The pharmaceutical sector in India is the sixth most-affected industry of its kind in the world in terms of cyberattacks. Attempted malicious attacks hit almost 45 percent of the sector’s devices in India last year, an increase from 44 percent the year before. Only the pharmaceutical industries in Pakistan, Egypt, Mexico, Indonesia, and Spain were […]
Health data
AYUSH Grid: A national network for alternative medicine
The Union Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) will develop an ‘AYUSH Grid’, connecting alternative medicine centres nationwide. The network will make it easier to assess the efficacy of alternative medicine systems, enabling AYUSH hospitals and laboratories to share data such as case studies and observation reports. This will be […]
Cybersecurity experts’ warnings for the health sector
Cybersecurity experts have warned healthcare providers to be vigilant against threats from hackers, intimating that the industry could become “the apple of the eye for cybercriminals.” “Data is sick…As rapid digitalisation penetrates the healthcare sector, cybercriminals are seeing more opportunities to attack this lucrative and critical industry, which is honestly not equipped enough to face […]
Cybersecurity: How does Indian pharma fare?
As little as five percent of pharmaceutical companies have secure cybersecurity systems, an expert in the field said at a recent forum. Sal Krishna, chairperson of the Global Cybersecurity Forum, said between five and ten percent of pharmaceutical companies in India possess the security systems needed to protect data from hackers. Many, he added, do […]
Digital health records are being used more and more. Are they secure?
Digital health records are increasingly popular among healthcare professionals, with recent data suggesting 76 percent of practitioners use them. This was according to a report published by Royal Phillips, a global health technology company which stated “digital health technology is a pivotal pillar in delivering value-based care across the healthcare continuum in India.” This trend […]
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 […]
Ill health is killing more Indians than terror. Time to change priorities?
Ill health deaths: 97 percent. Terror deaths: 0.007 percent. Let us first take a moment to digest the headline. “The two issues that took significance and helped the BJP return to power were national security and Hindu nationalism, with claims that both are under threat by unforeseen powers. The reality is different: people are dying […]
Exclusive interview: Dr Mikashmi Kohli on why essential diagnostics matter in realising universal healthcare
Health Issues India talks to Dr Mikashmi Kohli, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow of the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at McGill International TB Centre, about a recent study she co-authored with Dr Madhukar Pai about the importance of essential diagnostics in the path towards universal healthcare. The study, “Essential Diagnositcs: A Key Element […]
In major error, millions of pregnant women’s data leaked online
In a major technical error, more than 12.5 million medical records belonging to pregnant women were left exposed and available for public consumption. Failure to secure a database containing the records – some of which dated back to 2014 – saw sensitive information left publically accessible. It was not until a researcher discovered the error […]
Heart data: Does it offer new hope for heart health?
Dubai-based researchers have pioneered a novel new technology which could offer hope for those suffering from heart ailments. Scientists at the University of Birmingham Dubai have unveiled ElectroMap software which could play an important role in processing heart data. Existing technologies can monitor the electrical activity of the heart and detect when conditions such as […]