The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

BODY & MIND
Huminsulin price cut hailed
Tripti Nath

The Delhi Diabetes Research Centre has welcomed the reduction in prices of Huminsulin by three pharmaceutical companies including Eli Lilly, Denmark-based Novonordisk and US Vitamin. At the same time, the centre is of the view that this price reduction will benefit only 20 per cent of the 3.5 crore diabetic patients in the country.

Consultant Dialectologist and senior physician, Jaipur Golden Hospital, North Delhi and Chairman of the Delhi Diabetes Research Centre, Dr A.K. Jhingan says, “For three years now, we have been fighting for reduction in the prices of Huminsulin. Human insulin prices have been reduced significantly by 40 per cent by the pharmaceutical companies. But, what about 80 per cent of diabetic patients who take tablets. The price reduction in Huminsulin has been announced by pharmaceutical companies. It is for the government to reduce prices of tablets.”

The Eli Lilly and Company (India) Private Ltd has announced a price reduction on its indigenously produced Huminsulin. Following the price reduction, Human insulin vial of 10 ml (containing 400 IU of human insulin) will now cost Rs 145 from the previous price of Rs 218 pegging it at par with the prevailing prices of animal derived porcine insulin in the market.

Announcing the price reduction, Mr Rajiv Gulati, CMD of Eli Lilly India said, “It is unfortunate that our country is also known as the diabetes capital of the world. It is estimated that by 2025, one out of every five diabetic in the world will be an Indian. Yet our awareness on diabetes and its treatment are among the lowest in the world.”

Mr Gulati further said that indignisation has contributed towards making Huminsulin, the world’s largest selling human insulin more accessible to diabetic patients in India. He expressed the hope that more and more people will now be able to afford world class treatment for diabetes and will not compromise on either no treatment or inferior animal insulin.

Braille books at minimum prices

The Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mr I.D. Swamy, has made a welcome promise in the New Year by announcing that he is holding consultations with the Ministries of Human Resource Development and Social Justice and Empowerment to ensure that all visually disabled students are provided Braille textbooks at minimum prices.

Speaking at a function, organised by the All India Confederation of the Blind (AICB) and Amway Opportunity Foundation on the AICB campus here on the occasion of the 194th birth anniversary of Louis Braille, Mr Swamy favoured equal opportunities and creation of a conducive cultural environment for the disadvantaged citizens especially the visually disabled.

The Amway Opportunity Foundation has been assisting the AICB in providing visually disabled students necessary Braille textbooks at rates equal to the print editions.

Speaking on the occasion, AICB Secretary General J.L. Kaul said that access to Braille books was the fundamental human right of the visually disabled. He reminded the Central and state governments of their responsibility towards ensuring that every visually disabled student possessed a Braille copy of the all the books in the syllabus. He also appealed to the government to pardon and release some misguided visually disabled youths who had been taken into custody during an agitation.

For the fourth year in succession, the AICB hosted the National Braille reading competition. Sixty visually disabled students from 43 blind schools in 13 states participated in the competition. The winners were awarded cash prizes of Rs 5,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000 for first, second and third position respectively.

Thirty-eight men and women took part in the Braille reading competition for adults. Besides, an exhibition of the latest devices for the blind was organised at the AICB campus.

Multi-speciality hospital

The Vice-President of India, Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, will inaugurate a multi-speciality hospital adjoining the Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre (EHIRC) Limited, at Neelam Chowk, Faridabad, on January 9. Post expansion, the total bed strength of EHIRC Limited will increase to 250 with a critical care unit of 57 beds and six state-of-the art operation theatres.

Dr Naresh Trehan, Executive Director of Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, Delhi, will perform a live cardiac surgery in the new hospital on January 6.

The expansion plan entails upgradation of tertiary care level specialities with emphasis on invasive cardiology and cardio thoracic surgery besides neuro surgery, uro surgery, minimal access surgery and poly trauma management. Existing secondary care level specialities are also being strengthened. These include paediatrics and neonatology, pulmonary medicine, internal medicine, orthopaedics, gynaecology and obstetrics, ENT, ophthalmology, physiotherapy and rehabilitation departments. Comprehensive diagnostic services for cardiology and neurology, imaging department, laboratory services, histopathology, blood bank and cytopathology are also being modernised. EHIRC Limited was started in 1982 as a diagnostic centre for the Escorts Group employees. EHIRC embarked on an expansion plan in 1998 to become a world-class hospital.

Uterine balloon therapy

Hysterectomies are no longer the only solution for excessive menstrual bleeding which affect about 22 per cent of all women. At a recent workshop at Lady Hardinge Medical College here, Dr Franklin D. Loffer from Arizona addressed over a hundred gynaecologists from Delhi and NCR on the findings of her five-year study on Uterine Balloon Therapy.

Emphasising the efficacy of Uterine Balloon Therapy, Dr Loffer pointed out that it is an effective simple treatment sans hospital stay. A minimally invasive treatment option for women suffering from heavy periods, the therapy promises quick return to normal activities.

Prof Uma Goyal, Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, LHMC, said that the uterine balloon therapy is a boon for women who cannot afford to take time off professional and domestic responsibilities. She said that one in every five women suffers from heavy periods.

According to Dr Loffer, “Hormonal imbalance is the most common cause of heavy periods. Drug therapy, involving use of low-dose birth control pills or other hormones is usually the first step in treating the problem of heavy periods. Till now, failure of drug therapy compelled gynaecologists to advise surgical procedures as Dilation and Curettage (D&C), Traditional Hysteroscopic Endometrial Ablation and Hysterectomy to control excessive bleeding.

The good news is that for patients who do not have abnormal uterine conditions as fibroids, Thermachoice Balloon Therapy can be offered after the first line of treatment fails.

Even patients with small uterine fibroids can undergo hysteroscopic procedure followed by Thermachice, thereby eliminating the need to remove the uterus. Over 200,000 women all over the world has benefited from Thermachoice. Following Thermachoice, most women can expect light to moderate periods or even no periods,” she said.

Punjab Police enter semis
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, January 4
Punjab Police will take on Border Security Force while Indian Airlines will clash against Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the semi-final matches of the fifth Chhattrapati Shivaji Hockey Tournament for the Dhyan Chand Cup at the Shivaji Stadium on Sunday.

In the concluding league matches, Punjab Police crushed CRPF 4-0, Tamilnadu XI beat Air India 4-1 and Indian Airlines edged past BSF 1-0.

Punjab Police topped Pool A with nine points while CRPF finished second with six points. Indian Airlines topped Pool B with nine points while BSF finished second with six points.

Indian Airlines scored against BSF in the 34th minute following a penalty corner conversion by skipper Dilip Tirkey. BSF wasted five penalty corners and a couple of other chances.

Punjab Police scored twice in each half, with Gagan Ajit Singh, Jograj Singh (2) and Jagbir Singh hitting home the goals. Punjab Police scored 16 goals in three matches to emerge the top scorers.

Air India crashed to their third defeat when they lost to Tamil Nadu. Radhakrishnan, Venkatesh, Govindraj and Dinesh Naik scored the goals for Tamil Nadu. Satish Kumar pulled off the consolation goal for Air India. Air India squandered 13 penalty corners.

Sunday’s fixtures (semi-finals): Punjab Police vs BSF (1 pm); CRPF vs Indian Airlines (3 pm)— Shivaji Stadium