In the wake of the Gorakpur tragedy, it has been revealed that medical oxygen has seen a tax increase. Medical oxygen has seen its tax rate rise to 18 percent under the recently updated Goods and Services Tax (GST) which fixed the cost of most life saving medicines at a lower rate of five percent tax. […]
government
Health minister Choubey tells AIIMS doctors to turn Bihar patients away
Ashwini Choubey, a health minister from Bihar, has accused Bihari patients of overcrowding the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi – and says doctors should turn them away. A ‘BJP veteran’ appointed in September, Choubey has been roundly criticised for remarks allegedly made at the launch of Mission Idradhanush, an immunization drive earlier […]
Homeopathy: At odds with modern medicine?
Questions about the effectiveness of homeopathic treatments have recently been raised with Shripad Yesso Naik, the Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH). The questions, posed by Rajya Sabha MP and former hockey star Dilip Tirkey, asked the Union Minister what AYUSH was doing to […]
Madhu Pai: India’s ambitious new plan to conquer TB needs cash and commitment
Tuberculosis (TB) kills more people today than HIV and malaria combined. In 2015, there were an estimated 10.4 million new TB cases worldwide and 1.8 million TB deaths, according to the World Health Organization. And India is at the epicentre of this global epidemic, with half a million TB deaths annually. India also accounts for 16 […]
The world largest’s biometric database: A step forward or a privacy risk for patients?
The Indian Supreme Court has ruled that privacy is an inherent right of Indian people. This is a landmark verdict which could have implications for biometric database Aadhaar. The largest biometric database in the world Aadhaar is a national identification system, promoted by the Indian government. More than 1.12 billion Indians – more than 88 […]
Tragedy in Gorakhpur: Newborns die, oxygen shortages to blame?
![The BRD Medical College, centre of the Gorakhpur tragedy in Uttar Pradesh - the state named the worst in India for health. Image credit: By SONUKURIAN (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons By SONUKURIAN (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i0.wp.com/www.healthissuesindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/BRD_MEDICAL_COLLEGEGORAKHPUR.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 "Tragedy in Gorakhpur: Newborns die, oxygen shortages to blame?")
Thirty children have died in the last 48 hours (as of August 12) at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur district in Uttar Pradesh. Sixty had died if taking into account five days prior to August 12. The children were all aged below 12. Many of them were newborns. Investigations by the media revealed that the […]
Cash for colleges: BJP bribery scandal in Kerala
The BJP faces accusations of institutionalised corruption in yet another scandal involving medical colleges. As controversy over the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh continues, a similar issue has arisen in Kerala. Allegations this time say approval for medical colleges by the Medical Council of India (MCI) is being obtained through bribes. This is according to […]
Planned improvements for healthcare delivery in Madhya Pradesh
Healthcare services in Madhya Pradesh could become more affordable and state-of-the-art. This is thanks to plans by the state government. The state cabinet on June 13 made the decision to upgrade thirteen hospitals in the state to super-specialty status. These hospitals will be equipped more modern, specialised facilities. Treatment will also be free at the […]
Want cash benefits? You need Aadhaar, government tells TB patients
![By Sulthan (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i1.wp.com/www.healthissuesindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/AadhaarCard.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 "Want cash benefits? You need Aadhaar, government tells TB patients")
Tuberculosis (TB) patients in India can receive financial help – if they have an Aadhaar number. “Conditional cash assistance for TB patients” TB patients will have to produce an Aadhaar number if they are to access Nikshay, a web-based application, according to a notification sent by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on June […]
India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST): What does it mean for pharma?
India’s long-awaited and divisive Goods and Services Tax (GST) will soon take effect. What effect will it have on healthcare? The GST has effectively more than thirty years in the making. A large-scale stab at tax reform, it seeks to impose a levy on all goods and services across India at the national level. The […]