Latest news with #GFR
Health Line
15-07-2025
- Health
- Health Line
Kidney Function Tests
Key takeaways Kidney function tests are simple blood and urine tests that can identify problems with your kidneys. These tests can estimate your glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which indicates how quickly your kidneys are clearing waste from your body. Your doctor will focus on treating the underlying condition if your tests show early kidney disease. This may include medications, lifestyle changes, or seeing a specialist. Overview of kidney function tests You have two kidneys on either side of your spine that are each approximately the size of a human fist. They're located posterior to your abdomen and below your rib cage. Your kidneys play several vital roles in maintaining your health. One of their most important jobs is to filter waste materials from the blood and expel them from the body as urine. The kidneys also help control the levels of water and various essential minerals in the body. In addition, they're critical to the production of: vitamin D red blood cells hormones that regulate blood pressure If your doctor thinks your kidneys may not be working properly, you may need kidney function tests. These are simple blood and urine tests that can identify problems with your kidneys. You may also need kidney function testing done if you have other conditions that can harm the kidneys, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. They can help doctors monitor these conditions. Symptoms of kidney problems Symptoms that may indicate a problem with your kidneys include: high blood pressure blood in the urine frequent urges to urinate difficulty beginning urination painful urination swelling of the hands and feet due to a buildup of fluids in the body A single symptom may not mean something serious. However, when occurring simultaneously, these symptoms suggest that your kidneys aren't working properly. Kidney function tests can help determine the reason. Types of kidney function tests To test your kidney function, your doctor will order a set of tests that can estimate your glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Your GFR tells your doctor how quickly your kidneys are clearing waste from your body. Urinalysis A urinalysis screens for the presence of protein and blood in the urine. There are many possible reasons for protein in your urine, not all of which are related to disease. Infection increases urine protein, but so does a heavy physical workout. Your doctor may want to repeat this test after a few weeks to see if the results are similar. Your doctor may also ask you to provide a 24-hour urine collection sample. This can help doctors see how fast a waste product called creatinine is clearing from your body. Creatinine is a breakdown product of muscle tissue. Serum creatinine test This blood test examines whether creatinine is building up in your blood. The kidneys usually completely filter creatinine from the blood. A high level of creatinine suggests a kidney problem. According to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), a creatinine level higher than 1.2 milligrams/deciliter (mg/dL) for women and 1.4 mg/dL for men is a sign of a kidney problem. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test also checks for waste products in your blood. BUN tests measure the amount of nitrogen in the blood. Urea nitrogen is a breakdown product of protein. However, not all elevated BUN tests are due to kidney damage. Common medications, including large doses of aspirin and some types of antibiotics, can also increase your BUN. It's important to tell your doctor about any medications or supplements that you take regularly. You may need to stop certain drugs for a few days before the test. A normal BUN level is between 7 and 20 mg/dL. A higher value could suggest several different health problems. Estimated GFR This test estimates how well your kidneys are filtering waste. The test determines the rate by looking at factors, such as: test results, specifically creatinine levels age gender race height weight Any result lower than 60 milliliters/minute/1.73m 2 may be a warning sign of kidney disease. How the tests are performed Kidney function tests usually require a 24-hour urine sample and a blood test. 24-hour urine sample A 24-hour urine sample is a creatinine clearance test. It gives your doctor an idea of how much creatinine your body expels over a single day. On the day that you start the test, urinate into the toilet as you normally would when you wake up. For the rest of the day and night, urinate into a special container provided by your doctor. Keep the container capped and refrigerated during the collection process. Make sure to label the container clearly and to tell other family members why it's in the refrigerator. On the morning of the second day, urinate into the container when you get up. This completes the 24-hour collection process. Follow your doctor's instructions about where to drop the sample off. You may need to return it either to your doctor's office or a laboratory. Blood samples BUN and serum creatinine tests require blood samples taken in a lab or doctor's office. The technician drawing the blood first ties an elastic band around your upper arm. This makes the veins stand out. The technician then cleans the area over the vein. They slip a hollow needle through your skin and into the vein. The blood will flow back into a test tube that will be sent for analysis. You may feel a sharp pinch or prick when the needle enters your arm. The technician will place gauze and a bandage over the puncture site after the test. The area around the puncture may develop a bruise over the next few days. However, you shouldn't feel severe or long-term pain. Treatment of early kidney disease Your doctor will focus on treating the underlying condition if the tests show early kidney disease. Your doctor will prescribe medications to control blood pressure if the tests indicate hypertension. They'll also suggest lifestyle and dietary modifications. If you have diabetes, your doctor may want you to see an endocrinologist. This type of doctor specializes in metabolic diseases and can help ensure that you have the best blood glucose control possible. If there are other causes of your abnormal kidney function tests, such as kidney stones and excessive use of painkillers, your doctor will take appropriate measures to manage those disorders.
Business Recorder
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Financial property of MoFA: PAC panel highlights serious lapses
ISLAMABAD: A sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday highlighted serious lapses in financial propriety by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leading to a loss of Rs566.43 million due to the obtaining of uneconomical health insurance policies for Pakistan Missions in the United States. The PAC's sub-committee presided over by MNA Syed Naveed Qamar took up the audit report of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) for the year 2012-13, terming the disbursement was incurred in sheer violation of the General Financial Rules (GFR) and Public Procurement Rules (PPR) 2004. Sub-committee convener Naveed Qamar said that Pakistani Foreign Missions abroad should not consider public funds as 'spoils of war' and directed the MoFA make efforts to stop wastage of public money. The audit report observed that the insurance policies were procured at knowingly higher rates, circumventing mandatory advertising on the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) website and without proper competitive bidding. The report noted a glaring variation in the rates of health insurance among the missions in New York and Washington, raising serious queries about transparency and due diligence in procurement practices. These actions contravened set rules and procedures for public officers to exercise the same prudence, as they would with their own finances. In response to the audit observations raised in December 2013, the ministry stated that the policies were procured following a cost-benefit analysis and with approval from competent authorities. However, Auditor General of Pakistan (AGPR) rejected the explanation, stressing for a thorough verification of the claims. A Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) held on February 3, 2014, directed the ministry to provide copies of the three insurance policies adopted by the missions in UN New York, Consulate General New York, and Washington. The committee has also directed the ministry concerned to seek clarification from the Ministry of National Health Services (NHRS) on the upper age limit for dependent children eligible for health insurance for officials posted abroad. The AGPR has recommended that the MoFA present its case before the PAC to address the financial irregularities and provide justification for the substantial loss to the public exchequer. The sub-committee also observed that foreign missions abroad involved in committing serious irregularity by lapsing public funds. The committee instructed that officials involved in irregularity and misconduct must be held accountable. The committee lambasted at the MoFA for not taking audit paras seriously in DAC and PAC. Naveed Qamar observed ambassadors are utilising community welfare funds as charity for personal gains with impunity. The committee; however, pended majority of audit paras due to ill-preparedness of MoFA officials. Audit reports on the accounts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Audit Years 2011-12, 2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 were examined in sub-committee of PAC. The directives were to examine and analyse the use of huge public funds involved in the hiring of private buildings for Pakistani Missions abroad despite the fact that in some cases the land was either purchased or gifted but the buildings could not be timely constructed. Majority of audit paras were mostly related to the discrepancies in the amounts of security deposits or over payments and unjustified extensions or retention of the rental buildings. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
New Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Over 150 ASI workers in Andhra face uncertainty after sudden job loss
GUNTUR: Over 150 casual workers under the Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) Amaravati Circle are facing a severe livelihood crisis after being verbally instructed not to report for duty, with no formal termination orders issued. Many of these workers have served for over a decade—some up to 20 years—guarding and maintaining key heritage sites across the State, including the Amaravati Mahachaitya, Nagarjunakonda, Chandragiri Fort, Lepakshi, Gooty Fort, and others. These casual employees, appointed on a muster roll basis, are spread across sub-circles such as Anantapur, Chandragiri, Ongole, Nagarjunakonda, Kadapa, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, and Kurnool. They earn between Rs 16,000 and Rs 20,000 per month. Since April 1, they have been unofficially told not to come to work, resulting in over four months without wages. The move is reportedly in line with the General Financial Rules (GFR) 2017, which prohibit new casual appointments, but the absence of formal communication has left workers in a state of uncertainty and distress. 'My service at Gooty Fort spans a decade. Since March, I've been told not to come. We kept reporting in hope, but there's been no pay,' said Gaddam Amruth Kumar, 36. Telanganashetti Chudamani, 55, from Chandragiri Fort, said, 'I've worked here for 20 years. Now I'm told I'm not needed. The new MTS recruits don't understand the fragile nature of these monuments. We've risked our lives for their upkeep.' Dr Jasti Veeranjaneyaulu, Chairman of the Amaravati Development Committee and National Vice President of the All India Panchayati Parishad (Delhi), submitted a petition to PM Narendra Modi at the PMO, urging immediate intervention. He highlighted that a file recommending their regularisation has been pending with the ASI Director General for over a year. The petition pointed out that other ASI circles across the country retained or regularised similar workers. 'Why should Amaravati Circle be any different?' Veeranjaneyaulu questioned, urging the Centre to act swiftly.
Hindustan Times
29-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: MC to invite fresh bids for horticulture waste plant
In yet another glaring example of mismanagement, the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has decided to restart the allotment process for the city's much-needed horticulture waste plant — a project billed as 'urgent' but now mired in procedural lapses and political arguments. The matter will be placed before the Chandigarh MC House in its upcoming General House meeting on June 30 (Monday). (HT File) The decision to reinitiate the tendering comes months after former mayor and senior BJP leader Anup Gupta flagged alleged irregularities in awarding the construction contract of the new horticulture waste plant. The project, aimed at easing the city's mounting horticulture waste crisis, was originally approved in December last year, but has been stalled since January this year, further delaying critical infrastructure in a city already grappling with leaf litter piling up on its streets. The matter will be placed before the MC House in its upcoming General House meeting on June 30 (Monday), where officials will table a fresh Request for Proposal (RFP), detailing terms and conditions for re-tendering. Only after the proposal is cleared by the House will a new tender be floated — adding several more months of delay to a project that was supposed to be carried out in emergency mode. City under-equipped to process horticulture waste The city's existing facilities for processing horticulture waste are woefully under-equipped. Currently, MC operates composting pits at 104 sites within parks, handling only 32 tonnes per day (TPD) of mixed horticulture waste. Not just composting pits, MC has limited capacity in horticulture waste processing plants too, located in the Industrial Area, Phase 2. Processing around 12 TPD of pruned horticulture waste daily, which includes pruned branches and stems, the plant is running at full capacity, but is still far from meeting the city's overall waste disposal needs. To plug this gap, the MC had proposed a second plant — also in Industrial Area Phase 2 — with a capacity of 60 TPD and an estimated cost of ₹ 4 crore. The plant was to employ biofuel briquetting technology to convert waste into fuel bricks. However, the project has been overshadowed by controversy. Former mayor Anup Gupta had in May alleged that MC bypassed proper tendering procedures and unlawfully nominated M/s Hardicon Limited, a PSU, for the job without issuing any Expression of Interest (EOI) or Request for Proposal (RFP). In his formal letter to the commissioner, Gupta questioned whether due protocols under the General Financial Rules (GFR) 2017, CVC guidelines, and the Manual of Procurement of Works 2022 were followed — and is still awaiting a response. The allegations forced MC commissioner Amit Kumar to step in. He ordered an internal inquiry and assured the House that the agreement with the PSU would be scrapped if procedural lapses were confirmed. 'The agreement will be cancelled and a fresh tender floated,' he said, promising accountability. Ironically, the existing operator of the Phase 2 plant is billing the MC ₹ 3 lakh per month while delivering subpar waste processing. According to MC insiders, the public sector firm had offered to build and operate the new facility for free and even proposed profit-sharing on the sale of briquettes. 'Given the MC's weak financial standing, the offer seemed attractive,' an official said, defending the earlier move. 'However, to ensure 'transparency' and to placate elected councillors, the civic body is going back to square one. The fresh allotment process will ensure everyone is satisfied, but yes, it will delay the project by another few months,' the official admitted. MC to auction 7.5 acre in Manimajra The Chandigarh MC is preparing to auction more than 7.5 acre of land across five plots in Pocket Number 6 of Manimajra, paving the way for a multi-storey group housing society. The proposal, complete with detailed terms and conditions and several regulatory riders, will be tabled in the upcoming general house meeting for discussion and approval on Monday. The cumulative reserve price for the five plots crosses ₹ 794 crore, which can surely fill the empty coffers of the MC. As per the plan, the land can be allotted either jointly to a consortium or to a single developer. The MC has ruled out any scope for fragmentation or amalgamation of plots or buildings. The construction must strictly adhere to the zoning plan and dwelling units cannot be used for any purpose other than residential. As per terms and conditions, allottees will be liable for applicable taxes, GST, and fees imposed by the Centre, Chandigarh administration, or MC. Community facilities like libraries, creches, halls, and society offices must be used exclusively by residents—no commercial use will be allowed. No plot or building can be divided or merged without prior approval. Construction must strictly follow the approved zoning plan with no deviation in use.
India Gazette
18-06-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Uttar Pradesh bought items worth Rs 65,227 crore over 5 years from GeM
New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh has made purchases worth more than Rs 65,227 crore through Government e-Marketplace (GeM) in the last five years from Financial Year 2020-21 to 2024-25, gaining appreciation from the Centre. The data shows that the state's total order value in FY 2020-21 was at Rs 4,622.16, which rose to Rs 11,286.29 crore in FY 2021-22. In FY 2022-23, UP government's order value was Rs 12,242.48, Rs 20,248 crore in FY 2023-24 and Rs 16,828.75 crore in FY 2024-25, totalling Rs 65,227.68 crore. The UP government, in a statement, said that Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, wrote a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, openly praising the state's active participation and contribution through GeM. The Minister asserted that the initiative by the UP government serves as a model for other states. In his letter to CM Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Piyush Goyal stated that during the financial year 2024-25, over 72 lakh purchase orders worth Rs 5.43 lakh crore were fulfilled, setting a new milestone in the public procurement system. According to the UP government's statement, since the inception of GeM, more than 2.9 crore orders have been processed, amounting to purchases worth over Rs 14 lakh crore. GeM now includes over 11,000 product categories and more than 330 service categories. The Commerce Minister further mentioned in his letter that on November 26, 2024, the Uttar Pradesh government has issued a comprehensive government order aligning the state's procurement rules with the General Financial Rules (GFR) 2017 and the General Terms and Conditions (GTC) of GeM. This order consolidated various procurement-related notifications into a unified framework, simplifying procurement processes and paving the way for 100 per cent adoption of GeM. This step not only reduced administrative burden but also enhanced transparency, efficiency, and inclusiveness, the letter added. In the letter, Minister highlighted that this initiative by Uttar Pradesh is a living example of the 'Digital India' vision. He emphasised that achievements of this scale become possible when technology, inclusiveness, and execution come together. Goyal further added that Uttar Pradesh's initiative would inspire other states to adopt GeM more rapidly across the country. Minister Goyal also expressed confidence in his letter that the support of the Uttar Pradesh government will continue in the future with the same momentum, added the UP goverment's statement. (ANI)
