Category: COVID19

Union health ministry praises Dr Sudhakar’s role in Karnataka’s Covid-19 fight

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Super speciality trauma centre inaugurated at VIMS

Bengaluru, 31 August 2020:

The people of Hyderabad-Karnataka will be benefitted by the newly inaugurated Super Speciality Trauma Unit in Bellary district, said Hon’ble Medical Education Minister for Government of Karnataka, on Monday.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Monday virtually inaugurated a Super Speciality Trauma Unit under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) at Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS), Bellary.

Union Minister praises Dr Sudhakar
During his speech, Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan praised reforms taken by Dr Sudhakar to contain Coronavirus. He said he has mentioned the measures taken by Karnataka at meetings held by other states and have asked them to follow them.

Chief Minister Shri B S Yediyurappa, Union Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Chaubey, District in-charge Minister Anand Singh and others participated in the programme which was inaugurated through video conference.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sudhakar said the most-needed trauma centre has been inaugurated at the right time in Bellary. Every year more than 4.7 lakh people in the state lose their lives in road accidents due to lack of immediate medical assistance. The lives of people in road accidents can be saved within the golden hour (one hour within the accident). Earlier, road accident cases had to be rushed to Bengaluru. Now, people in the district and neighbouring districts in the state can avail the medical treatment at the trauma centre.

Dr Sudhakar said that the Central Government has contributed substantially to the construction of the new trauma centre. The 200-bed trauma centre comprises 72 ICU beds, 20 ventilators, and general wards. The centre can prove beneficial to the neighbouring states too, opined the Minister.

Karnataka is on the forefront of providing medical assistance. The state has proven its strength by setting up 20,000 ICU beds at shortest span during Covid-19 crisis, he added.

New medical college by 2021
Answering Union Minister Harsh Vardhan’s suggestion on setting up a medical college in Karnataka, Dr Sudhakar said that four medical colleges including the one in Chikkaballapura will be set up by 2021. He mentioned that he has instructed to speed up the construction process during his recent visit to Chikkaballapura.

Minister Dr Sudhakar inaugurated the new CT scanner at VIMS, on the occasion.

Trauma centre
The new trauma centre, constructed at a cost of Rs 150 crores consists of 200 beds, 72 ICU beds, 20 ventilators, CT scan, digital X-ray facilities, super speciality emergency and trauma, neurosurgery and orthopaedic services among others.

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PCOS Cases among Women Rising During Covid19 Lockdown due to Lifestyle Changes

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India has witnessed a spike of 30% in PCOS cases in last few years, a trend that got exacerbated due to the lifestyle changes enforced by the pandemic, says Dr Vidya V Bhat, Fertility Specialist & Medical Director, RadhaKrishna Multispecialty Hospital

Bengaluru/ August 29, 2020: Lifestyle changes forced by Covid19 lockdown since the past several months have made women much more susceptible to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), with the last few months seeing a sharp rise in the number of cases. Being home-bound, lack of exercise, online ordering of junk food, binge watching TV, and irregular sleep patterns have led to an increase in average weight gain among women. This, coupled with ignoring irregular or heavy menstrual cycles in the lockdown period, is driving the spike in PCOS cases, according to Dr. Vidya V Bhat, Laparoscopic Surgeon and Fertility Specialist and Medical Director of RadhaKrishna Multispecialty Hospital, Bengaluru.

Said Dr. Vidya V Bhat: “PCOS is a common disease of the endocrine gland. Most studies in India report its prevalence anywhere from 9% to 36%. PCOS accounts for 85% of ovulatory disorders in women, which are a prominent cause of infertility. Yet, many women remain unaware that they are suffering from PCOS. India has witnessed a spike of 30 percent in cases of PCOS in the last few years, a trend which got exacerbated due to the lifestyle changes enforced by the pandemic.”

Said Dr Vidya V Bhat: “The lockdown has complicated health issues for women. Irregular follow-ups with the doctor during the Covid times is leading to an increase in the incidence of PCOS, especially among women who are undergoing treatment for infertility. This disorder is also linked with higher levels of circulating insulin, and there is a spike in the number of diabetic patients during the lockdown. Sedentary lifestyle and becoming a couch-potato are increasing the chances of relapse of PCOS in patients, or the disorder becoming much more severe with increased symptoms.”
According to Dr. Vidya V Bhat, PCOS can happen due to causes such as excessive consumption of saturated fat, weight gain, inflammation, chemicals and hormonal imbalance. It has major health implications including obesity, infertility, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mental and psychological problems. The disorder can also result in irregular periods, excessive facial or body hair, thinning of hair, skin discoloration and sleep apnea. PCOS is detected using an ultrasound exam or blood test. Lifestyle management is very important for PCOS patients, including regulated diet, physical exercise and management of blood sugar and hypertension. Treatment can also involve oral contraceptive pills and laparoscopy.”
Busting the prevalent myths about PCOS, Dr. Vidya V Bhat said: “Contrary to popular belief, women with children can also have PCOS, while women with PCOS can also have children. PCOS does not discriminate based on age. It is also not necessary for any woman to be overweight to suffer from PCOS.”

The doctor said that the trend of online consultation with a gynaecologist during the lockdown period, though comforting for the patient, does not help much in treatment. “PCOS needs to be treated through a proper scan and then treatment given depending on the severity of the disorder. This cannot be done over a tele-consultation. The physical presence of patient in front of the doctor is necessary for proper diagnosis of PCOS and decide an appropriate treatment plan,” Dr Vidya V Bhat added.

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MyGate receives accolades from the Karnataka State Police for their efforts in building and managing the KSP Clear e-pass system

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From left to Right – Mr. Shreyans Daga, Co-founder & CTO, MyGate, Mr. Vijay Arisetty, Co-founder & CEO, MyGate, Shri. Praveen Sood, Director General of Police, Karnataka and Shri. Pratap Reddy, Additional Director General of Police, Karnataka

Karnataka State Police today honoured MyGate, the country’s leading player in the community management space, for their contribution towards the efforts of the state police department during the lockdown. MyGate had, on a pro-bono basis, provided their technical expertise to build and manage the KSP Clear Pass, which issued over 2 lakh e-passes to Bengaluru citizens during Phase 1 & 2 of the lockdown.

Shri. Praveen Sood, Director General of Police, Karnataka, along with Shri. Pratap Reddy, Additional Director General of Police, Karnataka,  acknowledged MyGate’s efforts by handing over a certificate of appreciation to Mr. Vijay Arisetty, Co-founder & CEO, MyGate and Mr. Shreyans Daga, Co-founder & CTO, MyGate.

“Our gratitude to Team MyGate for providing citizens (through Karnataka State Police), a user-friendly epass system during COVID-19 lockdown. An exemplary Public Private Partnership,”  said  Shri. Praveen Sood, Director General of Police, Karnataka.

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Religare Health Insurance advocates Comprehensive Health Coverage as COVID-19 drives greater consumer awareness

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·         Standalone Health Insurance sector in India registers 40% YoY hike

·         Comprehensive health cover is imperative in India since retail health insurance penetration is only 3% and out-of-pocket healthcare spending stands at ~65%

Bangalore, 21 August 2020: With COVID-19 acting as a catalyst of change and increasingly nudging people to explore diverse health coverage options, Religare Health Insurance (RHI) is endorsing the need for comprehensive health insurance policies. Emphasizing the soaring significance of health insurance amid an unprecedented global health crisis, the Standalone Health Insurance sector registered a 40% YoY rise. This growth will ensure further impetus for health insurance penetration, where India records one of the world’s highest out-of-pocket spending rates in healthcare.      

Highlighting the rising numbers of other potentially-fatal lifestyle ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases, among others, RHI endorses comprehensive health insurance coverage. Furthermore, the increasing cost of quality healthcare services even for infectious diseases underscores the need for comprehensive health insurance.

Accordingly, Religare Health Insurance offers a comprehensive bouquet of services ranging from basic hospitalization (Care); high sum insured options (Care Advantage); insurance for PED, including insulin-dependent diabetics (Care Freedom); post-cardiac event/intervention insurance (Care Heart) and many others, backed by all-encompassing wellness and insurance benefits.

Elaborating on the latest institutional developments, an RHI spokesperson said, “The coronavirus pandemic has come as a thought-provoking black swan event for people disdainful of health insurance. As morbidity and mortality rates rise directly due to COVID-19 and indirectly from the neglect of other equally life-threatening conditions, there is a pronounced and inescapable realization about the need for health insurance. Besides managing COVID-19-related treatments, health cover is indispensable in safeguarding individuals and their families from other chronic conditions that lead to unexpected and unaffordable medical expenses, driving millions of uninsured people into debt, devastating lives permanently. Fortunately, a broad bouquet of health insurance solutions happens to be available today, customized for almost every consumer segment. Therefore, we urge consumers to opt for a suitable coverage plan as per their specific healthcare requirements. This is vital in our country, where retail health insurance penetration is only 3% and out-of-pocket healthcare spending stands at around 65%.”

RHI’s endorsement of comprehensive insurance coverage comes in the wake of increased awareness about health insurance products after the COVID-19 outbreak. Given the importance of health insurance in promoting better healthcare outcomes across India, the Company believes it is important to leverage this trend by apprising people about the far-reaching benefits of comprehensive health policies. Moreover, against the backdrop of pandemic-induced income losses for a significant employed segment, the role of health insurance can be paramount in saving lives in the event of any healthcare crisis.

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It’s not just physical impact but COVID-19 wreaks havoc on Emotional and Mental states too, reveals YourDOST Mental Health Survey

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●        Majority of Entrepreneurs & Self-Employed have Turned Exercising More to keep Stress Away; Students & working professionals turn to speaking more often with friends & family as their release

Bengaluru, August, 10th 2020: The Mental Health Survey conducted across 8,396 individuals by YourDOST (www.yourdost.com), a leading online emotional and mental wellness platform, reveals that when the nationwide lockdown had just started, 33% of respondents experienced ‘extreme to high stress’, 65% of respondents report ‘moderate to mild stress’ while 16% did not experience stress. However, these stress levels rose significantly as the lockdown period got more and more extended with 55.3% of the respondents reporting an increase in their stress. 

Interestingly, (as illustrated in Figure 2 ) falling back on friends and family by way of being able to speak with them more frequently is the most preferred coping mechanism for the respondents, while exercising more frequently, reduction in consumption of news and social media usage helped them also found favor as other options. However, entrepreneurs and self-employed relied on exercising more to help them reduce stress levels.

The survey was conducted in two phases – at the early implementation of the lockdown and after the lifting of lockdown across most states. Overall, the study incorporated insights from 8396 people. Responses were taken from 1,196 people (560 during the lockdown 1.0 and 636 post lifting of lockdown) for conducting the survey and compiled the data to see how the stress levels and mental emotions are impacting human lifestyles. The insights were further combined with inputs from 7000 unique individuals who have undergone counselling sessions during the period of April – July 2020. Additionally, over 50 Psychologists, Counselors,

Psychotherapists and Coaches were interviewed to understand the kind of cases they have been observing in their respective practices during the lockdown period.

The survey covered both male and female individuals residing in Tier -I, Tier-II and Tier-III cities aged between 17 – 90 years and comprised a mix of college students, working professionals, entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals, housewives, unemployed individuals and retirees.

(Figure 3): As per the survey, loneliness or boredom followed by anxiety and anger were the top three emotions which impacted Indians the most during the lockdown. Biggest reason for ballooning of these emotions was uncertainty of when this lockdown or pandemic would end and when they can see normalcy again. Key reasons why the pandemic has been making people more stressed among the other key factors are health concerns and its impact on their job security.

Speaking on the survey findings, Mr. Puneet Manuja, Co-Founder and COO, YourDOST, said, “People across the globe are going through the most difficult phase of their lives. The impact of pandemic has led to untold and unforeseen uncertainties. Feelings of loneliness, stress & anxiety and hopelessness are dominant responses to the situation. However, people are also figuring out various coping mechanisms and are reaching out, exercising more, avoiding stimulations that are not helping them remain positive and also turning to meditation. We are witnessing a spike in traffic to our platform compared to the normal conditions indicating that their awareness levels related to the importance of being mentally and emotionally fit have also risen.”

(Figure 4): The survey clearly indicated that the sleep was the most affected activity due to the excessive stress levels during the lockdown and this followed by productivity and diet, overeating or undereating amongst the top impacts. Experts suggest that to deal with the situation, speaking with family members and friends would help. Exercising and reducing news consumption (currently full of negativity) will aid combat stress.

Chart

Figure 5: Stress levels have gone up by 55% compared to the initial lockdown. A fall in Work life balance has become the most common reason for the increase in stress levels during the lockdown period.

Figure 5: Lockdown Fatigue - Work life balance has become the most common reason for the increase in stress levels amidst the long lockdown period.

Figure 6 &7: Although no longer under lockdown, the people are still not feeling comfortable to step out and meet other people fearing that they might get infected or others might not be willing to meet them. Anxiety, stress are the most common issues for which people are reaching out for counselling support. The number of sessions in the last three months of lockdown (March to June) was doubled due to the similar reasons.

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