Latest news with #PGI
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Proposal to pause for PGI's Sarangpur centre
Chandigarh: A major healthcare expansion project in Chandigarh, aimed at easing the burden on PGI, is facing significant delays despite initial approvals dating back several years. The project, which involves the development of a 50.76-acre site in Sarangpur, was intended to establish crucial medical facilities, including a new MBBS college and advanced treatment centres. Sarangpur satellite centre was proposed in 2017. The Union cabinet approved the transfer of the Sarangpur land to PGI in 2019. However, the Chandigarh administration officially handed over the land in November, 2021, following years of discussions. While transfer of the land was a crucial step, progress has been slow. In 2022, PGI proposed launch of an MBBS programme on the Sarangpur campus. In February this year, the PGI governing body ratified approval granted by the Union minister of health for construction of a medical college for undergraduate students and other medical centers. The approved agenda is still to get the final nod from the institute body. The governing body has directed PGI to submit a detailed project report to the ministry of finance for necessary approvals. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the construction timeline, with the UT chief secretary pointing out that, according to Chandigarh Estate Rules, construction must be completed within three years of land possession. The governing body has advised PGI to seek an extension of this deadline from the UT administration. Currently, PGI has invited tenders for appointment of an architectural consultant for preparation of a master plan for development. Timeline of Delays: 2019: Union Cabinet approves transfer of 50.76 acres of land at Sarangpur to PGI 2021 (November): Chandigarh administration officially hands over the land to PGI 2022: PGI proposes starting an MBBS programme on the Sarangpur campus 2025 (February): Governing body ratifies approval for construction of the medical college 2025: PGI invites tenders for architectural consultant Features of the Sarangpur campus Initial plan was of 500-bed trauma centre, screening OPD, 500-bed cancer centre, 600-bedded gastroenterology and hepatology centre, endocrinology centre and learning resource centre. There was also a plan to set up a 250-300 bedded infectious disease hospital 100 MBBS seats were proposed for Sarangpur in 2022 Sarangpur satellite centre project was proposed in 2017 Expected to take another five to eight years to get operational
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Funding cuts threaten diabetes care for kids at PGI
1 2 Chandigarh: A silent anguish of parents echoes through the corridors of the PGI as a severe funding crisis starves over 100 young lives of essential diabetes care. These are children from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, battling Type 1 diabetes, a condition that demands constant vigilance and a steady supply of life-saving insulin. The recent withdrawal of support from a key NGO has turned their fight for survival into a desperate struggle, with tragic consequences already unfolding. The weight of this crisis is borne most heavily by families like Preeti's. A single mother from Jalandhar working as a domestic helper, Preeti faces the unimaginable burden of providing for not one, but three children afflicted with Type 1 diabetes. "I do not know if this will be my last visit to the clinic for the follow-up. I was unable to get insulin for all three of my children," she said. The medical professionals, who dedicate their lives to these children, find themselves in a distressing position. Prof Devi Dayal, who leads the endocrinology unit in the paediatric department at PGI, said, "Most of these families are unable to spend Rs 4,000 a month on their children's care." The consequences of this financial strain are immediate and terrifying. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Prof Dayal reveals, "When they were told that the supply of free insulin and strips would be given for a month instead of three months, some of them started using the least dose, which can be dangerous. The dosage has to be given in a calculated and right amount." In a desperate attempt to stretch their meagre resources, some parents are inadvertently putting their children at grave risk. For a child with Type 1 diabetes, even a slight miscalculation in insulin dosage can lead to severe complications, including diabetic ketoacidosis – a life-threatening condition where the body produces high levels of blood acids. For years, an affected parents' based NGO, drawing crucial support from the People to People Health Foundation (PPHF), was a lifeline, supporting over 400 families. When PPHF withdrew its support last year, a vacuum was created, leaving hundreds of children vulnerable. Now, the primary support comes from a self-help group formed by the parents themselves: the ACT 1 Association for Children with Type 1 Diabetes. Eish Bajaj, President of ACT 1, said, "We provide insulin, glucometers, test strips, and needles to the economically deprived families. However, after the People to People Health Foundation withdrew support last year, we are not able to help 100 other children." While ACT 1 valiantly assists 300 children, the remaining 100 face an uncertain and perilous future. PGI has a record of 2,500 registered patients with Type 1 diabetes over the past 21 years. Only 400 are on active follow-up. The rest, unable to sustain the lifelong treatment, simply disappear from the system, a decision that can be fatal. Prof Dayal said, "In children with Type 1, there is no insulin in the body. In the absence of insulin injection, there is a possibility of death within 24 to 48 hours. Children can go into ketoacidosis—which is life-threatening." MSID:: 122957165 413 |
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
GMCH-32: Newly constructed block to be inaugurated on Aug 8, to decongest gynaecology dept
The newly constructed 283-bed Emergency-cum-Trauma Block at GMCH-32 is all set to be inaugurated on August 8, to coincide with the 11th convocation, promising to reduce overload on the existing emergency units in the city, improve patient care and ensure better utilisation of resources. In the hospital's history, the A Block, where 24-hour emergency services are provided to patients, was the first to become functional, and since 1996, there has been no renovation of this block. 'With the new state-of-the-art trauma block ready for patients, the first step will be to renovate the area, with the engineering and fire safety departments already in action to ensure the latest facilities, amenities and safety. Once this is complete, we will start the process of decongesting our gynaecology department, which also comprises the labour room, and witnesses patients from across the region, including the large migrant population that we have. We will be utilising this space for the expansion of the department, and also add more beds to ease rush. We are making efforts to provide more speciality and super-speciality services. The process of space creation is a dynamic one,' said Prof A K Attri, Director-Principal, GMCH-32. The gynaecology department of the hospital has 100 beds, with 10 beds added way back in 2017. The number of patients in the gynaecology department is very high, and despite the increase in beds, there are not enough beds for pregnant women. More than 5,000 women deliver in GMCH every year, and when the number of cases is higher, two women have to be adjusted on one bed, with the occupancy rate almost 200 per cent. The hospital receives delivery cases from Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Uttarakhand, UP, and despite the shortage of beds, the effort is to provide treatment. As per doctors, the gynaecology department of GMCH-32 has the highest number of deliveries, followed by GMSH-16 and then PGI. Both PGI and GMCH-32 will have exclusive Mother and Child Centres, with work on the project of GMCH-32 having started in 2018, but was delayed due to COVID and has now restarted. With a budget of about Rs 73 crore, the centre, which will be open in about two years, will have two basements and four floors and have a facility of 251 beds, with the latest facilities and services under one roof. Dr Attri said it will decrease infant and mother mortality rate. PGI's Advanced Mother and Child Care Centre, where work is in full swing and may be inaugurated at the end of this year, will be equipped with the latest technologies and offer world-class facilities in both maternal and neonatal care. A human milk bank, advanced infertility treatment, robotic surgery, critical care obstetrics, high-risk maternity unit, foetal medicine unit, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, prenatal diagnosis, and reproductive endocrinology unit will be part of the centre. Here, there will be a modern developmentally supportive and family-centred level IV NICU designed as per current International NICU design specifications, a family-centred Kangaroo Mother Care ward, and a comprehensive high-risk follow-up programme. A long-needed facility, the Advanced Paediatric Centre at GMSH-16 was inaugurated last year. The 32-bedded facility offers state-of-the-art specialised care, featuring a 12-bedded hybrid ICU unit comprising ventilator beds and high-dependency unit beds. The centre includes 20 oxygen-supported beds and features ECG, echocardiography, and ultrasonography, all under one roof, so that parents don't have to go anywhere for these tests and their children receive the best care. There are 24-hour services like blood transfusion, sample collection, nebulisation etc, for critical patients, and this advanced centre has eased the burden on PGI.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Protected status a ‘game-changer' for Northern Ireland apple growers
The Armagh Bramley apple's Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, secured in 2012, has been described as a "game-changer" for growers. This elite European recognition ensures that only Bramley apples grown, picked, and packed within the Armagh area can be sold under that name, akin to Champagne. The PGI status has significantly boosted demand for the apples, both domestically and abroad, by guaranteeing authenticity and protecting their unique heritage. Fifth-generation grower Greg MacNeice attributes the apple's distinctive sharp flavour and firm texture to Armagh's specific soil, slopes, and mild, damp climate. The Armagh Bramley apple, one of only three Northern Irish products with PGI status, has also fostered a thriving local craft cider industry and is celebrated annually at a food and cider weekend. European protected status a 'game-changer' for Armagh Bramley apple growers
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
European protected status a ‘game-changer' for Armagh Bramley apple growers
Recognition with an elite European protected status has been a 'game-changer' for the Armagh Bramley apple, a grower of the speciality has said. Armagh Bramleys are one of just three products from Northern Ireland — along with Comber new potatoes and Lough Neagh eels — to be recognised by the European Union's protected geographical indications (PGI) scheme. It means that only Bramley apples grown, picked and packed within the Armagh area can carry that name, similar to how Champagne must come from the Champagne region of France, or Parma ham from Italy's Parma province. The pride of the Orchard County obtained the status in 2012 and since then has given its growers a 'real edge'. Armagh Bramley apples growing at the orchards at Ardress in Co Armagh (Philip Magowan/PA) Armagh traces its relationship with apples back to evidence of them growing close to the historic Navan Fort as far back as 1000 BC. The real turning point came in 1884 when Henry Joseph Nicholson of Crannagael House returned from Nottingham with 60 Bramley seedlings. They thrived in the local soil, laying the foundation for what is now more than 4,000 acres of thriving orchards across the region, and the county's nickname. This legacy is celebrated at Armagh's annual food and cider weekend every September putting the Bramley in the spotlight. Greg MacNeice, a fifth-generation apple grower and founder of Mac Ivors Cider, said while Bramley apples have always been a local favourite, PGI status boosted demand. 'The orchards have been here at Ardress since 1855 and my father, Sammy, still helps — just like his father did. Apples are part of who we are,' he said. He explained that Armagh has got the right soil, the right slopes, a mild, damp climate and cooler temperatures that slow things down, adding that helps the apples develop 'that sharp flavour and firm texture people love'. 'It's not just the conditions though — it's the generations of knowledge, care and pride that go into every crop,' he said. 'PGI status has helped protect the heritage of our apple and given us a real edge in the market. If it's not grown in Armagh, it's not a true Armagh Bramley. "That means consumers are guaranteed something authentic — fruit with a unique taste and texture you can't find anywhere else. It's also boosted demand — both at home and abroad — for a product that is trusted, traceable and rooted in place. 'It's one of only three products in Northern Ireland with PGI status and one of just a few across the island of Ireland. That's something we're incredibly proud of as a region.' The apples also sparked a craft cider industry in Armagh. Mr MacNeice said his family grow and press a blend of Armagh Bramley alongside bittersweet cider apples like Michelin, Dabinett and Harry Master's Jersey, as well as dessert apples such as Worcester Pearmain and Golden Delicious. They have also started using foliar nutrition to feed their trees more precisely, keeping bees safe during blossom season, and are encouraging biodiversity by planting native trees and wildflowers throughout the orchards. The Armagh Bramley apple continues to shape the landscape and identity of the region, offering visitors a unique lens through which to explore its agricultural heritage. This year's food and cider weekend, including events from tastings and guided food trails to orchard tours, will take place from September 4 to 7. A highlight of the weekend is an evening at Crannagael House, where local chefs from 4 Vicars create a menu paired with Mac Ivors cider and accompanied by insights from cider expert Gabe Cook.
