Page 36 - Health Ministry

Viksit Bharat Yatra: 166k footfall in rural health camps during launch week

The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said 1,232 health camps have been conducted in 203 gram panchayats under the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in the first week of its launch, recording a footfall of more than 1,66,000. More than 33,000 Ayushman cards were created at the camps and over 21,000 physical cards distributed, the ministry said. Under the initiative, Ayushman cards are being created using the Ayushman app and physical cards are being distributed to the beneficiaries. The ministry said screening of patients for TB is being carried out for symptoms, sputum testing and by using NAAT machines wherever available. It said more than 41,000 people have been screened by the end of the first week, as on November 21, and over 4,000 of them were referred to higher public health facilities. The ministry added that under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (PMTBMBA), consent of the patients suffering from TB is being taken for receiving assistance from Nikshay Mitras. The atte

Health Ministry seeks comments on draft National Pharmacy Commission Bill

The Union Health Ministry has released the draft National Pharmacy Commission Bill, 2023, which seeks to repeal the Pharmacy Act of 1948 and replace the Pharmacy Council of India with a national commission. The ministry put up the draft bill on its website on November 14 seeking comments from the public. The proposed bill aims to provide for a pharmacy education system that improves access to quality and affordable pharmacy or pharmaceutical education, ensures availability of adequate and high-quality pharmacy professionals in all parts of the country, promotes equitable and universal healthcare, and makes services of pharmacy professionals accessible to all citizens. The draft bill calls for a periodic and transparent assessment of pharmacy institutions, facilitating maintenance of a pharmacy register for India, and enforcing high ethical standards in all aspects of pharmacy services. It also encourages pharmacy professionals to adopt latest pharmacy research in their work and to

Health Ministry seeks public comments on draft Pharmacy Commission Bill

The new pharmacy commission will be headquartered in New Delhi and shall consist of a Chairperson, thirteen ex-officio and fourteen part-time members

Reports on 1.1 mn children missing 1st measles vaccine in 2022 'inaccurate'

Media reports claiming that an estimated 11 lakh children in India missed their first measles vaccine dose in 2022 are "ill-informed and inaccurate," the Union Ministry of Health Family Welfare said on Saturday. There have been some media reports alleging that an estimated 11 lakh children in India missed their first measles vaccine dose in 2022, according to a report published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "These reports are not based on facts and do not reflect the true picture. These reports are based on the estimated number reported under WHO UNICEF Estimates National Immunisation Coverage (WUENIC) 2022 report which covers the time-period from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022. "However, as per the HMIS (Health Management Information System) of the Union Ministry of Health, a total of 2,63,63,270 children out of the eligible 2,63,84,580 children received their 1st dose of Measles Containing Vaccine (MCV) in

11,470 Palestinians killed, most from Israeli strikes: Health ministry

The Palestinian health authorities said on Thursday that 11,470 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the Israel-Hamas war broke out six weeks ago. The vast majority have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. The ministry said 4,707 of the dead were children and minors and that 3,155 were women. The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. In recent days, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank has started updating the Gaza death toll. Until last week, the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza was the main official source for the Palestinian death toll. It stopped publishing updates after key ministry officials based in Gaza City's Shifa Hospital lost electricity and connectivity. Israel troops stormed Shifa on Wednesday and were still searching the large medical complex on Thursday. Hamas runs the Gaza Strip while its political rival, the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority, runs parts of the occupied West Bank. But the healt

General medicine most consulted speciality under PMJAY: NHA data

NHA has described PMJAY's primary objectives as ensuring comprehensive coverage for catastrophic illnesses, reducing out-of-pocket expenditure, and improving access to hospitalisation care

Health ministry advisory asks states to make pollution plan for schools

Its recommendations include wet mopping of school floors, using of markers instead of chalks

In India, we follow holistic, inclusive approach, says Mansukh Mandaviya

Mandaviya was addressing the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for SEARO in New Delhi

Possession of e-cigarettes violation of law, says health ministry

Possession of e-cigarettes and similar devices in any form, quantity or manner is in violation of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarette Act (PECA) 2019, the Union Health Ministry said in a clarification. The clarification was sent to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) last month, official sources said, adding it will strengthen the enforcement of the ban. he ministry said that though there is no explicit mention of prohibition of individual use of e-cigarette in PECA, the law has been enacted to prohibit the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement of e- cigarettes. "Therefore, possession of e-cigarette within the country in any quantity is not possible without contravening the provisions of PECA, 2019, said Dr Pulkesh Kumar, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Health. The ban includes a prohibition on all forms of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, Heat Not Burn Products, e-Hookah and similar devices. The law was enacted i

Medical colleges could be fined Rs 1 cr for violation of new NMC rules

Medical colleges that fail to comply with statutory provisions and National Medical Commission's regulations can be fined Rs 1 crore per violation, according to the new set of rules notified by the apex regulator on medical education and profession. A penalty of Rs 5 lakh can be imposed on the faculty/head of department/dean/director/doctor submitting false declaration/documents/records, including patients' records. Further, they can also be charged or penalised for misconduct under the Registered Medical Practitioner (Professional Conduct) Regulations and the 'Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023, the new rules notified on September 27 stated. If a medical college fails to comply with the statutory provisions and regulations as prescribed by the respective boards of the NMC, the commission may also withhold and withdraw accreditation for a period up to five academic years, the regulations said. The regulations stated that any attempt to pressurise ...

Bribery charges steam against Kerala's health min, Cong calls it 'shocking'

Allegations of bribery have cropped up against a personal staff of Kerala Health Minister Veena George following which the opposition Congress demanded a probe into it. Haridasan, a resident of Malappuram district on Wednesday, alleged that a personal staff member of the minister accepted Rs 1 lakh as bribe for the appointment of his daughter-in-law as a government medical officer. He alleged that a middleman approached him, saying such appointments were being made through the minister's office, and asked him to pay a huge amount as bribe in instalments. A former office secretary of CITU, the trade union wing of the CPI(M), in Pathanamthitta, who allegedly acted as a middleman, also accepted a bribe for the said appointment, he claimed and added his daughter-in-law, however, didn't get the job. Haridasan also released through the media some purported evidence of money transactions between him and the minister's personal staff member. Later in the day, he said officers of the speci

Health ministry denies media reports of anti-TB medicine shortage

Ministry of Health ensures that there are at least six month worth of anti-TB drugs stored and more have been ordered

177 Ayushman Bharat cards made every minute, says Health Ministry

As many as 177 Ayushman Bharat cards are made and 30 hospital admissions undertaken per minute under the Centre's flagship scheme for providing health insurance, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday. Highlighting the benefits accruing to the most vulnerable and poorest communities of the country, Minister of State for Health SP Singh Baghel urged Delhi, Odisha and West Bengal to join the AB-PMJAY scheme. He was speaking at the inaugural session of Arogya Manthan, being held to celebrate five years of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and two years of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). Ayushman Bharat is the most important government welfare scheme underway in India today, as it helps the poor access the best treatment, same as the rich which was not possible earlier, Baghel said. Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant said that 44 per cent of hospitalisations are of women beneficiaries, whereas eight hospitals are being empanelled per day, on ...

NEET-PG' zero eligibility: What does this mean for medical admissions?

The announcement comes in light of 13,000 seats remaining vacant in medical institutes for PG students across the country even after two rounds of counseling

'Over 500,000 beneficiary cards made in 4 days of Ayushman Bhav campaign'

More than five lakh Ayushman Bharat beneficiary cards have been made in just four days since the launch of the Ayushman Bhav campaign, Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant said on Thursday. He further said that more than 20 lakh ABHA IDs have been generated while footfall of more than 20 lakh have been registered at the Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres and Community Health Centres for availing free treatment and screening services, he said. The Ayushman Bhav campaign, launched on September 14 by President Droupadi Murmu, is a comprehensive nationwide healthcare initiative that aims to provide saturation coverage of healthcare services in every village and town in the country. It is being implemented during the 'Seva Pakhwada' (fortnight of service) which began on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday on September 17 and will continue till October 2. The three components of the Ayushman Bhav campaign -- Ayushman - Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman Melas at Health and Wellness ...

WHO's good manufacturing norms to be made compulsory for all drug firms

Only 2,000 of the 10,500 manufacturing units in the country have the World Health Organization's GMP certification

Health ministry plans drug licensing changes to ensure drug safety

Proposals aim to standardise drug manufacturing practices after a few Indian medicines were flagged as 'substandard' by the WHO

LIVE: Centre releases agenda of Parliament's special session from Monday

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Ayushman Bhava campaign strives to achieve better health for all: Mandaviya

Earlier today, President Droupadi Murmu virtually launched the visionary 'Ayushman Bhava' campaign as well as the Ayushman Bhava Portal, from Raj Bhawan Gandhinagar Gujarat

Mandaviya speaks to state health ministers on 'Ayushman Bhava' programme

He emphasised that this would ensure that patients getting screened at the Health Melas can access timely treatment at the Health Melas, a press release from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare