Page 32 - Health Ministry

India registers 305 new Covid-19 cases, active cases decline to 2,439

India saw a single day rise of 305 new cases of COVID-19, while the number of active cases of the infection has declined to 2,439, the health ministry said on Thursday. Three deaths -- one each from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat -- have been reported in a span of last 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but cases began to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, a maximum of a single-day rise of 841 new cases were reported on December 31, which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. Of the total active cases, around 92 per cent are recovering under home isolation. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 sub-variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality," the official source stated. India has witnessed three waves

India's childcare market expected to grow on the back of macro drivers

Redseer expects the market to grow at 14% CAGR to reach $60bn size by 2027 from $31 bn in 2022

Doctors should be careful of mefenamic acid's effects: Meftal makers

In the backdrop of a caution by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) against mefenamic acid, a major component of painkiller meftal, the medicine's manufacturer on Tuesday said the alert seeks to advise doctors and patients to monitor the possibility of an adverse reaction of the drug. "The alert issued by IPC was to advise doctors and patients to monitor the possibility of an adverse drug reaction of mefenamic acid, which does not in any way impact the safety, efficacy and high quality of the brands that are established and supported by clinical studies," Blue Cross Laboratories, which makes meftal and meftal-spas, said in a statement. The IPC on November 30 had issued an alert on mefenamic acid stating that a preliminary analysis of adverse drug reactions from the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) database revealed drug reactions with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome. "Healthcare professionals, patients/consumers are advised to closely monitor th

Global deaths from fungal disease twice previous estimate: Lancet study

The annual number of deaths from fungal disease worldwide has risen to 3.75 million, double the previous estimate, according to a study using data from over 80 countries, including India. The research, published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, calculated an annual total at about 6.55 million acute cases. The updated mortality figures of fungal disease dwarf deaths from other single pathogens, killing six times more people than malaria, and almost 3 times as many than tuberculosis, the researchers said. The work is the result of a collaboration of over 300 professionals across the world who contributed to published estimates for their country and individual fungal diseases. Previous estimates were imprecise as many fungal disease exacerbate an existing disorder, itself often severe, such as leukaemia or AIDS, said David Denning, a professor of infectious disease at The University of Manchester, UK. However according to the study, of the deaths linked to fungal disease, .

Cervical cancer mortality rates drop, but experts stress need for vaccine

Experts anticipate indigenous vaccine to help curb cases, health ministry yet to take a decision on roll-out

272 fresh cases of Covid reported, no deaths reported in last 24 hours

India has recorded 272 fresh cases of Covid, while the number of active cases of the infection has declined to 2,990, the health ministry said on Monday. No deaths have been reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, 2023 but they began to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. A single day rise of 841 new cases were reported on December 31, 2023 which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. Of the total active cases, a large majority of these (around 92 per cent) are recovering under home isolation. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in new cases nor a surge in hospitalisation and mortality," the sources stated. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily new cases and deaths being reporte

300 mn Ayushman Cards created under AB-PMJAY since 2018: Health ministry

Uttar Pradesh topped the list of states with the highest number of Ayushman cards at 48.3 million cards. It was followed by Madhya Pradesh at 37.8 million cards and Maharashtra at 23.9 million cards

441 fresh Covid cases, active tally down to 3,238: Health ministry data

India has recorded 441 fresh COVID-19 infections while the number of active cases has come down to 3,238, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. No deaths were reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases was in double digits till December 5 but it began to rise again amid cold weather conditions and after the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant, JN.1. After December 5, the highest single-day rise of 841 cases was reported on December 31, 2023, which was 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021. Of the 3,238 active cases, a large majority (around 92 per cent) are recovering under home isolation. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality," an official source said. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily cases and deaths being repo

Covid-19 JN.1: UP joins list of 16 states, UTs; total cases cross 1,000

The number of cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 has crossed 1,000 mark with Uttar Pradesh becoming the latest state to join the list of 16 states and UTs which have detected its presence, according to INSACOG. The data compiled by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) showed Karnataka has reported the highest number of cases at 214, followed by Maharashtra (170), Kerala (154), Andhra Pradesh (189), Gujarat (76) and Goa (66). Telangana and Rajasthan have recorded 32 JN.1 cases each, Chhattisgarh has recorded 25, Tamil Nadu 22, Delhi 16, Uttar Pradesh 6, Haryana five, Odisha three, West Bengal two and Uttarakhand one, according to the data. A total of 1,013 cases of JN.1 have been detected till now across the 16 states and UTs. The Centre has asked the states and Union territories to maintain a constant vigil amid an uptick in the number of Covid cases and the detection of the JN.1 sub-variant in the country. The states have been urged to ensure effective compliance o

Three fresh Covid deaths across country, 609 new cases recorded: Govt

India has recorded 609 new cases of Covid, while the number of active cases of the infection has declined to 3,368, the health ministry said on Friday. Three deaths -- two in Kerala and one in Karnataka -- have been reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, 2023 but cases began to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, 841 new cases were reported on December 31, 2023 which was 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. Of the total active cases, a large majority of these (around 92 per cent) are recovering under home isolation. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in new cases nor a surge in hospitalisation and mortality," the official source stated. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak inci

Mumbai-based Akumentis Healthcare launches drug for treatment of epilepsy

Akumentis Healthcare on Wednesday said it has introduced a drug for the treatment of epilepsy. The Mumbai-based company has launched Clasepi, a DCGI-approved prescription cannabidiol (CBD) specifically formulated to address seizures linked with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS), Dravet Syndrome, or Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) in patients aged 1 year and older, it said in a statement. Clinical studies have demonstrated Clasepi's efficacy in reducing seizures, especially in cases where conventional anti-seizure medications have proven ineffective, it added. "We understand the immense physical and emotional toll that frequent seizures can have on patients and their families," Akumentis Executive Director Kanishk Jain said. This is the driving force behind our commitment to developing novel solutions that effectively relieves the complexities of these disorders, he added. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), epilepsy constitutes a considerable portion of the global disea

Delhi govt issues notice to GTB hospital on turning away patient

The health department of the Delhi government has issued a show-cause notice to the Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) hospital authorities asking to "terminate" the services of a senior resident doctor, days after the death of an injured man, who was allegedly denied admission at four different hospitals. Pramod, 47, who was arrested after a 21-year-old woman alleged that he had molested her in an inebriated state, died of the injuries he suffered after jumping out of a moving police van on January 3, a senior officer said. He was allegedly denied admission by four government hospitals, including three Delhi government-run facilities, due to the unavailability of beds or equipment, a senior officer had said earlier. The show-cause notice issued recently mentions news reports on the alleged incident published on January 4. The notice said "the entire episode shows lack of empathy and professionalism among the medical officers ... as well as lack of supervision on the part of the concerned medi

Have more kids, PM Modi will build houses for them: Rajasthan minister

Rajasthan minister Babulal Kharadi has asked people to have more children, saying there should be no problem as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will build houses for them. Kharadi, the tribal area development minister in the desert state, said it is a dream of the prime minister that no one will go to sleep hungry and without a roof over their head. "It is a dream of the prime minister that no one should sleep hungry and without a roof over their head. You give birth to lots of children. Pradhan mantriji will build your houses, then what is the problem?" Kharadi asked while addressing a public meeting in Udaipur on Tuesday. Kharadi has eight children -- four sons and as many daughters -- from two wives. The entire family lives in Neechla Thala village, about three kilometres from Kotda tehsil of Udaipur. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma shared the dais with the tribal area development minister on the occasion. The stage was set up for a "Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra camp" in Udaipur's

NEET exams for postgraduate medical studies rescheduled to July 7

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Postgraduate examination has been rescheduled to July 7 this year, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences said on Tuesday. The cut-off date for the purpose of eligibility for the exam this year is August 15. The exam was earlier scheduled to be held on March 3. "In supersession of NBEMS notice dated 09.11.2023 and pursuant to the receipt of NMC letter dated January 3, 2024, the conduct of NEET-PG 2024 examination, which was earlier notified to be tentatively held on March 3, 2024, stands rescheduled," the NBEMS said in a notice. "The NEET-PG 2024 shall now be conducted on July 7, 2024," it said. According to the recently notified "Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023", the existing NEET-PG examination will continue till the proposed National Exit Test (NExT) becomes operational for the purpose of PG admission. The NEET-PG is an eligibility-cum-ranking examination prescribed as the single entrance examination

India logs 475 fresh Covid-19 cases; number of active cases at 3,919

India has logged 475 new cases of Covid, while the number of active cases of the infection stood at 3,919, the health ministry said on Tuesday. Six deaths -- three from Karnataka, two from Chhattisgarh and one from Assam -- have been reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, 2023 but cases began to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, 841 new cases were reported on December 31, 2023 which was 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. Of the total active cases, a large majority of these (around 92 per cent) are recovering under home isolation. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality," the sources stated. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past

Nineteen new cases of JN.1 subvariant of Covid-19 detected in Mumbai

Nineteen persons have tested positive for JN.1 sub-variant of coronavirus in Mumbai, an official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Tuesday. Out of 22 samples found positive for JN.1 subvariant in Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis, 19 were from Mumbai, Daksha Shah, executive health officer of the BMC told PTI. Two samples belonged to patients from outside the city, and one was a duplicate, she said. According to a release issued by the civic body, these samples were sent for testing last month, and the reports arrived on Monday. All 19 patients who tested positive for JN.1 in the city suffered mild symptoms, and two of them had comorbidities. The patients have recovered from the infection, it stated. Most of the samples were tested at private laboratories, the release said. Of the 8,262 samples tested between December 1, 2023 and January 8, 2024, only 394 tested positive for coronavirus, it stated.

682 cases of Covid sub-variant JN.1 reported from 12 states till Jan 7

The number of cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 reported from 12 states till January 7 rose to 682, official sources said on Monday. They said 199 cases have been reported from Karnataka, 148 from Kerala, 139 from Maharashtra, 47 from Goa, 36 from Gujarat, 30 from Andhra Pradesh, 30 from Rajasthan, 26 from Tamil Nadu, 21 from Delhi, three from Odisha, two from Telangana and one from Haryana. Even though the number of cases is rising and the JN.1 sub-variant has been detected in the country, there is no cause of immediate concern as the majority of those infected are opting for home-based treatment, indicating mild illness, officials said. The Centre has asked the states and Union territories to maintain a constant vigil amid an uptick in the number of Covid cases and the detection of the JN.1 sub-variant in the country. States have been urged to ensure effective compliance with the detailed operational guidelines for revised surveillance strategy for COVID-19 shared by the Union .

Implementing revised Schedule M rules uphill task for small pharma

Analysts also feel this move will help improve quality of Indian drugs

Health Ministry revises pharma manufacturing rules under Schedule M

New GMP guidelines set to elevate drug quality and industry compliance

Government orders new drug-making standards after overseas deaths

The health ministry said in August that inspections of 162 drug factories since December 2022 found an 'absence of testing of incoming raw materials'