India has mounted a considerable effort against COVID-19 — one that has seen official numbers largely plummet. However, as individuals yearn to go back to their daily lives, some have speculated that a “lack of fear” of COVID-19 could lead to a resurgence. Indeed, in Maharashtra, this may already be the case. According to Union […]
Maharashtra
Six months of mask-wearing in Maharashtra
Mask-wearing is among the simplest and most effective means to protect oneself and others from COVID-19. In Maharashtra, the practice ought to be followed for the next six months. On Sunday, the state’s chief minister Uddhav Thackeray urged the state’s citizens to wear face coverings in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 – […]
Bed shortages in Bombay High Court’s crosshairs
The Bombay High Court has directed the administration in Maharashtra – India’s worst-affected state in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic – to list admissions of COVID-19 patients since March amidst mounting concerns over bed shortages in the state. Justices Zaka Haq and Anil Kilor issued the directive in the wake ofc a Times of India […]
Maharashtra struggles under coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic continues to take hold in India, with numbers now exceeding 100,000. Maharashtra has become a focal point of the epidemic, harbouring around a third of India’s overall coronavirus burden. According to Al Jazeera on May 14th, “about a third of India’s 71,865 confirmed virus cases, and nearly forty percent of its 2,415 […]
Coronavirus pandemic a ‘very real’ threat
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the threat of a full-blown novel coronavirus pandemic is ‘very real’ – lending further credence to fears that a coronavirus pandemic could manifest as the foretold ‘Disease X.’ In light of the continued coronavirus outbreak in India, the Union Government is urging a number of ministries to […]
Cancer deaths at 6,000 in Maharashtra: How this fits in with the national burden
Cancer is among the leading threats to public health the world over – India being no exception. In Maharashtra, the country’s second-most populous state, the disease incurred a significant toll last year in terms of mortality, with the state health minister confirming that Maharashtra recorded almost 6,000 cancer deaths last year. Rajesh Tope, who serves […]
‘We are not slaves’ – Sanitation workers fight back
Sanitation is one of India’s most pressing challenges in health and development. The improvement of sanitation standards in the country has been a priority of the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi since it first came to power in 2014 – perhaps most notably through its Swachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign. To further these […]
Violence against doctors crackdown in Maharashtra
The Maharashtra state chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced it will crack down on violence against doctors in the state, setting up a registry to record details of such instances to leverage in efforts to end the practice. The IMA reports that 75 percent of healthcare workers in India have been the […]
Private cancer care boon in Mumbai
The first privately-run hospital dedicated to oncology has been launched in Mumbai, in a boon for private cancer care for the Maharashtra state capital’s denizens. As previously reported by Health Issues India, cancer infrastructure in India is in great need of an upgrade. An estimated 2.25 million people live with the disease in the country, […]
Mobile endoscopy in Maharashtra
A mobile endoscopy unit has been unveiled in Maharashtra, in a first-of-its-kind diagnostic project. The Rs 1 crore ‘Endoscopy on Wheels’ project aims to provide gastrointestinal diagnostics treatment for those who struggle to access such treatment. Outfitted with endoscopic devices, an operating theatre, two doctors, and technicians, the mobile endoscopy unit was envisioned by Dr […]