The Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS) is India’s first rural medical college, nestled in the karmabhoomi of Mahatma Gandhi, in Sevagram. It is managed by the Kasturba Health Society. The college was earlier affiliated to the Nagpur University (1969–1997) and from year 1998 it is now affiliated to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), Nashik.
Healthcare utilisation patterns often differ by sex, reflecting variations in health-seeking and service access. This study analyzed hospital record data to assess sex-based differences in non-obstetric outpatient and inpatient departmental services utilisation at a rural tertiary care hospital in central India. A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted on hospital records from Kasturba Hospital, Sevagram, Maharashtra, covering the period from April 2018 to March 2019. Data on patient demographics, hospital admissions, and outpatient visits were extracted and analyzed to determine sex-based patterns. All data were anonymized to protect patient confidentiality. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to compare male and female utilisation patterns. Of 231,000 total patient encounters, 47.2
BackgroundIndia faces the highest burden of human and bovine tuberculosis (TB) globally. Despite this, the association between human TB and livestock exposure remains poorly understood. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate the association between human TB and livestock contact in Wardha district, Maharashtra, India.MethodsA case-control study was conducted from 01/03/2021 to 31/03/2022. Cases were microbiologically confirmed TB patients in HDSS villages, while controls were asymptomatic individuals from the same villages without TB history. Livestock in these households (HHs) were screened for TB using Interferon-Gamma-Release-Assay (IGRA), Single Cervical-Test (SCT), and Comparative-Cervical-test (CCT). Additionally, community-pooled milk samples were cultured for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Fisher's exact test was used to calculate crude odds ratios and logistic regression for adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A post hoc exploratory analysis to understand the relationship between effect size and sample size requirements was done.ResultsThe study included 52 cases and 205 controls, with a median age of 36.5 years (56% men) and 38.5 years (74% men), respectively. Analysis revealed that ownership of livestock and direct contact with cattle did not significantly alter TB risk in humans. Contact with goats showed a marginal association with human TB (AOR: 3.0; 95% CI: 1.0-9.2; p = 0.05). Of 290 livestock screened for TB, none tested positive by confirmatory tests (CCT/IGRA). While 10.2% of cattle showed reactivity to the SIT, this likely represents cross-reactivity with environmental mycobacteria. All bulk milk samples (n = 201) tested negative for MTBC. Post-hoc power analysis revealed that the study had limited statistical power (41%) to detect the observed association with goat contact.ConclusionThis study found no evidence of bovine TB in livestock or milk samples. While contact with goats showed a marginal association requiring further investigation, livestock ownership and raw milk consumption did not show strong associations with human TB. The absence of confirmed TB in animals suggests zoonotic transmission is not a significant contributor to human TB in this setting. The results highlight the need for larger, regionally diverse studies to better understand livestock-associated TB risk factors in India.
Abstract Background: Recreational activities are essential for physical and mental well-being, yet rural adolescent girls often face gender-based barriers to participation, increasing their risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Methodology: A qualitative study using Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) techniques – including daily activity schedules, force field analysis (FFA), Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and in-depth interviews (IDI) were conducted. Thematic analysis identified key themes, while force field analysis ranked enablers and barriers based on participant weightage. COREQ-32 items checklist was used for reporting of the findings. Results: Adolescent girls engaged in diverse recreational activities (indoor/outdoor games and cultural activities), recognising benefits such as improved fitness and emotional well-being. However, excessive mobile use and boredom were the noted drawbacks. Key facilitators included education, family support and school encouragement, while major barriers were academic pressure and gendered household responsibilities. Conclusion: Despite awareness of recreation’s benefits, rural adolescent girls’ participation is limited by sociocultural norms, household duties and inadequate school/community facilities. Gender remains a critical determinant in access to recreation, although gradual shifts are occurring. Interventions should address structural barriers to promote equitable recreational opportunities.
Background:Tuberculosis infection among healthcare workers poses a major occupational health risk in resource-limited, high-burden settings. SIILTIBCY® (CY-TB) is a novel antigen-based skin test for TBI that may offer a simpler, low-cost, field-deployable alternative to laboratory-based interferon-gamma release assays such as QuantiFERON-TB® Gold In-Tube Plus (QFT). Objective:To estimate TBI prevalence among HCWs at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences/Kasturba Hospital Sevagram (MGIMS) and evaluate the diagnostic performance of CY-TB compared to QFT. Methods:In a prospective cohort at MGIMS, consenting HCWs without TB disease underwent both CY-TB and QFT testing during July 2023-June 2024. Diagnostic performance of CY-TB was assessed using QFT as the reference standard. Results:Of 2071 HCWs offered screening, 1753 (84.6%) consented and 1338 (76.3%) had paired test results. The median age was 29 years (IQR: 19.5, 38.5); 63% were female. Overall prevalence of TB infection was 28.5% (95% CI 26.1-31.0). CY-TB sensitivity and specificity were 76.4% (95% CI 71.6-80.7) and 97.0% (95% CI 95.7-97.9), respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 90.9% and 91.1%. Conclusions:CY-TB performance was comparable to QFT, suggesting it may be a practical, low-cost tool for TB infection screening in resource-limited healthcare settings.
The present study aimed to develop a simple, rapid, reliable, and low-cost thin-layer chromatography (TLC) method for the qualitative and semi-quantitative detection of chlorpyrifos (CP) in human biological fluids, namely blood and gastric aspirate samples obtained from poisoning patients. Chlorpyrifos residues were extracted from biological samples by liquid–liquid extraction using diethyl ether. Separation was performed on silica gel TLC plates using hexane–acetone (8:2, v/v) as the mobile phase. A 10% copper sulphate solution was employed as a chromogenic spraying reagent for visualization of TLC spots. The developed chromogenic reagent produced a distinct yellow coloured spot for chlorpyrifos with an Rf value of 0.86, corresponding exactly with standard chlorpyrifos. Among the tested agricultural chemicals, chlorpyrifos showed selective and intense colour development, whereas most other organophosphorus insecticides, pyrethroids, and herbicides did not produce visible colour under identical conditions. Repeatability studies demonstrated acceptable variation (± 0.01) in Rf values. Semi-quantitative analysis was carried out using sequential dilution studies and ImageJ-assisted image analysis. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 3.8025 µg/spot and 11.5229 µg/spot, respectively. Estimated chlorpyrifos equivalents in unknown blood and gastric aspirate extracts were 327.2416 µg/spot and 168.9368 µg/spot, respectively. The developed TLC method provides a rapid, economical, and reliable preliminary screening approach for chlorpyrifos poisoning in clinical and forensic toxicology laboratories, particularly in resource-limited settings.
