Strike action by doctors has found itself in the crosshairs of the Supreme Court, who have appealed to the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Government of India on the subject. Numerous instances of nationwide strike action by doctors have been witnessed in India this year, with reasons varying from violence against them and a […]
law
MPs give nod to vaping ban
Parliamentarians in the Lok Sabha gave their nod to the Centre’s decision to ban e-cigarettes, even as some lawmakers expressed concerns about continued tobacco use in the country. The Government of India issued an ordinance earlier this year prohibiting electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) from being produced, manufactured, distributed, imported, exported, stored, sold, and advertised […]
Commercial surrogacy bill under Rajya Sabha scrutiny
The controversial commercial surrogacy bill imposing a number of restrictions on the practice is to be deliberated by a select committee of Rajya Sabha MPs. The Government of India introduced the commercial surrogacy bill into the Lok Sabha, imposing a number of restrictions on surrogacy. Under the legislation, only married couples of women aged 23 […]
Delhi pollution: Supreme Court fumes as the city chokes
Delhi pollution has reached “unbearable” levels in the words of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, amidst plummeting air quality and the worst smog the National Capital Region has witnessed in almost three years. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi pollution – based on a 24-hour average – stood at 494 on the Air Quality […]
A Rs 50 lakh price tag on dengue fever in Telangana
If the Telangana state government fails to control cases of dengue fever, it should be prepared to pay out Rs 50 lakh to casualties’ families per the High Court in the state. The news came after the death of a district court magistrate M. Jayamma due to dengue shock syndrome earlier this week, which spurred […]
Gorakhphur doctor cleared, two years on
Gorakhpur doctor Dr Kafeel Khan, the physician at the heart of the tragedy at the BRD Medical College, has been cleared of all wrongdoing in the incident more than two years after the event. In August 2017, the Baba Raghav Des (BRD) Medical College in the Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh witnessed more than 300 […]
Draft law on violence against doctors
The Union Health Ministry has made public a draft law imposing harsh penalties for those who commit violence against doctors. The legislation – a long-standing demand of the medical fraternity in India – would penalise those who abuse and harass doctors and vandalise healthcare facilities with a jail sentence of up to ten years and […]
Doctors’ strike in Assam following deadly tea estate assault
A statewide strike has been called in Assam by the state’s Indian Medical Association (IMA) chapter following a fatal assault on a doctor at a tea estate. The 24-hour strike will affect medical services in the state tomorrow, as doctors protest the incident which serves as a reminder of the climate of violence which enshrouds […]
The scourge of drug addiction in Punjab
The impact of drug addiction in Punjab is much higher than the rest of India, new research suggests. A mental health survey of twelve states surveyed 2,895 individuals from 719 households across four districts in Punjab. Of these households, 2.48 percent were home to at least one person who used illicit substances. By comparison, the […]
Persons with disabilities languish waiting for assistance in India
There are millions of persons with disabilities living in India, but a scheme meant to benefit them leaves many languishing. Official estimates posit the number of Indians living with disabilities at 2.68 crore (26.8 million), although World Bank estimates from 2007 placed the figure between forty and eighty million. Government figures suggest men are more […]