The world over, we are struggling to make healthcare cost-effective, accountable and outcome-driven. But so far, it has been far from success. The Commonwealth Fund Report 2014 (‘Mirror-Mirro
On February 16 last year, my father went for a routine medical check-up as he was not keeping well. The doctor said he needed to be hospitalised. That evening our life began to fall apart.
Nearly 63 million people of India are in debt due to health care expenses and a third of the population is driven below poverty line due to the same. The government funds only a third of heal
India faces an unenviable challenge of tackling the dual burden of diseases and lack of qualified health personnel. The number of surgeons, anaesthetists and obstetricians per hundred thousand peop
All is not well with healthcare delivery at the grassroots. Exploring the government healthcare system in the rural belts of Sitapur district in Uttar Pradesh during my five-month long field work,
Professor Sakthivel Selvaraj is a health economist who teaches at the Public Health Foundation of India and researches matters concerning financing of healthcare and pharmaceutical
S Srinivasan is the managing trustee of LOCOST, a charitable trust involved with the production of low-priced quality generics for over 32 years. He has also been active in works like t
In a country of 1.3 billion people, the government’s expenditure on healthcare rarely becomes a matter of pride. In 2013-14, India’s total healthcare expenditure was Rs 4.5 lakh crore,
To evaluate the new health policy, we turned to a leading expert in this area, Dr K Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India. The former head of the de
In Lalheri village in Punjab’s Ludhiana district, groups of men and women from Hambran, Sidhwan, Ghalib, Manewal, Lubnagarh, Arain and other nearby villages have gathered in a hotel and occup
In a world that sees far-from-perfect global healthcare systems, lack of access to cancer treatment – a disease which currently is the second leading cause of death – is the most
The union government is keen to create an All India Medical Service, just like the IAS and IPS. A letter has been sent to all chief secretaries of the states and un
Dr Kenneth E Thorpe, a professor of health policy and management at Emory University in the US and also the chairman of Partnership to Fight Chronic Diseases (PFCD), says that the government al
A midwife has a key role to play in the healthcare system and she is in charge of prenatal care, the delivery, and postpartum services. However, retention of midwives, especially in rural are
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) have quite diligently covered issues of human well-being to achieve greater sustainable development in the years to come. Among the 17 goal
In the union budget for 2018-19, some big announcements have been made especially for the health sector but not supported by corresponding budgetary allocations. While, on the one hand, allocations
While the centre has encouraged drug stores that sell generics (as opposed to branded medicines) under the Jan Aushadhi scheme, states have obtained mixed results in the implementation. In Andhra P
After three years of continuous drafting and re-drafting, the ministry of health and family welfare is finally ready with a draft of a legislation intended to regulate growing digitisation in healt
Kishan Kumar, who ran a small shop in Kanpur, died of kidney failure at 42. The cause, as in most cases, was progressive diabetes. With his meagre income, no medical insurance, and the responsibili
India remains among the countries with the lowest public health budgets in the world. Its health budget stands at around 1 percent of the GDP. This historical lack of emphasis on the health s
Unplanned pregnancy is the major cause of abortion in India. The number women who undergo such abortions are higher than those who go for unauthorised sex selective abortions. "
Since the noughties, surgeons have been performing and advocating surgery that accesses internal organs through the body’s natural orifices. Such procedures are called natural orifice translu
Ashan was all of only 21 months when he lost his battle to a rare genetic disorder on November 18. During his last days at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan hospital in the capital, his distraught
It happens in the US, UK and many other developed countries, then why not in India? The word ‘sarkari’ is scary enough for the Indian middle class, leave alone the elite. Even as the ad
Mahatma Gandhi said, “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” Development of the health sector from primary up to the tertiary sector in an economy triggers
As the government is set to roll out the 5G spectrum auction, the network providers are also equipping 5th generation network-ready LTE technology. According to the government, the technology
The new world is aggressively batting for individual rights and self-determination. As the society is evolving for the better, we see a more assertive Indian coming to the fore. An Indian who has h
The scare of the Covid-19 is rising in India, with the total number of positive cases touching 30 and some cases of community transmission coming to light, even as the authorities have stepped up p
Indian authorities have been making all attempts to contain the spread of COVID-19, with the number of confirmed cases reaching 50. After the 44 positive cases declared Monday, on T
COVID-19 has claimed first life in India as the authorities scrambled to contain the further spread Novel Coronavirus. A 76-year-old man in Karnataka who had tested positive for COVI
India has taken the lead in reaching out to the neighbouring member-nations of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and prime minister Narendra Modi has proposed to set up
As various cine and TV organizations and bodies announced halt of shootings of films, TV serials, web series and all entertainment including digital formats in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak,
India has so far been successful to a degree in containing the spread of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus, the prime minister’s address to the nation has set the 1.3 billion people to avoid
The world is in grip of the serious virus crisis which is also affecting the global economy, and crushing GDP growth, says Fitch Ratings in its latest quarterly ‘Global Economic Outlook&rsquo
Sunday marked a watershed in India’s battle with the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus outbreak: following prime minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for a “janta curfew”, people stayed
India is making an all-out effort to save a billion-plus people from the outbreak of COVID-19, bringing most parts of the country under curfew and lockdown, as the number of people affected by the
The lockdown in most parts of India was extended Tuesday night to the whole nation – for 21 days, bringing life to a standstill in the subcontinent. Prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday ev
Sixteenth March at Hammurabi & Solomon Partners was a usual Monday at work with colleagues starting the week on a turbo-mode. But this Monday was different. It had something unusual about it.
Scare following the outbreak of Covid-19 has led some people to turn to vigilantism, harassing people at the frontline of fighting the disease and keeping the country running amid the lockdown.
As the nation battles the Coronavirus outbreak, a billion-plus population is confined at home in the 21-day lockdown, and this is leading to mental health concerns. “It is a t
As the nation battles the Coronavirus outbreak, a billion-plus population is confined at home in the 21-day lockdown, and this is leading to mental health concerns. “It is a t
In the thick of battle with the deadly coronavirus, India on March announced a 21-day lockdown till April 14 in its bid to control the spread of virus which has so far led to 10 people’s deat
As COVID -19 cases continue to rise amid a 21-day lockdown, the centre and the states are proactively taking measures to provide aid to the underprivileged and the needy during this unprecedented s
Covid-19 may turn out to be the last straw that broke the camel’s back so far as the real estate sector is concerned. It broke out at a time when pundits were estimating the GDP to be hoverin
To take speedy decisions on research and development for Sars-Cov-2 virus and COVID-19, the government has constituted a Science and Technology Empowered Committee. The committee, se
In a bid to break the “chain of transmission” of the deadly Covid-19, India, a country with more than 1.3 billion population, observed a voluntary ‘Janata Curfew’ on March 2
Demobilization, like its predecessor – demonetization, is another decision gone bad in implementation. In both instances a careful public administrative action through its governance sy
In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, people of India have realized their collective strength, prime minister Narendra Modi said in a short video message Friday morning. He also urged people to lig
In view of the increasing number of COVID -19 cases in the country, the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) has now advised that everyone must voluntarily wear a mask and especially those
Contrary to the perception that the elderly are more at risk from Covid-19, in India as many as 41.88% of corona positive cases are between 21 to 40 years of age. Also, 32.82% positive cases are be
As Indians switched off lights in homes and lighted lamps and candles Sunday night following prime minister Narendra Modi’s appeal as a gesture of solidarity in the fight against COVID-19, th
Maharashtra has emerged the epicentre of the Novel Coronavirus outbreak in the country with Mumbai reporting the highest number of cases in the state. With more and more healthcare providers gettin
Amid exceptional circumstances of COVID-19 outbreak and the 21-day nationwide lockdown, authorities are trying to discourage spread of rumours and misinformation through social media.
This article originally appeared on the ORF website: https://www.orf
COVID-19, the virus that began its world tour from a city in central China, has spread around the planet. As of April 11, this pandemic has caused over 1.6 million cases and the death toll as cross
As the centre and states grapple to contain Novel Coronavirus pandemic on war footing, the urban local bodies are in a rush to stem the disease. The administration is challenged for timely opportun
Less than a year ago, Odisha, one of the poorest states in India, had shown the world how preparedness and efficient management could minimize human casualties. Before the category 4, severe tropic
As the 21-day lockdown comes to an end on Tuesday, prime minister Narendra Modi announced that the restrictions meant to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus were now extended till May 3, followin
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has assured the large number of migrant labourers who are getting anxious to return to their homes that the fight against the Covid-19 virus is being fou
With Ramzaan expected to begin from April 24-25, when the Muslim community will observe dawn-to-dusk fast for the month, Muslim scholars and imams of masjids across India have come out with guideli
Whatever may be the reason behind US president Donald Trump’s irksome statement against India and then within 24 hours correcting it by making placatory remarks for prime minister Narendra Mo
India on Monday began relaxing some of the movement restrictions in place since the lockdown began on March 24 in response to the Covid-19 outbreak, mostly in safe areas outside the containment zon
When Javed Sheikh and his mother Khadija set out from Mumbai for a week-long trip of Kashmir, they could not have imagined it would turn out to be much longer than a week, and they would have a gli
This analysis originally appeared on the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) webs
As the lockdown to halt the spread of Covid-19 continues into its second month, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray believes it’s high time some relief is granted, with precaut
Prime minister Narendra Modi has hailed India’s fight against Covid-19 as people-driven, and also urged people to use the occasion as an opportunity to look at our lives with a fresh perspect
As India entered the last week of the extended lockdown to counter Covid-19, prime minister Narendra Modi and his key cabinet colleagues held a video conference with the state chief ministers Monda
The Maharashtra government will provide free testing, treatment and meals to Covid-19 patients in civic and state government-run hospitals in the state. With the number of Covi
In his interaction with Indian overseas students from the UK, Canada, Singapore, Europe and Australia through video-conferencing on April 26, union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gad
Taking note of many cases of distribution of commercial baby foods as part of Covid-19 pandemic ration support, the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI) has raised an alarm and said that
Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has cautioned that after opening up if you are forced to shut down it would that be devastating for economic activity as it would create a trust deficit. It would
Aiming to stop the spread of coronavirus, the central government has decided to further extend the lockdown, scheduled to end on May 3, for two more weeks. After a comprehensive revi
At a time when countries around the globe are trying to save human lives from the Novel Coronavirus outbreak, addressing other issues, for example, containing the economic distress caused by it, is
In slums like Govandi in Mumbai people live in tin and tarpaulin structures of 5x5 feet or a maximum 8x10 ft. These duplex homes with open toilets have no windows, kitchens and bathrooms. Even brin
Fear is the Indian bureaucrat’s best friend. As the fear of Covid-19 grips people, an opportunity has arisen—for the regulatory inspectors to make the country dance to their tunes. Taki
In the current times, every country across the globe is engaged in a battle against Covid-19. The architecture of a country`s constitution influences it’s response to this pandemic – au
As India battles Covid-19, the centre is placing under scanner the two western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat which have an unusually high number of infections. Health minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan
As Maharashtra leads the country in the number of Covid-19 infections with the financial capital Mumbai remaining the most affected city, the state government has replaced the high-profile municipa
In line with various notifications by the department of cooperation during the Covid-19 pandemic to maintain social distancing in cooperative societies the Commissioner, Co-operation and Registrar,
In a letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Association of Medical Consultants (AMC) Mumbai, a body of specialist doctors in Mumbai, has said that unless the government controls the spread Covi
There are two sides to the coin of the Covid-19 disaster. The heads is the heads; i.e., lives of the people. The tail side is the economic damage sustained by almost every sector. In other words, t
As the world’s most extensive and arguably strictest lockdown completes 50 days, India remains in double mind: there are good arguments for and against extending the movement restrictions. Th
As India has remained locked down for 50 days and counting, children – about 40% of the population – have come to bear the burden in ways that are yet to be acknowledged, finds a survey
One in three children under five years of age in India is stunted and one in five children under five years is wasted. Stunting prevalence of10.1% is higher in rural than in urban areas. India expe
An image that captured the plight of migrant labourers leaving cities and walking to their homes on foot – the image of a woman walking on, pulling a suitcase behind her on which her child is
The World Bank has come to the aide of the government of India for an ‘Accelerating India’s COVID-19 Social Protection Response Programme’ that will support the country’s ef
India has decided to extend the lockdown, in place since March 24, once again – till May 31 now – though with more and more relaxations, even as the number of infections in the country
Eighty-eight Nobel laureates and world leaders have come together as part of ‘Laureates and Leaders for Children’ and called for the global attention towards children during Covid-19 lo
Sapio Umbrella, a unit of government advisory firm Sapio Analytics, has received support from Nobel Laureates Dr Michael Levitt and Colonel H R Naidu Gade in form of advisory engagement in strength
In the battle against Covid-19, India has managed to keep the mortality rate low at 0.2 deaths per lakh population, compared to some 4.1 deaths for the same population worldwide. Moreover, a total
As India begins to learn to live with Covid-19 and come out of nearly two-month long lockdown, regular train services are set to resume from June 1 in a graded manner, even as more ‘shramik&r
India, completing about two months of lockdown to protect against the spread of the Novel Coronavirus, has made good use of the time to improve health infrastructure, the government has said.
Even as humanitarian support is pouring in to help distressed migrants amid Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown, civil society organizations and NGOs are working for sanitation of community toilets
For the rest of the world, it is not easy to understand China when it comes to politics or economics. Under pressure from the international community, it has accepted to open the country for a &ldq
Before the novel coronavirus hit it, Mumbai about 10-12 lakh labourers from elsewhere had made it their home. The figure for the state of Maharashtra was another 18-20 lakh. As the pandemic spread
Close to 48 lakh migrant labourers have been able to reach home from the cities they were working in, as the Indian Railways have run a total of 3,543 “Sharmik Special” trains from May
India is determined to “set an example” for the rest of the word in the post-pandemic economic revival, prime minister Narendra Modi has said, underling the need to become self-reliant.
When the whole world is fighting COVID-19, food and nutrition security has become a major issue. The pandemic has aggravated the existing food crisis in India, especially in rural and tribal region
With Lockdown 4 ending Sunday, the home ministry has issued new guidelines to fight COVID-19 and for phased re-opening of areas outside the Containment Zones. The guidelines, issued based on extens
Even as Mumbai fights challenges posed by COVID-19 on multiple fronts and as the coronavirus cases continue to rise daily, the city now faces a double whammy with the cyclone ‘Nis
The two-month Covid-19 lockdown has been both a bane and a boon for India’s 27 crore tobacco users. With tobacco not included in the list of essential goods and many states explicitly b
As part of her work Dr Azmera Sheikh, would often visit the municipality office and ward offices for meetings with officials for Covid-19 patients, do thermal screening at multiple containment zone
Even as public health authorities have been struggling hard to meet the unprecedented crisis, the Covid-19 has also exposed glaring weaknesses in the system, and it is the National Human Righ
Respected Narendra Modi ji, Let me take this opportunity to compliment the Government of India for managing the Covid crisis diligently. Being a novel virus with
This is the story of a man who worked hard to improve the life of a metro which failed him when his own life was at stake. This is the story of a citizen activist whose life could not be saved due
On May 19, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General (DG) Mrutyunjay Mohapatra followed his standard routine before a cyclone’s landfall: he had a series of meetings with experts
“I used to work as a part-time maid, but since the lockdown began, my employers have told me there is no need to come. I have no children, no other source of income, how will I su
The rating agency Fitch Ratings on Thursday revised the Outlook on India’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘Negative’ from ‘Stable’ while aff
Wild plant species used in herbal treatments of Covid-19 are set to come under heightened harvesting pressure, as a result of both increased demand and more people turning to wild harvesting as an
As the national capital continues to report a record number of Covid-19 cases, the centre and the AAP government have decided to make a fresh start to contain the spread of the outbreak.
Fifty-seven minor girls have tested positive for the novel coronavirus at a state-run children’s Shelter Home in Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, with five of them pregnant and one HIV posit
The PM CARES Fund Trust has allocated Rs. 2,000 crore for supply of 50,000 ‘Made-in-India’ ventilators to government-run Covid hospitals in all states and union territories (UTs). A sum
Battling the novel coronavirus outbreak, India has significantly ramped up the testing facilities, with more than 2 lakh samples tested in the last 24 hours – the highest so far, an official
In an attempt to revive the economy hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has decided to bet on infrastructure development in a big way. The union cabinet chaired by prime min
With the number of Covid-19 cases gradually coming down to single digits in Asia’s largest slum sprawl of Dharavi which has population density of 2,27,136 persons per sq km and Worli hot spot
Amid extra precautions to curb the spread of pandemic in Mumbai, the Maharashtra government has clarified that there has not be any ban on domestic helps, drivers and other service providers enteri
For all intents and purposes, India is going to reset its relations with China and a subtle hint to this regard has been given by the Narendra Modi government after the deadly June 15/16 night face
Democracy in India is now taken for a fact, with an unstated assumption that all our institutions are democratic and hence often our successes and more often failures are attributed to ‘democ
Even as Unlock enters the second phase, the number of Covid-19 infections continues to rise to record levels and India remains No 4 in the worldwide list, yet there is glimmer of hope: its recovery
In a first, the Department of Home Science, Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidayalam (Women’s University) Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, recently organized an international webinar on “Nutrition
India has achieved a significant milestone as the number of Covid-19 tests conducted in the country so far has crossed the 1 crore milestone. This signifies the importance accorded to widespread te
As part of the four T strategy of trace-test-track-treat, Mumbai – the most affected city in India – has decided to make Covid-19 tests accessible to all. The municipal c
The BrihanMumbai municipal corporation (BMC) has countered Maharashtra leader of opposition Devendra Fadanvis’s suspicions of fewer Covid-19 tests, as it outlined various measures it has adop
India would play a leading role in the global revival, prime minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, as he addressed the inaugural session of India Global week via video-conference.
The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted economies and healthcare systems across the world. Even in the countries, like the US, that have the highest spend on healthcare and public health emergency prep
Vice president M Venkaiah Naidu has urged the people to introspect on the life during the last few months under coronavirus induced confinement and assess if they have learned the right lessons and
Though India remains the third-most affected country in terms of Covid-19 infections, the situation seems to be improving as the number of people who have recovered from infection has rose to 5,34,
While India’s Covid-19 recovery rate has improved to 63.02%, there are 19 states that are doing better than that. They are led by the national capital, Delhi. Here is a list of
In the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, travelling can be hazardous, but the railways have come up with new coaches designed to help the passenger avoid the risk of infection to the maximum extent.
(Update: The state government has announced a lockdown in Ganjam, Khordha, Cuttack and Jaipur districts and Rourkela municipal corporation from 9pm of July 17 till July 31.)
While India has crossed the one million mark in Covid-19 infections, remaining among the top three affected countries (along with the US and Brazil), its actual load of active cases is only a third
Project Mumbai, a volunteer-led non-profit, has been selected by the UN SDG Action Campaign as one of the global recipients for the Solidarity Award, a special call from the annual
Manju Jeena, an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) from Kandalei village of Khurda district, Odisha, has been working tirelessly to support COVID-19 related activities and ensure that her com
While India remains one of the most Covid-19-affected countries, its recovery rate continues to improve with the total number of patients who have returned home touching 7,24,577.
India is emerging as the second most Covid-19-affected nation, after the US but ahead of Brazil, going by the weekly average of fresh infections, yet there is hope in the record number of recoverie
As many as 57% people in slums and 16% in non-slum areas have had exposure to Novel Coronavirus, according to a serological surveillance survey for SARS-CoV2 infection jointly commissioned by NITI-
The continuing spread of COVID-19 has emerged as the biggest roadblock to development in 2020. Citizens across the globe have been breathing an air of panic, fear, and confusion, not knowing what l
As part of its 3T strategy of focusing on testing, tracing and treating to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, India crossed a landmark, testing 2,02,02,858 COVID-19 samples so far. This
The most joyous moment of a woman’s life is to breastfeed her baby for the first time. Breast milk is the foundation to build a strong bonding between mother and child and must not be missed
Even as India continues to record more than 50,000 new Covid-19 infections every day for a week now, there was some hope in the rising number of recoveries as well, with a drop in the case fatality
Advertising veteran Sam Balsara has lamented the lack of support from the government to the industry and said that it has completely ignored the sector. Balsara, the founder, chairma
India has been registering more new cases of Covid-19 infection than any other country for the past seven days, yet its rigorous push on testing and thus on early identification is bearing fruits,
More than 3.04 crore masks of N95 variety and more than 1.28 crore personal protection equipment (PPE) kits have been distributed by the centre to states and union territories (UTs) as part of thei
India is focusing on relentless testing, as part of its strategy of ‘Test, Track and Treat’, as the number of Covid-19 tests conducted in a day has risen to cross 8 lakh a day.
India remains one of the worst Covid-19-affected countries, but the number of new infections has dropped after a while, even as the recoveries are rising, going by Monday’s official bulletin.
On July 31, a few days after the central government announced the Unlock 3 guidelines, Odisha made public its own guidelines. Though the weekend shutdown will continue till August end, markets have
India has been for some time leading the world in terms of daily fresh Covid-19 cases, but the number of recoveries is also rising and so is the number of tests. As on Thursday, the
A consistently increasing number of recoveries has pushed India’s Recovery Rate amongst the Covid-19 patients to nearly 75%. With the recoveries of 57,989 patients in the 24 h
According to the American Heart Association, ‘cardiovascular disease’ refers to a number of conditions including heart disease, heart attack, stroke, arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat) and
The Covid -19 havoc has raised concerns of economic revival, following social distancing norms in crowded public transport, challenges of online learning specially for the poor, migrants and inform
India has crossed a crucial milestone in the fight against COVID-19. For the first time, a record number of more than 10.5 lakh COVID tests have been conducted in a single day. With
India has been registering the maximum number of new daily cases in recent times. The figure has gone above 80,000 now, higher than any other country since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. At the
India is leading the world in the highest number of new Covid-19 cases a day, as the centre exhorted the states to find ways to break the chain of transmission and bring down the mortality rate bel
The spread of coronavirus in India shows no signs of stopping anytime soon, even as more and more movement restrictions are being removed. On Monday, the country reported 90,802 fresh cases of Covi
When Odisha’s Covid-19 tally crossed the 10,000-mark on July 7, chief minister Naveen Patnaik directed officials to include pandemic management under the ‘Mo Sarkar’ (My Governmen
If Maharashtra were placed on the worldwide tally of confirmed Covid-19 cases so far, it would rank fifth. In other words, its caseload is higher than every country except for the US, India, Brazil
Amid the trend in several countries of granting legal status to marijuana, a team of doctors from the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, have called for more tests to find out its supposed benefits.
As coronavirus refuses to abate, Maharashtra has become the first state in India to cross 1 million mark in terms of confirmed cases and stares at shortage of medical oxygen. Every day 2,000-3,000
India once again registered 90,000-plus fresh cases of Covid-19 in a day, even as the number of recoveries too registered a new high – 82,961. The number of those who have recovered so far is
India has been hitting upwards of 90,000 fresh cases of Covid-19 every day for some time now, as the virus continues to spread amid further Unlock. The recoveries, on the other hand, are also creat
On completion of one year of the chairmanship of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB), the Election Commission (EC) of India on Monday hosted an international webinar on the the
Is India finally gaining an upper hand over the Covid-19 pandemic? After weeks of new cases hitting 90,000-plus every day, the tide seems to be turning, as the number came down to 75,083 on Tuesday
Wearing a face mask is the first line of defence against the novel coronavirus, along with maintaining social distance and frequently washing hands with soap. More than six months after the outbrea
The Indic Quotient: Reclaiming Heritage through Cultural Enterprise By Kaninika Mishra Bloomsbury India, 230 pages, Rs. 499
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the spotlight on the health-promotive and disease-preventive solutions of Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy) disciplines. What has not come into the
A sero survey conducted in the second half of August shows the presence of Covid-19 antibodies in samples from Mumbai slums has decreased by 12 percent over the findings of the previous survey of J
In India, the third most affected country due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the poor and marginalised forest communities have faced the loss of livelihoods, employment, food insecurity and resultant so
India has a reason to hope after a long while: the number of active Covid-19 cases in the country has remained below 10 lakh for 14 consecutive days. The development arrests a worris
As India maintained a lowering curve of new Covid-19 infections, prime minister Narendra Modi launched a public movement Thursday, appealing everyone to unite in the fight against the coronavirus a
In India, only 2.40 million out of an estimated 2.64 million cases of tuberculosis were reported to the government, that is, 2,40,000 TB patients went unreported, in 2019, according to the WHO Glob
India has leaped across several significant milestones in its fight against Covid-19. The new confirmed cases in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning have fallen below 50,000 (46,790, to be precise) for
India’s trend of steadily decreasing active cases continues unabated. The number of Active Cases has remained below 10% of the total cases for the last three days, suggesting only one in 10 c
The annual festive season has brought good news for India: the country’s case fatality ratio has gone down to touch 1.5 percent, and the number of deaths per day has dipped below 500 in the 2
After a scare in September with the number of daily fresh cases inching above 90,000, India seems to have gone down the peak, with several key parameters giving cause for relief just in time for th
As the Covid-19 situation continues to improve in India, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) has decided to continue the Guidelines for Reopening, which have already done away with nearly all of Loc
When my water bag broke, at age 24, I excitedly woke my parents and said let’s go to the nursing home, in Mumbai, to have my first baby because I could not wait to get back home to my hubby i
Mumbai had a quiet Eid-e-Milad this year, with the maximum noise decibel level of 66.1 dB, thanks to restrictions in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has made people celebrate various fest
Prompted by a high incidence of Covid-19 infection, the BrihanMumbai municipal corporation (BMC) launched an awareness-outreach campaign, ‘My Family My Responsibility’, on September 15,
Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) is a concept aimed at providing a cash incentive directly to the intended beneficiaries upon fulfilling certain predetermined conditions. It originated in Latin Amer
India’s daily new recoveries have been exceeding the daily new cases for more than a month now, even as some states have witnessed a spike in Covid-19 infections ahead of the annual festival
As the Maharashtra government has appealed people to avoid the use of firecrackers during the Diwali season amid the Covid-19 pandemic, health minister Rajesh Tope Saturday said the government woul
Aiming to curb pollution amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the BrihanMumbai municipal corporation (BMC) on Monday imposed a ban on the use of firecrackers and fireworks – during the festival of Diw
India has continued the unbroken trend of the daily new recoveries outpacing the daily new additions for more than one and a half month. The country also reported less than 50,000 new daily cases f
A slew measures have been under way for a more effective response to the rise in COVID-19 infections in Delhi, with the union home ministry pushing for more testing as well as adding to the healthc
Acknowledging that much needs to be done in the banking sector, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra has said that the government was working on the nitty-gritties. “As far a
Covid-19 will soon be a “past episode”, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, minister for health and family welfare, has said, hoping that “vaccines available very soon, and the cases will signific
India’s present active caseload (4,43,486) is 4.85% of the total positive cases, and has been sustained below the 5% mark, the health ministry said in a bulletin Monday. The Re
From Wednesday, all passengers travelling to Maharashtra from the NCR of Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa – the four states with high numbers of Covid-19 infection in recent days – wil
The expansion of the testing and treatment network and more availability of oxygen top the government’s priorities in combating the spread of Covid-19, prime minister Narendra Modi indicated
The ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Wednesday issued an ‘Order with Guidelines for Surveillance, Containment and Caution’, effective for the month of December, noting that “to f
Oxfam Trailwalker, arguably India`s biggest walkathon-for-a-cause challenge, has gone virtual this year, with participants completing the 100 km walk within or around the confines of their home
The post-Diwali spike in the Covid-19 infection in India is subsiding, with the number coming down by the day along with more recoveries, resulting in a reducing caseload. In the 24
During the festive season, the marketplaces attracted large crowds and thus emerged as the key sources of infection spread. Taking note of the phenomenon, the health ministry on Wednesday issued st
India’s total active caseload of Covid-19 showed a significant drop on Friday and touched the level of mid-July, as the number of new cases continued to decline. The active caseload s
As a new strain of the Novel Coronavirus, several times more contagious, has started spreading rapidly in the UK, India wasted no time in responding to the threat, as it suspended the flights from
The central government is gearing up for the roll out of Covid-19 vaccine across India. As the vaccine administrators will play an important role in the process, training of trainers and those who
India has concluded a two-day dry run to check preparedness for large-scale dissemination of Covid-19 vaccination across the country. The union ministry of health & family welfar
With the objective of gearing up for the rollout of Covid-19 vaccine across the country, the central government has asked all states and UTs to ensure effective preparedness. Union
For India, the annus horribilis ends on a note of optimism, as the nation crossed a significant milestone in its fight against Covid-19, with the recovery rate crossing 96% on Thursday.
India’s active caseload, which has been decreasing continuously, stands at 2,31,036 on Tuesday, constituting only 2.23% of total positive cases so far. The cumulative recoveries have inched c
India on Saturday began the massive vaccination drive against Covid-19, as prime minister Narendra Modi paid tributes the ‘corona warriors’. “Such a vaccination dri
The nationwide vaccination campaign launched Saturday, the largest such exercise in the world, has started setting new benchmarks, with vaccines administered to 2,24,301 beneficiaries in the first
Renowned cardiologist Dr Ramakanta Panda has said that the pandemic has exposed the inadequacy of existing healthcare systems and it is wrong to draw comparisons with Korea, a country with the popu
In a scathing attack on media, political analyst Shehzad Poonawala has said that the time of media is gone and anyone with a smartphone and a social media account can be a journalist today.
Mumbai needs to convert its need-based policy to land-based policy and plan properly to handle crisis situations in future, believes Ashwini Bhide, additional municipal commissioner, Municipal Corp
With Covid-19 putting huge strains on the city’s health care system, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), one of the richest civic bodies in Asia, has allocated a major chunk o
India’s effective handling of the Covid-19 pandemic is not the success of an individual or a party but is the success of the nation and should be celebrated as such, prime minister Narendra M
The spirit of collaboration among nations in meeting the challenge of Covid-19 has been a valuable take-away from the pandemic, prime minister Narendra Modi said Thursday, as he suggested creating
With the surge in the number of Covid-19 cases over the past few days in several districts of Maharashtra as well as in the city of Mumbai, stringent measures are making a comeback.
In order to expand the vaccination drive, the centre has allowed 29 private hospitals in Mumbai not empanelled in central and state health schemes to be designated as Covid Vaccination Centres (CVC
India’s first indigenously produced Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, has shown an interim efficacy of 81% in Phase III trials for preventing the virus. Covaxin has been developed in India jointly b
India and the Pandemic: The First Year Essay from The India Forum Orient BlackSwan, 335 pages, Rs 695 It’s about time for the first ann
Maharashtra, among the worst Covid-affected states, has allocated Rs 7,500 crore for construction and upgradation of health institutions over four years, and provided Rs. 5,000 crore for quality he
India has recorded a significant achievement in its countrywide COVID19 vaccination drive which was rolled out from January 16. As on Day-52 of the vaccination drive (March 8), 20,1
India seems to be entering a second wave of Covid-19, with the rising numbers of daily new cases and the return of lockdown in Nagpur. The authorities are keeping a close watch, though there is no
In what looks like the building-up of a second wave of coronavirus infections in India, five states – Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu – continue to report a surge
Amid the resurgence of daily numbers of new cases in a few states and fears of the ‘second wave’, prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged the chief ministers to take quick and dec
With Covid-19 infections on an upward spiral in the state of Maharashtra as well as the city of Mumbai, the BrihanMumbai municipal corporation (BMC) has tightened testing rules instructing ward off
As per the UN estimates, India’s urban population increased by 91 million in the last decade. By 2030, India is expected to be home to seven mega-cities with a population above an astounding
New ‘variants of concerns’ (VOCs) and a new double mutant variant of the Novel Coronavirus has been detected in India, the health ministry said Wednesday, though they may not be behind
As India continues to witness resurgence in fresh Covid-19 cases, Mumbai, one of the most affected cities, ramped up its efforts to halt the spread of the virus with increased testing while also in
As many states face a huge resurge of Covid-19 cases, Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi, MP, Rajya Sabha, and national spokesperson, BJP, has said the government is better equipped to handle the second wave com
As the number of Covid cases continues to rise exponentially in Maharashtra, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has announced night curfew across the state starting March 28, Sunday. The curfew,
Struggling to contain the spread of Covid-19 infection, the Maharashtra government has imposed a night curfew from 8 pm to 8 am, starting Sunday night. Maharashtra on Saturday repor
Straddled with the burgeoning cases in the city surpassing pervious numbers, Mumbai civic authorities on Monday sought to avoid chaos over allotment of beds and issued strict instructions to all go
The second wave of Covid-19 is moving ahead, with over 72,000 new cases reported in a day, and more than half of them are from Maharashtra. This trend threatens to nullify to an extent gains made b
As the Second Wave of infections in India shows no sign of relenting, Maharashtra continues to report more than half the new cases, with 43,183 new cases and 249 deaths reported in the 24 hours to
As Maharashtra continues to report an increasing number of Covid-19 cases, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has said he is not ruling the possibility of a total lockdown and he will take the decisio
With new Covid-19 infections crossing the peak of the last year, the Maharashtra government has imposed stringent restrictions on movement of people enforcing Section 144 and night curfew in the en
India recorded a new high of 1,15,736 daily Covid-19 cases with Maharashtra bearing nearly half of the load, as the state and the centre traded charges for the first time since the outbreak. State
Amid tighter movement restrictions as the city and the state continue to battle a consistently rising trajectory of fresh Covid-19 cases, Mumbai civic authorities on Thursday allowed 24-hour home d
Maharashtra, suffering from a heavy number of fresh cases every day and complaining of vaccine shortage, has replied to the union health minister criticism and blamed the centre for the situation.
Maharashtra has modified guidelines on restrictions imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19, and put out clarifications on do Do’s and Don’ts to be followed under its ‘Break the Ch
With Covid-19 cases continuing to spiral upwards and public and private hospitals running to full capacity, the BMC has appointed nodal officers in all 24 ward war rooms and jumbo field hospitals w
Striving to control the deadly second wave of Covid-19 infections, the Maharashtra government has imposed prohibition on the gathering of more than four people as well as night curfew from Wednesda
Essential services allowed: 1) Hospitals, diagnostic centres, clinics, vaccinations, medical insurance offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, other medical and healt
The Second Wave in India seems unstoppable. The number of daily new cases crossed the 2,00,000 figure on Thursday morning, which is the highest ever anywhere in the world. Most of the burden &ndash
Criticizing the postponement of the CBSE Class XII exams in the wake of the second Covid -19 wave across the country, Nupur Sharma, BJP national spokesperson, has said the decision will jeopardize
Countering the opposition BJP’s allegations of corruption in the procurement of Remdesivir, a critical anti-viral injection often prescribed for Covid-19 patients, the BrihanMumbai municipal
A political war erupted between the centre and Maharashtra over supply of essentials including medicines and oxygen as the state struggles to control the raging Covid-19 amidst scarce health infras
Amid a virulent second wave, as Mumbai scrambles for hospital beds, the civic authorities have said there was no need for panic since 3,685 beds were still available in the city for Covid-19 patien
Refuting any political instability in the state, Jayant Patil, Maharashtra cabinet minister and state president of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has said the government is very stable and there
The Maharashtra government has ordered a probe into the tragic incident of oxygen leak at the Zakir Hussain Hospital in Nashik district, in which 24 Covid-19 patients on critical life support have
Amid reports of medical oxygen shortages in many parts of the country for critical Covid-19 patients, prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a meeting with leading oxygen manufacturers via vid
The ferocious second wave showed no signs of halting as India reported 3,79,257 new cases Thursday, but the good news was that the case fatality rate declined to 1.11%, and the cumulative number of
India reported 3,68,147 new cases on Monday, a number lower than the 4 lakh-plus recorded in the weekend. Also, more than 29.16 crore Covid tests were conducted across the country.
To take preventive steps early and save lives, BrihanMumbai municipal corporation (BMC) commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal has urged citizens to come forward and get themselves tested.
India is battling the second wave of Covid-19 and infections are spreading into the interiors of the country, says Dr Anurag Bhadouria, National Spokesperson, Samajwadi Party. It is precipitated by
The cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed the landmark of 17 crore on Monday as the Phase 3 of the nationwide vaccination drive expands further. India
Expressing regret that despite being the largest producer of vaccines in the world things have fallen apart in India, Ashok Seth, a Padma Bhushan awardee and chairman of Fortis Escorts Heart Instit
Blaming the ‘health bureaucracy’ for mishandling the Covid-19 response, failure of vaccination drive and lack of proper communication, Mohandas Pai, chairman, Aarin Capital Partners, an
India’s devastating second wave seems to be waning, as the number of daily cases remained below 3 lakh for the third consecutive day on Wednesday and the daily positivity rate declined to 13.
As the second wave of Covid-19 seems to recede from the big cities, the focus is on the rural side. That is where more and more cases are coming up and that is where health infrastructure is especi
The second wave of the pandemic is fast entering rural areas. About 40% of the total cases are being reported from rural areas and infected villagers living in the peripheral areas of cities are tu
Students from Mumbai who have secured confirmed admissions in foreign universities and are required to get vaccinated will be given priority and they can visit any of the three dedicated vaccinatio
Continuing the declining trend in the daily new cases, India on Wednesday reported 1.32 lakh new cases. The country has recorded fewer than 2 lakh daily new cases for six consecutive days now.
Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope has said that even as the state is in the phase of gradually easing lockdown restrictions, it is already preparing for a possible third wave. Since it is spe
* If I have contracted Covid, after how many days can I get myself vaccinated? * Can people with allergies get vaccinated? * Can pregnant women take the vaccine?&n
Ayurveda: The True Way to Restore Your Health and Happiness By Dr. G. G. Gangadharan Ebury/Penguin, 224 pages, Rs 299 Dr G.G. Gangadharan,
There were many preventable cancer deaths in 2020 due to lack of medical care and access as the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted the entire attention from these chronic ailments to itself. A patient n
To reduce the gap between citizens and authorities BMC will continue its ward war room approach which has now come to be known as the Mumbai Model for addressing health or disaster related issues t
As the city of Mumbai went into the lockdown in March 2020, those who were on permanent dialysis and caught Covid infection or suspected to have been infected were badly in need of dialysis treatme
On account of the disruptions caused by the second wave of Covid-19, especially on the healthcare sector, the union cabinet on Wednesday approved the Loan Guarantee Scheme for Covid Affected Sector
To protect small children below one years of age against pneumococcal pneumonia and other pneumococcal diseases, the Mumbai municipality will now start vaccinating children with Pneumococcal
To provide skilled manpower in healthcare, nursing and paramedical, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has launched the CM Maha Arogya Skills Development Programme that will prepare skille
It’s a novel form of therapy, it’s based in Ayurveda but is a contemporary version of it. A former Navy officer has developed it, and has helped cure a large number of people. It&rs
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has announced a special fund of Rs 100 crore on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of the Topiwala Medical College and BYL Nair Hospital in Mumba
In 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic which got the entire world at a pause, the Indian healthcare sector was in progress at a steady but slow pace. The pandemic boosted the rate, and wi
Since 2013, in a holistic, 360-degree model of community development Swades Foundation has reached out to 2,700 hamlets and villages across Raigad and Nashik districts in Maharashtra. Applying
The union government enforced a nationwide lockdown on March 25, 2020 to curb the spread of coronavirus as it was causing large-scale infection and disease. Challenges of pandemic management and le
Access to decent healthcare facilities is a basic right of every individual. But it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that for a majority of our country’s population – the 65% that r
With an unprecedented focus on healthcare infrastructure and coordination reigned in between the government and private sector during Covid-19, Dr. Naresh Trehan, chairman, and managing director, M
In view of several countries reporting surges in Covid-19 cases and many developed nations facing fourth and fifth waves despite high numbers of vaccinations, the Ministry of Health and Family Welf
With the threat of Omicron, the new variant of the coronavirus, looming large, the union health ministry has written to the Maharashtra government to align orders issued by the state with the minis
In view of the emerging threat of the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, the BrihanMumbai municipal corporation (BMC) Saturday issued strict guidelines for surveillance of all international travelle
Mumbai saw a 24% increase in the total registered deaths, from 91,223 in 2019 to 1,12,906 in 2020, of which 11,116 were Covid deaths. No data is available on the causes of non-Covid deaths since Ja
COUNTDOWN Can India Rebound from the Meltdown of the Century? By Anshuman Tiwari and Anindya Sengupta Bloomsbury, 268 pages, Rs. 799
Amidst the third Covid-19 wave raging the country, India`s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered her shortest ever budget speech and presented the budget of 2022-23 on February 1. With a vi
The union budget for 2022-23, presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in parliament Tuesday, has been described as growth-oriented. In Prime minister Narendra Modi’s words, “Th
Mumbai, the Indian city most affected by Covid19, has allocated Rs 6,933.75 crore for healthcare – a 15.9% of its total budget for the 2022-23. The BrihanMubai Municipal Corpor
The Maharashtra Public Health Departments’ Civil and Subdistrict hospital has conducted free hip and knee joint replacement surgeries in rural hospitals in the districts and sub-districts of
The Union Budget 2022-23 was introduced on February 1, near the end of the third wave of COVID-19 –and two years since the beginning of the pandemic and the mania brought with it. The pandemi
Many years ago when I was young, I used to watch my sister play a game called ‘The Sims’. It was at its time one of the best life-simulated video games ever sold and it engrossed her co
To bridge the gap and address diverse needs in cancer care, Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) has signed a partnership agreement with Indonesia for the Cancer Patient Navigation (CPN) progr
Our hearts almost skipped a beat when we heard community health officer (CHO) Dr. Sandeep Kakuste’s success story with baby Pinki Lakhan Patil, who was born underweight in a brick kiln. Pinki
With the sudden jump in Covid-19 cases in Mumbai over last week and the number of infected persons rising by 8% as well as the warning of a fourth wave sounded by medical experts, BMC has alerted a
Two years ago, little did we know that the pandemic will bring out the real state of the health infrastructure in the country. The entire healthcare infrastructure across the globe took a major hit
Stop Predicting, Revisit Life: Lessons from COVID-19 By Vinay Sharma, Rabindranath Bhattacharyya, Sanjeev Kumar Mahajan, and Himanshu Shekhar Mishra Bloomsb
Few people would have heard of Wawna village in Maharashtra. Situated 20 km away from the sub-district headquarters Phulambri, and 50 km from the district headquarters in Aurangabad, Wawna panchaya
Praja Foundation’s latest report on the ‘State of Health in Mumbai’ finds an urgent need for the BMC to shore up and strengthen its primary healthcare centres and allocate towards
Average life expectancy at birth has been increasing in India over the past half century, along with progress in healthcare facilities. It has gone up from 49.7 during 1970-75 to 69.7 during 2015-1
“When a welfare scheme is made in interest of people, its chances of success increase manifold,” said president Droupadi Murmu as she launched the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan
The union cabinet, chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, approved the National Medical Devices Policy, 2023 on Wednesday. The medical devices sector in India is a sunrise sector w
The defence ministry has approved six hospitals for empanelment with the Ex Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) to offer cashless medical treatment to valiant veterans who selflessly serve
Pulse to Planet: The Long Lifeline of Human Health By K. Srinath Reddy With Forewords by N.R. Narayana Murthy & Sir Michael Marmot HarperCollins |
Social media driven validation and increased focus on good looks have created a huge demand for dermatologists. Doctors promise the moon to the people who are willing to go to great lengths for goo
Underlining the importance of traditional healthcare systems along with modern medicines, union minister of AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday said, “Modern and Traditional Medicine systems w
The government launched a National Tele Mental Health Programme on October 10, 2022, to further improve access to quality mental health counselling and care services in the country. As on December
Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, the Advanced Centre for Training Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Navi Mumbai along with IDRS Labs, Bangalore have developed an oral suspension of 6-mercap
The unveiling of the interim union budget 2024 has underscored significant strides in the healthcare sector, accentuating its pivotal role in the nation’s well-being. With the goal to make In
The Moral Contagion By Julia Hauser and Sarnath Banerjee HarperCollins, 140 pages, Rs 699
A study by a consortium of eleven institutes, led by scientists from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, compares the immunogenicity of Covishield(™) and Covaxin&re
We have been taught since childhood that "health is wealth” and “if health is gone, everything is gone”. Indeed, health is one of the main markers of overall wellbeing of any
Soumya Swaminathan, former chief scientist of World Health Organisation (WHO), has said that more than pandemic, climate change is the concern to respect not only for our health but our very existe
President of India Droupadi Murmu launched India’s first home-grown gene therapy for cancer at IIT Bombay here on Thursday. Speaking on the occasion, the President said that th
A first-of-its-kind study on the economic loss due to premature death from oral cancer in India by the Tata Memorial Centre has found that this form of cancer has a premature mortality rate of 75.6
Ayurveda, Nation and Society: United Provinces, c. 1890–1950 By Saurav Kumar Rai Orient BlackSwan, 292 pages, Rs 1,400
India’s renewable energy generation (including hydro) has actually gone down by 1.5 percent between 2022-23 and 2023-24, with as many as 23 states/union territories (UTs) registering a drop.
A new study has investigated the influence of ‘Kindlins’ – adapter proteins that exist inside cells of vertebrates – in various cancers. Since this protein is central to man
NITI Aayog on Wednesday released an Expert Group report, titled ‘Future Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response — A Framework for Action’. The expert group in the report has
The Singularity is Nearer: When We Merge with AI By Ray Kurzweil Bodley Head/ Penguin, 425 pages
Over the last decade, India has initiated a range of progress-driven policies to advance the health sector towards greater overall digitisation. Frontline health workers are now trained to adopt di
While there has been a rise of 98% in BMC’s health budget in the last seven years, from Rs 3,637 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 7,191 crore in 2024-25, vacancies in BMC Primary Healthcare Facilities
