The doctors of Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of MedicalSciences have welcomed the amendments to the Organs TransplantationAct but they want some more changes to promote cadaver organ donation(organ donation from mentally dead people) instead of live organdonation.SGPGIMS is one of the leading centre of organ transplant in thecountry. The institute has performed more than 1900 transplants andperforms around 125 transplants annually.director SGPGIMS Dr R K Sharma who hastransplanted number of kidneys says, “ The government has done goodjob in allowing the organ donation from grand parents. It will help inorgan donation with in the family. Besides that swapping of organsbetween two families is allowed now that will solve the problem oforgan donation up to certain extent.”But the problem will remain the same until the cadaver organ donationis not promoted.Head of department urology Dr Rakesh Kapoor want the law to be moreliberal. He said, “ The patients are now allowed to swap operationsbetween the related donor and recipients who do not match themselvesbut match with other similar donors but besides that there must be aneffort to promote organ donation for the people. Government must comeout with some concessions for those who announce donation of theirorgans.”However he was happy with the provision of harsh punishments under theact and cognizable for the illegal transplantation activities to deterthe offenders from committing this crime.Another SGPGIMS expert Dr Gaur Choudhury says, “The law is supposed toprevent commercial dealings and to regulate the removal, storage andtransplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes.”He said, “In european countries 99 percent transplants are fromcadaver donation, that’s why they don’t have any problem ofcommercialisation of organ donation. But here 99 percent donation islive donaton, which is the root cause of paucity of organs with thesurgeons.”“If the government makes some laws about cadaver donations then we canhope some solutions about the problem,” said Choudhury.

The efforts of Lucknow Municipal corporation to get Durga idols immersed inside the pits filled with water near river Gomti have not yielded results this year. But next year LMC bosses plan to involve all the Puja samiti’s for talks for eco friendly immersion of idols.
This year LMC had dug up pits at Jhule Lal Vatika, Mankameshwar van, Khatu Shyam Vatika behind Hanuman Setu Temple for immersion of DurgaIdols after Durga Puja.
“ This was done to control growing pollution in river Gomti as paints, varnish, thinner, are used in idols these things contain harmful components like Chromium and Cadmium which pollute the river in a bigway,” said additional municipal commissioner AC Sinha.
“ We called in a few Puja Samiti’s they agreed to cooperate with usbut due to old traditions and social pressures they must havepreferred to immerse the idols in the river,” said Sinha.
This time perhaps the efforts were too late said mayor Dinesh Sharma.He added, “ We must not loose heart as changes can’t be forced overnight, we must praise the efforts of LMC that it dug up pits foreco friendly immersion of idols. Atleast LMC officials dared to thinkprogressively, next time surely some idols would be immersed in these pits.”
“ Next year the effort would be to involve Puja Samiti’s into an awareness campaign earlier so that opinion of some religious bigwigs could be obtained. We can ask some big religious leaders who think alike on environmental issues to inspire the puja samitis to immerse the idols in the pits instead of river. But one thing is for sure that we will never force anyone for the task, as it’s the matter of faith, and tradition,” said Mayor.On the other side number of goddess Durga were immersed in riverGomti at the end of the Durga Puja festival on Monday. However, most of the Durga puja committees pleaded ignorance about anyeffort of LMC to immerse Durga Idols in pits filled with water. SudipSanyal, general secretary of La Touche Road Puja committee: “There wasno information at all. Neither LMC officials nor any other agency have contacted us.”BP Shah, a senior member of Aashiana Durga Puja committee said thatLMC might have called others not us. They never briefed us. Next time if we are called we will surely discuss the issues regarding immersion.”

Counter The Environment Change

THE result of environment change, such as the increasing number of unusual and extreme weather events like unusuall rains during the month of September and dry month of July and initial part of August this year in the state capital have forced the environment experts to put their thinking cap on. The sudden change in rain pattern is an indicator that how fast the climatic conditions are switching phases. The climate change phenomenon is already in evidence across the world and state of Uttar Pradesh is not an exception.
On one side world’s major polluters are trying to reach formulae to reduce emission- targets but it still has a long way to go. The damage to environment caused by western countries cannot be repaired easily, it would be years before the damage inflicted is reversed even partially.
Its vital for the states like uttar pradesh, which will be the worst affected by the consequences of climate change. Everyone knows that the state is poorly equipped to deal with these, climatic change process. Now there is urgent need to take steps to prepare for future.
The state population is expected to cross 25 crore in next 10 years. By that time requirements of water and food would be doubled. The state is already facing shortage of food and potable water, and one can see that the state would be extremely water-stressed in the days to come. It gives chill down the spine to think about the situation after 20 years, When the effects of global warming are factored in.
The state is currently facing a lower acreage of arable land provide for the food needs of a far larger population. But the if the climate change is allowed to take place more and more farmers would leave cultivation and flee for urban areas. Unfortunately, this frightening scenario does not seem to have dawned on our policymakers.
The state of Uttar Pradesh must prepare and apply effective safeguards against such an eventuality. The state must be prepared to take some tough measures include resolving contentious issues such as the construction of dams. Small- to medium-scale reservoirs may prove useful, safety of local ponds, local water bodies like lake, baolis, small wells, particularly in areas such prone to floods when Nepal discharges water from its dams during the rains. The eastern UP that experience good rains during the monsoons but are water short during other period of year these water bodies could be of use.
State can employ modern farming techniques and making it profitable for small-scale farmers to grow food crops, by enforcing environmental laws, curbing deforestation and preventing any further reduction in catchment areas.
It is ironic that heavy industries not only in India but in the world are collectively responsible for much of the historic emissions that have led to this fast-building environmental crisis, but fallout of huge industrialization process is brunt by farmers . Now it’s a challenge for the state like Uttar Pradesh to make a policy which is eco friendly that could meet the challenge of environment degradation by effectively utilising every possible resource. Or the state would be facing the threat of environmental disaster. Please counter the environment change before its too late.
artanupam@gmail.com

Tamiflu on medical stores

Anupam Srivastava

LucknowOsetelemvir phosphate better known from its brand name Tamiflu willsoon be available at Schedule X medical shops in the state. Afterbanning the sale of Tami flu from the retail market the centre hasprepared a plan to make it available on schedule X counters amidstrict watch on physician, distributor and retailers.The decision regarding that was taken during the meeting of ministryof health government of India in New Delhi on September 3 in whichmedical suprintendent of Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute ofMedical Sceicnes participated.“ A consensus was reached in the meeting and union health ministerGhulam Nabi Azad endorsed the idea to make the tablets available onschedule x shops soon,” said medical superintendent SGPGIMS Dr AKBhat.The Centre has not permitted sale of Tamiflu in the retail market sofar apprehending its abuse, which can lead to the resistance to themedicine in swine flu cases.The medicine would be released as a Schedule X drugs, sales of whichare governed under the strict norms, like obtaining two sets ofprescriptions from a doctor and obtaining a special license for thedistributor and retailer said Bhat.There are only five 5-schedule X medical stores in the state and noschedule X medical store is present in whole Uttarakhand.Usually medical stores avoid having schedule X licence because thereis a lot of paper work involved in it.Presently psychotropic drugs for the treatment of epilepsy and relateddiseases are sold as Schedule-X medicines by the counters. Under this
the doctor writes two prescription the patient keeps one prescription,the second set is handed over to the retailer. The retailer maintainsa logbook on the sale of Schedule-X medicines.The authorities periodically check these documents. Bhat said during the meeting of experts recommendations given by thecentral and global health agencies, were also discussed.“ The medicine will be only given with a prescription. The chemistswill have to maintain his logbook and other records which will enablegovernment agencies to keep a track of the medicine supply and conductan audit of the sale of drug,” said Bhat

artanupam@gmail.com

Anupam Srivastava
The launch of first Islamic search engine is welcomed by the leadingMuslim clerics of state.imhalal.com the first Islamic search engine differentiates what netsites are Halal and what is Haram.A dutch company AZS media group has launched the search engine in themonth of September which is gaining popularity not only among theMuslims but also among the followers of other community.“Now Muslims can safely surf the net without having to face the uglysituation of striking into unambiguous or obscene material,” saidnoted Islamic Scholar and Naib Imam of Aishbagh Idgah Maulana KhalidRashi Firangi Mahali .”We welcome the concept of site which is useful for entire human race,if we have to create a good honest society we must put the bad sitesout of net, for which these sort of engines must be welcomed,” headded.“Today youths are often misguided by such sites, but with the Islamicsite with Islamic content there is no question of going wrong, I willappeal to the youths to adopt this search engine as in today's worldcount of hits decided about the popularity of sites or searchengines,” said Firangi Mahali.Imam of Teele Wali Masjid Maulana Fazlur Rehman Vaizi was happy withthe launch of Islamic Search engine. “Its human race protection enginenot Islamic search engine. We know how the youths are getting intohabit of watching bad things on net. This engine will bring youths toright kind of ideology and will help them grow in character,” saidVaizi. “The best thing about the search engine is that anyone who comes incontact with content of overt nature, the search engine will give a
'No' search advice. For valid things you get results like on any othersearch site,” said Vaizi.Noted Shia cleric Maulana Kable Jawwad was happy with the launch offirst Islamic search engine. “ I am not happy because its Islamicsearch engine but I am happy for the youths who were getting poorsites to watch. With the Islamic search engine now parents andstudents can ensure proper material watching.”“ I will recommend the schools to adopt this search engine as net is adouble edged sword if used rightly it will benefit us but if misusedit could spell a doom for anyone,” said Jawwad.
artanupam@gmail.com