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AIDS awareness: Therapy prescribed for people with HIV

Post author By Pragya sharma
Post date December 3, 2022
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Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been in existence for a long time now and people are still not aware of how to deal with the patient. Here’s what doctors recommend.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a life-threatening chronic condition caused due to the human immunodeficiency virus where HIV is a sexually transmitted infection that damages the body’s immune system further disabling the capability to fight an infection or disease. If HIV is not treated in time, it can lead to AIDS and though AIDS has been in existence for a long time now, people are still not aware of how to deal with the patient.

The stigma around AIDS and HIV continue to exist amongst communities that are unaware of the disease’s know-how hence, it becomes essential to know more about this disease and bust myths surrounding it. HIV still remains to be a major global health issue however, with advancement in diagnosis and treatment, people diagnosed with HIV can live longer and healthy lives.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Amit Gupta, National Executive Council Member at RSSDI, revealed, “The therapy prescribed for people with HIV usually comprises antiviral medications. Some of these medicines come with the side effect of altering blood sugar levels, especially by increasing the concentration of blood glucose. Therefore, it is recommended that people with HIV should get their glucose levels checked both before starting the course of treatment and during the treatment. This helps keep track of the onset of diabetes.”

Dr Sanjay Gupta, Internal Medicine at Paras Hospital in Gurugram, cautioned, “Infected blood, illicit injection drugs and sharing the same needles with the infected person can spread the disease. If an expecting mother is suffering from AIDS, it can be passed on to the baby during pregnancy and even breastfeeding. Having unprotected sex with an infected can pass on the condition and lead to severe outcomes. According to research, our country has reported more than 17 lakh HIV cases over the past 10 years due to unprotected sex. People are still stubborn about using birth control and this leads to fatal situations in many. Social stigma is a huge culprit and spreads many diseases to the vulnerable crowd as well. Albeit campaigns these days are taking the good initiative to spread the right message and we can also see the numbers dropping.”

Blood tests are best at detecting Alzheimer’s disease: Study

Post author By Pragya sharma
Post date December 2, 2022
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An important aspect of this study was that p-tau217 was able to monitor such changes in pathology and cognition at very early stages of the disease process. This finding was replicated in an independent cohort from the USA, Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP).

A new study have identified that blood tests are best at detecting Alzheimer’s disease during the earliest stages, and another blood test that is optimal for detecting relevant treatment effects.

The study was published in the journal, ‘Nature Medicine’.

It revealed that multiple blood biomarkers, namely phospho-tau231 and Ab42/40, were sufficient in identifying Alzheimer’s disease pathology, even in participants with no symptoms and thus, could be used as strategy to select the correct individuals for novel disease modifying trials – a task which currently requires expensive molecular imaging technique or lumbar punctures.

ALSO READ: Alzheimer’s disease: 5 daily habits that increase risk of dementia

Yet, over the 6 years tested, it was shown that only phospho-tau217 was related to Alzheimer’s disease pathology, a decline in cognitive performance and increased brain atrophy typical of incipient Alzheimer’s. Therefore, phospho-tau217 will be an ideal marker for detection of relevant disease-modifying effects of novel interventions. The study has large implications on the use of blood test in the recently reported anti-Ab trials.

“Distinctive blood tests may be optimal for the identification of Alzheimer’s pathology or for monitoring of disease progression and therefore have different roles in clinical trials” first author of the research study Dr. Nicholas Ashton from the University of Gothenburg explained.

“This study has shown that phospho-tau217 is uniquely placed to be an optimal test for monitoring patients in both a clinical setting and a trial setting because of its longitudinal association with Alzheimer’s development”.

An important aspect of this study was that p-tau217 was able to monitor such changes in pathology and cognition at very early stages of the disease process. This finding was replicated in an independent cohort from the USA, Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP).

“Besides improving the design of clinical trials, the novel blood tests will revolutionize the diagnoses of early stages of Alzheimer’s disease”, says Oskar Hansson. “Further, phospoho-tau217 might be used in the future to monitor the response in individual patients to disease-modifying therapies in clinical practice.

Arthritis: Easy lifestyle changes to prevent joint pain during winters

Post author By Pragya sharma
Post date November 25, 2022
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Experts say there are variety of factors that make winter season difficult for people suffering from arthritis. Here are some easy lifestyle changes to prevent arthritis pain in cold months.

While winters do not cause arthritis, the cold weather is known to worsen aches and pains associated with the autoimmune disease. Experts say there are variety of factors that make winter season difficult for people suffering from arthritis. From changes in barometric pressure to blood vessels around joints turning stiffer, there are some additional challenges around arthritis in cold season that can be easily overcome with few lifestyle changes. Staying active, doing regular exercises, maintaining a good posture, avoiding high-impact activities are some of the things that can help you deal with the debilitating disease when the mercury drops.

WHY WINTER IS TROUBLESOME FOR PEOPLE WITH ARTHRITIS

“Arthritis is a leading cause of pain and disability worldwide. There are many theories for increased pain during winters, most common one is that people suffering from arthritis and other joint issues may be sensitive to changes in barometric pressure. This could be due to the worn-out cartilage that cushions the bones inside a joint, which would cause nerves in the exposed bones to pick up on the changes in pressure. Another theory is that in winters our body starts to conserve heat and send a larger amount of blood to the organs located at the core. In such circumstances, the blood vessels present in the arms, legs, shoulders, knee joints become stiff, leading to pain and discomfort,” says Dr R A Purnachandra Tejaswi, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with Special Interest in Sports Medicine, Reconstructive Arthroscopy and Joint Preservation Surgery, Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad.

PEOPLE WITH SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE FACE MORE TROUBLE

Dr. Manoj Kumar Gudluru, Senior Consultant, Orthopaedic & Joint Replacement Surgeon, CARE Hospitals, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad says people with sedentary jobs are likely to face more issues with arthritis during winter season as compared to those who are physically more active.

“During winter, muscle, tendon, and synovium stiffness occur because the synovial fluid present in the kneecap thickens in fewer temperatures. This intends the tight muscles around the knee create friction when there is movement and creates flakes on the surface. The lesser release of synovial fluid results in osteomalacia changes. These touch the nerves which increase pain in patients suffering from arthritis. Labourers and daily wage workers often do not face these issues as they are prone to continuous physical activities. This produces heat in the joints in turn releasing synovial fluid. On the other hand, people with sedentary jobs or desk jobs are not exposed to sunlight or physical activities regularly which makes them victims of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis in the long run. We come across such cases among youngsters aged between 18 to 40 years,” says Dr Gudluru.

COLD CAN REDUCE PAIN THRESHOLD

Dr Narayan Hulse, Director – Department of Orthopedics, Bone & Joint Surgery, Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road says cold can reduce threshold for pain, cause muscle spasms and reduce blood circulation.

“Even though arthritis is neither caused nor worsened structurally by cold weather, many people experience increased pain and stiffness of joints during winter. Lifestyle changes can help avoid arthritis pain in winter,” says Dr Hulse.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES FOR ARTHRITIS PATIENTS IN WINTER SEASON

Dr Hulse suggests the following lifestyle changes for people with arthritis during winters:

• Equipping yourself with winter clothes, home-heating etc to keep yourself warm.

• Exercises like brisk walking in the sun or gym activities not only increase your metabolic heat but also help to improve joint function. Also indulging in some sports activities may help your body and mind.

• Consumption of healthy foods especially fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, and seeds.

• Vitamin D supplements are proven to be beneficial.

• Warm baths, warm pool swimming, or warm pool exercises help in maintaining body heat.

Dr R A Purnachandra Tejaswi says paying attention to your joints whether sitting, standing or engaging in activity is important.

“Keep your joints moving. Do daily, gentle stretches that move your joints through their full range of motion. When you have arthritis, movement can decrease your pain and stiffness, improve your range of motion, strengthen your muscles, and increase your endurance. Use good posture. A physical therapist can show you how to sit, stand and move correctly. Manage weight as being overweight can increase complications of arthritis and contribute to arthritis pain. Making incremental, permanent lifestyle changes resulting in gradual weight loss is often the most effective method of weight management,” says Dr Tejaswi, adding, “Know your limits. Balance activity and rest, and don’t overdo.”

Dr Tejaswi says the following things must be avoided by arthritis patients:

– Avoid activities that involve high impact and repetitive motion, such as running, jumping, high-impact aerobics, repeating the same movement, such as a tennis serve, again and again.

– Quit smoking. Smoking causes stress on connective tissues, which can increase arthritis pain.

Need for healthy lifestyle

“A healthy lifestyle is very crucial at any stage of life. It is important to start early to take care of your body. It is suggested to do joint strengthening and suppleness exercises. Additionally, they should keep themselves warm and relax the muscles around the joints,” says Dr Gudluru.

He suggests the following tips for arthritis patients during winters:

– Protecting the skin around the joint area is very important because when the skin becomes dry, it causes a burning sensation over the joints.

– Moisturisers containing vitamins A and E will ease the pain.

– Enough exposure to the sun (Vitamin D) will help in building and improving the bones.

– People with rheumatoid arthritis should take warm tub baths to ease the pain.

– Exercise helps the knees release adequate amounts of synovial fluid for better movements.

– A balanced diet with a rich amount of Vitamin D, and Vitamin C, Omega 3 fatty acids, ginger, soya bean, fatty fish, green vegetables, nuts and seeds, plenty of water, and other collagen supplements will be helpful in joints and bone care during winter.

Extended full cooperation, says Metropolis Healthcare on I-T raids

Post author By Pragya sharma
Post date November 24, 2022
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Synopsis

“Metropolis Healthcare Ltd. strictly adheres to the highest standards of corporate governance and ethics. We ensure today, as we always have, compliance with all rules and regulatory norms to the full extent across the organisation,” the company said in a statement.

Mumbai-based medical diagnostics company Metropolis Healthcare on Tuesday said it had extended cooperation to the income tax department which searched its premises last week. The raids were launched on November 16 and the premises of the company in the capital city of Maharashtra were covered.

“Metropolis Healthcare Ltd. strictly adheres to the highest standards of corporate governance and ethics. We ensure today, as we always have, compliance with all rules and regulatory norms to the full extent across the organisation,” the company said in a statement.

“We have extended our complete cooperation to the team,” it said.

The company is a prominent player in the medical tests and diagnostics domain.

Tax officials said the department is scanning the documents recovered during the searches including those related to the company’s operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early this month, the company reported a consolidated profit after tax of Rs 40.5 crore for the second quarter that ended September 30.

“There were some records that were required of us, and as always keeping with the letter and spirit of compliance, we have shared this with the (income tax) department,” it said.

Exercise can reduce side effects of breast cancer: Study

Post author By Pragya sharma
Post date November 23, 2022
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Researchers found out the types of disease affecting women is breast cancer and suggested a diagnosis received by the women.

The most prevalent type of disease affecting women is breast cancer; one in eight Australian women will receive a diagnosis by the time they are 85 years old. The findings of the study were published in Breast Cancer. Radiotherapy has emerged as an important component of breast cancer treatment but can lead to cancer-related fatigue and negatively impact patients’ health-related quality of life including their emotional, physical and social wellbeing.

However, latest research by Edith Cowan University (ECU) has revealed exercise may make radiotherapy more tolerable for patients.

ECU’s Exercise Medicine Research Institute included 89 women in the study, with 43 completing a home-based 12-week program, consisting of a weekly exercise regime of one to two resistance training sessions and an accumulated 30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise.

The remaining patients were a control group who did not participate in the exercise program.

Researchers found patients who exercised recovered from cancer-related fatigue quicker during and after radiotherapy compared to the control group and saw a significant increase in health-related quality of life post radiotherapy.

No adverse effects from the exercise were reported.

Study supervisor Professor Rob Newton said this showed home-based resistance and aerobic exercise during radiotherapy is safe, feasible and effective in accelerating recovery from cancer-related fatigue and improving health-related quality of life.

“A home-based protocol might be preferable for patients, as it is low-cost, does not require travel or in-person supervision and can be performed at a time and location of the patient’s choosing,” he said.

“These benefits may provide substantial comfort to patients.”

Important changes

Australia’s current national guidelines for cancer patients recommend moderately intense aerobic exercise for 30 minutes per day, five days a week, or vigorously intense aerobic exercise for 20 minutes a day for three days a week.

They also call for 8-10 strength-training exercises with 8-12 repetitions per exercise, for two-to-three days per week.

However, study lead Dr Georgios Mavropalias said benefits were still observed with less exercise.

“The amount of exercise was aimed to increase progressively, with the ultimate target of participants meeting the national guideline for recommended exercise levels,” he said.

“However, the exercise programs were relative to the participants’ fitness capacity, and we found even much smaller dosages of exercise than those recommended in the national guidelines can have significant effects on cancer-related fatigue and health-related quality of living during and after radiotherapy.”

The study also found once participants began an exercise program, most stuck with it.

The exercise group reported significant improvements in mild, moderate and vigorous physical activity up to 12 months after the supervised exercise program finished.

“The exercise program in this study seems to have induced changes in the participants’ behaviour around physical activity,” Dr Mavropalias said.

“Thus, apart from the direct beneficial effects on reduction in cancer-related fatigue and improving health-related quality of life during radiotherapy, home-based exercise protocols might result in changes in the physical activity of participants that persist well after the end of the program.”

Gaucher Disease: Understanding the disease burden in India and the available treatment

Post author By Pragya sharma
Post date November 18, 2022
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Since GD manifestations are variable, a high level of suspicion is required to ensure a timely diagnosis.

By Dr. Sankar VH

A rare lysosomal storage disease (LSD), Gaucher disease (GD) affects less than 20,000 people globally, with some remaining undiagnosed. An inherited genetic disorder, it was first described by French physician Philippe Gaucher in 1882.

Significantly, GD is considered one of the most frequent LSD among all ethnic groups. The natural history and clinical manifestations of GD remain highly heterogeneous, showing extreme ethnic and geographic variations. The metabolic defect manifests due to a deficiency of acid β-glucosidase (lysosomal glucocerebrosidase) because of biallelic mutations in the GBA gene. This leads to the accumulation of glucocerebroside in lysosomes, typically in tissue macrophages.

In layman’s terms, people with GD lack an enzyme that breaks down lipids or fatty substances. The lipids then begin building up in specific organs such as the spleen and liver.

Immune cells, hepatocytes and osteoblasts are among other cells linked to disease pathophysiology. Gaucher cells (glucocerebroside-laden macrophages) that accumulate across the body characterise its multi-systemic disease manifestations.

Disease Burden in India

Given the convention of consanguineous weddings in some parts of India, the occurrence of GD in the country could be higher. Of 300-plus GD mutations classified in India, L444P seems the most prevalent.

Broadly, Gaucher disease is categorised into three phenotypes, depending on the presence or lack of neurological manifestations and their severity. Type 1 is the most common, affecting around 95% of those with the disorder. Such patients lack adequate platelets in their blood, making them prone to bruising easily and feeling fatigued.

Manifestation and Complications

Those with type 1 GD in India manifest the symptoms in early infancy up to late childhood, with 3.6 years being the median age. Without treatment, this extremely aggressive phenotype with cytopenia, spleno-hepatomegaly, irritability, bone issues and failure to thrive is linked to early mortality.

Type 2 is a form of GD that affects infants within the first three to six months. Since it is fatal, these children don’t survive more than two years. As for type 3, unlike in Western nations, it is comparatively common in India. In such patients, a common, early neurological manifestation includes oculomotor apraxia. To help differentiate between type 1 and 3 GD, this ocular sign needs to be evaluated in every patient during each clinic visit.

A range of complications arises in GD. These include splenic rupture; bleeding diathesis due to thrombocytopenia and acquired coagulopathy; hypersplenism and pancytopenia; fractures and collapsed vertebral bodies; hepatic fibrosis; portal hypertension; avascular osteonecrosis, chronic bone pain and bone crisis; haematological malignancies (multiple myeloma and hepatocellular carcinoma); hepatopulmonary syndrome; Parkinson’s disease with Lewy body dementia; and progressive neurodegenerative disease in GD type 2 and 3.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Since GD manifestations are variable, a high level of suspicion is required to ensure a timely diagnosis. Due to frequent diagnostic delays, patients can develop severe and irreversible complications. As a result, it is mandatory to undertake leucocyte acid β-glucosidase activity to establish GD diagnosis.

Management of GD includes ERT (enzyme replacement therapy) and SRT (substrate reduction therapy). For GD type 1 and 3, ERT is the preferred standard of care. With early therapy initiation, the favourable outcomes can be achieved before irreversible and potentially life-threatening complications emerge.

But ERT is not recommended in cases of progressive neurological symptoms such as neuro-regression and seizures, as the blood-brain barrier cannot be breached. Herein, the recommendations are for diagnosis, therapy initiation, monitoring and follow-ups of patients. Additionally, in India, preventing the recurrence of GD through prenatal diagnosis and genetic counselling is imperative because of the consistently severe phenotypes that occur in the local populace.

ERT greatly improves haematological and skeletal manifestations while ameliorating organomegaly and preventing avascular necrosis. Usually, GD patients in India are affected more severely with earlier disease onset than those in the West. Therefore, ERT can be considered even after the occurrence of avascular osteonecrosis since studies show that it reduces the risk of these complications.

A lifelong treatment, ERT is given once every 14 days as an intravenous infusion. As a recombinant enzyme that needs reconstitution before infusion, one must strictly adhere to the precautions stated in the pack insert to obtain optimum drug activity. Yet, as disease manifestations are heterogeneous, personalised modification of doses on a need basis could be necessary.

Coming to SRT, this works by partially blocking the body from making glucocerebroside – the fatty chemical that accumulates in the bodies of GD patients. While excess glucocerebroside is broken down by ERT, SRT works differently. While ERT helps the body in recycling more waste (glucocerebroside), SRT assists it in producing less of this. Although it doesn’t wholly shut down production, it allows the present enzymes to keep one’s body in balance.

Ultimately, the management of GD requires a multidisciplinary approach. This team generally includes a geneticist, gastroenterologist, haematologist, paediatrician, neurologist, orthopaedic surgeon and occupational therapist. By following the standard therapy guidelines, physicians and allied healthcare providers can ensure the efficient management of patients with Gaucher disease.

Nikon India enters healthcare sector with microscopy solutions

Post author By Pragya sharma
Post date November 17, 2022
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Synopsis

The company has launched its ‘AXR Point’ scanning confocal microscope that has the capability to provide a field of view of 25mm in one single shot thereby helping researchers to generate most accurate statistical data while imaging, Nikon India said in a statement.

Imaging products firm Nikon India Pvt Ltd on Tuesday announced its foray into the healthcare sector through system product microscopy business.

The company has launched its ‘AXR Point’ scanning confocal microscope that has the capability to provide a field of view of 25mm in one single shot thereby helping researchers to generate most accurate statistical data while imaging, Nikon India said in a statement.

The product is targeted at premier research institutes, research centres funded and established by the India government, academic educational institutions, clinical centres such as hospitals and medical research institutes to boost research and development in medicine, it added.

“We plan to install AXR system in a few research institutes in India namely IIT Bhilai, IIT Mumbai, ACTREC Mumbai to name a few,” Nikon India Managing Director Sajjan Kumar said.

He said the microscopy business offers huge potential, and “we are extremely upbeat about its growth prospects…Our expected annual turnover for FY 22-23 will be around 5 per cent of Nikon’s India operations and we anticipate it to grow 10 per cent plus by the end of next year.”

Namma Homeopathy clinic gains popularity in Maharashtra and Karnataka due to its effective treatment

Post author By Pragya sharma
Post date November 15, 2022
1 Comment on Namma Homeopathy clinic gains popularity in Maharashtra and Karnataka due to its effective treatment

Synopsis

Homeopathy is a proven and effective method of medicine to fight diseases and Namma Homeopathy clinic have shown effective treatment all over India and have successfully treated more than 1 lakh acute and chronic diseases.

The science of homeopathy medicines was founded more than 200 years ago. It is a proven and effective method of medicine to fight diseases. Its classification of medicine is to cure the disease with no side effects and in a natural way. These medicines improve the immunity power of individuals helping the disease condition to reduce gradually and permanently and thereby removing the disease cause from the root. Homeopathy medicine is devoid of chemicals and particles causing adverse patient effect. On the contrary, it improves the overall well-being of the patient.

Keeping in mind these enormous benefits of Homeopathy and to uphold humanity’s quest to have a healthy life, Namma Homeopathy, a unit of Namma Vaidyashaala Pvt Ltd, was established in the year 2017. Today, the homeopathy clinic stands tall with a total of 20 branches across Maharashtra and Karnataka and 200+highly experienced and qualified doctors who have successfully treated more than 1 lakh acute and chronic diseases. Its clinic in Dadar, Mumbai is one of the biggest Homeopathic corporate branches in Asia.

And the impetus behind starting the advanced chain of Homeopathic clinics for promoting wellness among people is none other than Dr More Raghu Prasad, who has carved a niche for himself as a renowned and well-known homeopathic physician. Furthermore, he has earned a name for pioneering research in homeopathic medicine for incurable diseases.

The vision of Namma is to make India a disease-free country, and it has a deep connection with Dr Prasad’s growing years in a rural area. He witnessed the pain of diseased people very closely with no facilities available for treatment. The experience stirred his conscience and paved the way for pursuing the subject of homeopathy in the later part of his life.
He completed his Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery and started Namma Homeopathy to provide a low-cost and effective treatment to the diseased.

Namma Homeopathy is an integrated health system and emphasises treating patients for all chronic problems and incurable conditions like infertility, diabetes, thyroid disorders, PCOD, allergies, asthma, psoriasis, vitiligo, back pain, varicose veins, hair loss, joint pains, gastritis, piles, migraines, anxiety, depression and sexual problems.

Highlighting more on the subject, Dr Prasad says, “At Namma, what comes first is an inclusive approach. The name ‘NAMMA’ means ‘ours’, and it has been coined to align with our belief that the responsibility of creating a healthy society is ‘ours’. It motivates us to act with conscience, perform responsibly, and function with integrity. We have a team of 50+ highly qualified and talented doctors in the research department at Bangalore researching new medicines and formulas for treating incurable diseases, including the Immunogenic Miasmatic 6th Generation Homeopathic Medicines.”

In Immunogenic Miasmatic 6th Generation Homeopathic Treatment, the Medicines act in the immune cells, which improves the immunity power, which is called immunogenic. The medicines work on the disease’s root cause removing the causative factor, which is called miasmatic. It acts according to the new generation’s present lifestyle and environmental condition, which is called the 6th generation. After a lot of research on new diseases, viruses, bacteria, pandemics, and present lifestyle conditions, Dr Prasad’s research team developed this treatment method, and it has successfully treated chronic diseases at their clinics.

“Research Department plays an important role in treating patients at Namma Homeopathy. Our doctors’ research considers the disease pattern, cause, symptom and condition. We have researched a new formula called Advanced Nano Genetic Constitutional medicines, which has helped patients treat diseases from cold to cancer. Its effectiveness has also been found in treating different kinds of arthritis, diabetes, varicose veins, asthma, infertility, and autoimmune disorders. A lot of effort is put into offering the best to our patients without any side effects and with a complete solution. Namma Homeopathy medicines can make a patient better emotionally and mentally,” adds Dr Prasad.

As a part of the diagnosis, doctors at Namma spend good quality time with the patient to understand the cause of the disease. Its research department studies the patient’s case details continuously and upgrades the way of treatment and medicines from time to time. The service team continuously follows up with the patients for appointments, feedback on the services and senior doctor appointments with the patients if needed.

Dr Prasad believes a conducive atmosphere within the clinic is necessary to promote the happiness and well-being of doctors who are the backbone of the Namma. To achieve this, regular CME programs are conducted where specialists, experts and renowned homeopaths from around the world come to train, motivate and enrich the lives of the doctors. The effectiveness of this program has led to a 90-95% success rate of Namma in treating diseases.

It also has a 24/7 call centre to help people to reach this modern science and to get free advice. All 20 branches of Namma Homeopathy are connected and interlinked with software. Patients can start the treatment anywhere and can continue the treatment whereever they are comfortable. The case details are available to doctors on the system, and they can treat patients remotely or else the patients can visit any branch in Karnataka and Maharashtra for their medicines and treatment. It aims to open branches at every 100 km distance and spread awareness about the benefits of Homeopathy treatments.

Namma Homeopathy has launched a web portal where people can get advice online at any time and from any part of the world.

About Namma Homeopathy
Namma Homeopathy, a unit of Namma Vaidyashaala Pvt Ltd, was established in the year 2017. The centre has 11 branches across Karnataka (Malleshwaram, Jayanagar, Mysore, Hassan, Davangere, Hubbli, Shimoga, Gulbarga, Hospete, Udupi, Belgaum) and 9 Branches in Maharashtra (Mumbai – Dadar, Thane, Solapur, Pune, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, Nashik, Nagpur, Nanded). It is home to more than 600 employees who work in various departments, including HR, IT, Patient Counselling, Pharmacy, Call Centre, and other integral services.

Times Group awarded the ‘Excellence award in medical services and treatment in the field of Homeoapthy’ to Namma, which was given by Padmashri Awardee Anupam Kher.

About Dr More Raghu Prasad
Dr More Raghu Prasad, Chairman and Managing Director of Namma Homeopathy, has been a dedicated practitioner of Homeopathy for more than 15 years. He is the founder of Namma Homeopathy, a unit of Namma Vaidyashaala Pvt Ltd.

IHH Healthcare says Fortis remains its main platform for growth in India

Post author By Pragya sharma
Post date November 14, 2022
1 Comment on IHH Healthcare says Fortis remains its main platform for growth in India

Synopsis

The company, which acquired a 31.17 per cent stake in Fortis by infusing fresh capital of Rs 4,000 crore in November 2018, is currently waiting for a go-ahead from capital markets regulator Sebi to proceed with its stalled open offer to acquire additional 26.1 per cent stake in the domestic healthcare major.

Malaysia’s IHH Healthcare has stressed that it is committed to the Indian market on a long-term basis and Fortis Healthcare remains its main platform for growth in the country.

Terming the freeze on its open offer to acquire additional 26.1 per cent stake in Fortis as ‘unfortunate’, the Malaysian entity feels that the ongoing legal battle has prevented it so far from injecting additional capital into the Indian healthcare provider.

The company, which acquired a 31.17 per cent stake in Fortis by infusing fresh capital of Rs 4,000 crore in November 2018, is currently waiting for a go-ahead from capital markets regulator Sebi to proceed with its stalled open offer to acquire additional 26.1 per cent stake in the domestic healthcare major.

The open offer, which was originally scheduled to commence on December 18, 2018 and close on January 1, 2019, entailing a total sum of Rs 3,300 crore, could not materialise due to a Supreme Court order.

In an interaction with PTI, IHH Healthcare Managing Director and CEO Kelvin Loh said the last four years have turned out to be very frustrating for the company which counts India as one of its key markets.

“Is there frustration? Yes there is,” he said when asked about the legal proceedings which began in 2018.

“We feel that we are the aggrieved party here because the Supreme Court case was really between Daichii Sankyo and Singh brothers, in which we really had no part,” he noted.

Loh noted that IHH counts India, Turkiye, Malaysia and Singapore as its major markets even as it operates 82 hospitals across ten nations. “When we say we are committed to healthcare in India, we see a lot of opportunity for growth. We will be here for the long term because we are not financial investors, we are a strategic healthcare operator and the main platform for growth in India for us is Fortis,” Loh said.

The IHH-Fortis deal got stuck due to a legal battle between Daiichi and the former promoters of Fortis Healthcare.

The former promoters of Fortis Healthcare — Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh — were facing the court battle after Japanese firm Daiichi Sankyo challenged the Fortis-IHH share deal to recover the Rs 3,600-crore arbitration award that it had won before a Singapore tribunal against the Singh brothers.

In 2018, when some Indian lenders sold the pledged shares of Fortis Healthcare to the Malaysia-based firm, Daiichi went to court alleging that the former promoters of Fortis had assured them that their shares in the Indian hospital chain will cover the arbitral award amount.

Later, the Supreme Court ordered status quo with regard to the sale of controlling stakes of Fortis Healthcare to IHH Healthcare by Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh, and put on hold IHH’s open offer for an additional 26.1 per cent stake in Fortis.

The 26.1 per cent stake would have increased IHH’s shareholding in Fortis to 57 per cent.

“But unfortunately it got stuck. Even more unfortunate has been the suspension of the (open offer) process for four years now and that really frustrates us,” Loh noted.

IHH has already brought in management and operational changes in Fortis helping the company, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, recover financially.

IHH, however, aspires to help Fortis grow even faster, Loh said.

“We are committed to Fortis, we are committed to healthcare in India. We keep transforming and improving the healthcare product that we provide here in the country… and of course we aspire that we can grow even faster. Maybe inject more capital to grow on this,” he noted.

Fortis through its own means can grow from its current 4,000 beds capacity to 5,000 beds in the next two years, Loh said.

“With our support it can grow even faster. If we can bring in additional capital for growth for greenfield expansion or even acquisitions, it can grow even more. We would like to do that,” he noted.

Fortis Healthcare Chairman Ravi Rajagopal said it was unfortunate the way things have turned out for IHH Healthcare.

“In its ruling (the Supreme Court), according to my mind, has not cast a single negative aspersion either on IHH or Fortis. Despite that, the fact that it has taken so long, the frustration for Fortis is that it has been bereft of capital to grow its business,” he said.

IHH stake consolidation would have resulted in capital infusion in Fortis helping it scale up operations.

Rajagopal said that the majority of the initial Rs 4,000 crore capital infusion by IHH went into buyback of assets and debt payoff, leaving Fortis with little funds for expanding operations.

“If we want to grow in the way the rest of our peer group has grown, through both internal investments as well as inorganic, then we would need that extra capital. As a major shareholder, we look at IHH to help us secure that capital. Till such time, till September (this year), while the status quo was in force, those possibilities could not have been explored, but now those options are open,” he said.

In a statement last week, IHH Healthcare noted that following the recent judgment of the Supreme Court of India, the special leave petition, the original contempt petition and the suo moto contempt petition are disposed of.

“The honourable Supreme Court has not found nor indicated any wrongdoing by IHH in terms of our investment into Fortis in its final written judgment dated September 22, 2022. There is also currently no court order pending against IHH in these proceedings,” it said.

Accordingly, IHH is now in discussion with Sebi to determine the next steps pertaining to the mandatory tender offer in Fortis, in full compliance with all requisite regulations, the Malaysian firm said.

On replacing Fortis brand name with Parkway, Rajagopal said: “The Fortis board had decided a year ago to change the brand name to Parkway because the Fortis brand does not belong to Fortis Ltd, it belongs to a company which was owned and controlled by the former Fortis promoters.”

He further said: “We filed a notice with the stock exchange as well as with the Supreme Court last year on our intent. Now with the Supreme Court order behind us we will be moving very quickly to change the brand name.”

When asked for the timeframe for the same, Rajagopal said the matter involves trademark registration.

“We already have checked out the trademarks, but there is a process of filing it formally and going through that due process. It should take a few months,” he added.

IHH had pipped rival Manipal-TPG combine in the race to acquire Fortis Healthcare.

Yoga for asthma: Breathing exercises for patients with bronchial asthma

Post author By Pragya sharma
Post date November 12, 2022
2 Comments on Yoga for asthma: Breathing exercises for patients with bronchial asthma

Yoga expert suggests the following Yoga asanas or easy breathing exercises for patients with bronchial asthma. Here are their steps and health benefits.

Every organ, muscle and system in the body is affected by our breathing, which happens naturally and without our conscious involvement however, when we breathe intentionally like during Yoga practice, we may change this especially for the better for patients with bronchial asthma. Once the entire body is in balance, our thoughts and actions will be in harmony as breathing’s roles include bringing the body into alignment, calming it down and reawakening it.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar, Founder of Akshar Yoga Institutions, Himalaya Yoga Ashram and World Yoga Organisation, explained, “Controlling our breathing can aid in emotional regulation. You’ll notice that when we cry, when we’re angry, etc., our breathing becomes laboured and shallow. Therefore, by just controlling our breathing, we can control our emotions. We can learn to remain composed and support our own growth.”

Talking about Yoga for patients with bronchial asthma, he suggested, “It is advised to begin with Shaant gathi (Slow Speed) while learning these techniques for the first time and gradually increase your practise intensity before progressing to Madyam (Medium Speed), then Tivra Gami (Fast Speed). By practising in Tivra gami, you can graduate to that level but Shant gati is still ideal for experienced practitioners because all three of these levels have positive benefits on the body and the mind.”

He recommended the following Yoga exercises or easy breathing techniques:

1. Bhastrika Pranayama

Breathing exercises are known as pranayama and this one is referred to as bhastrika. Your breath should make a sound similar to the bellows blacksmiths use while performing this pranayama.

The practice of bhastrika helps the body’s capacity grow. As you deepen your practice of this breathing method, you’ll benefit in a number of ways—physical, psychological, and spiritual.

Method

• Take up any comfortable position for sitting, such as Sukhasan, Ardhapadmasan, or Padmasana.

Close your eyes, arch your back, and place your hands in the Prapthi Mudra on your knees.

• Take a full, deep breath in and out. Inhalation to exhalation should be a 1:1 ratio. For instance, if you take six breaths in, you must also take six breaths out.

2. Anulom Vilom

The term anulom vilom refers to a specific type of controlled breathing (pranayama) utilised in the practise of yoga. In order to do it, you must keep one nostril closed when inhaling and the other closed while exhaling. After that, the process is repeated in reverse.

A few of the many stated medical and psychological benefits of alternate nostril breathing include stress reduction, improved breathing, and improved circulation. Scientific evidence backs up some of these statements.

Method

• Sit down in a relaxed position, ideally cross-legged. (such as Ardhapadmasan, Sukhasan, or Padmasana) • Align your spine and close your eyes

• The technique entails breathing via your opposing nostrils, with your left nose inhaling and your right nostril expelling.

• To complete a breath cycle, close your right nostril for left-sided inhalation, your left nose for right-sided exhalation, and your right nostril for right-sided inhalation.

• Use your thumb to gently press the air out of your nostril. The right nostril’s airflow is intended to be stopped.

• Make sure that when you inhale through your left nose, your right nostril feels equally pressured.

• Breathe deeply as you inhale.

• As you open your right nose, close your left nostril to let

Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar concluded, “These four pranayama breathing techniques—Basthrika, Udgeeth, Anulom Vilom, and Kapal Bhati—will be very helpful to you. When carried out correctly, it enables us to go deeper and gain a number of physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits. Every practitioner should take the time to completely master them as a result.”