Category: Amazing Feats

Three kids get life-saving Rs 16-crore injections for free at Bengaluru hospital

Three girls suffering from the rare disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, were administered the expensive gene therapy, Zolgensma, for free at Bangalore Baptist Hospital on Thursday. Each vial of the one-time injection costs Rs 16 crore and is capable of changing the genetic code in the body.

In all, the initiative amounts to Rs 48 crore for the three children, and is being given for free by the manufacturing company, through a lottery system (CSR). Three other girls with the same disease are being administered Spinraza, a drug costing Rs 70 lakh each (Rs 2.10 crore for three kids) in the same hospital. This is also being given for free by the Compassionate Access Programme of the NGO Direct Relief. The total cost is Rs 50.1 crore.

The cost for treatment for rare diseases is high as it takes 8-10 years to develop a drug, explained Prasanna Shirol, founder of Bengaluru-based Organization for Rare Diseases India

** Fellowship programme for youth with disabilities

As part of its silver jubilee, the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), in collaboration with Azim Premji Foundation, has launched a three-year fellowship programme for youth with disabilities.

The NCPEDP-Javed Abidi Fellowship on Disability is open to applicants looking to build a career in the development sector, particularly disability rights and inclusion, stated a press release. The launch of the fellowship also marks the birth anniversary of NCPEDP’s former director the late Javed Abidi.

** On the road of service, woman cabbie from Bengaluru ferries Covid patients

Meet Tulasi Lavakumar, the only woman cab driver who ferries Covid patients to hospitals.

Though she has a heartwrenching story of her own, the 42-year-old, clad in a PPE suit, flashes a bright smile and comforts all those who take her cab.

** Students can now access Sweden’s COMSOL simulator at IISc

Students pursuing scientific discipline and researchers across the country can now have access to Sweden’s COMSOL – a multi-physics software suite – at no cost. This became possible after the I-STEM, an initiative of the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Union government, entered into a collaborative arrangement with the COMSOL group. I-STEM is located in the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

Students only have to register themselves with I-STEM, which is an online repository of information pertaining to science research equipment available in the country, and use the variety of computer simulations that the suite offers.

** Mumbai: FACC degree conferred upon Manipal Kasturba Hospital cardiologist Dr Abdul Razak

Prestigious American College of Cardiology, medical organization of America conferred an FACC degree on Dr Abdul Razak U K, cardiologist of Manipal Kasturba Hospital considering his valuable medical service.

** Udupi: Former Indian football team captain Shekhar Bangera succumbs to coronavirus

Shekhar Paddu Bangera (74), former captain of the Indian football team, fell victim to coronavirus infection on Thursday June 10.

Shekhar, who hails from Badanidiyoor here, was the Indian football team’s goalkeeper cum captain.

** Ajman: Thumbay Hospital crosses 4 million patient visits from 175 nationalities

Thumbay Hospital, the first academic hospital established by Thumbay Group under its healthcare division, celebrated with joy of crossing treatment of 4 million patient visits from 175 nationalities, Dr Thumbay Moideen, founder president said, “It was a great achievement by our team of healthcare professionals who have put all their efforts to serve the community. We are grateful to Almighty and thank the government and rulers of Ajman for all the support given.”

** Watch: Mangaluru singer Frizzell D’Souza’s latest single ‘Foolish Once Again’, a love ballad

Frizzell D’Souza straddles the worlds of architecture and music. She has been studying the former for the last four years and practising the latter since she was in third grade. She finds a similarity between the two. “It is the process,” she says, “When we work on a design in architecture, we start with a concept. We do a lot of redos and keep going back and forth with it until we get it right. That is a parallel I find in music.”

** Mysore University Develops New Kit For Rapid COVID Testing

In what could be a major breakthrough in advanced COVID testing, scientists of University of Mysore (UoM) have come up with a new COVID detection kit with an accuracy rate as high as above 90 percent.

Announcing this at a press meet at Vijnana Bhavan in Manasagangothri here this morning, Prof. K.S. Rangappa, Distinguished Professor and former Vice-Chancellor of UoM, who heads the UoM team, said that the Varsity in association with Hyderabad-based Lorven Biologics Pvt. Ltd., has developed a new rapid COVID-19 detection kit.