HEALTH

PGI doctor gets patent of diagnostic tool
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, March 2
Dr Chetana Vaishnari Associate Professor, Microbiology, Department of Gastroenterology, PGI, has obtained a patent of a process which helps in detecting “C.difficile” toxin. It is a major pathogen identified in patients with antibiotic associated diarrhoea and colitis — inflammation of the intestine.

According to a press note, this assay is a simple, rapid and cost effective diagnostic tool for “C.difficile associated infections”. Commercial kits are unaffordable for routine diagnostic use. The test is suited even for ordinary microbiology laboratories. The patented assay will be useful for providing diagnostic tests. The consumption expected is vast, because a large number of patients are treated with antibiotics. “C.difficile” is antibiotic resistant.

The National Research and Development Corporation, New Delhi, had encouraged and assisted her for filing the patent after her work was appreciated in the general meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Atlanta, USA. She is the first in the PGI to have filed a patent as well as obtained it.

The technique developed by her can benefit the patients at an affordable price. The microbiology section of the Gastroenterology Department has done over 2,000 tests which would have cost Rs 20 lakhs if kits were purchased from abroad.

At present, commercial kits available abroad have several shortcomings. For example, the latex agglutination assay and enzyme immuno assays either detect a non-toxic marker, which serve no purpose at all, or need expensive equipment. Moreover, the high cost per single test (more than Rs1,000) necessitates batching of samples and delays the results. The state of the art tissue culture assay is also cumbersome process that requires a turn around time of about 72 hours. Even the maintenance of tissue culture is difficult and may detect non-specific enterotoxin.

Dr Vaishnavi has many laurels to her credit. She is the first recipient of the prestigious ICMR Award — Dr C. G.S. Iyer Oration award for her clinical and experimental research on leprosy. She has about 108 scientific publications in national and international journals of repute. She is a gold medalist and winner of scores of prizes for both curricular and extra-curricular activities. She is also an elected member of the National Academy of medical sciences for significant contribution to advancement in medical sciences. Her biodata has been recently included in the Marquis book of Who’s Who in Science and Engineering.

Cleft lip problem remains neglected, says Bir Devinder
Our Correspondent

Mohali, March 2
The problem of cleft lip and palate being faced by a large number of children in Punjab has remained neglected. This can be seen from a number of cases that have been referred to the Civil Hospital here.

This was stated by Mr Bir Devinder Singh, Deputy Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, at a function organised on the concluding day of the camp. The camp was organised under the banner ‘Operation Rainbow’, Canada. It had been organised to carry out corrective surgeries on children suffering from this problem. As many as 324 cases had been registered by the authorities concerned in this regard.

The Deputy Speaker said it had become difficult to manage the children, who had come for operations, in the limited time schedule. The operations were done by a team of doctors and their counterparts from Canada free of cost. He requested the Canadian team to visit again so that the unaccomplished task could be completed.

Earlier, Dr Kimit Rai, Head of the Canadian team, said 91 operations had been done on 69 patients in the past 10 days. He said the knowledge was shared during an interaction with local doctors. The operations had been successful so far but he wanted to know about the outcome of the surgeries.

Dr Rai presented a plaque to Mr Bir Devinder Singh. The Deputy Speaker also presented mementoes to members of the Canadian team. Commendation certificates were also presented to a large number of persons.

ADMINISTRATION

UT Admn, CSIO sign MoU on Biotechnology Policy
Tribune News Service

The CSIO will provide: Technical consultancy for biotechnology enterprises. Infrastructure, laboratories and manpower. State-of-the-art research facility.

Chandigarh, March 2
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the Biotechnology Policy in Chandigarh was signed today between the Chandigarh Administration and the Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO).

The MoU was signed by Mr M. P. Singh, Secretary, Science & Technology, Chandigarh Administration, and Dr R.P. Bajpai, Director, CSIO.

The CSIO will provide state-of-the-art research and characterisation facility for biomolecular electronics, bionanotechnology, microdiagnostic kits, targeted drug delivery, molecular and nano-manipulation, etc. in particular and for the advancement of biotechnology in general.

The CSIO will help in the identification of projects related to bio-informatics and biotechnology to be developed and implemented, besides the methodology to be adopted for design, development and manufacture of globally competitive products.

The organisation will provide basic services, including laboratories, manpower, infrastructure and advisory services to the companies as covered within the scope of the MoU.

The nature of the requirements for services to be provided will be assessed mutually by the Department of Science and Technology, Chandigarh Administration, and the CSIO from time to time.

For its services, the CSIO will be paid as per the norms of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). This will also entail payment of technology transfer and utilisation of knowledge base, including the intellectual fee, overhead charges and service tax by the companies directly to the CSIO. The MoU has been signed to avail of the expertise of the CSIO in the field of biotechnology.

The MoU will be effective from the date of its signing and valid for five years in the first instance. It may, however, be renewed subsequently with mutual understanding, depending upon the future requirements.

Admn circulates model code of conduct
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 2
The Chandigarh Administration today circulated the model code of conduct of the Election Commission of India among its heads of the department and political parties.

The code of conduct came into force on Sunday when the dates of elections were announced. No criticism of other political parties on aspects of private life of leaders, not connected with public activities.

Mosques, churches, temples or other places of worships should not be used for election propaganda.

Demonstrations or picketing would not be allowed outside any house. No use of any individual’s land, building, compound wall etc., without his permission, for erecting flag-staffs, suspending banners, pasting notices, and writing slogans.

Posters issued by one party shall not be removed by workers of another party. For holding meetings the political parties will have to inform the local police about the venue and time. Permission is needed for the use of loudspeakers.

Parties will supply to their authorised workers suitable badges or identity cards. Ministers and other authorities shall not sanction grants/payments out of

discretionary funds. No announcements of any financial grants in any form. Except civil servants, nobody can lay the foundation stones of projects or schemes of any kind. No promises of construction of roads, provision of drinking water facilities.