Page 31 - Health Ministry

290 cases of Covid variant KP.2, 34 of KP.1 detected in India: Insacog data

As many as 290 cases of KP.2 and 34 cases of KP.1, both sub-lineages of COVID-19 that are responsible for surge in cases in Singapore, have been found in India, according to official data. However, a source in the Union health ministry told PTI that they are all sub variants of JN1 and there is no associated increase in hospitalization and severe cases. "So there is no reason for concern or panic. The mutations will keep happening at a rapid pace and this is the natural behaviour of viruses like SARS-CoV2," the source said. The source further said that the INSACOG surveillance is sensitive and is able to pick up the emergence of any new variant and samples are also picked from hospitals in a structured manner to detect any change in the severity of disease due to virus. Data compiled by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) showed that 34 cases of KP.1 have been found across seven states and UTs with 23 cases registered from West Bengal. The other states are Goa (1)

12% of India's eligible children received no dose of measles vaccine: Study

Nearly 12 per cent of children in India who are eligible for measles vaccination have received none of the recommended double-dose, signalling a "concerning gap" in immunisation coverage, a new study has found. The findings showed that zero-dose cases were high in the northeastern states, with Nagaland reporting the greatest share at 26 per cent. Tamil Nadu was found to report the lowest at 4.6 per cent. Researchers from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi investigated previously overlooked critical aspects of measles vaccination, focusing on zero-doses, partially vaccinated, and those fully immunised. They analysed data of over 43,000 children aged 2-3 years, collected through the National Family Health Survey 2019-21 (NFHS-5). The team found that close to 30 per cent of the eligible children have received only one measles-containing vaccine (MCV1), while about 60 per cent have been fully immunised (MCV2). The findings are published in

Productivity loss due to oral cancer in India in 2022 at $5.6 bn: Study

A study by the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), a premier cancer treatment and research institute here, has estimated that the productivity loss of the country due to oral cancer in year 2022 was approximately USD 5.6 billion. India contributes two-thirds of the global mortality due to oral cancer and has a younger population at risk, said the study, which analysed how the disease affected 100 patients treated between 2019 and 2020 with a follow-up of 36 months. The median age of these patients was 47 years at the time diagnosis, and the majority of them were male. The disease-specific survival for early and advanced stages of the disease was 85 per cent and 70 per cent, with a median age of 47 years. "With (a total of) 671 years (referring to these 100 cases) lost prematurely, the loss of productivity was USD 41, 900 for early stage and USD 96, 044 for the advanced stage. Based on population level rates, the total cost of premature mortality was USD 5.6 billion in 2022, representing ..

Centre calls for broad consultations to standardise rates for hospitals

The Centre's affidavit also emphasised that fixation of rates may lead to serious issues like rendering healthcare setups financially unviable, and many other players may jack up the prices

Health secy Chandra urges states, UTs to link ABHA IDs with health portals

The Union Health Secretary has urged states and union territories to take necessary action to link Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) with various health portals, such as Reproductive Child Health (RCH), National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NIKSHAY), among others. As per the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) dashboard, total ABHA IDs created in the country as on April 3, 2024 is 5,894.60 lakhs, Health Secretary Apurva Chandra said. However, total beneficiaries linked with ABHA under Non-communicable diseases (NCD), Sickle cell, RCH, NIKSHAY, National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP) and Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP) are only 827.99 lakhs, 0.89 lakhs, 15.78 lakhs, 2.46 lakhs, 0.056 lakhs and 0.17 lakhs, respectively, he said. "This shows that though the states have taken huge interest in creation of the IDs but non linking of health records with these IDs is not allowing the stakeholders, including the patients, from reaping the benefits o

CGHS ID mandatory linking with ABHA deadline extension: Details here

Linking deadline will from June 30 extended to 120 days, from 30 days now

Centre aims to improve quality of health services in CGHS hospitals

The partnership will also focus on expanding the network of qualified healthcare providers and laboratories empanelled under CGHS

India second only to China in hepatitis B and C cases, says WHO report

India accounted for the second-highest number of cases of hepatitis B and C in 2022 after China, with 3.5 crore infections, according to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can cause a range of health problems and can be fatal. According to the WHO's 2024 Global Hepatitis Report released on Tuesday, 254 million people lived with hepatitis B and 50 million with hepatitis C in 2022 globally. India, which was second only to China in the viral hepatitis burden, registered 2.98 crore hepatitis B cases in 2022 while the number of hepatitis C infections stood at 55 lakh. China registered 8.3 crore cases of hepatitis B and C, representing 27.5 per cent of the total disease burden. The report said that with a total of 3.5 crore cases, India accounted for 11.6 per cent of the total disease burden globally that year. There are five main strains of the hepatitis virus, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E. While they all cause live

Prices of essential medicines will not be increased in FY25: Mandaviya

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Thursday said there will be no increase in prices of essential medicines this fiscal year in view of negligible growth in wholesale price-based inflation. In an interaction with PTI editors at the news agency's headquarters here, Mandaviya -- the Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister -- assured that this is "Modiji's guarantee". When asked about reports and speculations of hike in rates of essential drugs, he said, "It is absolutely incorrect. There will be no increase in the price of medicines". The minister said the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), which is under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, annually revises the ceiling prices of scheduled medicines on the basis of Wholesale Price Index (WPI). "NPPA monitors and fixes the prices of essential medicines based on WPI," Mandaviya said. When inflation rises, it leads to a hike in prices and when it goes down, the prices come down, the minister said. "This year the ..

Govt releases myCGHS iOS app to 'enhance' access to healthcare services

The government has launched the 'myCGHS' app for iOS to provide Central Government Health Scheme beneficiaries access to electronic health records, information, and resources. The app facilitates a wide range of services, including booking and cancellation of online appointments, accessing reports from CGHS labs, checking medical reimbursement claim status, and locating nearby wellness centres and empanelled hospitals, labs, and dental units among others. The app was launched on Wednesday, an official statement said. Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra said the app is an essential leap for CGHS in the realm of healthcare services. "It empowers CGHS beneficiaries with convenient access to essential healthcare features right at their fingertips. This initiative aligns with the government's vision of leveraging technology to enhance the quality and accessibility of healthcare services," he said. According to officials, the app features security features like 2-factor authentication

Govt mandates linking of CGHS and ABHA IDs to integrate health schemes

The CGHS scheme provides comprehensive healthcare services to central government employees, pensioners, and their dependent family members

World TB Day: As India's eradication deadline nears, Bimaru states a drag

Experts say that despite the decline in incidence rates, the 2025 deadline may be ambitious

Bharat Biotech's TB vaccine MTBVAC begins clinical trials in India

The trials will assess the vaccine's safety, immune response, and efficacy in preventing TB in adults and adolescents. MTBVAC has been developed after research spanning over three decades

Health Ministry, NDMA issue joint advisory to prevent summer hospital fires

All healthcare facilities must inspect fire- fighting equipment regularly and conduct electrical audits bi-annually

Four years after lockdown, frontline workers reflect on pandemic days

Looking back, moving on: Doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers say Covid-19 has left them life-altering lessons

Health tech company HiLabs raises $39 million in Series B financing

The capital will support the firm's continued enhancement of the technology as well as recruitment of top-tier talent and expansion of its product teams

Persistent Covid infections may be more common than expected: Report

A high proportion of COVID-19 infections in the general population lead to persistent infections lasting a month or more, according to a study. It has long been thought that prolonged COVID-19 infections in immunocompromised individuals may have been the source of the multiple new variants that arose during the pandemic and seeded successive waves of infection, the researchers said. However, until now, the prevalence of persistentS-CoV-2 infections in the general population and how the virus evolves in these situations remained unknown, they said. The study, published in the journal Nature, used data from the UK Office for National Statistics COVID-19 Infection Survey (ONS-CIS), which tested participants monthly. Of the over 90,000 participants, 3,603 provided two or more Covid positive samples between November 2020 and August 2022. Of these, 381 individuals tested positive for the same variant over a period of a month or longer. Within this group, 54 individuals had a persistent .

SC seeks Centre's reply on PIL seeking palliative care in health programme

The Supreme Court sought the Centre's response on Thursday on a PIL seeking a direction to authorities to provide palliative care to terminally-ill persons as part of the national health programme. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions made by senior advocate Jayna Kothari, who appeared in the court on behalf of the petitioner, that palliative care should be recognised and made part of the national health programme. The court did not agree to one of the prayers in the public interest litigation (PIL) matter filed by Bengaluru resident Rajshree Nagaraju that the right to get palliative care be declared as a part of right to health under Article 21 (protection of life and liberty) of the Constitution. "You seek mandamus (a writ) stating palliative care comes under Article 21. I do not think that you need to pursue this prayer. The right to palliative care is part of the right to health and life.... ...

Health Ministry to consult with states on standardising healthcare costs

The SC criticised the central government for its failure to set range rates for private hospitals, leading to disparities in cost of treatment between government and private healthcare

Ayush hospitals to be spread after bed per population norm: Ministry

Considering the requirement of quality in-patient care, Ayush hospitals should be spread across the country following the bed per population norm, according to a set of new guidelines issued by the Ayush Ministry. According to the norm, one hospital bed per 5,000 population is "essential" while 1 bed per 2,000 population is "desirable". There are 3,844 Ayush hospitals in various categories across the country run by central and state governments. These hospitals together have a bed strength of 60,943. The "essential" number of beds in Ayush hospitals may be provided through the public health system such as medical colleges, district hospitals, 10-bedded, 30-bedded, 50 or more bedded Ayush hospitals, the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) for Ayush healthcare facilities stated. To achieve the "desirable" number of beds, the contribution of the private sector may also be considered while continuing to strengthen and increase bed provision at public health facilities, the guideline