Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has again spoke out on the subject of Ayushman Bharat’s holdout states, where prospective beneficiaries cannot avail the benefits of the Government’s flagship health insurance scheme the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). Of India’s states and union territories, four have yet to implement the scheme. “Ayushman Bharat is […]
Delhi
Notifiable disease a must for rabies
A report by a panel of the Delhi Legislative Assembly has urged that rabies be deemed a notifiable disease and that steps be taken to record a census of stray dogs and monkeys in the national capital. “The committee is of the firm belief that rabies should be declared as a notifiable disease in the […]
If you step out, you can smell smoke in the air: Professor Aseem Prakash on Delhi’s pollution crisis
India is in the midst of a pollution crisis, with air quality plummeting to emergency levels in the national capital of Delhi. Against this backdrop, Health Issues India interviewed Professor Aseem Prakash – Professor of Political Science, the Walker Family Professor for the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Founding Director of the Center […]
Non-smokers falling prey to lung cancer
The use of tobacco is widely understood as a risk factor for the development of lung cancer. However, in the National Capital Region (NCR), doctors report rising rates of lung cancer among non-smokers. “When I started operating on cancer patients in 1988, I found their lungs were pink,” Dr Arvind Kumar, chairman of the Centre […]
Eye health at risk in Delhi thanks to pollution
Pollution is associated with a plethora of detrimental health effects – and eye health is among the facets of wellbeing which take a hit when pollution levels are high. Delhi is currently grappling with a major pollution crisis, with air quality levels plummeting to the extent that a public health emergency was declared in the […]
Odd-even scheme challenged in the Supreme Court
The odd-even scheme — designed to curb pollution in Delhi by taking cars off the road — is being challenged in the Supreme Court. The initiative permits private vehicles to run only on certain days, depending on whether or not their license plates end in an odd or even numbers. The scheme has been rolled […]
Delhi takes action on air pollution amidst a health crisis
Mired in a public health crisis due to depleted air quality, Delhi is taking action on air pollution. “Immediate measures will be taken against the complaints received on Central Pollution Control Board portal [CPCB] or Sameer app [which provides updates on Air Quality Index (AQI) readings],” commented a senior official. Complaints registered with the CPCB […]
Crop burning: Will it continue?
The practice of crop burning is among the drivers of the pollution crisis which has enveloped the National Capital Region (NCR) in India. However, even as the Supreme Court has taken a stringent line against it, will it continue? The practice of burning crop residue leads to between seven and eight million metric tonnes of […]
Mental health in schools get a shot in the arm from AIIMS
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi will conduct sessions focused on mental health in schools in the national capital, aimed at bolstering awareness among students and encouraging them to follow habits to promote their own wellbeing. The AIIMS initiative, which will run in twenty schools both privately and publicly run, will […]
Road accident deaths: Who leads the nation?
Delhi is still leading Indian cities in the number of road accident deaths, recording 106 more such fatalities in 2018 compared to 2017. Uttar Pradesh, meanwhile, leads the states. Fortunately, the same was not true of some other populous cities. Chennai, Kolkata, and Maharashtra all witnessed declines in their road accident deaths in 2018 compared […]