The Chief Minister said it was important to also find out the reasons which lead to abuse.

Stating that the problem of drugs affected not only the family life of the addict but also society at large, she said there was an urgent need to launch an effective campaign against drug abuse.

Ms. Dikshit said her government would set up counselling centres to increase awareness about prevention of drug abuse. The Administrative Reforms Department had already cleared a proposal for appointment of counsellors, she said, adding that it would take some time to make such centres functional.

Social Welfare Minister Yoganand Shastri said there would be no dearth of funds for extending help .

Goa wants its private sector partner to build and manage a super-specialty hospital on the land adjacent to the Rajiv Gandhi Medical College, Panaji. Himachal Pradesh has sought proposals from healthcare companies to run facilities at Tanda and Hamipur.

Delhi wants to hand over the new 600-bed hospital in Tahirpur and the 300-bed hospital in Janakpuri to private companies. Madhya Pradesh has already called for private participation in its mega health city project. Bihar is keen on getting the private sector involved in running nephrology and cardiology services at Central Hospital, Patna.

Several companies have evinced interest in the Delhi offer (in fact, the state government today extended the last date for purchasing applications to September 16).

• Super-speciality hospital to be commissioned in 2010 at a cost of Rs.350 crore
  
• 10 more hospitals planned for Outer Delhi villages
  
• The hospital to have an attached medical college

Ms. Dikshit said 10 more hospitals had been planned for Outer Delhi villages and along with a number of new dispensaries they would meet the medical needs of the people.

The super-specialty hospital would have an attached medical college and address the health care needs of around five lakh people living in and around Dwarka. Having a plinth area of 104,000 square metres, this hospital would have a five-storey OPD Block, Emergency Block and a General Ward Block apart from OTs and advanced diagnostic facilities.

In the first phase of the project, 500 beds would be provided in an eco-friendly green building that would be earthquake-resistant and would be constructed using base isolation technology. The medical college would accommodate 150 students as per the norms of the Medical Council of India.

Health Minister Yoganand Shastri said an Ayurvedic Research Hospital-cum-Medical College would be commissioned within six months at Khera Dabar. Outer Delhi MP Sajjan Kumar said the Government had worked for all-round development of Delhi in general and Outer Delhi in particular in the past 10 years, resulting in improved in the standard of living of the villagers.

The Delhi government has three centres which have platelet separator machines through which large quantity of platelets can be extracted from one donor. But the platelet kit for this machine costs Rs 6500 in government hospitals. "Through the separator machine we can just take platelets and the blood is pumped back into the donor's body. Through this process we get 10 times more platelets than what we get through a normal procedure in which we separate platelets from stored blood," said Dr Lalita Prasad, head of LNJP blood bank.

However, the cost involved remains a deterrent. "We are going to take a decision soon. We are planning to make platelets available free of cost for all in government hospitals during the dengue season," said Dr Shastri.

This year the chances of dengue cases reaching an outbreak situation are very high, courtesy early monsoons and hot and humid temperature conditions. So far 65 cases have been reported in Delhi of which 55 are from MCD areas. There are just 10 centres in Delhi where platelet separator machines are available: GTB Hospital, Bara Hindu Rao Hospital, LNJP Hospital, RML Hospital, AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, Rotary, Army R&R Hospital, DDU and International Red Cross.

"To get jumbo packs of platelets through the separator machine one has to pay Rs 6500 in government hospitals. But in private hospitals it is Rs 13000. Once the decision is taken to make it free of cost, a lot of people can avail the facility," said Dr VK Monga, chairman, health committee, MCD. The MCD has notified 34 hospitals in the Capital where dengue treatment is available.

This is more than three times the number of cases reported during dengue outbreak in 2006 for the same period. In 2007, just 15 cases were reported in the Capital while in 2006 just 19 dengue cases were reported till August 25.

Dengue cases often see an increase after monsoon as the conditions are conducive for the breeding of Aedes Aegypti mosquito. In Delhi, MCD has been proactively checking breeding in its area and has challaned several hospitals, offices, schools as well as individuals for failing to check mosquito breeding. In fact, the civic body recently sacked 72 breeding checkers and one assistant malaria inspector for non-performance. ``Breeding was found in a lot of areas in Delhi. Earlier, we used to give warnings and then issue challans. But now everybody knows about dengue and the danger it poses so we have decided to challan the defaulters and not let them with a warning,'' said Dr VK Monga, chairman of health committee, MCD.

But, now the Directorate of Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) of Delhi government, in its bid to encourage consumers to come forward and get adulteration tests done for certain items, has announced that it will examine some products like milk, sweets, ghee, mustard oil, chilli powder, tea leaves, shakkar, rice etc for colour and starch at its laboratory during office hours. And it will be free.

As of now, the procedure under Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, for filing a complaint against a vendor/manufacturer is extremely cumbersome and dissuades consumers from taking recourse to legal help. Said Mohan Lal Agarwal, director, PFA: ``The consumer can only have the food analysed under the Act, by first formerly informing the vendor/manufacturer at the time of purchase, that he will be sending the sample for testing purpose. The consumer has to give a legal notice to the vendor in the presence of an SDM to buy the sample. Only after that can the sample be tested at PFA for a fee of Rs 1000. If the item is found to be adulterated, the case is filed in court. The cases drag on for years dissuading the consumers.''

The law says, if found guilty of adulteration, the penalty is jail term between 6 months (minimum) and life imprisonment (maximum). But till now no one has been convicted. Since consumers don't come forward with complaints, the directorate has also suggested simple tests that can be carried out in the house itself. All one needs is chemical compounds easily available in the market.

Interacting with the media at a press conference here on Wednesday on the upcoming "MTNL Perfect Health Mela-2008", Sharma said: "Twenty minutes of laughter a day can prevent heart attack. Laughter produces endorphins in the body that are good for health."

Sharma excels in reciting humorous anecdotes. "Since the age of 24 I have been participating in `Kavi Sammelans'. They are far better than what is dished out in soap operas and reality shows. I never thought much about Bollywood. What is the point in playing a chaprasi on the big screen. I derive great pleasure in reciting my lines in the gatherings of eminent poets," he said with a mischievous smile.

As some of the guests were merrily sipping hot cups of tea while he was speaking, Sharma in his characteristic deadpan expression said: "Earlier when a Brahmin was invited, he was first fed and then told to speak. But now it is just the opposite, people are busy eating and sipping tea while I am assigned the job of speaking to the media."

Heart Care Foundation of India president K.K. Aggarwal said the 10-day-long MTNL Perfect Health Mela will open at Sheikh Sarai Park on October 17. "We announced the dates early because we wanted all doctors and specialists to attend the Mela. Patients who cannot afford expensive treatment can approach us," he added.

Dr. Aggarwal said HCFI along with various departments of the Delhi Government will focus on various open competitions to create awareness about diseases and their prevention.

The Chief Minister said Delhi, being the national Capital, attracts a large number of people from all other States and even abroad for expert advice and treatment.

As such, there was an urgent need to ensure optimum use of the existing hospitals. Speaking after presenting the Eighth State Awards for Service Doctors/Para-Medical Staff, Ms. Dikshit said these were only a token of recognition for the valuable services rendered by the doctors. She also took pride in the fact that on many an occasion patients visit government hospitals for better treatment after they have tried out the private hospitals.

In all, 69 doctors and paramedical staff were presented the State awards by the Chief Minster. The awards are given by the Delhi Government to doctors for valuable service rendered by them in various dispensaries, health centres and hospitals and also to those who are involved in the success of various national and State-level health programme.

Health Minister Yoganand Shastri said while the doctors receive various facilities like other government employees in performing their duties, words can never be enough to praise the work performed by them.

Doctors at Ganga Ram Hospital said that the symptoms of vascular diseases like cramps, muscle pain in legs while walking or exercising, swelling in legs and sores on feet that do not heel should be detected as early as possible to avoid further complications.

The camp will be held on August 5, 2008 outside room no 145, surgical OPD at SGRH from 9 am to 4 pm. Ankle Brachial Index Test will also be conducted for free of cost during the camp.

Each centre would ensure 24-hour availability of blood and designed to meet highest standards of safety. They would extend training to doctors, technicians,nurse and other health personnel to handle natural or man-made disaster or outbreak of diseases like dengue, which often required large volumes of blood transfusions at short notice.

They would also collect blood from voluntary blood donors through state-of-art "Blood Mobiles."

Out of Rs.468.00 crore earmarked, Rs.168 crore would be spent on development of infrastructure.

In an exclusive talk with East Delhi Plus, DHS Jile Devi said that after analysing the success of this innovative model dispensary more dispensaries will be opened in other parts of Delhi. Presently this dispensary is in an experimental mode, which is being carried out by DHS and a NGO coordinating with a US based NGO in Sonia Vihar of North-East district.

All the infrastructure and medical staff would be jointly shared by DHS and NGO. Two doctors, a pharmacist, medicines and furniture are provided by health department and other infrastructure facilities like building, electricity, water, telephone are facilitated by the NGO. Besides NGO is also helping out with a lab technician, ward boy, and a pharmacist.

Dispensary mainly focuses on ladies and children's health related problems in which child survival and pregnancy check up services are carried out. Beside these, treatment of some other non-specialized diseases like cold, general fever, ANT (anti natal checkup), PNC (pastel natal check up) are also available in the dispensary. Blood and urine tests are also being done in the dispensary.

Based on the study, the CII has brought out a set of recommendations which it claims will serve to expedite the accreditation process.

"While applying for accreditation is entirely voluntary on the part of the hospital management, eventually as accreditation attains wider reach and coverage, hospitals without an accredited status may find themselves without business," said a statement issued by CII on Sunday.

It stressed the need for raising awareness about the concept among stakeholders which it claims will be an essential prerequisite to popularising accreditation process.

The real truth about milk:

Human bodies are not designed to drink the milk from other animal species. Dr. Benjamin Spock, America's leading authority on childcare was one of the first to warn the world against the dangers of consuming cow's milk.
Consider these cold facts.

It is the first time that the MoT will be involved in training manpower, initially it only concentrated on promoting destinations in India that specialised in rejuvenation skills. "The MoT is also in talks with the private sector for recruitment of students passing out of the training institutes. These institutes will provide an opportunity to learn from a place that is recognised by the government. This way the quality of people in the business can also be guaranteed," said the official.

China has already cashed in on its healing-products market and a recent white paper claimed that the industrial output value of traditional Chinese medicine touched USD 25.98 billion last year. Yoga, being India's most successful exports to the US, its effectiveness has been appreciated in South Africa also.

The mela will be held from October 17 to 26 at Sheikh Sarai Municipal Corporation of Delhi Park. In 2006 also, it was held at the same venue.

The 15th edition of the mela is being organised in association with MCD and the Delhi Government's Department of Health and Family Welfare.