State Govt should lead by example
This has reference to the remarks by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, stating that he would attempt to introduce Konkani language in working of the High Court. As per Article 348 (1) of the Constitution of India, English is the official language for all the high courts. However as per Clause (2) of Article 348, the Governor of a State, with the previous consent of President of India, can authorise use of official language of the State in proceedings before its high court. Language has always been an emotive issue. The Chief Minister’s intention to introduce Konkani in working of the High Court should be appreciated as it would make the proceedings crystal clear to the laymen too. However, I strongly suggest the State Government should lead by example.
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First and foremost, the Orders/Circulars issued by Government of Goa should be in Konkani and Marathi in addition to English. Further, the Official Gazette published by the Government should be in Konkani and Marathi. There is a Government notification stating that any communication received by Government in Konkani or Marathi shall be responded to in the same language. However, any letter written to a Government Officer in Konkani/ Marathi is invariably responded to in English language. The Chief Minister ought to first rectify this and lead by example.
Sadanand M Raikar, Colva
Rejecting tiger reserve!
Perhaps the Goa Forest Minister and that of the Environment Minister should be put under a new ministry of Goa Eco Terrorism.
It is really crying shame that now particularly with the climatic/eco threat facing the planet and wildlife, Goa’s selfish ministers have their own destructive agendas.
Arwin Mesquita, Colva
Need to crackdown on spurious drugs
The menace of spurious drugs circulating in the market is claiming many lives or is delaying the recovery of gullible patients. Unfortunately there is no regulation on the manufacture of medicines in our country. Though on paper, the requirement for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) exists but it is hardly adhered to.
Small unauthorised units in remote parts of the country make spurious drugs and get these marketed through well known companies. This is specially so in case of expensive medicines like antibiotics or fast moving drugs. Though we have a Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) to make random checks of these drugs regarding their viability, in practice it is done only if someone complains. Having regulations in place is not enough. The regulations must be stringent with no loopholes and more importantly existing and new drugs must be regularly and assiduously checked albeit on a random basis to ensure that they are fit for purpose and have been through the correct checks.
Usually, the doctors come to know about spurious drugs when after prescribing a particular drug, they find it is not giving the desired result or there are side effects and if with the change of brand the desired result is obtained. But in the process the prescribing doctor gets a bad name and sometimes this even results in assault of doctors.
Controlling the menace of fake drugs is not a very easy job as the small units producing these drugs are spread in remote parts all over the country and they are located in small one to two room dingy places without any sign board etc.
To control this we need a very powerful regulator in the form of FDA which functions without any political interference. FDA should carry out random inspection of samples from pharmacies.
Also, each medicine strip or injection vial should have a barcode wherein the origin, manufacturer details and composition of the drug should be available so that in case it is not as per laid down standards the culprit can be caught.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Paving way for a brighter future
It is time to look at the outside world for the children and this colourful world includes parents, grandparents and the elders. A window to see the outside world looks into the picture of brightness and the abundant future. Children are the future of this country and by creating passion and dedication one can translate it into handwork of their choice in the best way possible. Handwork plays a pivotal role in the curriculum and by constantly using their hands constantly they can do knitting, sow, stitch and try hands in metal and woodwork with their creative knowledge and their objective project curriculum bring in many creativity and the creation of hands transpired by elders and adults make things move in a proper direction and paves way for a brighter future.
It is vital to teach children to repair, reduce, reuse and recycle in a manner which helps the society to make use of their latent talent. Less is more and the future generation should acquire knowledge about the environment and how to save earth from dying. It is not necessary to have too much, but it is important to have the right things in the right places. It is time to pave the way for children to have a bright and paying future.
C K Subramaniam,
Navi Mumbai
Ben Stokes can replace Joe Root
Joe Root’s resignation as England’s Test captain brings the curtains down on a five-year stint at the helm. The Yorkshireman led England in a record 64 Tests, winning 27 (the most by an England captain) and losing 26 (also a dubious distinction).
The clamour for his exit as the captain grew louder after the Ashes drubbing and the series defeat in the West Indies. England had a dismal last 12 months, losing 11 and drawing five of the 21 Tests. Root’s trusted lieutenant and star all-rounder Ben Stokes fits the bill for the top job.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
Haemophilia care
Frank Schnabel Lloyd founded the World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH) and went on to be a trendsetter in creating acute awareness about the disorder and other bleeding disorders. The WFH has 127 member nations that transcend tokenism to actively contribute their mite to control and treat haemophilia.
The genetic bleeding disorder that haemophilia is, it has suffered from dearth of knowledge and sparse education. The sex-linked recessive disorder remains a mystery to many for all the wrong reasons. Haemophilia is a disorder where blood clotting is affected by the scarcity of clotting factors. The blood clotting mechanism may be affected by the paucity of the respective clotting factors.
Blood may take a longer time to clot and people with the clotting disorder bleed long to have an excruciating pain, in and around the joints, due to internal bleeding. Since it is a genetic disorder, nothing can be done to prevent the disorder but much can be done to reduce its repercussions.
So, women are mostly haemophilia carriers. Pregnancy is obviously one contentious issue which has haunted women suffering from the disorder.
The so-called “haemophilia carriers” have a significant risk of giving birth to babies with haemophilia. The delivery itself may be normal and uneventful. But testing the level of clotting factors as advised by the treating obstetrician is important to ward off risks.
Many investigations on gene therapy have been conducted to cause relief to the haemophilia sufferers.
Tests can diagnose the disorder. Uncontrolled bleeding, and bleeding in the brain, may lead to unexpected death.
Replacement therapy with clotting factors can help.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
