Expanding access to treatment and targeting vulnerable populations will be a core part of a strategy to bring down the number of HIV cases in India, according to recent reports. The Union Health Ministry intends to reduce the number of HIV cases in the country by 20,000 on a yearly basis in 2019 and 2020, […]
access to healthcare
A change in the abortion law?
Could India’s abortion law soon change? Steps may be taken towards amending the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, as the Centre has informed the Delhi High Court it is consulting with ministries on the same. Social activist Amit Sahni filed a public interest litigation (PIL) before the High Court earlier this year, seeking that […]
Odisha expands the number of doctors’ posts
Odisha has taken steps to plug the state’s doctor shortage by creating 2,000 new medical posts. There are currently 3,288 vacant doctors’ posts in the state, reports state, which is being attributed to doctors going on study leave. As such, the state government is creating posts known as leave training reserve medical officers (LTRMOs). Those […]
Ayushman Bharat on track, Vardhan tells MPs
The Centre’s flagship health insurance scheme is on track, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan informed Lok Sabha MPs yesterday. Addressing parliamentarians during Question Hour, Vardhan said that approximately 10.74 crore families were covered under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), better known as Ayushman Bharat. Vardhan emphasised the flexibility of the scheme in […]
Government to expand the number of health and wellness centres
![A primary health centre in Thuravoor, Kerala. Strengthening India's primary healthcare infrastructure through HWCS is a core of Ayushman Bharat. (Image credit: Ranjithsiji [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons)](https://i1.wp.com/www.healthissuesindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/800px-Thuravoor_Primary_Health_Center_Main_Building.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 "Healthcare equipment: The greatest disparity?")
Under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) – better known as Ayushman Bharat – the Centre is planning to expand the number of health and wellness centres (HWCs) in the country. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan told Rajya Sabha MPs that 19,576 HWCs were currently operational across the country. By the end of […]
AI in healthcare: The coming expansion
The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is one of the most significant trends to have emerged in digital health in recent years. New projections suggest the sector can expect significant growth in the next few years. By 2026, forecasters have said AI-based healthcare will be worth US$8 billion – a growth of 49.7 […]
Essential medicines: WHO updates list
The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its lists of essential medicines and diagnostics in a bid to expand access to affordable treatments for individuals worldwide. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus asserted in a statement that “around the world, more than 150 countries use WHO’s Essential Medicines List to guide decisions about which medicines represent […]
Delhi under High Court pressure to enforce Mental Health Care Act
The Delhi government and the Delhi Police are under pressure from the High Court concerning implementation of the Mental Health Care Act 2017. A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice D. N. Patel and Justice C. Hari Shankar has sought a response from both bodies within four weeks concerning the legislation and whether its provisions are […]
Veterans go without medicines thanks to cash shortages
Almost 70,000 people leave military service every year in India, with health needs to be met. To help with the cost of treatment, the government launched the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) in 2003 to expand access to healthcare for veterans and their families. But budgetary issues mean beneficiaries are missing out. This year’s interim […]
CM Banerjee calls attention to doctor shortage in West Bengal
The shortage of doctors in West Bengal has been highlighted by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during a meeting with medicos in the wake of strike action which plagued the state weeks ago. The strikes began following an attack on an intern in Kolkata. Initially a state-level stir, the agitation swiftly became a national movement with […]