Kerala has learnt its lessons after the Nipah tragedy. It is to introduce a policy to control and prevent hospital acquired infections. The move comes after the Nipah virus outbreak in the state earlier this year, in which all but four of those who succumbed to the virus contracted it in hospital. “We are working […]
Kerala
Shigella outbreak fears in Kerala
This article was originally published on The News Minute and has been republished with permission. By Nimeshika Jayachandran Kerala is under the lens again, with reports of a shigella outbreak in parts of the state. On Monday, a 2-year-old boy was suspected to have died due to shigella infection (shigellosis) at the Kozhikode Medical College […]
How Kerala said “bye bye” to the Nipah virus
When Kerala experienced an outbreak of the Nipah virus in May, many panicked. The outbreak arrested global headlines. Some feared an epidemic on the scale of the Ebola virus. However, public health officials responded swiftly. The affected Kozhikode and Malappuram districts in Kerala have since been declared Nipah-free. “The recent Nipah virus outbreak in India […]
Dengue outbreak plagues Kerala
. This article was first published on The News Minute and has been republished with permission. By Nishitha Aysha Ashraf With the monsoon season entering its third week in Kerala, the number of dengue cases is on the rise across the state. In spite of various preventive measures which the state health department has undertaken since […]
Kerala and the diversification of diseases
Kerala is reporting a host of diseases that are becoming far more prevalent in recent years. Many were almost entirely unreported within the state. Others were simply less common. The increased prevalence of these diseases may indicate diseases from other states are spreading to Kerala. In the case of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) there may be […]
The Nipah virus: India’s next epidemic?
An outbreak of the Nipah virus in the Indian state of Kerala has made global headlines and creating an air of tension similar to that of the ebola crisis. Fears of a large-scale epidemic are abundant. However, is there any credibility to these claims? What is the Nipah virus? The Nipah virus is a zoonotic […]
Government doctors strike in Kerala
Government doctors have gone on strike in Kerala, protesting changes to outpatient services at family health centres. The strike began on Friday, April 13th and will continue indefinitely. Doctors are protesting state government plans to extend the duration of outpatient services in the state. The original schedule was 9am to 12pm; it is now […]
Kerala to make vaccination mandatory for school admission
Kerala is to introduce a new policy that would require all children starting school to show that they have been vaccinated Health Minister K K Shailaja claimed the move would fortify the health sector and make progress towards higher immunisation rates within the state. The state’s cabinet approved a draft of the new medical policy […]
Inequality between states harms health in India
‘Nations Within a Nation’ A groundbreaking new study published today in The Lancet spotlights a major concern about healthcare in India: the vast disparities between its states. ‘Nations Within a Nation’, touted as ‘the first comprehensive analysis of health in India’, shows that the ‘substantial gains in healthcare’ made by India in recent years have […]
Paid menstrual leave in India: Progress?
Paid menstrual leave is gaining popularity among companies in India. However, debate continues over whether it is a progressive or regressive policy. A number of Indian companies now allow women to take paid leave for dysmenorrhea, or period pain. Culture Machine, Magzter and Mathrumbi are among the firms to have taken this step in recent […]