Page 4 - Health Sector

Regulatory standards must be stronger for quality medicines: Health secy

State drug regulators should ensure that medicines are sold only through prescriptions so that narcotic drugs are not diverted for trafficking or other illicit uses, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastav has said. Chairing a meeting with state drug regulators to address illicit use of psychotropic drugs under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and strengthen regulatory capacities of states and UTs on Monday, she said regulatory standards need to be strong to ensure that only quality and effective medicines circulate in the country. During the meeting, Srivastava urged state drug regulators to ensure that medicines are sold only through prescriptions so that narcotic drugs are not diverted for trafficking or other illicit uses. She also complimented Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and state drug regulators for completing risk-based inspections of 905 drug manufacturing and testing firms, resulting in 694 actions being taken so far. The meeting comes in the wa

Health Secy asks state bodies to curb illicit use of psychotropic drugs

While Tapentadol is a strong opioid used to relieve severe pain, Carisoprodol is a muscle relaxant for painful bone conditions

Govt asks IVD kit makers to report adverse events; aims to collate info

Releases draft format for adverse events for rapid identification and rectification of potential device failures

Upside ahead for Apollo Hospitals on robust guidance, valuations

APHS delivered strong growth in realisation per patient as well as number of patients

ePlane, ICATT ink deal for 788 air ambulances valued at over $1 billion

ICATT, which provides a world-class air ambulance service in India, will procure 788 air ambulances from ePlane, ensuring rapid medical intervention across all districts in the country

Fortis Healthcare to acquire 228 bed hospital in Punjab for Rs 462 crore

Move aims to strengthen chain's Punjab cluster with over 1,000 beds

Nearly 740 mn Ayushman Bharat health records created: Govt tells RS

More than 73.98 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) have been created and over 49.06 crore health records have been linked with ABHA, Union Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav told the Rajya Sabha. Over 3.63 lakh health facilities have been registered on the Health Facility Registry (HFR) and over 5.64 lakh healthcare professionals are registered on the Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR), Jadhav said in a written reply. The minister shared health data collected till February 6. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has been launched with the aim of enabling interoperability of health data within the health ecosystem and creating electronic health records for every citizen. The ABDM comprises key registries such as the ABHA, HPR, HFR and drug registry, Jadhav said. Inclusion is one of the key principles of ABDM and the digital health ecosystem created by ABDM supports continuity of care across primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare in a seamless manner,

Medicine retailers, e-pharmacies asked to display DPCO's drug price list

National pharma pricing regulator says list has to be put up 'conspicuously'

Best of BS Opinion: How India's renewable energy success turned sour

Today's pieces cover diverse topics: our editorials examine how India's renewable energy sector is now a victim of its own success, and ponder the government's inexplicable pause on privatisation.

AstraZeneca's cancer drug tops list of new brands launched in 2024

Five of top 20 drug introductions target cancer, reflecting its rising incidence in India

Adani plans to donate Rs 6,000 cr to set up health infra with Mayo Clinic

The AHCs will comprise 1,000-bed multi-specialty hospitals, medical colleges and research facilities, among others

Metropolis Healthcare Q3 results: Net profit soars 15%, revenue up 10.8%

On a sequential basis, the company's revenue declined by 7.7 per cent, while PAT also fell by 32.5 per cent

Global Health Q3 results: Net profit up 16% at Rs 143 cr

Global Health, which operates hospitals under the Medanta brand, on Tuesday reported 16 per cent increase in its profit after tax to Rs 143 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2024, driven by higher patient volume. The healthcare provider posted a profit after tax of Rs 123 crore in the October-December quarter of last fiscal. Revenue from operations rose to Rs 943 crore in the third quarter as compared with Rs 836 crore in the year-ago period, Global Health said in a regulatory filing. "We have delivered a strong performance this quarter, driven by higher patient volumes and strong contributions from our developing hospitals," Pankaj Sahni, Group CEO and Director said. The company said its board has approved the signing of the lease agreement to operate and manage a newly built 110-bed hospital in Ranchi. "This expansion will further strengthen our capacity to meet the growing healthcare needs in the region while raising the standard of healthcare delivery," Sahni ...

Union Budget 2025-26: PMJAY allocation may not suffice, say experts

Budget estimates (BE) for the financial year (FY) 2025-26 have put the allocation for PMJAY at Rs 9,406 crore, a 28.8 per cent increase from Rs 7,300 crore in FY25's BE

India's medical tourism poised for expansion with relaxed visa rules

Industry reports estimate that India's medical tourism market was valued at $7.69 billion in 2024, with approximately 7.3 million foreign patients travelling to India for medical treatment

CDMO revenues to touch $1.2 bn by FY30: Piramal Pharma chairperson

Says that their growth is led by innovation related work

Nagpur startup ErlySign develops 15-minute saliva test for oral cancer

With an estimated 1.5 lakh cases of oral cancer diagnosed annually in India and a high mortality rate due to late detection, ErlySign claims that its test has the potential to reduce healthcare burden

InvAscent invests Rs 110 cr in integrated geriatric care provider Geri Care

Geri Care intends to utilise the funds to expand its services across key cities in southern India, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Coimbatore

Union Budget 2025-26: Here are the key challenges in health care sector

Low health care expenditure at about 2.1 per cent of GDP for FY23, compared to both developing and developed nations

WHO regrets Trump's decision to withdraw, hopes for reconsideration

The statement from WHO came after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday, announcing the withdrawal of the US from WHO