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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

MNS red-flags BMC proposal to engage private player

Mumbai : A storm is brewing over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s plan to set up its first-ever 4-year nursing degree college - now mired in a row with a proposal to engage a private player for the prestigious project.   The civic body recently floated an e-tender to develop the proposed nursing degree college on a Design-Build-Operate-Transfer (DBOT) basis in five years, on a prime 2327  sq.mt  plot on R. K. Patkar Marg, near BMC’s K.B. Bhabha Hospital, in Bandra west.  ...

MNS red-flags BMC proposal to engage private player

Mumbai : A storm is brewing over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s plan to set up its first-ever 4-year nursing degree college - now mired in a row with a proposal to engage a private player for the prestigious project.   The civic body recently floated an e-tender to develop the proposed nursing degree college on a Design-Build-Operate-Transfer (DBOT) basis in five years, on a prime 2327  sq.mt  plot on R. K. Patkar Marg, near BMC’s K.B. Bhabha Hospital, in Bandra west.   However, with only a single bidder in the fray, the deadline has now been extended till April 6. The lone bid has reportedly come from the JSW Foundation, which has quoted a one-time premium of Rs 5.29 crore, along with a nominal lease rent of Rs 3,000 pa for a 30-year period. Under the proposed model, the selected private partner will be responsible for designing, constructing, financing, operating, and maintaining the multi-storey campus. The contract will have an initial term of 10 years, extendable twice by 10 years each based on performance.   A pre-bid meeting was reportedly held on March 10, 2026, and the deadline for bid submissions is March 23, 2026. The project must comply with regulations set by the Indian Nursing Council (INC) and the Maharashtra Nursing Council (MNC).   The proposed institution - set to come up in a sprawling 1.23 lakh sq.ft facility - will have an intake capacity of 100 seats. The tender conditions that 40 pc of the seats will remain with the BMC, and the remaining shall be controlled by the private operator.     Slamming the proposal, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Bandra West Vibhag Pramukh Tushar M. Aphale questioned why the country’s biggest and richest civic body with a vast healthcare infrastructure is opting to ‘privatise’ a flagship educational-cum-health project.   In a stern letter to the BMC, Aphale argued that the BMC is fully equipped - financially and administratively - to build and run a nursing degree college independently.   Justifying his contentions, Aphale pointed out that the civic body already operates an extensive public health network, including 292 health posts, 192 dispensaries, 30 maternity homes, 16 hospitals including the mammoth KEM Hospital, five specialty hospitals, four medical colleges and a dental college. It also runs a nursing school offering a two-year diploma course.   “With such a massive infrastructure catering to the health of lakhs of Mumbaikars, what is stopping the BMC from launching its own degree college?” he told 'The Perfect Voice'' .   Despite efforts, officials of JSW Foundation were not available for their comments. The MNS leader warned that handing over the project to a private entity could restrict opportunities for local students and healthcare workers besides diluting public control over a critical training institution.   “We strongly demand that the tender must be scrapped immediately, failing which we shall launch an agitation. A MNS delegation will also meet new Municipal Commissioner Ashwini S. Bhide soon in the matter,” he said.   Status of nursing education As per the DMER, currently in Mumbai, there is one college offering MSc Nursing 2-year course, one teaching Basic Nursing BSc 4-year course, one offering Post-Basic BSc 2-year course, and one teaching a year-long Post-Basic Diploma in Pediatric Speciality Nursing course. The SNDT Women’s University also offers a BSC Nursing degree course at its Churchgate campus.   Besides there are several other private entities offering different courses in nursing of varying durations in the city, indicating a dire need for a full-fledged nursing degree college for Mumbai.

AI in Sperm Sorting: An Unbiased Decision for A Better Outcome

Artificial Intelligence or AI is revolutionising fertility treatments of the future. The inclusion of AI enhances the accuracy, efficiency, and objectivity of sperm selection, hence potentially improving fertility outcomes by leaps and bounds. Traditionally, sperm sorting through manual methods is subjective to judgments. Processes like centrifugation and swim-up methods are used to separate sperm based on motility and morphology. Although they are effective, they have their limitations, leading to human errors that affect the success rates of fertility treatment. For instance, studies have shown that traditional sperm sorting techniques can have variability in success rates, with reported live birth rates ranging between 15 per cent to 25 per cent per cycle depending on the method and quality of sperm. Hence the introduction of AI helps in maintaining consistency in evaluations of sperm, using the same data set for every sample which leads to better judgments.


Automation and Standardisation- Automation of sperm selection and also introduction of AI in the process have improved the results in ART. AI-assisted sperm selection improves the accuracy in choosing high-quality sperm for fertilisation purposes, and also, pregnancy and live birth rates might be improved. Technologies like Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection along with AI ensure the chances of pregnancies increase by about 10-20 per cent compared to the standard procedures. AI and Automation will decrease time taken to analyze sperm and increase opportunities to select better sperm with DNA integrity for better development and higher success rates in embryo selection. These processes ensure that the sperm selection process follows consistent criteria, reducing variability in outcomes caused by human error.


Analysing Complex Data for Better Outcomes- AI plays a crucial in improving IVF outcomes by analysing complex data and providing tailored recommendations. AI-driven tools and models such as those on SpOvum.ai point towards an opportunity to optimise ovarian stimulation decisions by assessing patient characteristics and follicle growth patterns. A study revealed that the use of AI in IVF improved egg yield and reduced medication costs. AI enables fertility specialists to make data-driven choices, improving overall IVF success rates and streamlining treatment processes.


Reducing Human Error- AI models can continuously learn and refine their performance by being trained on newer data. This adaptability ensures the technology remains unbiased and up-to-date with the latest scientific insights into sperm quality and fertility success rates. Studies have shown that AI-driven sperm sorting can decrease human-related errors by up to 25 per cent, improving sperm selection quality in terms of morphology and motility.


Reduction of Sperm Damage- The new AI-driven sperm sorting techniques also include microfluidic systems that are known to exhibit several advantages over the most commonly used conventional method, which is centrifugation. Traditional centrifugation methods, such as density gradient centrifugation, also cause severe oxidative stress and DNA fragmentation of the sperm because of the very high mechanical forces involved. The AI-infused microfluidic sorting minimises this damage significantly by involving gentler processes that mimic the natural pathway of sperm selection. The studies show that the process of microfluidic sorting decreases DNA fragmentation in sperm, which gives improved opportunities for success for IVF. For example, DNA fragmentation is 20 percent lower in sperm sorted using microfluidic processes than in traditional processing methods.


AI is bound to play an increasingly definitive role in fertility treatments, which will improve the outcomes for couples experiencing infertility.


(The author is a Co-Founder & CEO at SpOvum® Technologies. Views personal.)

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