The lows: after the highs! Patna: after a series of deaths from illegal hooch that claimed more than 50 lives recently, the Bihar police have initiated process for the attachment of properties of a dozen of “big fish” in the business. “We have send proposals to state government seeking permission for attachment of properties of around 12 people who have amassed wealth from illegal liquor trade,” Director General of Police (DGP) Abhyanand told the press. Topping the list is Mantu Yadav, brother of RJD MLA from Belaganj Surendra Yadav, the DGP said. Huge... 

How caste system is injurious to health: two cases from Rohtas and Gopalganj!   Patna: According to the recent survey report based on a study in 14 villages of Bihar’s nine districts, many instances of “caste discrimination” have came to light. A representative example is – in a Rohtas village vaccinations could not take place either in Brahmin’s tola (colony) or Paswan’s tola simply because the Brahmins refused to go to the Paswan tola, or did not allowe them to enter their area. This happened when the vaccination had to take place at the anganwadi centre. At Dewan Parsa... 

Mysterious crow deaths in Bihar: Bihar poultry under threat!   Patna: Bird flu or avian influenza is threatening Bihar’s poultry industry and an SOS has been sent to the central government on tackling the deadly H5N1 virus as the state lacks the resources to do so, a Bihar minister said. The SOS was sent after the Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) attributed the deaths of a number of crows across the state to the H5N1 virus, Animal Husbandry Minister Giriraj Singh said. “In January, samples were sent to HSADL. Last month it found bird flu of H5N1... 

Maoists organize 6-day medical camp in Aurangabad: winning hearts with stethoscope!   Parsawa, Aurangabad: according to latest reports, the Maoists in Bihar recently organized a six daylong medical camp for villagers in Parsawa in Aurangabad. During the monsoon, villagers are commonly attacked by diseases like malaria and diarrhea that takes lives of almost 10-20 people every year. As is often the case, Parsawa villagers complain of lack of proper medical facilities and doctors. This gives the Maoists a good chance to popularize their cause through medical aid. The village is located... 

Rajendra Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences [RMRI], Patna to have a badly needed virology lab soon   Patna: According to the latest reports, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences [RMRI], Patna will soon have a virology laboratory in the next few months. This was announced by the former director Dr Gadkari the National Institute of Virology, Pune. Dr Gadkari and Dr U C Chaturvedi from Lucknow had a meeting with the physicians at the RMRI over the proposal to start the new lab. RMRI already has an impressive track record on research on diagnostics, detection and... 

Future medicine: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funds research on telemedicine market in Bihar Reaching out: for instant treatment! Durham, North Carolina, Patna: a recent report from the North Carolina, US press announced that Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have awarded a $3 million grant for the evaluation of an innovative health care program in the Indian state of Bihar. The Bihar Evaluation of Social Franchising and Telemedicine (BEST) study will be led by Manoj Mohanan, an assistant professor of public policy and global health at Duke University. Mohanan and his co-principal... 

Muzaffarpur disease death toll reaches 47: time to declare it an epidemic? Muzaffarpur: according to latest reports, there is now a good possibility that the Bihar government will declare the yet unidentified killer disease in Muzaffarpur an epidemic. The latest death toll figures from the mysterious disease reached 47 on Sunday. Six deaths have been reported during the last 48 hours, including five at K D Kejriwal Maternity Hospital. It is reported that the National Institute of Virology, Pune, and Rajendra Memorial Research Institute, Patna, 24 blood and cerebral spinal fluid samples have... 

The killer disease is encephalitis, says expert: but yet to determine whether viral or Japanese type Muzaffarpur: according to the latest reports, the mysterious disease that took a number of lives of children in Muzzafarpur district has finally been diagnosed as encephalitis.  even as the virus claimed three more lives, taking the toll to 36. The Central team that collected blood samples of the patients to identify the disease said it was clinically diagnosed that the children were suffering from encephalitis. Dr I P Choudhary, member of the Central team, told reporters ‘We can say the... 

Centre selects S K Medical College and Hospital, Muzaffarpur for a centre for research on tropical diseases Muzaffarpur: according to latest reports, The central ministry of health and family planning has decided to start a centre dedicated to research on tropical diseases at the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH). The purpose behind the move is to monitor tropical diseases like kala azar, encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis and worm infestation in the districts of north Bihar and to find ways to control them. SKMCH has been selected to house the centre because of its location... 

Pollution of Sariswa water from Nepal: Sariswa Nadi Bachao Andolan (SNBA) to stage dharna Raxaul, Patna: according to reports in the Patna press, people in the town of Raxaul in West Champaran will block the Nepal highway for a day to protest against the Nepal government for unchecked dumping of toxic industrial waste in Sariswa river. The ongoing movement, organized as the Sariswa Nadi Bachao Andolan (SNBA), has decided on a protest dharna on the NH 28A and block movement of the traffic to and fro Nepal. Anil Sinha, one of the leaders of the movement told a reporter ‘we have been forced...