April 2016

The evolution of healthcare in India over the past 25 years has been described as “ a mixed bag”. While key health indicators such as the infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality ratio (MMR) have come down substantially, healthcare expenses and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have shot up. This article in LiveMint presents some interesting …

The changing pattern of healthcare and the rise of non- communicable diseases in India Read More »

“According to a survey, over 2.5 million patients in India suffer from Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) which involves either the blockage or the opening of one or more of the four valves of the heart” said Dr. V K Sharma. Dr. Sharma is the  Director – Cardiology  at Fortis Hospital, Ludhiana. According to the World …

Over 2.5 million people in India suffer from RHD Read More »

According to  an opinion editorial by Dr. Soumya Swaminathan in the Hindu , a systematic review of several  Indian studies estimated that pulmonary TB prevalence among tribal people was 703 per 100,000, which is almost three times that in the general population (256 per 100,000). Dr. Soumya Swaminathan is the Director General of Indian Council …

India’s tuberculosis challenge Read More »

Although transplantation rates in the country are on the rise, these rates are still considerably lower than more developed nations. Reasons include lack of clear policy and awareness, education levels and infrastructure. As some regions in the country still need a lot of effort in order to reduce the gap between the offer and demand …

Kerala’s movement for organ donation Read More »

In an effort to limit the influence of foreign health consultants in policy making, the Indian government will progressively lay off more than one hundred of them by the end of this year. Starting with 45 by the end of June, 70 more are expected to end their services by the end of this year. …

Foreign consultants fired Read More »

The government has begun work on a major overhaul of the Medical Council of India (MCI) as it looks to create more medical colleges and produce more doctors to cater to growing healthcare needs.The MCI is a statutory body with the responsibility of establishing and maintaining high standards of medical education and recognition of medical …

A call for an overhaul of the MCI Read More »

In 2014, Novartis sued the Indian company Cipla over the infringement of Onbrez, an inhaler used in cases of respiratory difficulty. Cipla had launched a similar product at a fifth of the original price claiming urgent unmet needs for the drug in the country. Amazingly, in 2015, the Delhi High court ruled in favour of …

India to be more lenient on compulsory licencing? Read More »

Following India’s success in its research against the Zika virus, recent development in other areas of health has put the country at the forefront of vaccine research. Bharat biotech is now part of an exclusive club of companies that provides preventive treatment dealing with the rotavirus. Although cases in India have been constantly decreasing since …

Bharat’s rotavirus vaccine hits the shelves Read More »