Latest news with #Jipmer
The Hindu
24-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Jipmer's first ever med-tech hackathon to ideate health solutions
The Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer), has tied up with Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) to host a first-of-its-kind 'med-tech hackathon', that aims 'to ignite the spirit of innovation, blending clinical expertise with cutting-edge technology to create tangible healthcare advancements'. According to Jipmer, 'INCUBATE 2025' has been designed as a flagship med-tech innovation platform fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation at the intersection of medicine and technology, thus setting the stage for future breakthroughs in healthcare across India. The hackathon, with the motto 'Where Curiosity Meets Innovation,' is open to undergraduate students across India from medical and engineering disciplines who will form teams of 2-4 members to ideate holistic, technology-driven solutions to resolve major health problems. The event seeks to bring together the brightest medical and engineering minds to innovate solutions for issues faced by healthcare industry, a press note said. The hackathon, spanning diverse clinical themes, including public health, cardiology, oncology and obstetrics, is expected to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration and creative problem-solving, Jipmer said. The registration for contestants, including international students, opens on June 25. According to the web page set up for the event ( undergraduates from medical courses (MBBS, CRRIs (interns), BSc Nursing or allied health sciences), engineering and sciences ( BSc., and equivalent undergraduate degrees in Sciences), IISc, and IISER are eligible to participate. During the preliminary rounds, which close on July 31, contestants will submit online the proposal (PPT format) and video of a tech-based solution for an identified problem. 'We are expecting to attract about 500 participants from across India and abroad,' an organiser said. The event is supported by the Koita Centre for Digital Health (KCDH), Jipmer Undergraduate Scientific and Research Club (JUSRC), and the Institute Technical Council (ITC) of IIT Bombay. On the conclusion of the preliminary rounds, 15 proposals submitted by the teams will be shortlisted for securing funding support to develop prototypes, which are to be presented in the final round, scheduled to be hosted at Jipmer in October. The participants making it to the final round will benefit from the mentorship of experts at Jipmer and IIT Bombay, apart from getting a shot at winning exciting cash prizes amounting cumulatively to about ₹2.5 lakh, including the grand prize to the top three entries. Some ideas could potentially attract further industry support and transform into real-world applications, organisers added.
The Hindu
22-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Around 10,000 volunteers participate in NLCIL's International Yoga Day event
The NLCIL organised one its biggest mass events, with an estimated 10,000 volunteers participating, during the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) celebrations nation-wide on Saturday. A press note said yoga practice sessions were organised as part of the IDY '25 themed 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health' at the Bharathi Stadium, schools, and industrial units in Neyveli in addition to external project sites and attached offices across States. Participants performed simple asanas, pranayama, and meditation. Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), NLCIL, led the mass demonstration of the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) and yoga practice at Bharathi Stadium, urged participants to practise yoga regularly to lead a healthy life. He later planted saplings of the Asoka tree near the stadium as a symbol of peace and harmony. Suresh Chandra Suman, Director (Mines) & P&P (AC), Samir Swarup, and Director (HR), M. Venkatachalam, Director (Power), senior officials, students, representatives of recognised trade unions, associations, welfare federations and cultural organisations also took part in the celebrations. At the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (Jipmer) community hall, scores of medical students, staff and family and members of the public undertook yoga practice led by 137 resource persons trained in CYP. Vir Singh Negi, JIPMER Director, said yoga therapy significantly reduces the inflammatory biomarkers as evidenced by many studies conducted in JIPMER and elsewhere. He also highlighted the role of yoga in managing chronic conditions, and especially management of stress which is the need of the hour. S. Rangabashiam, Deputy Director Administration, also spoke. As a prelude to IDY, a workshop on stress management 'Mindfulness and Melody: The art of stress relief' led a panel of internal and external expert faculty, including tutors from Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education. A webinar on 'Harnessing the Healing Power of Yoga: From Mind-Body Balance to Clinical Applications' featured seven eminent speakers from Jipmer and institutions abroad. Pondicherry University's Directorate of Physical Education and Sports, in collaboration with the Siddha Regional Research Institute (under the Ministry of Ayush) and Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, also organised events to mark IDY 2025 at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Indoor Stadium. More than 300 participants experienced the CYP. P. Prakash Babu, Vice Chancellor, M. Elayaraja, Director of Sports (i/c), Pondicherry University, K. Tharanikkarasu, Director (SEI&RR), Shyamala Rajkumar, Research Officer (Siddha), HOD - DCR, Siddha Regional Research Institute, R. Thangalakshmi, Tamil Nadu Pranth Pramukh, Vivekananda Kendra, M. Vijay Kumar, chief librarian, Vengat Rao, Dean, Student Welfare and P. Thenmozhi, Research Officer (Siddha) participated. The IDY celebration was preceded by a week-long yoga practice workshop in Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium.
The Hindu
19-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Jipmer launches state-of-the-art disaster response facility with BHISHM Cube
Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) has launched a state-of-the-art mobile unit that aims to significantly raise the levels of disaster preparedness. The facility, established with the BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog, Hita and Maitri) Cube, is designed to provide swift and comprehensive care during natural and man-made disasters, a press note said. The initiative, under the Arogya Maitri Project of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, represents a committed effort to enhance healthcare resilience and emergency response, especially in regions vulnerable to large-scale emergencies such as those in southern India, Jipmer said. The BHISHM Cube is equipped with a wide array of life-saving tools, including defibrillators, portable ultrasound, infusion pumps, surgical and anaesthesia stations, blood and fluid warming systems, and advanced triage modules. The Cube represents a convergence of cutting-edge medical technology, strategic mobility, and humanitarian intent. Each cube is compact, weighing under 20 kg, and can be manually transported or deployed using drones, boats, or vehicles. Built on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) protocols, the BHISHM Cube is engineered to function with minimal reliance on existing infrastructure, allowing rapid deployment even in the most challenging terrains. Two mother cubes form a full trauma response brick, capable of supporting up to 200 casualties and providing treatment within the golden hour—a critical factor in saving lives during disasters. According to the press note, Jipmer would be hosting two such sets of cubes in its disaster stockpile. The facility was inaugurated at a function on Wednesday held at the SuperSpecialty Block annexe in the presence of A. Kulothungan, District Collector, V. Ravichandran, Director of Health and Family Welfare Services, and Vir Singh Negi, Director of Jipmer, along with other dignitaries. In this connection, a detailed presentation of BHISHM Cube's capabilities was led by Tanmay Roy, retired Chief Surgeon of the Armed Forces of India, in collaboration with the technical team from HLL Lifecare Limited, the implementing agency for the project. The presentation offered insight into the Cube's modular design, medical capabilities, and operational readiness, and provided hands-on training to the attending doctors, nurses, and disaster management personnel. A team of four doctors and two nurses nominated by the Health Department, along with officers deputed from the State Disaster Management Cell, participated in the operational demo. The demonstration aimed at not only showcasing the clinical and logistical strengths of the Cube but also at laying the foundation for local capacity building and disaster readiness, the press note said.
The Hindu
18-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Experts stress importance of early identification of elder abuse signs
The importance of early identification of signs of elder abuse was stressed during a day-long programme organised by the Department of Geriatric Medicine, Jipmer and Help Age India, in connection with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2025 recently. According to a press note, the 2025 edition of the observance, themed, 'Be Bold: Age with Attitude,' aimed at sensitising the senior citizens, public and caregivers to the growing concern of elder abuse and the importance of prevention, reporting, and offering legal protection. G. Venugopalan, Associate Professor, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Jipmer, who elaborated on the forms of elder abuse and risk factors, stressed the need for early identification and timely intervention. Fromsi Lukose, Social Service Officer, focused on various prevention strategies and highlighted the role of families, caregivers, and society in creating a safe and respectful environment for the elderly. She also stressed the importance of empowering older persons to speak up and seek help when needed. Addressing a session on legal aspects and social protection of elders, Venugopal Ramalingam, Director, HelpAge India, Puducherry and Cuddalore, outlined the several legal provisions and support systems available for protection of the elderly and urged stakeholders to utilise them effectively. As part of the programme, educational handouts were distributed to promote awareness on elder abuse prevention and the helpline 14567. The pamphlets illustrated the various ways in which the problem manifests — physical harm, emotional harassment, deprivation, verbal and nonverbal abuse causing mental distress, and financial or sexual forms of abuse. Among the typical signs of elder abuse are unexplained injuries or bruises, changes in behaviour or mood, financial distress, poor hygiene or nutrition and isolation from friends and family. Victims were also urged to report instances of abuse to doctors, social workers, or NGOs. Around 80 elderly people and their caregivers benefited from the event, the press note said.
The Hindu
16-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
A year after Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, the pain isn't over for families
Sitting on a cot in his dingy single-room house in Karunapuram, Mayakannan makes a blank stare at the wall and calls his son for support. Mayakannan remains the visible reminder of the ill -fated day on June 18, 2024 when a few pouches of moonshine robbed him of his eyesight. Though the grisly reminder of the tragedy that claimed 69 lives is fading in Karunapuram in Kallakurichi district, the pain isn't over with survivors who are blind trying to avoid the outside world; families struggling to make ends meet; and widows with dreams they cannot fulfill alone. The deaths occurred after residents of Karunapuram, mostly belonging to the Scheduled Castes and others from socially and economically disadvantaged groups, who were daily wage labourers and loaders, consumed methanol-infused hooch from a local bootlegger Govindaraj, alias Kannukutty on the night of June 18, 2024. 'It was a mistake. I have realised it now,' said Mayakannan, a load man who has now completely lost his eyesight. The drink (hooch) was easily available in Karunapuram and was sold at a cheap price. I was working as a load man in the local market and drank the brew to drive away exhaustion. The next day (June 19), I felt nausea and blurred vision and my son Murasoli Maran immediately rushed me to the Kallakurichi Government Medical College and Hospital (KGMCH),' Mayakannan recalled. As Mayakannan's condition deteriorated, he was referred to Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) in Puducherry. 'After being admitted in the Intensive Care Unit at Jipmer for 15 days, I was discharged. But I had lost my eyesight. Though the Government gave a compensation of ₹50,000, the treatment expenses in a private hospital in Kallakurichi for my eyesight ate into the sum. I have been confined within the four walls of my house for the past one year,' he says. A few lanes away, Murugan, another survivor said he had no idea about hooch being supplied as most of the residents including women consumed the brew daily. 'I an unable to stand now for a few minutes and my right arm has become numb. I wish I had died then, like several of my friends because of the continued mental agony now. I was the sole breadwinner in my family. Now I have become a burden to my family and my wife Kolanji is working as a ragpicker to supplement the family income,' he said. 'I have now started drinking IMFL, which is available in Karunapuram. Earlier, I used to drink arrack to drive away my exhaustion and now I am consuming liquor to overcome my mental agony,' he says. Radha, 33, was two months pregnant with her second child, when she lost her husband Manikandan, also a daily-wage labourer to hooch. 'My husband consumed the brew on the night of June 18 and returned home the next morning. After he complained of severe abdominal pain and blurred vision, we rushed him to the KGMCH from where he was referred to Villupuram. However, he died enroute to the hospital,' she says. Radha is the second wife of Manikandan and the compensation of ₹10 lakh was equally distributed between his two wives. She deposited the amount as a Fixed Deposit in the name of her daughter. Without the daily wages that Manikandan brought in, Radha now has to sustain herself and her two children, doing odd jobs. Anil Pal, a native of Rajasthan and settled in Karunapuram has also lost his vision. 'I worked as a painter and used to drink almost everyday after work. After drinking a few pouches of the brew on June 18, I felt strange. I ignored the uneasiness initially and stayed at home, but as other residents began falling ill, my son rushed me to the KGMCH and doctors referred me to Jipmer. I thought I was going to die. Though I survived I have lost my eyesight. This is worse than death,' Pal said. Following the intensive crackdown on illicit distilled arrack in the Kalvarayan Hills, sales of IMFL sold through TASMAC, which is the next cheapest option has seen a jump. Official sources said the hills had two Tasmac liquor shops and both had registered a 100 % jump in sales when compared with the previous year. The district has registered a 40 % increase in sales. Crackdown against illicit arrack The law enforcement authorities launched a two-pronged drive to combat the problem of illicit arrack in Kalvarayan hills, which is the main distillation point. It consists of a campaign to educate people about the dangers of distillation and a rehabilitation programme aimed at prohibition offenders. 'A task force was deployed and sustained raids were conducted and police officers who were suspected of having a nexus with bootleggers were transferred. With 570 of forests and mountainous terrain in the hills, the police department started building sources and targeted black spot villages. The existing three check posts were strengthened and in the last one year, there has not been a single case of transport of arrack from the hills,' a senior police officer said. The police have mounted surveillance on loose arrack sellers and as many as 54 persons including Bootleggers have been detained under the Goondas Act in the last one year.
