In the first six months of 2019, at least fifty people died because of manual scavenging – in just eight states. This is according to data collected from the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) from Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh. The fatalities offer a snapshot of a much […]
Gujarat
E-cigarette industry appeals against potential ban
The e-cigarette industry has appealed against the proposed ban on the devices, calling on regulation instead of outright prohibition. With the Centre in position to initiate a blanket ban on electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) by classifying them under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the Trade Representatives of ENDS in India (TRENDS), an association of […]
India’s shortage of specialist doctors is still staggering
July 1st marked Doctors’ Day – and while the occasion was an opportunity to thank the medical professionals who work to ensure good health, it also was a bitter reminder of the public health crisis India is facing. The government has put a figure to the mammoth medical staff shortage India is battling. The new […]
E-cigarettes to be banned in Gujarat?
Gujarat is moving to join the Indian states where e-cigarettes and similar devices are prohibited. The state government is preparing to ban electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in an impending Legislative Assembly session due to begin July 2nd. Justifying the move, Minister of Home Law and Justice Pradipsinh Jadeja said “we have observed a disturbing […]
World Environment Day highlights a health crisis
World Environment Day is observed annually on June 5th to commemorate the importance of conserving our environment from the many threats it faces. For India, World Environment Day offers a valuable opportunity to recognise one of the major issues confronting the nation: its poor environmental health, ranked as the worst in the world in the […]
When voters boycotted polls because of water scarcity in Gujarat
In Gujarat last month, voters turned to the polls to protest water scarcity in the state – by sitting them out entirely. The 17th Lok Sabha polls in Ahmedabad was the scene of fanfare on April 23rd, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast his vote in this year’s elections. However, elsewhere in the state, many […]
Dust storms rear their head again, fifty killed
Dust storms and heavy rains have again swept across northwestern India, leaving death and destruction in their wake. Numerous lives have been lost in the disaster, which came almost a year after similar high-velocity storms killed more than 127 people in northern parts of India. Almost fifty fatalities have been reported from four states according […]
India’s water woes are bigger than you think
It is not even summer season and great swathes of India’s land are suffering from drought, recently published data reveals. This is according to an IndiaSpend analysis of figures from the Drought Early Warning System (DEWS), which contains dire implications for an enormous number of Indians and a sizeable proportion of the country’s land. At […]
A father’s fifteen-year fight for a drug for his daughter
After fifteen years, a father has won a legal battle over medical expenses he paid to treat his daughter’s genetic condition. The Gujarat High Court has ruled in favour of Harshadkumar Pandya, an assistant teacher in Rajpipla, whose daughter was born with Silver-Russell syndrome, a form of dwarfism. Fifteen years back, on the advice of […]
Modicare begins on September 25th. Here’s what we know so far.
The BJP government’s large-scale health insurance initiative was rolled out in some states today, to coincide with Independence Day celebrations across the country. Though some anticipated a full-scale launch of the programme, the scheme was not launched nationwide but began a gradual rollout in select states. Full rollout of the scheme is expected on September […]