Latest news with #Uikey
The Hindu
a day ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Centre plans to set up National Tribal Health and Research Institute under AIIMS, New Delhi
The Union government is planning to set up a National Tribal Health and Research Institute (NTHRI) under the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi and there are also plans to hold a competition for the development of drugs to manage Sickle Cell Disease, especially prevalent among certain tribal populations in the country. These announcements were made by Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey on Thursday (June 19, 2025) at an event to mark the World Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Day at the AIIMS campus here. Mr. Uikey said the competition would be for the Bhagwan Birsa Munda Prize and the winning drug development project would get up to ₹10 crore in funding for taking the drug forward. At the event meant to mark awareness of SCD, government officials said the Ministry had sanctioned Centre of Competence (CoC) in 15 tertiary care hospitals, including AIIMS, which were meant to provide 'state-of-the-art diagnostics for and management of SCD, including ante-natal diagnosis.' Course in 'tribal medicine' Mr. Uikey said there was also a proposal to offer a postgraduate course in 'tribal medicine', which 'aims to address the long-standing health inequities faced by tribal communities'. The government, in its statement, said the 'specialised course' would be designed to develop a cadre of medical professionals with contextual knowledge, clinical skills and public health competencies 'tailored to tribal settings'. Ministry officials told The Hindu that the government's efforts to develop a gene therapy for treating SCD were 'progressing on the right path' and was in the trials stage for the time being. In a statement issued on Thursday (June 18, 2025), the Union government said there was only a single drug available for the management of SCD. 'There is currently no option to select a drug from a spectrum of drugs options for management of a patient, depending on his/her body conditions and severity of the disease.' 'This problem gets augmented in special situations such as pregnancy, other serious medical conditions etc. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of a new drug/s for the management of the disease,' it said on the announcement for the Bhagwan Birsa Munda Prize, adding that the competition for this drug development would be held by the Ministry in collaboration with AIIMS Delhi. Guide in policymaking On the setting up of the NTHRI, the government said this institute was meant to be an 'advanced research centre for diseases particularly predominant among tribal people'. It would be expected to guide the government in policymaking in addition to its functions as an outpatient/inpatient facility for providing 'highest quality medical care to tribal people'. Currently, the Tribal Affairs Ministry's guidelines for managing SCD cases amongst tribal populations entailed a process involving screening, management and counselling. Under the government's programme run in collaboration with the Health Ministry, over 5.8 crore people had been screened for SCD across the 17 target States for SCD mission. Of these, about 16.38 lakh people or close to 2.82% were found positive for SCD traits and a total of about 2.1 lakh people were found to be having Sickle Cell Disease. The proportion of people identified with SCD comprise about 0.36% of total screenings.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Time of India
17-year-old's miscarriage leads to rape case, live-in partner held
Nagpur: A 17-year-old complaining bouts of abdominal pain was taken to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on Monday. She was discharged the same evening only to return late evening after complaining the same excruciating pain. Two days later, the GMCH staff was rattled after the teen suffered a miscarriage and evidently it turned out to be case of rape. The incident got the GMCH staff into action and alerted the cops leading to the arrest of 20-year-old labourer Deepak Uikey on Wednesday. The incident once against stoked the debate about the contentious issue of consent and legal accountability in live-in relationships. Police report said the teen was into a lived-in partnership with Uikey from 2023. The medical staff, following protocol, found her age from her Aadhaar card, which confirmed that she was a minor. The matter turned sensitive as the teen got impregnated while being a minor. The duo, both residents of a nearby neighbourhood, reportedly had a consensual relationship. However, legal complications arose as the girl was a minor, raising questions about the contentious issue of consent under Indian law, said Hudkeshwar police station senior inspector Dnyaneshwar Bhedodkar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Egypt: New Small Electric Car For Seniors. Prices Might Surprise You. Electric Cars | Search Ads Undo A medical examination post her miscarriage uncovered evidence leading to the filing of rape charges under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. Hudkeshwar police took Uikey into custody on Wednesday following a complaint lodged by the survivor's family. Uikey maintained to the authorities that their relationship was consensual, but the legal age of consent and the circumstances of the miscarriage went against him. The police are investigating whether coercion or abuse was involved in this case. The case has sparked debate about live-in relationships, particularly involving young individuals, and the legal protection for minors. "The families of the accused and the minors are camping at the police station. They want the case to be withdrawn. We are trying to explain to them about the legal complexities regarding the issues," said Bhedodkar. 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 .
