New Delhi: The right of mentally-ill patients to decide their mode of treatment, decriminalising suicide for them and a ban on electric shock treatment without anaesthesia are some of the progressive provisions of the new mental health bill proposed by the Indian government.

“The bill was passed by the union cabinet last week,” Health Secretary K Desiraju told IANS.

Once passed by parliament, the bill will repeal the Mental Health Act, 1987.

If passed, it will make access to mental healthcare a right for all. Also, such services would be affordable, of good quality and available without discrimination.

An estimated 10-12 million or one to two per cent of the population suffers from severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and nearly 50 million or five percent from common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, yielding an overall estimate of 6.5 percent of the population.

Banting—Insulin
Barnard, Christian—Replacing the human heart.
Brahmchari, U.M.—Cure of Kala-a-zar fever.
Davy—Isolation of metals by electricity; studied properties of chlorine.
Domagk—Sulpha drugs as bactericides.
Eijkman—Cause of Beri-Beri.
Finsen—Discovered curative effect of ultra violet rays; photography.
Fleming, Alexander—Penicillin (in 1929).
Harvey—Circulation of blood.
Hahnemann—Homoeopathy (founder).
Hopkins, Frederick Gowland—Vitamin D.
Jenner—Smallpox Vaccination.
Koch—Tubercle Bacillus.
Lainnec—Stethoscope.
Lister, Lord—Antiseptic treatment.
Pasteur, Louis—Treatment of rabies; cure of hydrophobia.
Ronald Ross—Malaria Parasite.
Salk, Jonas E.—Anti-polio Vaccine.
Simpson and Harrison—Chloroform.
Waksman—Streptomycin.

Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a widespread tick-borne viral disease, a zoonosis of domestic animals and wild animals, that may affect humans. The pathogenic  virus, especially common in East  and West Africa, is a member of the Bunyaviridae  family of RNA viruses. Clinical disease is rare in infected mammals, but commonly severe in infected humans, with a 30% mortality rate. Outbreaks  of illness are usually attributable to handling infected animals or people.

Prevention

Where mammal and tick infection is common agricultural regulations require de-ticking farm animals before transportation or delivery for slaughter. Personal tick avoidance measures are recommended, such as use of insect repellents, adequate clothing and body inspection for adherent ticks.

When feverish patients with evidence of bleeding require resuscitation or intensive care, body substance isolation precautions should be taken.

The United States armed forces maintain special stocks of ribavirin to protect personnel deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq from CCHF.

Treatment

Treatment is primarily symptomatic and supportive, as there is no established specific treatment. Ribavirin is effective in vitro^[1] and has been used during outbreaks,^[2] but there is no trial evidence to support its use.

Scientists believe Congo virus not imported

NEW DELHI: The virus causing the deadly Crimea Congo Haemorrhagic
Fever (CCHF) has been found “in high quantities” from ticks collected
from parts of Ahmedabad. Ticks infected don’t die of it unlike humans
but actually facilitate their transmission.

This has made scientists from the National Institute of Virology
(Pune) believe that the virus is now openly circulating in the
environment and has not been brought into India from other CCHF
endemic countries.

Director of NIV Dr A C Mishra told TOI that two pools of ticks (20
ticks) collected from the area, which has reported positive cases of
CCHF for the first time in India among humans, “had very high viral
content”.

What is Thyroid?
Its one of largest endocrine gland in the body , located below thyroid carliage or Adam’s apple. The primary function of the thyroid is production of the hormones thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), and calcitonin. Thyroid disease is a medical condition impairing the function of the thyroid.