Diamond Harbour Government Medical College and Hospital is a full-fledged tertiary referral Government Medical college. The journey of this Medical College and Hospital had started in December, 1974 under the name of Diamond Harbour Sub-divisional Hospital. Later it had been converted to Diamond Harbour District Hospital on April, 2012 with 300 beds, and subsequently it was renamed as Diamond Harbour Government Medical College.The college imparts the degree Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) and Postgraduate courses. Nursing and para-medical courses are also offered. The college is affiliated to West Bengal University of Health Sciences and is recognized by the National Medical Commission. The Diamond Harbour District Hospital and Super Speciality hospital are associated with the medical college. The selection to the college is done strictly on the basis of merit through National Eligibility and Entrance Test. Yearly undergraduate student intake is 150 as of 2022.The college had started its MBBS course with an intake of 100 seats.
Background: Psychiatric morbidity has shown statistically significant prevalence in COVID-19 patients during and after the disease. This study focuses on assessing the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and evaluating their mental health status after four years. Purpose: The objective of the study was to grade degree of severity of depression, anxiety and stress with degree of severity of COVID-19 infection and their correlation with comorbidities and socio-demographic profiles. Methods: An observational study was conducted in COVID-19 in-patient ward. The patients were graded into mild, moderate and severe cases of COVID-19 infection. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) questionnaire was used to classify subjects into normal, mild, moderate, and severe categories for each psychological domain. Various socio-demographic profiles were also recorded. IBM SPSS Statistics version 25 software was used to compare these parameters. These same patients were followed for four years to assess changes in mental health status. Results: Initially, 75.5% of patients had mild symptomatology for COVID-19 infection. There were proportionate numbers of mild, moderate and severe depression cases, whereas majority had severe anxiety in contrast to mild stress symptoms among study subjects. A significant association was found between the severity of COVID-19 infection and the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. 50 patients out of a total of 76 showed no symptoms of any mental illness after four years. Conclusion: Mental health should be prioritized at the outset to identify and safeguard those at risk and promote long-term resilience.
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an increasingly prevalent metabolic disorder with profound implications for maternal and offspring health; however, it remains under-recognized compared with other forms of diabetes, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as India. Once considered a transient pregnancy complication, GDM is now recognized as a manifestation of underlying insulin resistance, β-cell dysfunction, and metabolic vulnerability, conferring a markedly increased risk of future type 2 diabetes mellitus and the intergenerational transmission of metabolic disease. This narrative review critically examines the current understanding of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of GDM, highlighting major gaps across the continuum of care. Persistent heterogeneity in diagnostic criteria, reliance on glucose-centric screening, inadequate community sensitization, and limited postpartum follow-up undermine effective detection and long-term prevention. Emerging insights into inflammatory pathways, adipokine imbalance, placental dysfunction, and epigenetic regulation highlight the importance of developing integrative mechanistic approaches. To address these challenges, a 360° hub-and-spoke translational framework is proposed, linking community engagement, standardized diagnosis, mechanistic research, and sustained postpartum care to reframe GDM as a life-course metabolic disorder.
Hypothyroidism reduces thyroid hormone levels, slowing metabolism and is prevalent in India. Therefore, it is of interest to relate hypothyroidism and poor sleep among first-year medical students in eastern India. Hence, an Observational Cross-sectional study was conducted on apparently healthy students aged 18-25 years of a Medical College of Eastern India. Socio demographics, anthropometric measurements, Free T4, TSH and Sleep quality (PSQI) were assessed. 17.241% students had Hypothyroidism, 9.195% students had Subclinical Hypothyroidism, 44.83% students were found to have poor sleep. Female students had significantly more FT4, TSH and poorer sleep quality than male students. (p=0.0282, p=0.0111 and p=0.0094). A strong positive correlation was found between serum TSH levels and PSQI scores (R =0.786). Thus, there is a significant burden of hypothyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism and poor sleep quality among medical students. There is also a strong association between elevated serum TSH levels and impaired sleep quality.
Background: Polypharmacy is frequently encountered in ischemic heart disease (IHD), especially in patients with coexisting hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Although multidrug therapy is clinically justified, the risk of potential drug–drug interactions (pDDIs) rises with therapeutic complexity, particularly in older adults. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of polypharmacy and characterize the patterns and severity of pDDIs in IHD patients with and without cardiometabolic comorbidities in a tertiary care setting. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted over 3 months in the General Medicine and Cardiology outpatient departments of a tertiary hospital in Eastern India. One hundred patients with diagnosed IHD were enrolled, including those with isolated IHD, IHD with hypertension, or IHD with hypertension and/or T2DM. Patients with severe hepatic or renal dysfunction were excluded. Prescription data were analyzed for pDDIs using the Medscape Drug Interaction Checker. Statistical analysis was performed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences v25. Results: The mean age was 57.9 ± 14.5 years; 70% were male. Comorbid hypertension and T2DM were present in 70% of patients, while 6% had isolated IHD. Polypharmacy (≥5 drugs) occurred in 56% of prescriptions, with an average of 6.4 ± 1.2 drugs per patient. Overall, 61% of patients had at least one pDDI. Major interactions occurred in 18% of patients, most commonly aspirin with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors with potassium-sparing diuretics, and clopidogrel with proton pump inhibitors. Conclusion: Polypharmacy and clinically important pDDIs are highly prevalent among IHD patients, particularly those with multimorbidity. Incorporating interaction-screening tools, routine medication review, and clinical pharmacist support may improve prescribing safety and optimize outcomes.
Background:Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women in developing countries. Early detection through effective screening is crucial for reducing morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of Pap smear and colposcopy as screening tools for detecting cervical premalignant and malignant lesions among symptomatic women at a tertiary care centre serving the Sundarban region of West Bengal. Methodology:A hospital-based prospective study was conducted among 110 sexually active women aged 21-50 years presenting with symptoms suggestive of an unhealthy cervix. Participants underwent Pap smear examination followed by colposcopy and colposcopy-guided biopsy. Histopathological examination served as the gold standard for diagnosis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy were calculated for both screening modalities, and agreement was assessed using Cohen's kappa. Results:The mean age of participants was 33.2±4.1 years, with 41.8% aged 31-40 years. White vaginal discharge was the most common presenting complaint (50.9%), followed by intermenstrual bleeding (33.6%). Histopathological examination revealed premalignant and malignant conditions in 13.6% of participants. Cervical pathology was significantly associated with lower socioeconomic status (p<0.001), early pregnancy (p=0.004), multiple sexual partners (p=0.002), history of STI (p<0.001), and prolonged OCP use (p<0.001). Pap test demonstrated 33.3% sensitivity and 97.9% specificity, while colposcopy showed superior performance with 86.7% sensitivity and 80.0% specificity. Agreement between Pap and colposcopy was weak (κ = 0.284). Conclusion:Colposcopy demonstrates significantly higher sensitivity than Pap smear for detecting cervical lesions among symptomatic women, although the two tests demonstrated only weak concordance. While both methods provide useful information where HPV-based screening is not widely available, combined use should be considered cautiously, given resource constraints.
