As the humanitarian crisis continues, PAHO sends almost three tons of essential medicines and health supplies to Haiti

Cristina Mitchell

2 Apr 2025

“By wearing blue and taking part in World Autism Awareness Day, we send a powerful message of acceptance and inclusion”

View the full post Wear blue on World Autism Awareness Day 2 April on NOW Grenada.

Santo Domingo.- Health Minister Víctor Atallah has signed nine agreements allocating 50.6 million pesos to Non-Profit Associations (ASFLs) to strengthen national health programs. These funds will support primary healthcare initiatives, including access to drinking water, physical rehabilitation, psychological care, and assistance for patients with HIV, tuberculosis, and organ transplants.

The agreements were signed with organizations such as the Homs Foundation for Human Solidarity, Archdiocesan Caritas, and the Association for Family Assistance. Minister Atallah emphasized that these partnerships are essential for advancing social development, ensuring rights, and fostering equity. Amalfi Brito, president of the Association for Family Assistance, urged all benefiting institutions to maintain transparency and efficiency in managing public resources.

This initiative aligns with Law No. 1-12 of the 2030 National Development Strategy, which seeks to replace traditional subsidies with structured resource transfers through management agreements, optimizing the allocation and impact of public funds.

Gwalior: Noting the seriousness of the case, a special court in Gwalior has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of doctor couple accused of forcibly performing an abortion on a nursing student from Morena who was reportedly raped.

The doctors are accused of forcibly performing an abortion on the nursing student, and when she resisted, they allegedly threatened her with academic consequences, warning that they would ensure she failed her exams.

Single Judge Vivek Agarwal passed the judgment after observing the seriousness of the charges against Dr. Manu Sharma and her husband, Dr. Rajesh Sharma. Consequently, the court denied them anticipatory bail.

Also read- No relief to Paediatric Surgeon accused in medical negligence case, Court rejects anticipatory bail

Free Press Journal reported that the case came to light when a young woman from Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, who is currently pursuing nursing in Sabalgarh, Morena, filed a complaint at Hazira police station in Gwalior. She alleged that Pushpendra Rawat, whom she had befriended, lured her into a relationship and later exploited her. 

On March 28, 2024, Pushpendra allegedly took her to a room in Char Shahar Ka Naka, where he sexually assaulted her multiple times and recorded videos to blackmail her and continued to exploit her.

When she became pregnant, she confronted Pushpendra and asked him to marry her, but he stopped talking to her. Seeking help, she approached Pushpendra’s brother-in-law, Paan Singh, but instead of helping, he took her to Joura and raped her. 

Later, when Pushpendra’s sister Reena and brother Arvind found out about her pregnancy, they forcibly took her to KD Hospital for an illegal abortion. The victim alleged that Dr Manu Sharma and Dr Rajesh Sharma performed the procedure against her will. When she resisted, they threatened her, saying they would fail her in nursing exams if she told anyone.

Following this, she registered a case against Pushpendra’s sister, Reena, and brother, Arvind Rawat, at the police station. However, all the accused are currently absconding. Meanwhile, the student also registered a case against the doctor couple. 

Also read- Court denies anticipatory bail to Paediatric Surgeon Accused of Negligence in 5-Year-Old's Death

ANXIETY DISORDERS can be distressing and debilitating. They may contribute to loss of educational and employment opportunities, and difficulties in family and social relationships. Recovery is possible with the appropriate treatment, such as...

A study was done to explore the changes in serum Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and Osteopontin (OPN) in gout patients and their diagnostic value for early renal injury. In this research, 174 gout patients (January 2022-October 2024) were divided into the early renal injury group (50 cases) and non-early renal injury group (124 cases). Additionally, 169 healthy individuals were included as controls.

Clinical indicators such as serum creatinine, cystatin C (CysC), and GFR were recorded. MCP-1 and OPN levels were measured using ELISA. Pearson's correlation was used to analyze relationships; Logit regression was applied to identify influencing factors, and ROC curves assessed diagnostic value, with AUC comparisons via Z-test. Results: Serum MCP-1 and OPN levels were significantly higher in the gout group compared to controls (P<0.05) and further elevated in the early renal injury group (P<0.05). MCP-1 and OPN correlated positively with creatinine and CysC and negatively with GFR (P<0.05). Logit regression identified MCP-1 (OR: 2.765, 95% CI: 1.308-5.846) and OPN (OR: 3.019, 95% CI: 1.468-6.210) as independent risk factors (P<0.05).

The AUC for diagnosing early renal injury was 0.775 (MCP-1), 0.827 (OPN), and 0.938 (combined), with the combination significantly outperforming either marker alone (Z=3.075, 2.273, P<0.05). The combination of serum MCP-1 and OPN in gout patients has a higher diagnostic value for early renal injury, it is obviously higher than the individual diagnosis of each indicator, and demonstrates significant clinical implications.

Reference:

Chang H, Lv J, Zheng Y, Li D, Li Y. The Diagnostic Value of Serum MCP-1 Combined with OPN Detection for Early Renal Injury in Gout Patients. Int J Gen Med. 2025;18:1423-1429. Published 2025 Mar 11. doi:10.2147/IJGM.S508220