Latest news with #Samal
New Indian Express
7 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Experts warn of rising blood cancer cases among children, cite pollution and chemicals as key causes
BHUBANESWAR: The incidence of blood cancer or leukaemia in the country is on the upward spiral with a high number of children getting afflicted by the disease, experts said. Addressing an event organised at IMS and SUM Hospital here to mark the World Blood Cancer Day on Wednesday, head of the Hematology department, Hemato Oncology, Bone Marrow Transplant Prof Priyanka Samal said pollution, radiation and use of chemical fertiliser are among the prime causes of blood cancer. 'Though new cases of leukemia are being detected among the young children in the age group of one to 10 years, around 80 to 90 pc of the children are able to defeat the disease with proper treatment and care,' she added. The symptoms of the disease which include continued fever, fall in haemoglobin, total leukocyte count and platelet level, appearance of black spots on the body and bleeding, should not be ignored. 'Once diagnosed, it can be cured depending on the stage. We have the latest treatment regimen like bone marrow transplantation, haplo transplant and Chimeric Antigen Receptor- T (CAR-T) Cell Therapy, which have been very successful,' Dr Samal added. Eminent neurosurgeon and SOA's principal advisor (health sciences) Prof Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, dean Prof Sanghamitra Mishra, medical superintendent (MS) Prof Pusparaj Samantasinghar and MS of SUM's Phulnakhara campus Prof Rajesh Lenka spoke.
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Children battle leukaemia better: Cancer experts
1 2 Bhubaneswar: Children in the age group of one to 10 years are getting leukaemia, but they are displaying the capacity to defeat the ailment better, said experts attending a programme organised at IMS and SUM Hospital here to mark World Blood Cancer Day on Wednesday. Dr Priyanka Samal, professor and head of department of haematology, hemato oncology, bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy at IMS and SUM Hospital here, said the incidence of blood cancer or leukaemia in India is on the upswing, with a high number of children affected. "Though new cases of leukaemia are being detected among the young, around 80 to 90 per cent children are able to defeat the disease with proper treatment and care," said Samal. She said pollution, radiation, and the use of chemical fertiliser were among the prime causes of the disease. The symptoms of the disease, which include continued fever, a fall in haemoglobin, total leukocyte count and platelet levels, appearance of black spots on the body, and bleeding, should not be ignored. This calls for urgent blood examination of the patient and medical consultation, she added. "In case children suffer from fever for 8 to 10 days, they should get medical attention," said Samal.
Hans India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Oppn shedding crocodile tears over quota: Samal
Bhubaneswar: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party hit out at the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress party for targeting the BJP government while failing to take any concrete steps towards reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) during their rule. Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal said that the Opposition parties have no ethics to speak on the State government over reservations to Socially and Educationally Backwards Classes (SEBC). Samal alleged that the Opposition parties are only shedding 'crocodile tears' and doing 'drama' over the issue of SEBC/OBC reservation. Condemning the Opposition for the call to hold agitation over the issue, Samal said: 'Why did not Congress or BJD implement the reservation for OBCs during their rule. They have no ethics to speak on OBC reservation when their leaders in the past spoke against reservation for OBCs and even went to the Supreme Court. What was the problem in implementing 11.25 per cent reservation of SEBC/OBCs, and why did they not do it? They committed a social crime, they ignored them (OBCs). They are only shedding crocodile tears.' Samal also revealed that the process is on to ensure 11.25 per cent reservation of students of SEBC categories in medical and technical education and other professional courses as well. He also said that within just 11 months of coming to power, the BJP government made a historic decision by announcing 11.25 per cent reservation for SEBCs/OBCs in the higher education sector. He said the BJP has fulfilled its promise to provide the backward classes their lawful rights. 'Biju Babu, in whose name the Biju Janata Dal has been formed, was the first chief minister of the country who went to the Supreme Court against the reservation of the backward classes. When the Mandal Commission report was presented in Parliament, Rajiv Gandhi, who was the leader of the Opposition then, opposed it. Both parties are frustrated as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi are taking various steps for the upliftment of the backward classes,' added Samal. The Odisha BJP president also stated that a decision has been taken by PM Modi to carry out a caste census, which will soon start in the State as well. Mohan Majhi-led BJP government on May 14 had announced 11.25 per cent reservation for the students of Socially and Educationally Backwards Classes (SEBC)/OBCs categories in admission to higher education courses in Odisha. The decision of the State government sparked controversy with Opposition BJD and Congress targeting the State government, calling the decision a betrayal of OBCs, who constitute 54 per cent of the total population in the State. The Opposition parties also took a dig at the BJP for excluding medical, engineering and other professional courses. The BJD has announced to hold a protest rally before the Raj Bhavan on May 21, demanding 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in higher education, including medical, engineering and professional courses. The Congress also declared to hold a State-wide protest over the issue.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Govt committed to 11.25% quota for SEBC in medical, tech colleges: Samal
Bhubaneswar: BJP is committed to providing for (SEBC) in medical and technical institutions across the state, marking a significant step towards fulfilling a pre-election promise, party's state unit president Manmohan Samal said here on Tuesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A ddressing a news conference, Samal said the govt would soon decide on expanding the reservation benefits after it approved a similar quota for admission in general undergraduate and postgraduate courses on May 14. "This is just the beginning of our commitment to ensuring constitutional rights for backward classes," Samal said, while criticising the stance of opposition parties on backward classes' welfare. Samal accused both BJD and Congress of neglecting backward classes during their respective tenures. He particularly questioned BJD's handling of a 2017 Supreme Court case regarding the 50% reservation cap, stating, "While the BJD govt spent crores on lawyers for mining cases, they remained silent on OBC reservation matters." Samal's statement comes a day before BJD plans a demonstration demanding 27% reservation of seats for the SEBC students. Samal said though there is a provision of a 27% quota for other backward classes (OBCs) nationally, the 11.25% cap has been set in Odisha, complying with the SC guidelines under which the overall quota can't exceed 50%, and the state already has a 38.75% quota for SCs and STs together. Samal said the BJP will fulfil all its manifesto promises. "While 11 of the 21 promises were fulfilled, the remaining 10 will be done within another six months," he said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On the BJP promise of returning chit fund money to duped investors, Samal said the process is very much on, and the same would be definitely provided to 100% of the investors. He blamed the previous BJD govt for the delay, claiming crucial papers were misplaced. Responding to Samal's statement on the reservation for backward classes, BJD MLA Arun Sahoo said the BJP has responded to BJD's demand for this quota, which is a welcome move. "However, BJP has been traditionally opposed to backward classes' interests since the Mandal Commission days in the 1990s. Only time will tell if they will walk the talk," he said. Former Union minister and Congress member Srikant Jena said the quota for backward classes should be a minimum of 27% both in education and jobs. "The govt should approach the SC and convince it of the situation in Odisha, which has a high percentage of SC, ST and backward class population," he said. On Samal's promise to return chit fund money, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said the BJP has already failed as it promised to return the money within days of forming the govt. "The BJP chief is trying to mislead people by passing the blame onto BJD," he said.
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
BJD, Cong shedding crocodile tears over quota: Samal
Bhubaneswar: The BJP in Odisha on Tuesday said it is in favour of quota for students of the Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC) in medical, engineering and other technical institutions in the State and 11.25 per cent of seats would soon be reserved for them. The BJP's statement came a day before the Opposition BJD is scheduled to organise a dharna demanding 27 per cent reservation of seats for the SEBC students. Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal accused the BJD and the Congress of shedding crocodile tears over the demand for reservations for SEBC. Samal said although the BJD had ruled the State for 24 years and the Congress had also been in power for a significant period, neither party took concrete steps to provide reservations to the backward classes in Odisha. Recently, the BJP government had decided to reserve 11.25 per cent reservation for students belonging to the SEBCs in higher education.
