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Vijay Mallya’s UB group to launch low-cost airline by year-end

NEW DELHI, June 26: The Kingfisher is set to fly with Bangalore-based liquor Czar Vijay Mallya getting ready to launch a low-cost carrier.... .more

Free power critical for
rural economy: Reddy

HYDERABAD, June 26: Brushing off threats by the World Bank to "review loans" extended to Andhra Pradesh, Chief. ......more

Goa medical college gets ‘itech’ telemedicine service launched

PANAJI, June 26: Use of information technology to enable healthcare delivery and boost academic exchanges took a major step with the launch of . ..more

Patil expresses anguish over engineer’s killing

NEW DELHI, June 26: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has expressed his deep anguish over the killing of a railway ...more

Dr Abdul Kalam evinces interest in a rivulet

SULTANPUR LODHI, PUNJAB, June 26: President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, who, during his address to the nation on national technology day on May 19, ......more

‘NSCN(I-M) might withdraw from ceasefire unless CMP modified’

NEW DELHI, June 26: Civil society groups and NGOs from Nagaland today cautioned the Centre that the NSCN (I-M) might not agree to extend the ......more

India, Pak must avoid haste in resolving disputes: Think tank

NEW DELHI, June 26: India and Pakistan must avoid "haste and overly ambitious objective" if they wanted to chalk out a course to resolve their .....more

ANC meeting to discuss Farooq’s invitation

SRINAGAR, Jun 26: Jammu and Kashmir Awami National Conference (ANC) led by ...more
     

Bardhan lambasts BJP over Sonia issue ....

Montek’s shift from IMF is our loss, India’s gain: Krueger ......

Dhananjoy case: President awaits Home Ministry’s report ........

Miscrosurgery helps clerk get back his ‘thumb’ .......

Vijay Mallya’s UB group to launch low-cost airline by year-end

NEW DELHI, June 26: The Kingfisher is set to fly with Bangalore-based liquor Czar Vijay Mallya getting ready to launch a low-cost carrier by this year-end.

His UB group is already involved in aviation as a non-scheduled operator with a charter permit. Next week, it will file application for scheduled operations across the country.

"We are evaluating various options for the type of aircraft to use but in our application, we will file for airbus a-320 with 150 to 179 passenger seats," Mr Mallya said.

Today, Mr Mallya met Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel to discuss the modalities. "We will be a low-cost, no-frills airline but a great experience to fly with," said the man behind phenomenally successful Kingfisher beer who is also a member of Parliament from Rajya Sabha.

The UB group plans to induct eight jets in its first year of operations. "We are currently weighing options whether to lease or buy the planes with various parties," Mr Mallya said adding that Rs 150 crore will be the initial project outlay.

The entry of a large corporate group into the domestic aviation scene is likely to shake up the market, especially if it is a low-cost carrier. International aviation analysts say the time could be ripe for the low-cost model to succeed in India. With its vast geographic expanse, huge travelling population and large distances between cities, the country can be a natural market.

The low cost wave has forced many Indian carriers including air India and Indian airlines sit up and take notice. The Bangalore-based air-deccan is currently the only airline in the low-cost space. The model is becoming very popular internationally with scores of new airlines emerging in almost every market in the world.

The UB group operates an HS-125 aircraft and a helicopter, apart from which Mr Mallya also owns a boeing 727 and a gulfstream G2 which are registered abroad.

He was also involved in an airline venture in the Maldives which used floatplanes for island-hopping. In fact, UB air began flying as an air-taxi operator with a 15-seater Dornier operating between Bangalore and Mangalore in 1990.

The UB group spirits division comprises of Mcdowell and company, Herbertsons Ltd and Mcdowell International Brands Limited. Together they are the leader in Indian spirits industry with over 36 per cent market share.Mcdowell, the larger of the two companies has a portfolio of 53 brands.

"We have invested hundreds and crores of rupees in brand building," said Mr Mallya. "We will be leveraging that in our airline business." (UNI)

Free power critical for rural economy: Reddy

HYDERABAD, June 26: Brushing off threats by the World Bank to "review loans" extended to Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today asserted that his Government was "committed to its offer" of free power to the farmers.

Inaugurating a two-day conference of the District Collectors, the first to improve the rural economy, since he took over after the April 2004 spectacular victory of his party with a clear mandate dr reddy said "power which is critical to the farming has already been made available free by this Government, bringing in much needed help to the farmers of this state."

World Bank officials at New Delhi had threatened yesterday to review some of the bank’s lending programmes in Andhra Pradesh, to see whether the conditions necessary for the success of the programmes undertaken with the assistance had been altered.

The bank did not consider the new Andhra Pradesh Government’s decision to give free power to the agriculture sector as a "good idea,"as it would accentuate water crisis. Acute water shortage in many areas was caused by pumping out of ground water and free power would encourage such pumping, the officials pointed out.

Dr Reddy, on the other hand, asserted that free power was a "critical component" for the development of rural economy, which was facing an unprecedented crisis.

Stating that the rural economy was in a "bad shape," Dr Reddy urged the collectors to "rejuvenate" it. As the agricultureal growth rate in the last several years had declined from 4.2 per cent to less than two per cent, special steps were warranted to increase the growth rate to six per cent annually.

Mentioning steps like free power, waiver of power dues and setting up of ‘agricultural technological mission’ taken by the Government to improve the conditions of the farming community, he asked the district officers to initiate steps to see that there was no harassment to the farmers from money lenders.

He urged the collectors to personally make an on-the-spot study, whenever a farmer’s suicide was reported. "Our figures say there are about 123 suicides after we took office. Opposition is saying that there are 500 suicides. Please report the real figures after verifying facts during the first week of every month, so that we can intensify our efforts to reach out to the farmers and stop the sad eventuality."

Dr Reddy said his Government was committed to completing all the ongoing major irrigation projects at an estimated cost of Rs 45,000 crore and that the excess water of Godavari river would also be utilised with the initiation of pending projects such as Polavaram, Dummugudem and Yellampalli.

He said the Government was also committed to empower Panchayat Raj and local body institutions. (UNI)

Goa medical college gets ‘itech’ telemedicine service launched

PANAJI, June 26: Use of information technology to enable healthcare delivery and boost academic exchanges took a major step with the launch of ‘heart connect telemedicine service’ at the Goa medical college here.

As a first step in this process, Telemedicine connectivity has been established between Goa medical college and the Bangalore-based Wockhardt hospital and heart institute. This will be followed by connectivity with the Wockhardt’s specialty hospital in Mumbai.

Inaugurating the Telemedicine service centre on late Friday, Goa Health Minister Suresh Amonkar said this was a giant stride forward in healthcare in the state.

"Telemedicine can play a significant role across the spectrum, delivering public health facilities, improving patient information and giving access to medical students about the latest advancements in their field."

By implementing Telemedicine in Goa medical college, Wockhardt hospital has taken a leadership role in connecting medical colleges with healthcare institutions with a focus on academic exchanges, the minister observed.

As a part of this association, the reputed team of cardiologists, surgeons and anesthesiologists of Wockhardt heart institute would be accessible on line to the faculty of Goa medical college on a daily basis to discuss complex cases and to the students for case studies in interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery.

"The Telemedicine service will give an access to view on line at Bangalore all the critical diagnostic parameters of the patients like ECGs, X-rays and investigation reports," said Ranganath Nayak, interventional cardiologist, Wockhardt heart institute.

"This will help us discuss the treatment modalities of patients with the doctors in Goa whenever required by them."

Vivek Jawali, Chief Cardiovascular Surgeon at Wockhardt heart institute, said this facility was specifically useful to patients who were advised heart surgery.

"A preliminary Teleconsult will not only give them the confidence of having met us but will also save them the anxiety of travelling long distance just for routine consultations. Post operative patients also need not travel to Bangalore for regular check up," he said.

Last year, a live satellite workshop was conducted in Goa where six cases of angioplasty and bypass surgery performed at Wockhardt hospital in Bangalore were transmitted and discussed live with the medical fraternity of the state.

Vishal Bali, vice-president (operation) of the institute, said information technology was changing the practice of medicine. "We are leveraging the advancement of Telemedicine to give citizens and the medical faculty of Goa access to Wockhardt’s expertise and experience of more than 15 years in the area of heart treatment."

He said the technology for setting up the Telemedicine service was funded by Wockhardt and patients will not be charged for availing this. (UNI)

Patil expresses anguish over engineer’s killing

NEW DELHI, June 26: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has expressed his deep anguish over the killing of a railway engineer in Jammu and Kashmir, Sudhir Kumar Pundir, even as security agencies blamed Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) for the gruesome killing.

Patil, who met senior security officials late last night to take stock of the situation, expressed his deeep anguish over the killing of two innocent persons by militants, official sources said.

The sources said that the Home Minister was briefed by the security agencies that Farooq Ahmed Kuchay, the local contractor who was also kidnapped along with Sudhir and his brother, had told his interrogators that the stickers of LeT were inscribed on the butt of the AK-47 of the abductors.

The sources said that the killing of the Sudhir and his brother Sandeep had led to yet another new trend that the militancy in the State had entered into a criminal phase where the terrorists had now started extorting money from people, a phenomenon witnessed in Punjab earlier.

Bodies of Pundir brothers was found in a jungle in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.

The Home Minister, while directing that culprits should be brought to book immediately, also asked the security agencies to ensure that the railway project in the Valley was not stopped because of the incident.

Pundir hails from Muzzafarnagar area of Uttar Pradesh and his father is a teacher at an intermediate school and had no means to pay the ransom of Rs 50 lakh as demanded by the abductors. (PTI)

Dr Abdul Kalam evinces interest in a rivulet

SULTANPUR LODHI, PUNJAB, June 26: President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, who, during his address to the nation on national technology day on May 19, had lauded Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal for cleaning up Kali Bein(a rivulet) associated with the enlightenment of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, has sought a detailed report from Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar Verma about the cleaniness project undertaken by the Baba.

Confirming the President’s e-mail received four days ago, Mr Verma today said he is preparing a detailed report for appraisal of Dr Kalam who has evinced a keen interest in the project undertaken through voluntary efforts of the people mobilised by the Sikh saint. The Baba has invited Dr Kalam to visit the place to see how efforts of ordinary people can transform ecology.

The Sikh founder is said to have received enlightenment after a dip in the sparkling waters of the rivulet which later became a holy bein for the people. Gurudwara ber sahib was later built in the memory of the Guru who had spent 14 years of his early life in this town where his sister lived. The town became historic with his visit but has remained neglected all these years. The rivulet acquired the name of Kali Bein (black rivulet) after its sparkling clean waters became brackish over a period due to effluents and other discharge into it.

But under the inspiring leadership of Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, the rivulet has not only been cleaned in the last four years but the town, too, has been beautified with Government help. Roads have been widened and a four-km-long concrete pathway on either banks of the rivulet built to enable people stroll along the pathways planted with fruit and flower saplings. People on morning and evening walk on the leafy and clean pathways are a common sight these days.

Over a hundred ‘Kar Sevaks’(volunteers) of Baba Balbir Singh from nearby villages throng the town daily to maintain the cleaniness of the green pathways. They are always there before the arrival of even the earliest walker every morning.

More than a thousand residents of the town along with fifty tractors were engaged in clearing choke points in the rivulet under the supervision of Baba when a team of reporters from Kapurthala visited Kali Bein today. Besides removing recurring hyacinth and other weeds, they have so far cleaned 160 km length of the Bein and were in the process of deepening the rivulet to 20 feet.

The Baba’s ‘ Kar Sewaks’ have also built a three-km-long bathing ghat on one side of the rivulet and paved a 100 km long kucha path along its one bank. Encroachers, who had filed many civil suits in various courts, have vacated the land, motivated by the Baba and his noble cause for the larger good of the public.

The Deputy Commissioner said Punjab Government has agreed to install a regulator of the capacity of 500 cusecs at the Mukerian hydel channel, adding 100 cusecs of water has been released from Tarkiana barrage into the Bein to make it a perennial rivulet. Baba, on the other hand, is working with authorities to stop effluents discharge from factories and sewage of Kapurthala, Begowal, Mukerian and Dasuya towns into the rivulet in a bid to keep it clean perpetually. He said his objective was to once again restore the sacred glory of the rivulet. (UNI)

‘NSCN(I-M) might withdraw from ceasefire unless CMP modified’

NEW DELHI, June 26: Civil society groups and NGOs from Nagaland today cautioned the Centre that the NSCN (I-M) might not agree to extend the ceasefire if it fails to modify its Common Minimum Programme (CMP) and delete the clause on territorial integrity.

Addressing a press conference here, spokesman of the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) Neingulo Krome said, "the key demand of the NSCN (I-M) is the creation of greater Nagaland and if the Naga inhabited areas in the north east are not integrated, the rebel group might withdraw from the ceasefire agreement which will derail the ongoing peace process." The ceasefire which came into force in 1997 expires every year on July 31.

The United Progressive Alliance Government in its CMP has committed to safeguard the territorial integrity of the north east. Greater Nagaland comprises Nagaland and Naga inhabited areas of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh NSCN (I-M). The demand is the biggest stumbling block in the successful conclusion of the peace talks between the it and the Centre, as the other states are vehemently opposed to their dismemberment. The crucial round of peace of talks, first since the change of guard, concluded yesterday in Amsterdam.

"Whatever may be the outcome of peace negotiations integration of all Naga areas will remain non-negotiable as far as the aspirations of the Naga people are concerned," Mr Krome said.

A delegation of NPMHR, Naga students’ federation and Naga Mother’s Association yesterday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to adhere to the Centre’s policy on settlement of Naga problem and not to make any structural change that could affect the ongoing ceasefire and peace process. The delegation also met the Home Minister and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

Mr Krome said the seven-year-old ceasefire had brought about a sense of security and hope among the people, however, any statements or interventions against the political talks would be "contradictory and anti-peace process".

"We repose trust in Dr Singh and hope that his leadership would address the needs and aspirations of the people of the Indian sub-continent."

"The delegation urged the Central leaders to expedite the ongoing peace process in letter and spirit as per the agreed principles," Mr Krome said, adding, "the leaders have assured to consider our demands including deletion of the clause on territorial intergrity from the CMP. There is room for modification in the CMP and we are hopeful that our demands will be met."

Mr Krome also appreciated the role of the previous Governments and the Prime Ministers in the peace talks.

"We are here to further strengthen our partnership with members of the various civil society organisations and well meaning individuals, who always continue to be our source of strength and inspiration as we share solidarity towards achieving our common hopes and dreams. The Naga civil society is of the firm belief that the climate of prevailing conditions is at its best with the UPA Government under Dr Singh to bring a cohesive representation and opportunity in furthering a political settlement."

"We further call upon Dr Singh not to deviate from the hitherto pursued Government policy for the past seven years and ensure that any structural changes, applied elsewhere, concerning revisions of the present status and trends of Government policies, does not detrimentally affect the climate of peace and anticipation that has come about with the ceasefire and political talks".

On the continuation of K Padmanabhaiah as the Centre’s interlocutor in the vexed Naga issue, Mr Krome said, "we appreciate his role. The civil society groups and NGOs do nor have any mandate to seek appointment of any political negotiator."

Describing it as "deliberate", he pointed out that neither the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) nor the Presidential address had made any reference to the ongoing Naga peace process and political talks.

"However, the warm reception and encouraging responses we received and the reassurances the Centre has given for the continuation of peace talks with committments to bring it to a logical conclusion will be the common bondage of relationship in days to come," Mr Krome observed.

The delegation also demanded repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 and withdrawl of the Disturbed Areas Act from Nagaland, Manipur and other areas in the north east. The disturbed areas act in Nagaland is likely to be extended for a period of one year from July 22. A national conevention of the NGOs including NPMHR will be held in national capital next month to demand the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act. (UNI)

India, Pak must avoid haste in resolving disputes: Think tank

NEW DELHI, June 26: India and Pakistan must avoid "haste and overly ambitious objective" if they wanted to chalk out a course to resolve their disputes, an international think-tank on strategic affairs said today on the even of Foreign Secretary-level parleys between the two countries.

It warned of the "dangers of proceedings too quickly on the most contentious issue" and suggested that what needed to be done now was to give the normalisation process a boost.

The Brussels-based international crisis group also said Pakistan "must give up its support for militancy and recognise that its policy has produced intense suffering for Kashmiris and undermined stability at home".

Both India and Pakistan "must lower rhetoric and focus on the benefits of cooperation", it said and listed a wide range of steps they should take in this direction.

"When Pakistani and Indian Foreign Secretaries meet to continue the initiative launched by President Pervez Musharraf and then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, they must avoid haste and overly ambitious objectives if they are to chart a course that may ultimately resolve the disputes that brought the two countries near nuclear war only a year ago", the ICG, which has several world leaders including Presidents and Prime Ministers on its board, said.

Describing the prevailing thaw in the Indo-Pak relations as "positive", it said the previous summits had raised expectations "but ultimately led to even worse relations".

"What is needed now is a careful process of normalisation built around the extensive Confidence Building Measures", particularly to enable greater interaction among the Indian and Pakistani business communities and other civil society actors as well as Kashmiris across the Line of Control, the ICG said.

In its latest report on Indo-Pak relations and Kashmir, it welcomed the recent progress in ties and said "normalisation must be projected as a win-win situation for both sides.

"It is hard to overstate the mutual mistrust. Decades of hostility have caused each routinely to ascribe the worst motives to the other. The Governments have formed mindsets in which they willingly suffer great losses to score minor points. This as well as key policies must change," it said.

The group’s board includes prominent personalities like former Finland President Martti Ahtisaari, former Australian President Gareth Evans, former Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez, former Prime Minister I K Gujral, former Pakistan Human Rights Commission Chairperson Asma Jahangir and former US Congressman Stephen Solarz. (PTI)

ANC meeting to discuss Farooq’s invitation

SRINAGAR, Jun 26: Jammu and Kashmir Awami National Conference (ANC) led by former Chief Minister Ghulam Mohammad Shah has convened a special meeting of its working committee on Monday to discuss the invitation of National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah to Shah to rejoin the parent body.

Shah has convened the meeting on June 28 to formulate the party’s response to the invitation extended by Abdullah to him about a fortnight back, an ANC spokesman told PTI.

He said the meeting will also discuss the prevailing political situation in the state and decide on the party’s future course of action.

Abdullah made the appeal to Shah, who is his estranged brother-in-law to rejoin the National Conference along with his associates in the course of his address to the people assembled here to observe fourth day ceremony of leader of opposition and veteran NC leader Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah who passed away on June 11.

The former Chief Minister appealed to Shah to join the parent organisation so that "we all join hands to cement the walls of National Conference and play our role towards restoration of complete peace and tranquillity and work towards welfare and progress of the people of the state."

Shah quit NC and formed ANC in July 1984 to head a Government in the state after 13 MLAs deserted the National Conference and state Congress then headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed extended outside support to it.

However, Shah’s Government lasted only 22 months as Congress withdrew support and the state was brought under Governor’s Rule.(PTI)

Bardhan lambasts BJP over Sonia issue

MUMBAI, Jun 26: Lambasting the Bharatiya Janata Party’s(BJP) charge that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had emerged as an "extra constitutional authority", Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary A B Bardhan today said it was ridiculous to object to any party’s authority over it’s Government.

"There is nothing wrong in the party president guiding its Government in power," he told reporters here while citing the example of the Left Government in West Bengal where the Marxist leaders were in consultation with the Government.

He said the BJP should look into its own record of "a Government which had always functioned under the extra constitutional pressure of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh" (RSS) with the party leaders frequenting the Sangh’s headquarters in Nagpur in Maharashtra.

"Should I as the CPI general secretary not be guiding my party MPs in the Parliament", he asked.

On the issue of tainted Ministers in the Dr Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government, Mr Bardhan said, "as a party leader, I am not happy over the inclusion".

He cited the case of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) member Taslimiuddin, who, he said, had been removed from the United Front Government when Communist leader Indrajit Gupta was the Home Minister.

He said the BJP had no moral right to raise the issue when the NDA Government had so many tainted Ministers including L K Advani, who was presiding over the ministry, which is supposed to take action into such cases.

He felt that the electorate should reject such people so that such a situation did not arise.

Asked if the Left parties would insist on the removal of some of the hard-core Sangh Parivar members who had been appointed to various important posts by the NDA Government, Mr Bardhan said, "we would not like to be seen as going on a witch-hunt, vindictive or revengeful."

He, however, said, "certain people like the Haryana Governor, who was openly soliciting votes for the BJP needed to be weeded out".

To another question on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s observation that "during the past few years there had been a broad consensus on economic issues between the BJP and the Congress but he feared that the Communists would not allow it to continue", Mr Bardhan said, "There was no such consensus". (UNI)

Montek’s shift from IMF is our loss, India’s gain: Krueger

WASHINGTON, Jun 26: Lauding the performance of Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission-designate, a senior official of the International Monetary Fund today said his tenure at the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) of IMF had been an "unequivocal success".

Congratulating Ahluwalia on being appointed to the top post in India IMF first Deputy Managing Director Anne Kruegar said "our loss will be India’s gain"

"I think we are all agreed that Montek’s tenure at the IEO has been an unequivocal success. The challenge of setting up the new office was difficult enough. Few people had the intellectual and administrative skills needed to do that successfully", she said in a statement.

She said ensuring that the IEO would be rapidly able to establish a reputation for independent, fair-minded and high-quality analysis was a feat few people could have managed.

"Almost no one could have done it with the good-natured flair that Montek Ahluwalia has shown," she said.

Kruegar termed Ahluwalia’s stint at the IMF as a challenging assignment, and with risks attached.

"The fund had long resisted the idea of independent evaluation. After all, it is not always a comfortable experience to have one’s work subjected to independent scrutiny," she said.

The IMF official said "the new office had in short order to convince staff that this was a worthwhile exercise and that they could expect fair, if not always uncritical, analysis of their decisions".

"The newly-established IEO also had to persuade the executive board that it was capable of providing useful assessments of the Fund’s work in a way that drew lessons for the future direction of policy".

"In short, the IEO needed rapidly to demonstrate that the decision to create it was justified. That it has done so in such an impressive way is largely a result of Montek’s wise leadership. His warm personal approach is distinctive and makes professional exchanges with him a pleasure. But he combines this with a professional detachment that is both enviable and vital for the IEO’s Director," Kruegar added.(PTI)

Dhananjoy case: President awaits Home Ministry’s report

NEW DELHI, Jun 26: President A P J Abdul Kalam will take a decision on the mercy plea of Dhananjoy Chatterjee, who has been sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a school girl in Kolkata in 1990, after receiving the Home Ministry report on it.

The President is awaiting comments from the Home Ministry before taking a view on the mercy petition, official sources said.

As done in this case, the President’s secretariat sends such petitions to the Home Ministry for its report.

The Supreme Court had yesterday declined to entertain Chatterjee’s plea against the West Bengal Governor’s order rejecting his mercy petition on the ground that the President "is seized of the matter under Article 72 of Constitution".

It would be Dhananjoy’s second mercy petition before the President. His first one was rejected on June 23, 1994.

Dhananjoy was sentenced to death by a Calcutta sessions court on August 12, 1991 for the rape and murder of a teen-ager and the order was confirmed by the Calcutta High Court. Later, the Supreme Court also upheld the conviction and sentence in January 1994.(PTI)

Miscrosurgery helps clerk get back his ‘thumb’

COIMBATORE, June 25: Without his right thumb, which, along with his middle and ring fingers, was lost in a mishap, G Narayana Rao had his livelihood at stake.

Employed as a clerk, his job involved a lot of writing, which, became a difficult task for him.

However, he would no more worry about his job being at risk, as he has got his ‘thumb’ back through a microsurgery conducted at the private Ganga hospital here.

Mr Rao, (26), a clerk with the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department at Rajahmundry, had come to the hospital without his right thumb, middle and ring fingers, which he had lost in a cracker burst during a marriage in east Godavari district.

Ganga hospital department of plastic hand and reconstructive Microsurgery Chief Dr S Raja Sabhapathy said, in a press release here, today that for the reconstruction of the lost thumb, the great toe of the patient’s right foot was taken and reattached in the place of the lost thumb through microsurgery.

Eventhough, after the surgery, his right hand become fully functional and he was able to write like before, the hand still looked deformed due to the absence of middle and ring fingers. To make Mr Rao’s right hand look near normal, custom-made silicone prosthesis (artificial fingers) were fitted in place of his middle and ring fingers.

Elaborating on the prosthesis, Dr Sabapathy said unlike the prosthesis for legs, like the Jaipur foot, which could be mass produced and were available even free of cost, fingers or hand prosthesis had to be custom made to match the exact colour, skin tone, hair and creases of the normal finger of the other hand. Further, it must be durable, should not change colour and must not fall off.

He said Ganga hosptial, in collaboration with Otto Bock of Germany, had started a state-of-the-art silicone prosthesis centre here recently. (UNI)

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