IMA STAND ON LIFE SAVING MACHINE, DEVICES, EQUIPMENT

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IMA STAND ON LIFE SAVING MACHINE, DEVICES, EQUIPMENT

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Life saving machines, devices such as pacemaker, CPAP, BIPAP, Orthopedic implants, intra cardiac valve replacements, vascular stents, relevant laboratory diagnostic tests, X-Ray and such similar implants, machines are often prescribed by registered medical practitioners to their patients.

As per IMA all such life saving equipments are and should be  fully covered in insurance policies / mediclaim /PSU reimbursement etc.

IMA policy has also been validated by the following judgments:

1.      In case titled as “The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. & Anr. Versus Mrs. Sonali Sareen & Anr.” during the course of treatment in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, the patient was recommended to purchase the CPAP/Bipap machine.  Since the purchase of the machine was recommended by the treating doctor complainant purchased the same for a sum of Rs. 70,000/- and thereafter lodged the claim under the cashless insurance policy.  The Ld. District Fourm had held that purchase of machine was the part of the treatment and without this machine the patient could not have been treated. Thus, the denial of the payment of this price of the machine tentamounts to deficiency of service on the part of the insurance company. The said order and judgment passed by Ld. District Forum had been duly accepted by the Hon’ble State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission vide order dated 09.12.2014.

2.      Further, in the matter titled as “New India Assurance Co. Ltd. versus Ganashyamadas A. Thakur,” vide order and judgment dated 07.02.2014, Hon’ble National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission had held that:

“The fact that Respondent/Complainant wife had taken treatment as an in-patient at M/s Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital forSevere Obstructive Sleep Apnea is not in dispute. It is further an admitted fact that on discharge she was advised CPAP usage at night as a continuing part of the treatment to regulate her breathing and ensure that there was adequate inflow of oxygen since the CPAP had to be used alongwith 1-2 litre oxygen/minute. Keeping in view this important fact, we find force in the conclusion reached by the Fora below that like the pacemaker, which is used to control abnormal heart rhythms, the CPAP device though not an implant is a continuous positive airway pressure to keep the airways open and thus like the pacemaker is not only an integral part of treatment but necessary for patient survival. No doubt Clause 2.4 of the policy does not mention CPAP but it is obviously not a comprehensive list because it talks of various devices like pacemaker. As stated above, since the CPAP device like the pacemaker is important for the patient treatment and survival, it may not be reasonable to exclude it. Apart from this, in the exclusion clause, on which the Petitioner/OP had relied before the Fora below, it is stated that the Insurance Company will not be liable to make any payment in respect of the equipments, such as braces, non-durable implants, eyeglasses, contact lenses etc. These may be important but are not life-saving equipments unlike the CPAP. So far as the hospitalization of Respondent/Complainant daughter is concerned, we also agree with the conclusion reached by the Fora below and directing the Petitioner/OP for reimbursement of the same.”

Accordingly, all members of IMA are advised to educate their patients who has been prescribed any such life saving equipment.

All members are further requested to help their patients in this regard so that they can get their treatment reimbursed.

Dr S S Agarwal                                              Dr K K Aggarwal

National President, IMA                            Padma Shri & Dr B C Roy National Awardee

                                                                          Honorary Secretary General, IMA

Control your BP and blood sugar to prevent CKD

Control your BP and blood sugar to prevent  CKD 

New Delhi, February 22, 2016: Chronic kidney disease or CKD, as it is commonly referred to, is a rising problem in India. And if not managed or detected in time, it can damage the kidney function in due course of time resulting in kidney failure that requires dialysis or even a kidney transplant.

Diabetes mellitus and hypertension, two of the most prevalent lifestyle diseases today account for a large majority of chronic kidney disease in the country. Control of the high blood pressure and high blood sugar can prevent almost 50% cases of CKD and related complications and death.

Quite often, chronic kidney disease does not cause any symptoms and is detected incidentally on routine blood tests or urine tests.

“Chronic kidney disease is a silent killer, which adversely affects the quality of life of an individual. Hence, it is very important that CKD is diagnosed in its early stages, as this is when it is most treatable,” said Dr SS Agarwal, National President Indian Medical Association (IMA) & Padma Shri Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal, Honorary Secretary General IMA and President Heart Care Foundation of India.

“But, you can protect your kidneys,” they further added. “Keep your lower diastolic blood pressure and fasting blood sugar level below 80. Maintain a healthy body weight. Get kidney function tests done once a year and ask your doctor about eGFR test, a screening test for early kidney damage.”

10th March is World Kidney Day: What can you do for your kidneys?​

10th March is World Kidney Day

What can you do for your kidneys?​

Dr SS Agarwal, Dr KK Aggarwal

Kidney diseases are silent killers, which will largely affect your quality of life.

 

Keep fit and active (“on the move for kidney health”): Keeping fit helps to reduce your blood pressure and therefore reduces the risk of chronic kidney disease.

 

Keep regular control of your blood sugar level: About half of people who have diabetes develop kidney damage, so it is important for people with diabetes to have regular tests to check their kidney functions. Kidney damage from diabetes can be reduced or prevented if detected early.

 

Monitor your blood pressure: High blood is also the most common cause of kidney damage. The normal blood pressure level is 120/80. Between this level and 139/89, you are considered prehypertensive and should adopt lifestyle and dietary changes. If your blood pressure is 140/90 and above, monitor your blood pressure regularly. High blood pressure is especially likely to cause kidney damage when associated with other factors like diabetes, high cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases.

 

Eat healthy and keep your weight in check: This can help prevent diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with Chronic Kidney Disease. Reduce your salt intake. The recommended sodium intake is 5-6 grams of salt per day (around a teaspoon).

 

Maintain a healthy fluid intake: One should consume at least 30 ml per kg body weight of fluids daily.  Do not advocate “aggressive fluid loading”, which can cause side effects, but they do provide evidence that moderately increased water intake, around two litres daily, may reduce the risk of decline in kidney function.

 

Do not smoke: Smoking slows the flow of blood to the kidneys. Smoking also increases the risk of kidney cancer by about 50 percent.

 

Do not take over-the-counter pills on a regular basis: Common drugs such non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen are known to cause kidney damage and disease if taken regularly. 

Control your BP and blood sugar to prevent chronic kidney disease

Control your BP and blood sugar to prevent chronic kidney disease

New Delhi, February 22, 2016: Chronic kidney disease or CKD, as it is commonly referred to, is a rising problem in India. And if not managed or detected in time, it can damage the kidney function in due course of time resulting in kidney failure that requires dialysis or even a kidney transplant.

Diabetes mellitus and hypertension, two of the most prevalent lifestyle diseases today account for a large majority of chronic kidney disease in the country. Control of the high blood pressure and high blood sugar can prevent almost 50% cases of CKD and related complications and death.

Quite often, chronic kidney disease does not cause any symptoms and is detected incidentally on routine blood tests or urine tests.

“Chronic kidney disease is a silent killer, which adversely affects the quality of life of an individual. Hence, it is very important that CKD is diagnosed in its early stages, as this is when it is most treatable,” said Dr SS Agarwal, National President Indian Medical Association (IMA) & Padma Shri Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal, Honorary Secretary General IMA and President Heart Care Foundation of India.

“But, you can protect your kidneys,” they further added. “Keep your lower diastolic blood pressure and fasting blood sugar level below 80. Maintain a healthy body weight. Get kidney function tests done once a year and ask your doctor about eGFR test, a screening test for early kidney damage.”

H7N9 Bird flu: CDC issues level 2 travel alert for Shandong in China

H7N9 Bird flu: CDC issues level 2 travel alert for Shandong in China

 Dr K K Aggarwal

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) upgraded its travel advisory for Shandong Province in China from the lowest to the second-highest level in its three-tier alert system. This was in response to confirmation of a new case infected with the H7N9 virus in the area. With this, the number of confirmed H7N9 cases in China has increased to 54.

The same level of alert has also been issued for Zhejiang, Guangdong, Anhui, Hunan, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Fujian and Shanghai because of the spread of the H7N9 virus in China. CDC also issued a travel watch, its lowest advisory, for other Chinese provinces and cities, excluding Hong Kong and Macau.

Level 1 (Watch) travel advisory of the CDC asks travelers to follow usual precautions for this destination; level 2 (Alert) advisory asks travelers to practice enhanced precautions. The Level 3 (Warning) advises travelers to avoid non essential travel to the affected area.

Under the CDC’s system, urges travelers to follow standard hygiene practices in the affected areas, while a level two advisory urges visitors to take extra preventive measures. When a level three advisory is reached, travelers are advised against visiting the affected area.

Avian influenza A (H7N9) is an influenza (flu) virus found in birds that does not normally infect humans.

Human infections with a new avian influenza A (H7N9) virus were first reported in China in March 2013. Since then, infections in both humans and birds have been observed. Most of these infections are believed to result from exposure to infected poultry or contaminated environments, especially markets where live birds have been sold.

H7N9 does not appear to transmit easily from person to person, and sustained human-to-human transmission has not been reported.

IMA War against Aedes

IMA War against Aedes

Dr K K Aggarwal

 

The Indian Medical Association is launching a campaign ‘DENG-WAR’ to fight the menace of the Aedes mosquito, which transmits the virus causing dengue fever.

Dengue takes on an epidemic form almost every year and creates panic among the public. Dengue fever is a preventable disease and prevention is the first step in its management. But, without community participation, it is not possible to do so. 

 

Community participation is vital to prevent and control the spread of diseases transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which includes Zika, Chikungunya and yellow fever besides dengue. In community participation, individuals, families and communities are involved in the planning and conduct of local vector control activities. The Government cannot employ enough persons to search every backyard to identify and destroy breeding sites on a consistent basis to prevent this mosquito from breeding.

 

When political parties can run a door to door campaign during elections, then why can’t a similar approach be adopted to tackle this issue of public health importance? 

• The Aedes aegypti lives in proximity to human settlements, breeding primarily in artificial as well as natural receptacles which collect water. 
• The mosquito's life cycle is closely associated with human activities.
• The Aedes aegypti larvae can be found in containers such as drums, buckets, water vases, flower pots, air conditioner trays, old tins and cans, old shoes, old things thrown about, plants with axils such as bromeliad plants, old pet containers, tyres, tree holes, block holes - anything that is able to hold water close to where human dwell will lend itself to the breeding of this mosquito.
• Aedes aegypti does not breed in drains or gullies or ground pools of water or river margins.
• Look for the mosquito right there where people live, work, play and do business.
• Humans are primarily responsible for the presence of the Aedes aegypti in their environment through poor sanitation practices; improper solid-waste disposal practices; unsafe water storage practices and poor pool management
• Owing to its behavior of breeding in proximity to people and the behavioral adjustment that are required, one of the main strategies of dealing with this mosquito is to get everyone involved in the identification, destruction or treatment of the containers within their environment that breed the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

IMA secures relief for the medical fraternity under PCPNDT Act

IMA secures relief for the medical fraternity under PCPNDT Act

New Delhi, February 20, 2016: A landmark judgment W.P. (C) 2721/2014: Indian Medical Association vs. Union of India delivered by the Hon’ble High Court Delhi on February 17, 2016 has brought much relief to the medical fraternity, in particular the non-pelvic ultrasonologists. As per this judgment, the rules of the PC PNDT Act will no longer be applicable to non-pelvic ultrasonologists who give a declaration that they will not be using the ultrasound machine for sex determination or pre-natal diagnostic procedure.

 In its judgement, the High Court has held

“(ii)    … all places including vehicles where ultrasound machine or imaging machine or scanner or other equipment capable of determining sex of the foetus or has the potential of detection of sex during pregnancy or selection of sex before conception, require registration under the Act;

(iii)   However, if the person seeking registration

(a) Makes a declaration in the form to be prescribed by the Central Supervisory Board to the effect that the said machine or equipment is not intended for conducting pre-natal diagnostic procedures;

(b) Gives an undertaking to not use or allow the use of the same for pre-natal diagnostic procedures; and,

(c) Has a “silent observer” or any other equipment installed on the ultrasound machines, as may be prescribed by the Central Supervisory Board, capable of storing images of each sonography tests done therewith, such person would be exempt from complying with the provisions of the Act and the Rules with respect to Genetic Clinics, Genetic Laboratory or Genetic Counseling Centre”

Preference for the male child in the society and the rising cases of female feticide and infanticide were the factors at the genesis of the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act.

However, the PC PNDT Act has for long been a bone of contention between doctors as well as the regulatory authorities.

Ultrasound is a common, non-invasive diagnostic tool that is also used by doctors other than Obstetricians and gynecologists. Cardiologists, Gastroenterologists, Nephrologists, Ophthalmologists and others use ultrasound/echocardiography for diagnostic purpose and also as point-of-care in various ultrasound-guided procedures and interventions such as drainage of abscess, pleural effusion, biopsies. These are instances of non pelvic ultrasonography.

Commenting on this judgment on this, Dr SS Agarwal, National President Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Padma Shri Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal, Honorary Secretary General IMA said, “The scope of the PCPNDT Act was an issue of national importance for us, as it affected doctors across the country who practice ultrasound and other imaging techniques, like echocardiography. Hence, we took up this issue and challenged it before the Delhi High Court. We congratulate all members of IMA for this great success.”

In a joint statement, Dr Sameer Shrivastava from Fortis Escort Heart Institute and Dr Smita Mishra from Jaypee Hospital, Noida, both noted cardiologists said, “We welcome this judgment and hopeful of this ruling of the Delhi High Court. The Act in its present scope was creating fear amongst doctors who do not perform pelvic ultrasonography. Hospitals or clinics dealing with specific organs like heart, lung or liver and use ultrasound for diagnostic or therapeutic purpose cannot be called genetic clinics. Indian Medical Association has always stood for the protection the rights of the medical fraternity. We thank the IMA for taking up this issue in earnest and securing a favorable result.”