Page 28 - Health Ministry

Expert panel recommends banning 16 more FDCs over safety concerns: Report

In August, the government banned 156 FDCs, including antibiotics, antiallergics, pain relievers, multivitamins, and combination treatments for fever and hypertension, citing health risks

Kerala reports second Mpox case, third in India; strain being analysed

The first Mpox case in India this year involved a man from Haryana, with a less concerning strain. The second case, detected in Kerala, was the first instance of the more concerning clade 1b strain

Tirupati laddoo row: Odisha officials to test ghee at Jagannath Temple

The row over the Tirupati temple erupted last week after Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu alleged that adulterated ghee was being used at the temple during the regime of his predecessor Jaganmohan Reddy

Punjab govt in talks with health ministry over Ayushman Bharat backlog

Sources indicate Punjab state health agency has not submitted audit reports since 2020-21

Kerala to revise Mpox rules after reporting India's first new strain case

The Kerala health department announced plans to release revised guidelines for the prevention and treatment of Mpox, a decision that came in the wake of the southern state reporting the country's first confirmed case of the new strain on Monday. The State Level Rapid Response Team (RRT) held a meeting to assess the overall situation in the state. After the meeting, state Health Minister Veena George said instructions have been given to take necessary action if the number of cases increases. "Isolation facilities have been set up in all districts, and monitoring has been strengthened, including at airports. Currently, testing facilities have been arranged in five laboratories. If required, testing facilities will be expanded to more labs," she said in a statement. Although the minister, in her statement, did not mention that the first confirmed case of the Mpox strain in India was found in a patient from Kerala, she announced that revised guidelines for the prevention and effective

Aiims Darbhanga to be built by NBCC arm; Centre awards Rs 1,261 cr contract

Aiims Darbhanga, approved by the Union Cabinet in 2020, will be built over 182 acres of land at a cost of Rs 1,261 crore, which will be fully funded by the Centre

Health ministry plans mandatory 'non-skippable' anti-tobacco spots on OTT

The Union health ministry has proposed mandatory display of "non-skippable" anti-tobacco health spots of at least 30 seconds and audio-visual disclaimer on ill-effects of tobacco use for 20 seconds on OTT platforms as soon as one starts streaming them. The ministry recently released draft amendments for anti-tobacco rules for over-the-top (OTT) platforms. According to the draft norms, all films of Indian and foreign origin irrespective of their CBFC certification status published and released on or after September 1, 2023 will have to display anti-tobacco health spots of minimum 30 seconds duration each at the beginning and middle of the movie. It also proposed displaying anti-tobacco health warnings as prominent static messages at the bottom of the screen during the scenes that show use of tobacco products in all content. "The Cigarette and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Amendment Rule

One more test negative for Nipah, 134 fall under high-risk category

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Thursday that the Nipah virus test result for another individual who had been in contact with the 24-year-old man who died of the virus in Malappuram last week has come negative, bringing the total number of negative results to 37. She said this after a high-level meeting led by her reviewed the situation here. Speaking to reporters, the minister said that two more people have been added to the contact list, both of whom are in the high-risk category. Among those on the contact list, 81 are healthcare workers. The minister said a total of 177 people are on the primary contact list, while 90 are on the secondary contact list. Out of those on the primary list, 134 individuals fall under the high-risk category. "Today, two people with symptoms have been admitted to the Manjeri Medical College Hospital. Including these two, a total of six people are undergoing treatment at the Manjeri Medical College Hospital, while 21 people are being treate

Centre sets up surveillance as undiagnosed fever claims 15 lives in Kutch

In the wake of an undiagnosed fever claiming 15 lives in Gujarat's Kutch, the Union health ministry has set up a surveillance mechanism to immediately respond to such outbreaks, official sources said on Saturday. They said points of entry such as airports, land ports and seaports are also being monitored for the disease. The government has established an effective surveillance mechanism through the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), IHIP network and also through the One Health Mission to immediately respond to any such outbreaks, according to the sources. The ICMR's network of laboratories will take care of diagnostics and there is enough capability to step up the supply of diagnostic kits if required, they said. Under the PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), the government has strengthened tertiary care across the country through AIIMS institutes, apart from bolstering emergency services through ...

Rs 5 lakh health cover for seniors under Ayushman Bharat: Who can avail

All senior citizens aged 70 and above, who belong to families already covered under AB PM-JAY, will be eligible for an additional top-up cover of Rs 5 lakh per year

Inquiry committee defers hearing of 51 doctors of RG Kar by two days

Authorities of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday deferred the hearing of the 51 doctors who were issued notice for allegedly promoting a culture of intimidation, endangering the democratic atmosphere of the institution, an official said. The next date of the hearing is likely to be Friday, he added. The RG Kar Medical College and Hospital had on Monday issued a notice to 51 doctors for promoting a culture of intimidation, endangering the democratic atmosphere of the institution and asked them to appear before the committee on September 11. They have to prove their innocence before the committee, the notice said. The decision was taken by the Special Council Committee of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and access to the institution's campus has been restricted for the 51 doctors unless summoned by the inquiry committee. The list includes senior residents, house staff, interns and professors. RG Kar Hospital has been rocked by protests by junior doctors foll

Regulator CDSCO suspends Entod Pharmaceuticals nod to make, sell eye drops

Action taken over company's claim that the eye drop use will replace reading glasses

NMC expected to act in fairly, says SC; rejects pleas with costs of Rs 10L

The National Medical Commission (NMC) is an organ of the State and is expected to act in a fair and reasonable manner, the Supreme Court has said while dismissing with costs of Rs 10 lakh its pleas challenging an order of the Kerala High Court. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan was dealing with pleas filed by the NMC and others in a matter related to the withdrawal of approval granted to a medical college for increase of seats from 150 to 250 for academic year 2023-24. The apex court observed that making a party run from court to court to seek permission, specifically when the institute has been functional for 18 years, was only an attempt to harass the institution. "Prima facie, we find that the attitude of the NMC is not of a model litigant. The NMC is an organ of the State and is expected to act in a fair and reasonable manner," the bench said in its order passed on September 9. "We are, therefore, of the view that the present special leave petitions are an abuse

Mpox case confirmed, strain not part of WHO's health emergency: Govt

Union Health Ministry asks states/UT's to review preparedness, increase screening

Amid mpox scare, Centre steps up screening efforts: How to detect infection

Mpox scare: The Centre has advised states and union territories to screen and test all suspected cases. Officials have been asked to set up isolation facilities for patients

Health ministry issues advisory to states, UTs on measures against 'Mpox'

The advisory also directed the states to review public health preparedness particularly at health facility level at the state and districts by senior officials

Need to integrate HMIS portal with other portals of ministry: Health secy

There is a need to integrate the Health Management Information System (HMIS) portal with the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) portal and other portals of the health ministry to ensure that the data is uploaded timely and analysed carefully, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra said On Monday. Chandra made the remarks as he released "Health Dynamics of India (Infrastructure and Human Resources) 2022-23", an annual publication formerly known as "Rural Health Statistics", here. The document has been published since 1992. Highlighting the document as a source of reliable and authentic information on various aspects of the National Health Mission (NHM), Chandra said, "The annual publication is a valuable document furnishing much-needed information on manpower and infrastructure within the NHM, helpful in policy making, improving processes and problem solving." He added that the document gives a cross-analysis across the states on the availability and deficiencies in manpower and ...

India reports first suspected mpox case; patient's condition stable

Samples from the patient, put under isolation, currently being tested to confirm presence of the virus

Suspected mpox case under probe, no cause for alarm: Health ministry

A man who recently travelled from a country experiencing mpox transmission has been identified as a suspected case of the disease, the Union health ministry said on Sunday. The patient has been isolated at a designated hospital and is currently stable, it said, adding that there is no cause for concern. Samples have been collected from the man and are being tested to confirm the presence of mpox. "The case is being managed in line with established protocols, and contact tracing is ongoing to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country," the ministry said. The development of this case is consistent with the earlier risk assessment conducted by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and there is no cause of any undue concern, it said. The country is fully prepared to deal with such isolated travel-related cases and has robust measures in place to manage and mitigate any potential risk, the ministry added.

'Warrior Moms' urges health minister to act on air pollution, proposes plan

A collective of mothers from across India advocating for clean air on Saturday urged the Union Health Ministry to create "Low Emission Zones" around hospitals and issue advisories for doctors to consider a patient's exposure to air pollution when diagnosing illnesses. In a letter to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, the "Warrior Moms" also proposed the development of a "Health Action Plan" for each state to tackle pollution-related health issues. The letter coincided with the UN International Day of Blue Skies and Clean Air. The mothers called for an immediate update to India's Air Quality Index (AQI) standards, which have been delayed for over two years, along with the establishment of clear targets to reduce pollution levels. They urged the installation of real-time AQI monitoring systems in hospitals, schools, government buildings, and public spaces to ensure transparency and accountability. "Warrior Moms" also suggested that the ministry collaborate with other government bodies