Page 558 - Health Medical Pharma
Govt committed to making healthcare services affordable: MoS Health
Union Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey today said the government is committed to making healthcare services more affordable with a sharp focus on enabling citizens to access medical care through various policy interventions. He said India is on the cusp of transitioning from an older population to a younger one as the country's than 50 per cent of population is below the age of 25 and more than 65 per cent below 35 years. Addressing the 41st Annual Day function of the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW) here, Choubey said the government has announced two major initiatives in the health sector, as part of Ayushman Bharat programme for making path-breaking interventions to address healthcare holistically, covering both prevention and health promotion components. Under this, 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres will bring healthcare system closer to the homes of people, the minister said. "These centres will provide comprehensive primary healthcare, .
SC allows passive euthanasia of terminally ill (Third Lead)
The Supreme Court on Friday said a person has the "right to die with dignity" and can make an advance "living will" authorising the withdrawal of life support system if in medical view he or she has reached an irreversible stage of terminal illness.
As SC legalises passive euthanasia, India joins league of select nations
With the Supreme Court holding the right to die with dignity a fundamental right and recognising 'living will' made by terminally-ill patients as permissible, India has joined a league of select countries where passive euthanasia has been accorded legal sanctity. The Oxford English Dictionary defines "euthanasia" as "the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma". The term is derived from the Greek "euthanatos", with 'eu' meaning well, and 'thanatos' meaning death. In ancient Greece and Rome, citizens were entitled to a good death to end the suffering of a terminal illness. There are different euthanasia laws in each country. It can be classified into five types -- voluntary, non-voluntary, involuntary, passive and active. India joins countries like Netherlands, Canada, Belgium, Colombia and Luxembourg in legalising passive euthanasia. While dealing with the issue, the five judges arrived at a concurrent finding by ...
SC proposes safeguards on 'living will' for terminal patients
The Supreme Court today came out with safeguards on "advance medical directive" or 'living will' which would enable a terminally-ill patient or a person in persistent vegetative state (PVS) to refuse medical treatment. A five-judge constitution bench, which recognised that a terminally-ill patient or a person in PVS can execute an "advance medical directive" to refuse medical treatment, spelt out the safeguards saying such a directive "cannot operate in abstraction". The safeguards would remain in force till Parliament adopts a legislation on the matter, it said. "The advance directive can be executed only by an adult who is of a sound and healthy state of mind and in a position to communicate, relate and comprehend the purpose and consequences of executing the document," the bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said, stressing that the directive must be "voluntarily executed" without any coercion and should have characteristics of informed consent without undue influence. "It ...
Dr Reddy's gets 5 observations for its API plant at Medak
Drug firm Dr Reddy's Laboratories today said it has received five observations from the US health regulator for its API plant at Medak in Telangana. The audit of the company's API Hyderabad plant 3 at Medak district by the United States food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has been completed today, Dr Reddy's Laboratories said in a filing to BSE. "We have been issued a Form 483 with five observations," it added. The observations are related to procedures and facilities maintenance, Dr Reddy's said. It however did not give specific details about the observations. "We will address them comprehensively within stipulated time," it added. As per the USFDA, an FDA Form 483 is issued to a firm's management at the conclusion of an inspection when investigators have observed any conditions that in their judgement may constitute violations of the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act and related Acts. It notifies the company's management of objectionable conditions at the facility. Dr Reddy's stock ...
Terminally ill person has right to refuse treatment: SC
A person, suffering from terminal illness, has a right to refuse medical treatment to avoid "protracted physical suffering", the Supreme Court today said. The important observation came in a landmark verdict of a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra which recognised the right of a terminally-ill patient to execute a "living will" to refuse medical treatment for dying with dignity. The bench acknowledged the right to refuse treatment of a terminally-ill patient and said "any such person who has come of age and is of sound mind has a right to refuse medical treatment". "In the 21st century, with the advancement of technology in medical care, it has become possible, with the help of support machines, to prolong the death of patients for months and even years in some cases. At this juncture, the right to refuse medical treatment comes into the picture. "A patient (terminally ill or in a persistent vegetative state) exercising the right to refuse treatment may
Maha medical fraternity welcomes SC ruling on euthanasia
The medical fraternity in the state today welcomed the Supreme Court's landmark judgment in which it recognised 'living will' made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia. Dr Abdul Ansari, director of the critical care services of Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital said that the "right to die" was a landmark ruling which would allow people to "die with dignity". He said, "We come across many terminally ill patients and families who feel burdened and express the feeling to die in peace rather than getting subjected to the dehumanising experience of being stranded on futile life support." Ansari said that the legal mechanism and the institutional ethical committees need to be strengthened to ensure guidelines were not misused. Dr Nagraj Huilgol, a noted radiation oncologist and president of the 'Society for the Right to Die with Dignity' said that 'living will' was a paradigm shift and it restored the autonomy of decision making to an individual. Noted ...
Vitamin D may cut heart failure risk after heart attack
Besides helping build strong bones and muscles, Vitamin D may also protect heart tissue and prevent heart failure after a heart attack, finds a study conducted on mice.
Panacea Biotec receives EIR Report for its Oncology Parenteral Formulations manufacturing facility
From USFDA
High-fibre diet may help treat type 2 diabetes: study
Eating more of dietary fibres may help fight against type 2 diabetes, a study has found. Promotion of a select group of gut bacteria by a diet high in diverse fibres led to better blood glucose control, greater weight loss and better lipid levels in people with type 2 diabetes, said researchers. The study, published in the journal Science, provides evidence that eating more of the right dietary fibres may rebalance the gut microbiota, or the ecosystem of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract that help digest food and are important for overall human health. "Our study lays the foundation and opens the possibility that fibres targeting this group of gut bacteria could eventually become a major part of your diet and your treatment," said Liping Zhao from Rutgers University in the US. Type 2 diabetes, one of the most common debilitating diseases, develops when the pancreas makes too little insulin - a hormone that helps glucose enter cells for use as energy - or the body does not use ...
SC recognises 'living will' of terminally ill patient to die with dignity
In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court today recognised that a terminally-ill patient or a person in persistent vegetative state can execute an "advance medical directive" or a "living will" to refuse medical treatment, saying the right to live with dignity also includes "smoothening" the process of dying. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra observed that the failure to legally recognise advance medical directives may amount to "non-facilitation" of the right to smoothen the dying process and the dignity in that process was also a part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. The apex court laid down principles relating to the procedure for execution of advance directive or 'living will' and spelt out guidelines and safeguards to give effect to passive euthanasia in both circumstances, that is where there are advance directives and where there are none. "The directive and guidelines shall remain in force till Parliament brings a ...
SC verdict on euthanasia could be misused, says KCBC
Senior Kerala priests today said the Supreme Court judgment, allowing terminally-ill patients passive euthanasia with conditions, could be misused. Terming it "unfortunate and condemnable", Kerala Catholic Bishop Conference president Archbishop Soosa Paikam said the verdict was "painful" and would have disastrous consequences. "The right of life is in the hands of God. It was not acceptable for anyone who believes in humanity to kill a person suffering from old age or sickness due to sympathy," he said. The order that stipulates guidelines to undergo passive euthanasia could be misused, Paikam said. People suffering from old-age and sickness should be taken care and protected to allow them a natural death, he said. In Kochi, a senior priest of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church said legal recognition of 'living will' made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia is against the Indian culture. Father Paul Thelakkat, editor of the church-run Sathyadeepam magazine, said the church
Panacea Biotec gets EIR from USFDA for its Baddi facility
Drug firm Panacea Biotec today said it has received Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from the US health regulator for its Baddi facility in Himachal Pradesh. The company has received EIR from the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) indicating the formal closure of the inspection conducted by it, at the company's pharmaceutical formulation facility for oncology parenteral and oral solids dosage at Baddi, Panacea Biotec said in a filing to BSE. Commenting on the development, Panacea Biotec Joint MD Rajesh Jain said: "This EIR notification again demonstrates the company's ability to produce drugs in cGMP compliant environment in a sustainable manner." The company remains committed to continue to manufacture and supply quality products to cater to patients' needs across several markets including USA, he added. As per the USFDA, after the completion of an inspection of a facility, an EIR is issued to a company detailing inspectional findings. Shares of Panacea Biotec
Health experts hail SC ruling on passive euthanasia, say it was long due
Health experts today hailed the apex court's verdict permitting passive euthanasia and 'living will' by patients on withdrawing medical support if they slip into irreversible coma, saying it would give "salvageable patients" the opportunity to avail ventilator support. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) said the judgement was long due and would pave the way in ensuring that everybody is granted the "right to die with dignity". In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court today recognised that a terminally-ill patient can write a 'living will' that permits doctors to withdraw life support, saying a person with no will to live shouldn't suffer in a comatose state. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said passive euthanasia and advance living will are "permissible". Reacting to the judgement, AIIMS' assiastant professor in the geriatrics department and founder president of Healthy Aging India, Dr Prasoon Chatterjee said recognising the concept of .
Menopausal hormone therapy may reduce heart failure risk: study
Scientists, including one of Indian origin, have found that menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) may lower risk of heart failure. "This is the first study to look at the relationship between the use of menopausal hormone therapy and subtle changes in the structure and function of the heart, which can be predictors of future heart problems," said Mihir Sanghvi from Queen Mary University of London. For the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, the researchers examined the left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) structure and function in 1,604 post-menopausal women, who were free of known cardiovascular disease, and 32 per cent of whom had used MHT for at least three years. They found that MHT use was not associated with adverse changes in cardiac structure and function. Indeed, significantly smaller LV and LA chamber volumes were observed, which have been linked to favourable cardiovascular outcomes, including lower mortality and risk of heart failure, in other settings. They also ...
Menopausal hormone therapy may cut heart failure risk
Menopausal hormone therapy, used to treat hot flashes, sleep disturbances and vaginal dryness, may also have the potential to lower risk of heart failure, say researchers, led by one of Indian origin.
High-fibre diet can help treat Type 2 diabetes
Eating more of dietary fibres that promote a type of gut bacteria may help in the fight against Type 2 diabetes, researchers suggest.
Virani hails SC ruling on passive euthanasia
Human rights activist and author Pinki Virani, who had sought mercy killing for Aruna Shanbaug, a nurse who was in a vegetative state for 42 years before dying in 2015, today hailed the Supreme Court judgment in favour of passive euthanasia. "I am deeply grateful to the Supreme Court of India for upholding the landmark judgment of March, 2011 on passive euthanasia," she told PTI. The apex court today recognised the "living will" made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia. A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra, said passive euthanasia and an advance living will were "permissible". The bench also laid down guidelines as to who could execute the will and how the nod for passive euthanasia could be granted by the medical board. Virani had approached the Supreme Court in 2009 as the "next friend" of Shanbaug, who was in a vegetative state after being assaulted and raped by a wardboy-cum-sweeper at the KEM Hospital in Mumbai in 1973.
Regular exercise may keep you young and fit
Want to stay young? Exercise regularly as researchers have found that staying active may defy the process of ageing as well as it keeps you healthy.
SC says terminally-ill persons have choice to write living will to end life
In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court today recognised that a terminally-ill patient can write a 'living will' that permits doctors to withdraw life support, saying a person with no will to live shouldn't suffer in a comatose state. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra said passive euthanasia and advance living will are "permissible". The bench, also comprising justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan also laid down guidelines as to who would execute the will and how the nod for passive euthanasia would be granted by the medical board. The apex court said that advance directives for terminally-ill patients could be issued and executed by the next friend and relatives of such a person after which a medical board would consider it. The top court said that the directions and guidelines laid down by it shall remain in force till a legislation is brought on the issue. The CJI, while reading out the judgement, ..