Delhi is still leading Indian cities in the number of road accident deaths, recording 106 more such fatalities in 2018 compared to 2017. Uttar Pradesh, meanwhile, leads the states. Fortunately, the same was not true of some other populous cities. Chennai, Kolkata, and Maharashtra all witnessed declines in their road accident deaths in 2018 compared […]
Tamil Nadu
Dry eye disease boon in Chennai
Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital in Chennai has become home to a facility for the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye disease, a condition on the rise in India. Thiru D. Jayakumar, Minister for Fisheries and Personnel and Administrative Reforms in the Tamil Nadu state government, inaugurated the facility. By 2030, 275 million Indians could be […]
Tamil Nadu doctors strike ends – for now
The Tamil Nadu doctors strike ended at the end of the week, following a government warning that their posts would be considered vacated if they did not return to work. The Federation of Government Doctors Association (FOGDA) called the strike from October 25th, with a series of demands. They included, according to FOGDA convener Dr […]
KFD in Karnataka: Experts call for new strategy in tackling monkey fever
Experts have called for Karnataka to formulate a new strategy in tackling Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) or ‘monkey fever’. The disease, which is endemic in south Asia, made headlines at the beginning of this year following an outbreak in the Shivamogga district. Between November 2018 and April 2019, 342 KFD infections were reported in the […]
Quackery: An epidemic in India?
Chennai is on alert against quack doctors, whom officials say vex the city every year during its fever season. The news comes as a reminder of the epidemic of quackery in India: unqualified, unlicensed practitioners account for a staggering proportion of the country’s healthcare workforce. In the past decade, an estimated 1,500 quack doctors have […]
Start-ups get a shoutout from Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has touted the role of start-ups in India’s economy – and highlighted their value as a tool for improving public health. “Today, India is aspiring to become a $5 trillion economy,” the Prime Minister said whilst speaking at the 56th convocation of the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) in Chennai. “Your […]
India’s best states for child welfare
Kerala is the best-performing state in India when it comes to child welfare, whilst Madhya Pradesh is the worst. This is according to the Child Well-being Index, a joint report by World Vision India and IFMR LEAD, unveiled yesterday Kerala secured the top spot with an overall score of 0.76, followed by Tamil Nadu and […]
High Court calls out low pay for government doctors
Identifying pay rates as the rationale behind medicos choosing private practice over work in the public sectors, the Madras High Court is calling for a pay increase for government doctors. The issue of comparatively lower pay in the public sector was raised during a High Court hearing of a petition concerning strike action by doctors […]
Death in the sewers: Manual scavenging continues to kill
In the first six months of 2019, at least fifty people died because of manual scavenging – in just eight states. This is according to data collected from the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) from Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh. The fatalities offer a snapshot of a much […]
E-cigarette industry appeals against potential ban
The e-cigarette industry has appealed against the proposed ban on the devices, calling on regulation instead of outright prohibition. With the Centre in position to initiate a blanket ban on electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) by classifying them under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the Trade Representatives of ENDS in India (TRENDS), an association of […]