The COVID-19 outbreak, since it originated in Wuhan, China towards the end of 2019, has spread globally since January of 2020. Since then, the disease has been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic. More than a year on since this declaration, the disease has spread across the globe, claiming more than […]
National
Northeast India: The country’s cancer capital?
A government report suggests northeast India is emerging as leading India’s number of new cancer cases. “Profile of Cancer and Related Health Indicators in the North East Region of India”, a joint report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), found the region accounts […]
Air quality standards to be rethought next year
India is to review its air quality standards next year, addressing an environmental and public health issue of significant concern. New national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) are likely, reports indicate. Discussions are said to be considering ultra-fine particulate matter (PM0.1), smaller than fine particulate matter or PM 2.5 which denotes particular matter of 2.5 […]
Vaccine drive crosses 55 crore, unused doses remain
According to a provisional report, India’s vaccine drive surpassed the milestone of administering 55 crore and set a record in the last 24 hours. However, many vaccine doses provided to states and union territories remain unused. The past 24 hours saw 88.13 lakh doses administered, taking the cumulative number of shots in arms to 554,730,609 […]
Five kidneys after third kidney transplant
The Madras Medical Mission College in the Tamil Nadu state capital Chennai performed a kidney transplant for a 41-year-old man – the third time he has undergone such a procedure. Reports indicate that the man, who is said by surgeons to be recovering well, experienced kidney failure aged twelve and subsequently underwent his first kidney […]
TB-free India: Mandaviya reaffirms commitment
This week, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya restated the Government’s commitment to working towards a TB-free India by 2025. How plausible is this ambition? “[The] Government and people will work together to make India TB-Free by 2025,” the Minister told lawmakers in the Rajya Sabha. He emphasised the need to raise awareness of tuberculosis as […]
Medical waste output at 56,000 tonnes
India’s medical waste output stood at more than 56,000 tonnes between June 2020 and 2021, according to government figures. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change recently reported that the total country’s total output of biomedical waste tallied at 56,898 tonnes. Maharashtra registered the largest amount of medical waste generated, at 8,317 tonnes. […]
COVID-19 complications: NCDs as an indicator
Artificial intelligence (AI)-based research further suggests the presence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are an indicator of the risk of developing COVID-19 complications. Bengaluru-based firm nference Labs conducted the analysis using AI. They identified cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease as the most significant predictors of COVID-19 complications during the early stages of infection with the […]
Did stubble burning fuel Delhi’s third wave?
New research claims that the practice of stubble burning may have been a key driver of Delhi’s third wave of COVID-19 infections. The study, published in Urban Climate, identified a tenfold increase in the national capital during the biomass burning season which sees agricultural workers in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab burn the […]
Medical debt soars during pandemic
One consequence of the pandemic has been a substantial increase in medical debt. As the economic disruption due to COVID-19 drives millions into poverty, bills for medical treatment are only exacerbating the crisis and prolonging families’ suffering. Large out-of-pocket medical spending is an issue which predates the pandemic, despite government interventions such as Ayushman Bharat. […]