordinate with state and district administration, armed forces and regional associations of doctors, nurses, paramedics, private sector hospitals and charitable institutions, to strengthen the emergency response networks in a collaborative manner,' the health ministry said. In other locations, especially close to the border areas, hospitals were getting into the emergency mode. A representative of Fortis Hospital in Amritsar, which is just 30 km away from the international border, told Business Standard that the hospital had activated emergency preparedness protocols. 'In compliance with International Red Cross guidelines, a Red Cross has been clearly marked on the hospital rooftop to aid in aerial identification during emergencies,' he said. In such a situation, the protocol includes reservation of select beds for emergency admissions, mobilisation of rapid response teams, and stocking critical drugs, medical consumables as well as blood bank resources. A wholesale distributor of medicines in Jammu said while there were no supply disruptions as of now, they were apprehensive in case the conflict dragged on for more time. 'J&K has seen landslides which stopped movement of goods. With Jammu being targeted in the shelling, a combined effect on the supply of medicines can only be gauged in the next two to three days,' a Jammu-based distributor said. According to Ravindra Sankhala, principal specialist, Shri Jawahir Government District Hospital, Jammu, multiple mock drills have been conducted in the facility including siren alerts, immediate deployment of emergency response teams, and formation of dedicated teams comprising four doctors and ten officers to handle small scale casualties. Similar drills were conducted in the premier central hospitals such as PGIMER, Chandigarh, and JIPMER, Puducherry. Portable and mobile healthcare facilities called Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri (BHISHM) cubes have been dispatched to Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir, while Aiims Jammu has been asked to accept all referral patients coming from these areas. Apart from the border states, other hospitals in major cities such as Mumbai have also started getting ready for any eventuality. Joy Chakraborty, COO of PD Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, said there would be a training with civil defence officials for the staff. George Alex, Western India Regional Business Head at HealthCare Global Enterprises (HCG), said their facilities in Colaba and Borivalli in Mumbai were actively conducting internal drills focused on the safe and efficient transfer of patients. "In addition, we have reinforced our alternate backup power systems to remain fully operational during extended power outages. Our teams are also undergoing disaster management protocol drills, including patient triage procedures, to strengthen our readiness for both internal and external disasters," he added.
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Business Standard
24-04-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Aiims Raipur conducts Chhattisgarh's first swap kidney transplant
The Aiims Raipur has successfully performed its first swap kidney transplant, making it the first among the newer Aiims institutions and the first government hospital in Chhattisgarh to carry out this complex and life-saving procedure. The Union Health ministry said swap kidney transplant, which is also known as Kidney Paired Transplant (KPT), can lead to a 15 per cent increase in the number of transplants. In a swap transplant, a patient with renal failure who has a willing living donor but is unable to receive the kidney due to an incompatible blood group or the presence of HLA antibodies can still undergo a transplant by exchanging donors with another incompatible pair. Through this arrangement, both recipients receive compatible kidneys, resulting in successful transplants for both pairs. In the case at Aiims Raipur, two male End Stage Renal Disease patients, aged 39 and 41 from Bilaspur, had been on dialysis for three years, the ministry said in a statement. Both were advised to undergo kidney respective wives came forward as living donors. However, due to blood group incompatibility direct donation was not possible. To overcome this challenge, the transplant team at Aiims Raipur coordinated a successful swap transplant, the statement said. Each donor gave her kidney to the other recipient, ensuring blood group compatibility and enabling both patients to receive life-saving organs. The surgery was conducted on March 15, and all four individuals -- both donors and recipients -- are currently recovering well under close observation in the Transplant ICU. Recognising its potential, the National Organisation and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has recommended for the implementation of Swap donor transplantation to all states and Union Territories as this option could increase the number of donors. The NOTTO has also decided to have a 'uniform one nation one swap transplant programme' to facilitate these transplants more effectively across the country, the statement said. Aiims Raipur has played a pivotal role in the development of organ transplant in Chhattisgarh. The institute has successfully developed a renal transplant program, encompassing both living and deceased donor transplants. Six deceased donors have donated their organs in last two years, the statement said. Aiims Raipur has also been first amongst the newer Aiims to start deceased donor organ donation and deceased donor kidney transplantation, it said. It is also the first in the state to start deceased donor paediatric kidney transplantation. To date, the institute has performed 54 kidney transplants with a graft survival rate of 95 per cent and patient survival rate of 97 per cent, reflecting its clinical excellence and commitment to high-quality patient care.
