“It is much harder to do the right thing every day when no one is looking. Donating a kidney is much easier.” Susan Hou only says that because she really believes that is true.
Seven-and-a-half years ago, Dr. Hou, a nephrologist at the University Medical Centre, Chicago, gave her kidney to her patient. “I've had patients ask me for a kidney, but the woman I finally gave it to never asked me. My only criterion was that I should give it to someone smaller than me, and that really narrows it down,” the rather petite nephrologist with a cracking sense of humour says. “The question is not why I did it, but what took me so long. There was much reluctance to use unrelated donors in the U.S. then,” Dr. Hou explains in a chat after a lecture on renal disorders in pregnancy organised by Tanker Foundation on Monday. The strongest criticism came from India, where people said women without rights would be forced to donate one of their kidneys to their husband. Now there are drugs to make unrelated transplants work too.
The process of evaluating a donor's intent and physical condition is crucial, she adds. There can be a lot of coercion; people are not so convinced that they should be donating. “When I donated, nobody was pressuring me. If you believe in the brotherhood of man, then there are no unrelated donors.”
One has to ensure that there is no money changing hands. “If we have the feeling a donor doesn't really want to donate, then we tell them they cannot do it.” The donor also has to be healthy enough and with good kidney function that will likely be good in future. It is essential that the donor has no infection or cancer that he could give to the recipient.
She herself had a “not-so bad” recovery from her traditional nephrectomy. But that is Dr. Hou as usual underplaying the drama. Twelve days after surgery, she flew to Philadelphia for a lecture and 13 days later, she was on a flight to Budapest. None of her children was surprised she had donated her kidney to a patient, and “Mark [Molitch, her husband, an endocrinologist] was very happy later, but very worried…on the day before the surgery.”
When colleagues ask her if she recommends every nephrologist donate a kidney to a patient, she says matter-of-factly, “You don't have to do it unless you want to. You can do something else.” “Everyone pats you on the back and gives you a plaque when you donate a kidney, but they don't do that when you hold the elevator door open or refuse a drug company,” Dr. Hou says. On Monday, Georgi Abraham, founder-trustee of Tanker Foundation, honoured her, and yes, a plaque was in the picture.
But, yes, you can see it really does warm the cockles of her heart that her patient is still running on the donated kidney. “I am happy every year that the kidney's still working… Seven-and-a-half years later, someone doesn't need dialysis or a new kidney, it's a great feeling,” Dr. Hou says.
Showing posts with label Chennai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chennai. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Marked fall in ambient air quality
Ambient air quality in the city has significantly deteriorated over the past decade and officials across the enforcement spectrum from the Transport Department to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) admit that the existing mechanisms to control vehicular pollution, which is the largest contributor, have largely been unsuccessful.
According to a recent TNPCB study, the level of carbon monoxide in the city ranges from 12 to 70 parts per million (ppm) as against the permitted 35 ppm. The study also points out that emission from nearly 50 per cent of the vehicles in the city exceeded permitted levels and the pollution load in the atmosphere increased by 3.5 per cent annually.
“About 70 per cent of privately run pollution testing units do not have the expertise or capability to test diesel vehicles,” said a senior TNPCB official. “A proposal to set up a joint emission check-up unit involving the Board, the traffic police and the Transport Department has been in cold storage for sometime. It would have empowered us to conduct surprise checks of testing centres and also fine motorists on the spot.”
P. Jeyapal runs one such testing centre, which is a rundown room with two chairs and a flickering computer screen. “The volume of vehicles that comes for testing is too low to make this a viable business venture. Unless enforcement forces people to take the test every six months as stipulated, no one is going to invest to run a proper facility,” he says.
While the city had about 130 emission test centres in 1997 when pollution control levels were introduced, it has come down to around 30 by 2010.
M.K. Subramanian, secretary of Automobile Association of Southern India, said: “Motorists can be given more options if the Transport Department provides licences for mobile testing units. This has worked very well in Mumbai as it allows testing units to go in search of motorists. Many do not take the test because they think it is unnecessary work.”
Speaking to The Hindu, Transport Commissioner S. Machendranathan said a national scheme for providing modern testing centres was being worked out.
According to a recent TNPCB study, the level of carbon monoxide in the city ranges from 12 to 70 parts per million (ppm) as against the permitted 35 ppm. The study also points out that emission from nearly 50 per cent of the vehicles in the city exceeded permitted levels and the pollution load in the atmosphere increased by 3.5 per cent annually.
“About 70 per cent of privately run pollution testing units do not have the expertise or capability to test diesel vehicles,” said a senior TNPCB official. “A proposal to set up a joint emission check-up unit involving the Board, the traffic police and the Transport Department has been in cold storage for sometime. It would have empowered us to conduct surprise checks of testing centres and also fine motorists on the spot.”
P. Jeyapal runs one such testing centre, which is a rundown room with two chairs and a flickering computer screen. “The volume of vehicles that comes for testing is too low to make this a viable business venture. Unless enforcement forces people to take the test every six months as stipulated, no one is going to invest to run a proper facility,” he says.
While the city had about 130 emission test centres in 1997 when pollution control levels were introduced, it has come down to around 30 by 2010.
M.K. Subramanian, secretary of Automobile Association of Southern India, said: “Motorists can be given more options if the Transport Department provides licences for mobile testing units. This has worked very well in Mumbai as it allows testing units to go in search of motorists. Many do not take the test because they think it is unnecessary work.”
Speaking to The Hindu, Transport Commissioner S. Machendranathan said a national scheme for providing modern testing centres was being worked out.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Karunanidhi commends Mamata for emphasis on social responsibility
Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Wednesday commended Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee for reiterating the emphasis on social responsibility in implementing new railway projects.
In her previous budget too, Ms. Banerjee had laid down the approach, the Chief Minister recalled in a statement.
He welcomed her announcement of formulating proposals for Madurai-Kottayam, Madurai-Tuticorin, Dindigul-Kumuli, and Rameswaram-Dhanushkodi sections under the category of socially desirable projects in backward areas.
He appreciated a host of other announcements including the new line survey for Krishnagiri-Chamrajnagar and completion of gauge conversion works in Dindigul-Palani and Mayiladuthurai-Tiruvarur. The declaration of Tiruvarur station as Adarsh station and the proposal to construct multi-functional complexes in the premises of Salem, Tiruchi Fort and Tirutanni stations were also welcomed by the Chief Minister.
Ms. Banerjee’s commitment that the section between Velachery and St. Thomas Mount under the Mass Rapid Transit Project would be completed by March 2012 was comforting. The introduction of new suburban services in the stretches of Chennai Central-Sulurpetta-Beach, Chennai Beach-Velachery, Beach-Tiruttani-Central and Central-Arakkonam-Central would be useful to a large number of commuters. Welcoming the project for modernisation and expansion of capacity of the Integral Coach Factory, the Chief Minister said the proposal to establish a sports academy in Chennai was happy news.
In her previous budget too, Ms. Banerjee had laid down the approach, the Chief Minister recalled in a statement.
He welcomed her announcement of formulating proposals for Madurai-Kottayam, Madurai-Tuticorin, Dindigul-Kumuli, and Rameswaram-Dhanushkodi sections under the category of socially desirable projects in backward areas.
He appreciated a host of other announcements including the new line survey for Krishnagiri-Chamrajnagar and completion of gauge conversion works in Dindigul-Palani and Mayiladuthurai-Tiruvarur. The declaration of Tiruvarur station as Adarsh station and the proposal to construct multi-functional complexes in the premises of Salem, Tiruchi Fort and Tirutanni stations were also welcomed by the Chief Minister.
Ms. Banerjee’s commitment that the section between Velachery and St. Thomas Mount under the Mass Rapid Transit Project would be completed by March 2012 was comforting. The introduction of new suburban services in the stretches of Chennai Central-Sulurpetta-Beach, Chennai Beach-Velachery, Beach-Tiruttani-Central and Central-Arakkonam-Central would be useful to a large number of commuters. Welcoming the project for modernisation and expansion of capacity of the Integral Coach Factory, the Chief Minister said the proposal to establish a sports academy in Chennai was happy news.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Body of CPM leader who went missing found in Chennai lake
A highly decomposed body found in a lake on Sunday on the outskirts of Chennai has been identified as that of missing Tamil Nadu CPM leader W R Varadarajan. While the police and party leaders said they would wait for the results of a scientific test before making a formal announcement, the former MLA's wife, Saraswathy, identified it saying it was indeed Varadarajan.
Varadarajan, who was sacked from the posts of CPM state and central committee member, had gone missing after his expulsion, leaving behind unsigned notes indicating the decision to end his life to avoid living in dishonour. The veteran trade unionist was sacked by the party on grounds of ``conduct unbecoming'' of a senior leader following a complaint from his wife, who was also a party member.
A grim mood was discernible in party and family circles as leaders and relatives gathered at the Government Royapettah Hospital mortuary on hearing the news about the recovery of the body from Porur lake. ``Although some features suggest that it could be his body, we have requested the police and doctors to test both his fingerprints and DNA for full confirmation,'' CPM state secretary G Ramakrishnan said in a statement. Varadarajan's wife found identification marks on the body similar to those of her husband.
``The physical identification marks suggest that it's Varadarajan. But we have to wait for scientific proof,'' Ramakrishnan said. Varadarajan, who began his career as an accountant in the Reserve Bank of India and was active in the bank's union, quit the job to become a full-time member of the CPM. He later married Saraswathy, a widow, who was his colleague in RBI.
Varadarajan's rise in Left politics was marked by a series of labour agitations headed by him, most notably at Binny Mills in Chennai. He represented Villivakkam assembly constituency before being nominated to the Tamil Nadu and central committees of the party.
The former legislator was removed from party posts in the state and central committees and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) earlier this month for what the party called ``conduct unbecoming of his position''. A complaint by his wife regarding his conduct had formed the basis for his removal, according to party sources.
He is believed to have walked out of his house on February 11 in a dejected mood. He left behind two unsigned letters. On February 18, his wife Saraswathy lodged a missing complaint with the police commissioner. The party separately made a representation to the state director general of police, Letika Saran.
A special team of Crime Branch officers was assigned to trace Varadarajan. The body was retrieved from the Porur lake in the suburbs of Chennai on February 13. It had no clothes except a vest and brief and had been kept in the mortuary as unidentified. Varadarajan's foster son Arvind Prakash was first taken to identify it on Sunday and later in the evening, his wife Saraswathy and Ramakrishnan were taken to have a look.
``They showed me the body and asked if I could identify the vest he was wearing. I said it looked similar (to the one he wears). Then I was asked to wait,'' said his son. His wife was able to identify him by some physical marks, said sources. ``One of his fingers had been broken in an accident, and this helped his wife identify him,'' said a police official. Some of his party members who gathered outside the mortuary said it was easy to identify him from the receding hairline and long nose.
Chennai police commissioner T Rajendran said fingerprint and DNA tests would be undertaken to confirm the identity. ``We've requested the US consulate in Chennai to provide us with Varadarajan's fingerprints, which were taken when he visited the US. This will be used to check whether the body is his. We will also conduct a DNA test,'' he said.
Varadarajan’s last lines reveal suicide dilemma
Expelled CPM leader W R Varadarajan left behind the following unsigned letters before he went missing more than a week ago. The notes, written on pages pulled out of his diary, suggest that he was in a dilemma over the decision to end his own life after being removed from all party posts — he believed a true communist would never commit suicide — but later came to a decision. He has bequeathed his books and funds to the party.
The last lines by a communist:
Note 1:
‘‘Just as the ‘kavarimaan’ (a species of deer) will give up its life even if it loses one strand of hair, the truly honourable ones will renounce their lives if there is a taint to their honour’’ (A couplet from Thirukkural, an ancient Tamil moral treatise)... The one who commits suicide can never be a Communist. I could overcome many travails within the party. However, when it came to a struggle in my personal life, I have been shattered and defeated. Now, what?
The Kural prevails over the mind.
February 6, 2010
Kolkata
Note 2:
My two bank accounts should be closed and the amount lying in them should be given to the party. My books should go to the party and ‘Theekkadhir’ (CPM official organ in Tamil) libraries. My laptop, which my daughter bought for me when I visited the US, should be used by Theekkadhir. My body should be used for medical research. Nowhere should there be any function to unveil my picture, including in my house, or any other function.
February 11, 2010
Chennai
Varadarajan, who was sacked from the posts of CPM state and central committee member, had gone missing after his expulsion, leaving behind unsigned notes indicating the decision to end his life to avoid living in dishonour. The veteran trade unionist was sacked by the party on grounds of ``conduct unbecoming'' of a senior leader following a complaint from his wife, who was also a party member.
A grim mood was discernible in party and family circles as leaders and relatives gathered at the Government Royapettah Hospital mortuary on hearing the news about the recovery of the body from Porur lake. ``Although some features suggest that it could be his body, we have requested the police and doctors to test both his fingerprints and DNA for full confirmation,'' CPM state secretary G Ramakrishnan said in a statement. Varadarajan's wife found identification marks on the body similar to those of her husband.
``The physical identification marks suggest that it's Varadarajan. But we have to wait for scientific proof,'' Ramakrishnan said. Varadarajan, who began his career as an accountant in the Reserve Bank of India and was active in the bank's union, quit the job to become a full-time member of the CPM. He later married Saraswathy, a widow, who was his colleague in RBI.
Varadarajan's rise in Left politics was marked by a series of labour agitations headed by him, most notably at Binny Mills in Chennai. He represented Villivakkam assembly constituency before being nominated to the Tamil Nadu and central committees of the party.
The former legislator was removed from party posts in the state and central committees and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) earlier this month for what the party called ``conduct unbecoming of his position''. A complaint by his wife regarding his conduct had formed the basis for his removal, according to party sources.
He is believed to have walked out of his house on February 11 in a dejected mood. He left behind two unsigned letters. On February 18, his wife Saraswathy lodged a missing complaint with the police commissioner. The party separately made a representation to the state director general of police, Letika Saran.
A special team of Crime Branch officers was assigned to trace Varadarajan. The body was retrieved from the Porur lake in the suburbs of Chennai on February 13. It had no clothes except a vest and brief and had been kept in the mortuary as unidentified. Varadarajan's foster son Arvind Prakash was first taken to identify it on Sunday and later in the evening, his wife Saraswathy and Ramakrishnan were taken to have a look.
``They showed me the body and asked if I could identify the vest he was wearing. I said it looked similar (to the one he wears). Then I was asked to wait,'' said his son. His wife was able to identify him by some physical marks, said sources. ``One of his fingers had been broken in an accident, and this helped his wife identify him,'' said a police official. Some of his party members who gathered outside the mortuary said it was easy to identify him from the receding hairline and long nose.
Chennai police commissioner T Rajendran said fingerprint and DNA tests would be undertaken to confirm the identity. ``We've requested the US consulate in Chennai to provide us with Varadarajan's fingerprints, which were taken when he visited the US. This will be used to check whether the body is his. We will also conduct a DNA test,'' he said.
Varadarajan’s last lines reveal suicide dilemma
Expelled CPM leader W R Varadarajan left behind the following unsigned letters before he went missing more than a week ago. The notes, written on pages pulled out of his diary, suggest that he was in a dilemma over the decision to end his own life after being removed from all party posts — he believed a true communist would never commit suicide — but later came to a decision. He has bequeathed his books and funds to the party.
The last lines by a communist:
Note 1:
‘‘Just as the ‘kavarimaan’ (a species of deer) will give up its life even if it loses one strand of hair, the truly honourable ones will renounce their lives if there is a taint to their honour’’ (A couplet from Thirukkural, an ancient Tamil moral treatise)... The one who commits suicide can never be a Communist. I could overcome many travails within the party. However, when it came to a struggle in my personal life, I have been shattered and defeated. Now, what?
The Kural prevails over the mind.
February 6, 2010
Kolkata
Note 2:
My two bank accounts should be closed and the amount lying in them should be given to the party. My books should go to the party and ‘Theekkadhir’ (CPM official organ in Tamil) libraries. My laptop, which my daughter bought for me when I visited the US, should be used by Theekkadhir. My body should be used for medical research. Nowhere should there be any function to unveil my picture, including in my house, or any other function.
February 11, 2010
Chennai
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Schools wait and watch over effectiveness of CCE
Standard IX students in Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools are gearing up for their first major summative assessment for the year, as part of the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE).
Earlier this academic year, the CCE was introduced for Standard IX, in which students’ performance is evaluated using formative and summative assessment. The move followed the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s decision to make school education less stressful for students.
Some schools think it might be a tad early to comment on the effectiveness of the CCE. “We are still getting used to the system and we will be in a better position to comment on it next year. I am sure it will work out well,” says Kanti Ramakrishnan, Vice-Principal, Chinmaya Vidyala, Taylor’s Road.
According to Ajit Prasad Jain, Senior Principal of Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidyashram, examination-related anxiety and stress among students has come down considerably. “Many think that the CCE is just about unit tests, but that’s not true. Assessment is based on interaction with the teacher, project work, homework, and so on,” he explains.
Emphasising the need for mentoring and monitoring in the system, the Board recently held a training programme for principals. “We would, in turn, train other principals and teachers in the region,” says Mr. Jain, who attended the training programme in New Delhi.
However, a recent circular from the CBSE to schools has also raised some questions. The note talks of the need for uniformity in summative assessment across schools. As a result, the CBSE has prepared question papers for various subjects and mailed the CDs to schools.
While Mr. Jain says uniformity would help schools, heads such as C. Satish, Senior Principal, R.M.K. Group of Schools, wonder if it is another, indirect, way of conducting a board examination.
“We’ve had formative assessment so far, but if it’s going to be a common, final examination as part of the summative assessment component, is it not like any other board examination?” Mr. Satish asks.
Teachers are forced to do a lot of clerical work documenting students’ performances systematically, he addssuggesting that the Board strengthen its teacher-training processes. “We need regular follow-up meetings with the Board, so teachers can discuss the challenges they face. There are talks about introducing the system for Standard XI. The present challenges have to be addressed first.”
On whether the CBSE had planned to collect feedback on the CCE, its Regional Officer N. Nagaraju said the CDs with the examination questions were being sent directly from New Delhi. “We will speak to the schools after the examinations,” he said.
Earlier this academic year, the CCE was introduced for Standard IX, in which students’ performance is evaluated using formative and summative assessment. The move followed the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s decision to make school education less stressful for students.
Some schools think it might be a tad early to comment on the effectiveness of the CCE. “We are still getting used to the system and we will be in a better position to comment on it next year. I am sure it will work out well,” says Kanti Ramakrishnan, Vice-Principal, Chinmaya Vidyala, Taylor’s Road.
According to Ajit Prasad Jain, Senior Principal of Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidyashram, examination-related anxiety and stress among students has come down considerably. “Many think that the CCE is just about unit tests, but that’s not true. Assessment is based on interaction with the teacher, project work, homework, and so on,” he explains.
Emphasising the need for mentoring and monitoring in the system, the Board recently held a training programme for principals. “We would, in turn, train other principals and teachers in the region,” says Mr. Jain, who attended the training programme in New Delhi.
However, a recent circular from the CBSE to schools has also raised some questions. The note talks of the need for uniformity in summative assessment across schools. As a result, the CBSE has prepared question papers for various subjects and mailed the CDs to schools.
While Mr. Jain says uniformity would help schools, heads such as C. Satish, Senior Principal, R.M.K. Group of Schools, wonder if it is another, indirect, way of conducting a board examination.
“We’ve had formative assessment so far, but if it’s going to be a common, final examination as part of the summative assessment component, is it not like any other board examination?” Mr. Satish asks.
Teachers are forced to do a lot of clerical work documenting students’ performances systematically, he addssuggesting that the Board strengthen its teacher-training processes. “We need regular follow-up meetings with the Board, so teachers can discuss the challenges they face. There are talks about introducing the system for Standard XI. The present challenges have to be addressed first.”
On whether the CBSE had planned to collect feedback on the CCE, its Regional Officer N. Nagaraju said the CDs with the examination questions were being sent directly from New Delhi. “We will speak to the schools after the examinations,” he said.
Legal aid clinics to benefit HIV positive persons in 16 districts
With 11 more legal aid clinics for the HIV infected to come up in the State on Wednesday, positive persons in 16 districts of the State will be served by free legal services and counselling.
The districts in which one clinic each will be inaugurated on Wednesday are Chennai, Dharmapuri, Villupuram, Krishnagiri, Salem, Tiruchi, Tirupur, Karur, Theni, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari.
To be set up by the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Authority in association with the Tamil Nadu Legal Services Authority, the centres will be manned by an advocate and counsellor appointed by the latter. Each clinic will be set up at a cost of Rs.2 lakh, received as funding from the National AIDS Control Organisation.
The clinics are meant to directly address issues of people living with HIV/AIDS, especially widows, destitute women and children, with sensitivity. They are a step in the direction of providing easy access to legal services wherever anyone has been wronged, or there is a denial of services, according to the policy note.
“Completely free services will be provided at these clinics. There has been a great demand from the districts for such clinics, especially since the first five clinics were able to redress the grievances of people who were infected with HIV and could not afford legal services,” S. Vijayakumar, Project Director, TANSACS, said. Mostly, cases concerning property disputes, alimony and inter-familial disputes come up at the clinics.
So far, the five clinics already set up in Namakkal, Dindigul, Madurai, Cuddalore and Tirunelveli districts have received a total of 1,913 non-legal and 432 legal petitions. Of these, 270 legal petitions and 1,011 non-legal cases have been settled, according to official figures. A substantial percentage of the clients at the legal aid were women. In several instances, disputes have been settled at the mere instance of the counsellor, even before taking the legal route, according to officials.
The districts in which one clinic each will be inaugurated on Wednesday are Chennai, Dharmapuri, Villupuram, Krishnagiri, Salem, Tiruchi, Tirupur, Karur, Theni, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari.
To be set up by the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Authority in association with the Tamil Nadu Legal Services Authority, the centres will be manned by an advocate and counsellor appointed by the latter. Each clinic will be set up at a cost of Rs.2 lakh, received as funding from the National AIDS Control Organisation.
The clinics are meant to directly address issues of people living with HIV/AIDS, especially widows, destitute women and children, with sensitivity. They are a step in the direction of providing easy access to legal services wherever anyone has been wronged, or there is a denial of services, according to the policy note.
“Completely free services will be provided at these clinics. There has been a great demand from the districts for such clinics, especially since the first five clinics were able to redress the grievances of people who were infected with HIV and could not afford legal services,” S. Vijayakumar, Project Director, TANSACS, said. Mostly, cases concerning property disputes, alimony and inter-familial disputes come up at the clinics.
So far, the five clinics already set up in Namakkal, Dindigul, Madurai, Cuddalore and Tirunelveli districts have received a total of 1,913 non-legal and 432 legal petitions. Of these, 270 legal petitions and 1,011 non-legal cases have been settled, according to official figures. A substantial percentage of the clients at the legal aid were women. In several instances, disputes have been settled at the mere instance of the counsellor, even before taking the legal route, according to officials.
Monday, February 8, 2010
IMPAL pays Rs. 14 interim
The directors of India Motor Parts and Accessories (IMPAL) have declared an interim dividend of Rs. 14 for the financial year 2009-10 as compared to Rs.12 paid last year, the record date being February 16.
