Latest news with #TusharPalve
Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
DMER introduces Code Pink protocol for newborn security
Mumbai: Two months after a newborn was abducted from a govt hospital in Sangli, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) introduced a 'Code Pink' protocol to strengthen security for newborns in public hospitals. The comprehensive guidelines include the round-the-clock deployment of security personnel outside maternity wards and neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), mandatory ID verification for mothers and newborns, installation of CCTV cameras, panic alarms, and rigorous visitor entry logs. Hospitals will also be required to conduct staff training and mock drills every three months. In the event of a suspected infant abduction, the protocol mandates an immediate lockdown of hospital premises. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai "The nurse must first confirm if the baby is truly missing. If confirmed, inform attending doctors and the medical superintendent, who will then declare Code Pink. The hospital's telephone operator will inform all doctors, security, RMOs, supervisors, department/unit heads by announcing 'Code Pink' three times," the DMER guidelines stipulate. Following the alert, all entry and exit points are to be sealed. "Authorities must review CCTV footage and alert all security staff. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like ¡Registro para la lotería de la Green Card 2026! Global USA Solicita ahora Undo Any suspicious person should be detained and reported. Guards must check all bags and shops/stalls on the premises. Full details must be collected from the person who reported the incident. The medical superintendent must inform the nearest police station immediately and request appropriate action. Code Pink should remain in force for two hours after being declared," the guidelines state. Dr Tushar Palve, medical superintendent of Cama and Albless Hospital for Women and Children, who was on the committee that recommended Code Pink, said, "Hospitals will need a few mock drills to implement it effectively. Nurses, doctors, and even security staff need to be trained for it. We have already started." Additional security measures include installing sensor-based doors at ward entrances and activating a panic alarm system. DMER director Dr Ajay Chandanwale remained unavailable for a comment.
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Cancer patients can now receives radiation therapy at Cama Hospital
Mumbai: A 50-year-old woman with breast cancer became the first patient in two years to receive radiation therapy on Friday at the women-only Cama & Albless Hospital. This followed the arrival of a long-delayed linear accelerator machine used for targeted treatment. Hospital officials stated that this is still a "trial run" ahead of the official inauguration. The previous machine was deemed unfit for treatment two years ago, after serving the city for over a decade and helping thousands of women receive advanced cancer care. Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill or shrink cancer cells. Doctors carefully aim the radiation at the cancer so it affects as little healthy tissue as possible. The treatment can cost over a lakh private centres but would be offered for free here. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Dr Tushar Palve, the hospital's Medical Superintendent, said the radiation therapy room—also known as the "bunker"—is a specially shielded space designed to prevent radiation leakage. The bunker's walls, floor, and ceiling are constructed with thick layers of lead or concrete to absorb and block radiation. The total cost of the machine and the renovations was Rs 38 crore, sanctioned by the medical education department. "We largely see patients with ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, and some mouth and bowel cancer cases. We had chemotherapy available for patients and now there are more options," said Dr Palve. The burden of patients needing radiotherapy will now be shared between Cama, BYL Nair Hospital, and Tata Memorial Hospital. A doctor from Nair Hospital said they also plan to procure the same machine, but for now, their radiotherapy centre remains functional with a cobalt machine. These machines are an older type of radiation therapy device, but they are less precise than newer machines. "We only use cobalt machines, which means we can provide only 2D radiotherapy. About 40 to 50 patients on a daily basis require that machine," the doctor said.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Soon, Cama Hospital to offer full range of IVF services
Mumbai: After offering basic fertility treatment for the last 18 months, the state govt-run Cama Hospital near CST will soon upgrade to provide complete in-vitro fertility (IVF) treatment for women for free. "We have got permission to start IVF treatment such as embryo implantation, and are in the process of giving final touches to our laboratory," said Medical Superintendent Dr Tushar Palve. The complete IVF services, he added, should start within a month. In April 2024, the hospital became the first govt hospital in the city to offer basic fertility treatment such as intrauterine insemination (or artificial insemination in which sperm is placed directly into a woman's uterus) and ovulation induction (use of medication to stimulate the ovaries to release one or more eggs). Over 100 women were provided such treatment, resulting in 17 pregnancies since April 2024. Between April and December 2024, 78 women were provided treatment that resulted in eight pregnancies. "In 2025, we treated 35 women and nine were urine-positive pregnancies," said Dr Palve. As women from other parts of the state and neighbouring states also attend Cama Hospital's infertility treatment OPD, deliveries in many cases didn't take place in the hospital. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Efficient Cleaning for Compliant Warehouses SearchMore Learn More Undo "In just over five months, the Cama centre recorded 379 IVF outpatient consultations, reflecting growing trust in our fertility treatments and specialised care," said a state medical education department official. "Cama is the first state govt hospital to bridge the gap between technology and accessibility, making the dream of parenthood possible for many," he added. The country's second test-tube baby—and the state's first—was born in BMC-run KEM Hospital, Parel in 1986. After a gap of 39 years, the hospital will soon start a full-fledged IVF clinic. While KEM's neighbouring Wadia Hospital has an IVF clinic, civic-run Sion Hospital is also likely to start one soon. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Another Covid-linked death in state; rain diseases rise
Mumbai: There has been another Covid-19-linked death in the state—of a 45-year-old Panvel resident who was immunocompromised with heart disease—taking the tally to 19 since May. The city on Tuesday reported 32 new cases, all with mild infections. Intermittent rainfall over the past week has also led to a seasonal uptick in monsoon-related illnesses in Mumbai, with hospitals reporting a gradual rise in cases of dengue, malaria and even chikungunya. While some patients required intensive care, physicians say the current caseload is moderate for now. "We have started seeing all expected communicable diseases with an addition of Covid-19," said Dr Hemalata Arora, an internal medicine specialist at Nanavati Hospital. A pulmonologist at one of the civic hospitals in south Mumbai said even patients with severe comorbidities along with Covid-19 are recovering. "Any deaths linked to Covid-19 are primarily due to pre-existing conditions. But it is also possible Covid-19 may worsen them by straining overall health like any other co-infection," the pulmonologist said. There are no Covid-19 patients admitted at Cama and Albless Hospital, said Dr Tushar Palve, medical superintendent. The hospital created a dedicated Covid-19 ward for women and children a couple of weeks ago. A doctor at Seven Hills Hospital said there are four cases of Covid-19, all are elderly and stable without needing oxygen support. Meanwhile, Dr Arora said, "We have just started seeing a rise in chikungunya patients." At Gleneagles Hospital, Dr Manjusha Agarwal, an internal medicine specialist, said a malaria patient developed lung complications and required ICU care. "He recovered quickly." "But we expect more such cases by mid-June. Dengue has become an endemic disease. We see it all year now, largely due to ongoing construction activities," Dr Agarwal said. A state entomologist said there is surveillance ongoing for monsoon-related diseases and data would be released in the next couple of days. Civic hospitals have yet to open dedicated fever OPDs for rain-related illnesses. A doctor at KEM Hospital said preparations for separate fever wards and OPDs will begin once cases rise.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Two more Covid deaths in MMR take state count to 17
Mumbai: State health officials on Wednesday reported two more Covid-linked deaths in MMR, taking the region's fatality count to seven. While a 76-year-old cancer patient from Dombivli who had tested positive for Covid died during treatment on Wednesday, a Navi Mumbai resident who had diabetes, hypertension and a history of stroke died on June 2. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Officials said a 76-year-old Kolhapur patient died on June 3, taking the state's tally of deaths to 17 since cases began to surge in mid-May. All deaths so far have involved patients with comorbidities and pre-existing medical conditions. According to Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), the cancer patient was admitted to a private hospital on May 28 and tested positive for Covid. Dr Deepa Shukla, head of KDMC's health department, said of the 13 confirmed Covid cases under KDMC, three have died, seven have recovered, one is still in hospital, and two are isolating at home. Meanwhile, with 32 new Covid cases on Wednesday, Mumbai's caseload since mid-May rose to 535. Officials are urging Covid precautions in households with vulnerable residents, particularly those with comorbidities such as old age, cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular conditions. In response to the rising numbers, civic hospitals are transferring patients to Seven Hills Hospital, which is designated for Covid care. "There are six patients at the hospital at the moment. All of them have comorbidities and most are senior citizens. One or two are middle-aged. There is no lung involvement so far and all are stable," said a doctor from a civic hospital. Cama Hospital also has emergency arrangements. It has reserved 10 beds for paediatric patients and 20 for women, according to Dr Tushar Palve, its medical superintendent. "We made the arrangements a couple of weeks ago as cases began to rise," he said. Dr Palve said so far, only a few children had been admitted with influenza-like symptoms and were tested for Covid; all tests returned negative.
