Gujarat’s first stem cell and umbilical cord bank will be started at a new obstetrics and gynaecology department being set up at SSG Hospital by the Baroda Medical College Alumni (BMCA) association, with assistance from the state government.

Dr Ajeet Kothari, president of BMCA who is based in the US, recently visited Vadodara in this connection.

If everything goes according to the doctors’ plan, a facility to store umbilical cords would be very useful, said Dr RN Daveshwar, superintendent in-charge of SSG Hospital, and added, ‘‘The umbilical cord which is usually discarded at the time of the delivery is a rich source of stem cells.’’

At a stem cell bank, the cord undergoes tests for diseases and if it is found to be safe then stem cells are processed from it. According to SSG Hospital authorities, the area for this department has already been earmarked on the SSG campus and construction will start in January 2007.

With approval from the state government already in its bag, the BMCA is planing to complete the entire work within a year, said Dr Daveshwar.In January 2006, the BMCA had proposed construction of a new building to house the obstretics and gynaecology department with a 250-bed capacity at SSG Hospital.

Source : Expressindia.com

Mehsana-based Dudhsagar Dairy, in its general board meeting, gave unanimous approval to a decision on registering the dairy co-operative under the Multi-state Co-operative Act. All set to facilitate its national expansion plans, it has already set up its Dudhsagar dairy plant at Manesar in Haryana, with an eye on the Delhi milk market.

In Monday’s annual general meeting of the dairy, the resolution was also backed by former dairy chairman Vitthal Patel. Mehsana Dairy chairman, Vipul Chaudhary, who has been hinting at asserting the dairy’s independent presence sans the parent body Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation, once again flexed muscles. He said that the Mehsana dairy farmer need not think of himself as dependent on anyone, be it the state or Central government and even bodies like National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) or even the multinationals. The reason for his confidence stems from the profits that the dairy has churned out of its milk powder sales this year. Mehsana Dairy has been able to generate profit of Rs 90 lakh from sales of milk powder in 2006, managing director K C Verma said. Also, right now Mehsana Dairy is the largest contributor to GCMMF in terms of volumes.

Source : Expressindia.com