Latest news with #VisakhaInstituteofMedicalSciences
Hans India
13-06-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Doctors stage protest at VIMS
Visakhapatnam: Doctors working as assistant professors at Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) staged a silent protest at the hospital from 9 am to 11 pm on Thursday demanding salary hike. The doctors said that they have been working for a salary of Rs 92,000 per month for more than three years after joining the service as assistant professors, while doctors working at Palasa Kidney Hospital in Andhra Pradesh on a contract basis are being paid Rs 1.6 lakh per month. They said that the PG students are getting more than their salary as stipend. The VIMS assistant professors demanded that their contract should be renewed with increased salaries.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Tenecteplase injection saves 2,650 lives in Andhra Pradesh under STEMI
1 2 3 Visakhapatnam: Under the STEMI (ST-elevated myocardial infarction) programme, which aims to enable treatment for heart attacks during the critical golden hour, Tenecteplase injections costing approximately Rs 45,000 are being provided free of charge to eligible patients in Andhra Pradesh. This initiative by the state health department has so far saved around 2,650 lives since the programme's inception about 10 months ago. According to experts, thrombolytic therapy using Tenecteplase is crucial during the golden hour for patients experiencing acute myocardial infarction. The golden hour represents the vital window during which immediate medical intervention can significantly improve patient outcomes. This clot-dissolving medication works by breaking down blood clots that obstruct blood flow to the heart. State health minister Satya Kumar Yadav said that the costly injection is being provided free of charge to patients, which has helped save 2,650 lives. "I appreciate all the stakeholders involved in this STEMI mission," Yadav added. When administered properly, Tenecteplase helps restore blood flow through blocked arteries. The earlier the treatment, the better the chance of preserving heart muscle and reducing mortality. Similarly, in cases of ischaemic stroke, prompt administration of Tenecteplase within the approved time window is essential to avoid permanent brain damage. Dr K Rambabu, director of the Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS), explained that approximately 40 mg is administered to patients with myocardial infarction (MI), while 20 mg is used for those suffering from ischaemic stroke. "After stabilising myocardial infarction patients with this thrombolytic therapy at VIMS, they are referred to hospitals equipped with cath labs. Stroke patients, however, are treated at VIMS itself. Thanks to the govt, the free injection is a blessing for poor patients. It facilitates recovery during the critical golden hour. VIMS has requested the establishment of a cath lab, which would not only aid in treating MI patients but also allow advanced procedures such as embolisation," Dr Rambabu said. Ch Jagannadha Rao, a 70-year-old patient, shared his experience after being admitted to VIMS for right-sided weakness in both upper and lower limbs (stroke). "I noticed my mouth was deviating to the left, and I was slurring my speech. The doctors told me a CT scan showed no haemorrhage. They administered a Tenecteplase injection, and within an hour, I noticed improvement in my right limbs and speech. They continued my treatment with other medications. After five days, I could walk unaided and speak normally. I was discharged after nine days, fully recovered," Rao said. The STEMI programme operates under a hub-and-spoke model. Major hospitals function as hubs, while selected community health centres, area hospitals, and district hospitals are connected to these hubs and serve as 'spokes'. If a person experiences chest pain, they can visit the nearest smaller hospital (a spoke), where doctors perform an ECG. Senior specialists at the hub then review the data and determine if the Tenecteplase injection is required. If so, doctors at the spoke administer it immediately, and the patient is subsequently transferred to the hub for further treatment.
Hans India
24-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
20-bedded Covid ward now at VIMS
Visakhapatnam: After seeing spike in Covid-19 cases in Singapore and Hong Kong, the State government issued orders to take precautionary measures to tackle Covid cases, which are spreading through a new variant JN1,LF7, NB1.8, said Dr K Rambabu, Director of Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS). As part of it, he informed that a special ward with 20 beds has been facilitated in the hospital. The director mentioned that rapid kits have also been made available for Covid medical tests as a case has been registered in the city. He stated that if the rapid kit result comes out positive, they will immediately be sent for RT PCR tests for further confirmation. Dr Rambabu said that as part of precautionary measures, PP kits have been provided to doctors and the staff. Required medicines have been stored to treat Covid patients, he added. He suggested that elderly people, pregnant women and those with comorbid condition should follow basic safety measures. He appealed to the people to stay alert towards the new variant of Covid, maintain physical distance and avoid mass gatherings. The elderly and pregnant women should be confined to their homes. The use of masks and constant sanitisation are mandatory, he informed.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
COVID isolation wards opened in KGH, VIMS after detection of first case in Vizag
The detection of the first case of COVID-19 in Visakhapatnam city, after a long gap, the increasing number of cases in a few States in the country and a spurt in the cases in Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and China, is once again causing panic among citizens. 'The COVID-19 situation is serious in Singapore, Hong Kong and other countries. The number of cases is increasing in a few States in India but there are no reports of ICU admissions from anywhere in the country. The present virus is a variant of JN.1. Those with co-morbid conditions, and low immunity should preferably wear a mask in public places and avoid crowded areas,' Dr. K. Rambabu, Director of Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS), told The Hindu on Friday, May 23. When his attention was brought to the fact that the woman from Vizag, who has tested positive for COVID-19, has no travel history, Dr. Rambabu, who had served as the State Nodal Officer for COVID-19 in the past, said, 'Though the virus has lost its virulence, it continues to live in a 'dormant' state in humans, who were earlier affected by the disease. The virus has been undergoing mutations, and once the person's immunity drops due to any reason, the virus tries to gain the upper hand.' 'As the new variant JN.1, subvariants LF.7 and NB.1.8, are causing concern among the public, a 20-bed COVID special ward has been opened in VIMS on Friday, on the directions of the government. Rapid Test kits for COVID tests have also been procured,' Dr. Rambabu said. 'Only when a patient tests positive in the Rapid test, his/her sample will be sent for RTPCR test for confirmation of COVID-19. PP kits have been procured for doctors and staff, and medicines for patients, as a precautionary measure,' he added. Random screening 'Random thermal screening of 2% of the international passengers, arriving by the direct flight from Singapore to Vizag is being done as usual. We haven't received any specific guidelines so far from the government on increasing the screening of international passengers,' says Officiating Airport Director N. Purushottam. 'The RTPCR test done at the King George Hospital (KGH) has also confirmed that the woman is COVID positive. However, she is recovering at home and there is no cause for worry. We have opened a 20-bed isolation ward,' said Dr. P. Sivananda, KGH Superintendent. Meanwhile, Praja Arogya Vedika (PAV) general secretary T. Kameswara Rao and president M.V. Ramaiah appealed to Health Minister A. Satya Kumar Yadav to issue guidelines to all districts on implementation of all COVID-19 protocols to check the spread of the virus.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Simhachalam temple wall collapse: Missed writing on the wall
When Umamaheswara Rao and wife Sailaja set out to the Simhachalam hills in Visakhapatnam from their home at Chandrampalem at 2.30 a.m. on April 30, they were probably thinking of the moment they would finally fulfil a long-cherished dream: to witness the 'nijaroopa darshan' of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, a rare sight available only once a year during the temple's 'Chandanotsavam'. The couple were just three years into their marriage, and life seemed good. The two software professionals, both 30 years old, were ambitious as well as deeply spiritual. They reached the temple after short trip of 25 km and joined a sea of devotees hailing from across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and beyond. Many of them had reached the hill the previous evening (April 29) itself to avoid the rush after midnight. All had one objective: to catch a glimpse of the original form of the idol, which remains covered in sandalwood paste throughout the year except this occasion. From around midnight, devotees began taking their place in their respective queues [sarva (free) darshan; ₹300, ₹1,000 and ₹1,500 ticket darshans]. Umamaheswara Rao, Sailaja, her mother P. Venkata Ratnam (50) and his aunt G. Mahalakshmi (55) took up their spot in the ₹300 queue, located close to Rajagopuram and the bus terminus atop the hill. Above them, on a higher elevation, a massive new brick and concrete wall towered. The festival began with 'Suprabhatam' at 1 a.m. on April 30, followed by a few other rituals. The hereditary trustee Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju had the first darshan of the deity at 3 a.m., followed by some ministers and other VVIPs, who entered the main temple through the Rajagopuram. The darshan for common devotees was to begin from 4 a.m. Shortly after, however, the weather took a drastic turn and heavy downpour, accompanied by gales, began pummelling the region. Naresh, a volunteer present at the site, recalls what happened next. 'There was a loud thud, and people began screaming. At first, we thought nobody was hurt, but when we reached the spot, we saw the wall had collapsed onto the queue line, and many were trapped under the debris; it was a horrifying sight.' The hilltop, the divine abode, began echoing with wails of ambulance sirens and the screams of the injured. Seven people lost their lives that day, including Umamaheswara Rao, Sailaja, Mahalakshmi and Venkata Ratnam. While the bodies were taken to King George Hospital (KGH), the injured were shifted to Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) near Hanumanthawaka. Outside the KGH mortuary, heartbroken relatives wept inconsolably; some were stunned into stillness by what had just happened. 'We received a WhatsApp message early in the morning about the accident. I checked Mahesh's [Umamaheswara Rao] message; he had left a voice note saying he was heading to Chandanotsavam. It's hard to accept that someone so full of life is no longer with us,' says a devastated family member. Kin demand answers Anger and grief seized the families of the victims in the aftermath of the tragedy. The grieving kin questioned how a new wall could collapse so easily and why the devotees were allowed to line up so close to an area that was still under construction. Many point fingers at what they call gross negligence in festival arrangements and allege that despite reviews by a group of ministers over the few weeks prior to the festival's commencement, the authorities utterly failed to ensure basic safety measures. Some family members, reflecting on past festivals, say that while there had been instances of inconvenience and crowd management issues, they had never heard of incidents leading to deaths at the temple. 'My son was a god-fearing man. He visited many temples, but never in my worst nightmares did I imagine he would lose his life at one,' says P.V.V. Satyanarayana, father of Durga Swamy Naidu, another victim. He sits on the floor of the mortuary,face slick with tears. He had come all the way from Machavaram in East Godavari district upon hearing the news. Accident waiting to happen According to sources,the wall's construction was completed just five days before the festival began. Residents near the temple cannot recall a precedent to the incident at the temple. The impressive rock pillars and stone walls of the nearly 1,000-year-old temple stood the test of time and continue to inspire awe among devotees. Shortly after the incident, the government formed a three-member committee to inquire into the issue. Deposing before the committee, the contractor had this to say: 'I was under pressure from officials to complete the work though I was against the construction of the wall, which was not part of the original plan.' The engineer tasked with supervising the construction told the panel that he was not present at the site when the wall was constructed. 'I was on camp in Vijayawada,' he had said. The inconsistencies in the statements of the contractor and the engineering officials were not lost on the panel, though. Its chairperson opined that proper quality checks might have been given the go-by during the wall's construction and that other infrastructure works taken up on the hilltop and on the foothills under the Centre's Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) scheme, also need to be inspected. People familiar with the functioning of the temple said on condition of anonymity that the wall was on a higher ground while queue lines with an iron mesh were on a lower plane along the hill slope. The construction of the wall, about 15 ft. long and 10 ft. high, was taken up under the PRASHAD scheme. It was completed in haste ahead of the annual festival and the concrete curing was not done properly. According to sources, the wall gave way owing reportedly to the incessant flow of water from the upper areas. It collapsed on the wire mesh around the queue lines and then slid down the slope along with the mesh upon the devotees, trapping eight under bricks and soil. Personnel of the AP State Disaster Response Force (APSDRF), Police, the Fire Department and NDRF had a tough time rescuing the injured and extricating the bodies. A few roof sheets and iron supporting pillars, too, fell to the ground. A power cable was reportedly snapped, electrifying one of the iron poles. An electrician was brought in to rectify the problem. 'We managed to rescue two injured from under the debris. We retrieved seven bodies from the rubble during the operation, which lasted for nearly two-and-a-half hours,' T. Ramakrishna, RI of SDRF told The Hindu at the accident spot on the day. 'We were initially posted at the temple pushkarini (tank), which is at the foothill, as officials anticipated that a number of devotees would have a dip there before having darshan in the early hours. However, we were asked to come to the hilltop as most of the devotees were directly going to the hilltop,' said Ramana, one of the team members of SDRF 16 Battalion Visakhapatnam. Wall without permission Pasarla Prasad, a former member of the Simhachalam Temple Trust Board and former corporator, says the wall was constructed without authorisation. Another former member of the temple trust board Dadi Devi says that the infrastructure works at the temple had been neglected by the Endowments Department as well as the Tourism Department, which executes the PRASHAD scheme. 'There was no inspection of works by officials, and political interference compounded the problem. The construction of Kalyana Mandapams was taken up at Srinivasa Nagar on the foothills about six years ago, but they are yet to be completed,' Dadi Devi says. 'There is no internal Vigilance Wing in the temple. Works below ₹5 lakh do not require the permission of the Endowments Commissioner. On completion of infra works, third party inspection is needed. The work has to be tested at some places randomly to ensure quality of the construction,' says Pasarla Prasad. A devotee, seeking anonymity, says that a viewpoint built on the way to the hilltop was done in a hurry and has not been provided with a railing or protection wall. 'Many devotees go to this point to take selfies,' the devotee adds. Tragedies at temples The Simhachalam incident is the second major temple tragedy in the State this year. In January, a stampede during the distribution of tokens for the Vaikunta Dwara Darshan at Tirumala left six dead and several others injured. Lack of proper crowd management and sudden opening of gates were said to have contributed to the tragedy. There were also allegations of lack of coordination between TTD Trust Board and officials. It may also be recalled that Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan had sought a public apology from the TTD Board and the officials.
