Public Health Headlines  25th February, 2023

A petition filed to frame rules for granting menstrual pain leave for students and working women in workplaces.

Supreme Court said there are different dimensions to menstrual pain leave, which though being a biological process, may also act as a “disincentive” for employers from engaging women in their establishments. 

The petitioner has been asked to approach the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development Ministry to frame a policy.

Read our detailed new-analysis on Menstraul Leave Policy - Click here

DGCA on monday released guidelines on mental health for flight crew and Air traffic controllers. 

It has recommended 3 major steps to check and improve mental health 

In a situation where there is a concern regarding the mental state of a crew member or air traffic controller then a detailed clinical mental assessment will be undertaken at one of the Indian Air Force Boarding Centers and such cases will be referred to DGCA Medical Directorate for special medical examinator.

A drug referred to as Tranq, which contains Xylazine has raised concern across the U.S. because of its increasing presence in the illicit drug market. 

Xylazine which is normally used as an animal tranquilizer is being increasingly found mixed with opioids like fentanyl and heroin. Xylazine is a sedative and is known to cause increased sleepiness and can lead to respiratory depression. 

In the market, it is being used as Tranq dope a mixture of xylazine and fentanyl. Xylazine amplifies the high of fentanyl and heroin, because of this the risk of opioid overdose has increased.

Xylazine also has the side effect of damaging the user's skin. It produces open sores which convert into eschar and if not treated can lead to amputation.

QR code-based instant patient OPD registration was launched last year in October under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. From its inception, till now 365 hospitals have adopted it.

According to a report by National Health Authority, more than 5 lakh patients have availed the benefit of queue-less OPD registration. 

The QR code can be scanned by different government and 3rd part apps example: the ABHA app, Arogya Setu app, PayTM, etc.

The initiative has not only made the process paperless but has also streamlined patient registration. It is also linked to the ABHA number, therefore it is also helping in the linkage of patient health records. 

The maximum registration through QR code has been taken in Karnataka, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

Lokniti - Centre for Study of Developing Societies, has come up with the level of voter satisfaction with public health services - An interview based survey.

Access to health schemes like Ayushman Bharat, State Health Insurance Programmes, JSKK, JSY and Mission Indradhanush and degree of benefit from those schemes were evaluated.

The findings revealed :-

The Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 only specify individual standards for a few millets like sorghum. 

To overcome the gap FSSAI has brought the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Second Amendment Regulations, 2023, which will be effective from 1st September 2023. 

The new regulation has framed comprehensive group standards for 15 types of millets. The standard has 8 quality parameters maximum limit of moisture content, uric acid content,  extraneous matter, Other edible grains, permissible defects, weevilled grains, immature and shriveled grains.

The comprehensive group standard for millets will ensure the supply of good quality millets in both domestic and global markets at a time when the world is celebrating the International Year of Millets 

To know more about the International Year of Millets - Click here

This could be the 2nd consecutive year where wheat yield may show negative growth. Last year due to high heat in March, wheat production was impacted. This year the temperature has started to increase even earlier than in 2022. 

Indian Council of Agricultural Research has advised farmers to look for yellow rust disease, which can affect the crop at higher temperatures. 

The government has already replaced wheat with rice in 11 states under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. The low central stockpile will also impair the government's ability to check the inflationary trend.

The central government has also formed a committee to monitor the situation and issue advisories to farmers. According to experts, the late-sown varieties of wheat are likely to be impacted more. 

The situation can impact the central stockpile of wheat, which had already seen a fall due to low production last year, which can impact the public distribution system.