Offer An Article

Pandemic Latest News

Social issues

Ventilators are in short supply in Delhi – and some don’t work

Public hospitals in the national capital are struggling with a frightening shortage of ventilators. Health Issues India recently highlighted the story of Farhan, a three-year-old boy suffering from a rare disorder called Leigh syndrome. The hospital treating him lacked a spare ventilator. This forced the boy’s family to manually ventilate him, by pumping air into …

Ventilators are in short supply in Delhi – and some don’t work Read More »

Delhi High Court hits the brakes on bike ambulances

Just days after its launch, the Delhi government’s ‘ambulances on bikes’ initiative has hit a legal roadblock following a suit filed in the Delhi High Court. Seventy percent of the staff manning the bikes – known as ‘first responder vehicles’ (FRVs) – are not trained paramedics, claims the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by petitioner …

Delhi High Court hits the brakes on bike ambulances Read More »

Concern as cases of leprosy spike

India may have officially eliminated leprosy in 2005. However, the battle against the disease is far from over. A spike in the number of new infections has furthered alarm that the disease may be showing signs of a resurgence in India. 90,709 cases of leprosy were recorded in the 2017-18 period, statistics suggest. This is …

Concern as cases of leprosy spike Read More »

New hope for hepatitis C?

Between twelve and eighteen million Indians are chronically affected with hepatitis C. Could the findings of a recent study herald new lease of life for these patients? Landmark research conducted by a consortium of French universities has shown promising results for the use of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in treatment of those with hepatitis C. The …

New hope for hepatitis C? Read More »

Courts seek answers on rare diseases

The Centre is now under orders from the Delhi High Court (DHC) to promptly roll out a policy to fund treatment of those suffering from rare diseases. Rare diseases, despite the scarcity the name suggests, affect seventy million Indians. Their treatment has been a long-standing issue of contention in India. A draft rare diseases policy …

Courts seek answers on rare diseases Read More »

The global fight for a TB-free India

On February 4th, many attended a two-day gala organised by an MP. Attendees hailed from diverse backgrounds. Four different countries were represented at the gala. 61 political leaders were in attendance. Actors, experts and survivors all descended. What brought these many different stratas of the Indian – and, indeed, international – community together was a …

The global fight for a TB-free India Read More »

Ambulances on bikes: Health on two wheels

The Delhi government has come up with a novel response to India’s ambulance shortages: bicycles. A new initiative will see cyclists ferrying patients through congested areas and narrow lanes on specially outfitted bikes. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendra Jain launched the initiative at the Delhi Secretariat, with a fleet of sixteen …

Ambulances on bikes: Health on two wheels Read More »

What World Cancer Day told India about health

World Cancer Day 2019 this year provided an opportunity to assess India’s cancer burden. Unfortunately, it’s not good news. India ranks third in the world for overall number of cancer cases, placing behind China and the US. This follows a long-standing trend in India, in which cancer figures have been steadily rising for years. Cancer …

What World Cancer Day told India about health Read More »

India’s AYUSH push continues

The Centre is looking to expand its efforts to promote alternative medicine to the grassroots level. Shripad Yesso Naik – the Union Minister for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) – said the ministry needed 12,500 health and wellness centres nationwide to expand access to AYUSH services. Naik identified state and union …

India’s AYUSH push continues Read More »

India’s swine flu crisis continues

The Union Health Ministry is scrambling and struggling to help states contain outbreaks of swine flu, as a spike in cases nationwide is causing panic. India’s flu season typically brings with it cases of swine flu infection. This has proved to be a cause for concern in years past. Notably, a 2015 outbreak of the …

India’s swine flu crisis continues Read More »