The Centre is under pressure from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to ban certain pan masala brands which contain magnesium carbonate and/or nicotine. Pan masala, a chewing mixture which sometimes contains tobacco, has come under fire across the country. Numerous states have taken steps to ban certain brands. In Rajasthan, state […]
Rajasthan
IVF treatment allows a woman to give birth – at age 75
Another case has been witnessed in India of a woman in her seventies giving birth after receiving in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. A resident of Sangod, a rural town in Rajasthan, the woman – reportedly aged 75 – gave birth on Saturday, October 12th, to a daughter after conceiving via IVF treatment in March. The birth […]
Silicosis policy launched in Rajasthan
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched a policy to address the burden of silicosis in the state yesterday. Between three and ten million Indians are at risk of developing the disease, caused by the inhalation of dust containing silica. Inhalation of this dust over time can cause scarring and hardening of lung tissue, which is […]
Boon for silicosis patients in Rajasthan?
Among India’s mining communities, one of the major threats to health is silicosis. Nationwide, between three and ten million workers are at risk of developing the disease, for which there is no known cure. In Rajasthan, the scourge of silicosis is felt acutely by mining communities. It was reported last year that there is an […]
Jaipur issues penalties for mosquito breeding
Rajasthan state capital Jaipur is taking a hard line in its efforts to control mosquito-borne diseases, imposing fines against those who allow for breeding sites on their property. At the time of writing, 141 homeowners in the city have been served with challans within a one-month period for failing to deal with breeding sites on […]
Child labour conviction wins praise
The owner of a factory in Jaipur has been convicted of and punished for engaging in child labour – a result which has won acclaim from campaigners. The owner in question was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs Rs 1.3 lakh, which Narendra Sikhwal – head of the Rajasthan state capital’s child welfare committee […]
Congo fever outbreak in India
In 2011, a woman was admitted to a private hospital in Gujarat complaining of abdominal pains and persistent vomiting. A few days after being admitted to the hospital, the woman was dead. Soon after, Dr Gagan Sharma and nurse Asha John, who had attended to the patient, died following similar symptoms. The condition in question […]
Swine flu scourge in Maharashtra
Swine flu continues to take a toll in Maharashtra as reports confirm more deaths. At the time of writing, the state has confirmed 2,135 cases of the disease with 202 people losing their lives. State capital Mumbai has borne the brunt of cases, with 632 reported. Pune, meanwhile, has reported the most deaths with fifty […]
Swine flu cases in Gujarat: Symptom of a national problem?
Gujarat recorded the second-highest number of swine flu cases in India in just under the first seven months of 2019, the Gujarat High Court has been informed. Between January 1st and June 23rd, 4,772 cases were recorded resulting in 149 deaths. Only Rajasthan recorded more cases while Rajasthan and Maharashtra recorded more fatalities. At the […]
Health benefits of breastfeeding: Health Ministry to raise awareness
World Breastfeeding Week may be over for the rest of the world, but the Union Health Ministry has announced plans to make it a monthly fixture in India to raise awareness of the health benefits of breastfeeding. During an event last week, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan announced that a breastfeeding awareness week will […]