India's doctor-population ratio: A milestone achievement surpassing the WHO recommendations Content Editor: Dr. Shubham August 9, 2024 at 2:30:00 PM Health care delivery system, Universal health coverage The doctor-population ratio in India is 1:836 , which surpasses the WHO standard of 1:1000. As of July 2024, 13,86,136 allopathic doctors and around 5.65 lakh AYUSH doctors were registered with the National Medical Commission (NMC) and State Medical Councils. India has 731 medical colleges, offering 72,627 PG seats and 1,12,112 MBBS seats annually. India also has around 38.49 lakh registered nurses. The government has taken measures to improve medical education facilities, considering both the quality of healthcare services and the quantity of healthcare professionals : Approving new medical colleges and increasing MBBS and PG seats Upgrading and strengthening the existing ones. Recognition of DNB qualification. However, this ratio varies significantly across countries due to differences in healthcare systems, population density, and other factors. For instance, in the United States, it is approximately 1:400, China has 1:1500, and Cuba remarkably maintains a ratio of 1:170. Click here to read more. Previous Next

India takes action in the climate and health solutions (CHS) conclave India takes action in the climate and health solutions (CHS) conclave Content Editor: Dr. Shayari November 22, 2024 Press Information Bureau Climate, Health, One health The Climate and Health Solutions (CHS) India Conclave, co-hosted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), concluded with a call to action to integrate climate change considerations into public health strategies. Key Takeaways: Representatives from 19 Indian states and Union Territories participated in a key roundtable on "Climate Resilient and Responsive Health Systems and Infrastructure”. The conclave recognized the need for adaptable infrastructure to handle extreme weather events. The conclave emphasized the urgent need to address climate change and public health holistically. Discussions focused on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), mental health, nutrition, and climate-ready healthcare workforce development. Experts emphasized the need for innovative financing models, including blended finance, to invest in climate-resilient infrastructure and healthcare systems . The conclave served as a platform to develop concrete, actionable solutions, demonstrating India's commitment to tackling both climate change and health challenges. Click here to read more.

‘Hamara Shauchalay: Hamara Samman’ campaign launched. ‘Hamara Shauchalay: Hamara Samman’ campaign launched. Content Editor: Dr Shubham November 25, 2024 Social trends Sanitation, ODF, Swachh Bharat Mission The Central government has directed all States and Union Territories to conduct ground-level surveys to identify gaps and expedite the construction of Individual Household Latrines (IHHLs ) to mark World Toilet Day on November 19. The campaign "Hamara Shauchalay: Hamara Samman" links sanitation with human rights, emphasizing dignity and privacy, especially for women and girls, as a commitment towards attaining and sustaining Open Defecation Free (ODF ) status. The initiative highlights the importance of grassroots workers, NGO partners, and local stakeholders in achieving comprehensive sanitation coverage. The campaign includes mobile units with educational content and a comic book featuring Chacha Chaudhary to raise sanitation awareness among children. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM ) Grameen, over 11.73 crore household toilets have been constructed, resulting in more than 5.57 lakh ODF Plus villages. The urban counterpart, Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban , has facilitated the construction of 63.63 lakh household latrines and over 6.36 lakh community and public toilets. The WHO reported in 2023 that unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene are responsible for approximately 1,000 deaths of children under the age of five every day. Improved sanitation has had a positive economic impact, saving ODF villages an average of ₹50,000 per family annually on healthcare. Improved sanitation could potentially save 1.4 million lives annually.

Unmet needs of MDR- TB patients Content Editor: Dr.KH Reddy January 23, 2024 at 3:30:00 PM MDR-TB, Qualitative research, Healthcare research, NTEP, Tuberculosis A qualitative study was published recently to identify the unmet needs of MDR-Tb patients. A total of 128 patients registered across 15 Tuberculous units were interviewed for this study. Over 70% of participants were young adults between 15 and 35, unemployed and residing in unauthorized settlements. In-depth interviews were conducted to better understand their journey in TB healthcare, their motivations for seeking care, costs incurred, obstacles faced, and their overall experience in public (NTEP) and private healthcare for TB treatments. As per the results of the qualitative analysis, the following problems with NTEP were highlighted: Discriminatory behavior Lack of sanitary isolation wards Shortage of TB medicine supply at the nearest NTEP center Distress due to long durations of daily medication leading to suicide attempts. Previous Next

Government advises against the use of antibiotics in cases of COVID-19 Government advises against the use of antibiotics in cases of COVID-19 Content Editor: Dr. Siddharth Singh April 3, 2023 Times of India, Delhi Public Health Laws and Regulation Government of India on 1st of March advised against the use of antibiotics unless required , amid a spike in COVID-19 cases across the country. The health ministry has shared an updated guideline on Covid management which says that antibiotics should not be used unless there is 'clinical suspicion' of bacterial infection. The guideline advises physicians to explore the possibility of co-infection of Covid with other endemic infections and to avoid using steroids in mild diseases. Though hospitalizations due to Covid are lower compared to the previous waves of the pandemic, the number of infections has surged significantly across the country.

The curious case of Salmonella outbreak The curious case of Salmonella outbreak Content editor: Dr. M Swathi Shenoy August 25, 2023 Centre of Disease Control Outbreak, Water Sanitation and Hygiene, Communicable disease The CDC and public health officials are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella across 11 different states in the United States of America. The variants of Salmonella involved are S. stanley and S. pomona. As of August 18th, a total of 26 individuals had been infected, with 24 of them infected with S. stanley and only 2 with S. pomona. These outbreaks have been linked to small turtles with shell sizes under 4 inches. Due to a similar history in the past, the sale and distribution of these turtles have been banned however, these have been found online illegally. The CDC has issued a list of dos and don'ts related to the same, which includes: Wash your hands regularly with soap and water Play safely around the turtle Do not eat//drink around the turtle Do not snuggle/kiss the turtle Call your healthcare provider if you have any symptoms of salmonella.

Prevalence and reporting of harassment in specialist branch: Findings from a study Prevalence and reporting of harassment in specialist branch: Findings from a study Content Editor: Dr. Prachi July 23, 2024 JAMA Network Open Sexual harassment, Research findings, Mental health Despite being female-dominated fields, the prevalence of sexual harassment, bullying, abuse, and discrimination among OB-GYN clinicians and trainees was not known. The study tried to find interventions to reduce harassment in OB-GYN and other surgical specialties. The findings of the study were: OB-GYN field shows high rates of harassment - sexual harassment (27.6-70.9%), workplace discrimination (57.0-67.2% for women, 38.5% for men), and bullying (52.8%). The study saw low reporting rates, between 8.4 and 12.5% for clinicians and 32.6% for trainees. 25.1% of medical students reported mistreatment during OB-GYN rotations. The main perpetrators were physicians (30.1%), other trainees (13.1%), and OR staff (7.7%). The interventions studied were limited, mainly targeting medical students. Some interventions improved bias recognition and reporting . However, no interventions significantly decreased sexual harassment frequency . This study highlighted that more research is needed on effective interventions for all levels of OB-GYN practitioners. Click here to read more.

FAME India - How is the uptake of Electric Vehicles in India? FAME India - How is the uptake of Electric Vehicles in India? March 5, 2023 National Mission on Electric Mobility Electric Vehicle, E-Automobile Electric vehicles are one of the solutions to the problem of air pollution . The government adopted Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME 2015) schemes to achieve a goal of reaching 30% EV penetration by 2030. Over 2 lakh electric vehicles were sold in India, with 107 lakh liters of fuel saved , 2 crore carbon dioxide reduction (in kgs), and around 3k crore rupees investment in EV startups have been achieved. To spur the production and consumption of EVs and charging infrastructure - income tax rebates of up to INR150,000 for customers on interest paid on loans to buy EVs, an outlay of rupees 10,000 crores for phase 2 of FAME (2019) , and states also launched their EV policy. Rollouts of charging facility points , education on EVs to clear the doubts of the customer, incentives for the exchange of old vehicles , and piloting EV corridors across National highways will gear the penetration further.

USDA launches probe into mysterious disease affecting dairy cows Content Editor: Dr. KH Reddy April 1, 2024 at 2:00:00 PM One health, Avian flu, Livestock, Public health A H igh P athogenic A vian I nfluenza V irus [HPAI] is under epidemiological investigation in the US. So far, tests reveal that it is a H5N1 subtype virus and wild birds are the source. The USDA has called upon all dairy farmers to monitor vigilantly and promptly contact a vet if they find any viral symptoms in their livestock, like Decreased milk production Loss of appetite Fever Altered consistency of manure As of March 29, 2024, no human transmission has been reported. The USDA also clarified that milk and meat were safe for consumption after pasteurization and proper cooking. Click here to read more Previous Next

Higher prevalence of Dementia in India: LASI Content Editor : Dr. Ranjitha R March 11, 2023 at 3:07:04 PM Research finding, dementia, LASI, Geriatric health. A study done using the sample of LASI (Longitudinal Aging Study in India) estimated the prevalence of Dementia among the elderly (>60 years) to be 8.44% - equating to 10.08 million people in the country . The subsample of LASI participants received an extensive cognitive assessment, clinical rating, and diagnoses of dementia . A semi-supervised machine learning model was developed to predict the status of dementia among participants without a diagnosis. Dementia was higher among participants who were females, lived in rural areas , and received no education. This study helps in making the long-term plan and social care policy. Previous Next