Health

New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) The Drug Controller General of India has stepped up regulatory surveillance against unauthorised sale and promotion of type 2 diabetes drugs also known as GLP-1 drugs, the government said on Wednesday.In recent weeks, 49 businesses were audited and inspected across the country, including online pharmacy warehouses, drug wholesalers, retailers, and weight loss clinics, an official statement said.These inspections spanned multiple regions across India and focused on identifying violations related to unauthorised sale, improper prescription practices, and misleading marketing.The government also issued notices to those found breaking the rules. Stricter inspections and surveillance will continue in the coming weeks. Businesses that break the rules will face license c...

New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) In a bid to strengthen mental health services, the government has implemented National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), which includes postpartum mothers, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.The District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) component of the NMHP has been sanctioned for implementation in 767 districts for which support is provided to States/UTs through the National Health Mission, said Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, in Rajya Sabha in reply to a question.Facilities made available under DMHP at the Community Health Centre (CHC) and Primary Health Centre (PHC) levels, inter-alia, include outpatient services, assessment, counselling/psycho-social interventions, continuing care and support to persons with severe mental ...

Lucknow, March 31 (IANS) The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is considering a proposal to include cancer, especially among children, among the list of notifiable diseases to facilitate early detection and cure, said a senior health department official on Tuesday.A notifiable disease is one that is required by law to be reported to government authorities (health departments) by healthcare providers, laboratories, and veterinarians.The official said that compulsory reporting of childhood cancer and other patients will allow officials to track disease prevalence and intervene to protect public health.Amit Kumar Ghosh, Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education, Uttar Pradesh, reiterated the State’s commitment t...

New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) Senior Congress leader and Parliamentary Board Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was discharged from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Tuesday morning after recovering from a systemic infection.According to a statement issued by the hospital, she had been admitted on the night of March 24 at around 10.22 p.m. with complaints of fever.Chairman of the hospital, Dr Ajay Swaroop, said she was treated with a course of antibiotics for a systemic infection under the supervision of a team of senior doctors, including Dr D. S. Rana, Dr S. Nundy, and Dr Arup Basu. She responded well to the treatment.“She has now recovered and has been discharged this morning. She will continue her treatment and follow-up at home,” the hospital said in its statement.Sonia Gandhi’s son Rahul Gandhi, Leader o...

New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) The Union Budget lays the framework to expand the allied health workforce, strengthen infrastructure and elevate Ayush on the global stage, the government said on Monday.The recent budget raised allocations for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by 10 per cent from 2025-26 to over Rs. 1,06,530 crore, and initiatives span global AYUSH integration, NIMHANS-2 establishment in North India etc, an official statement said.The allocation for the ministry also marks a 194 per cent rise over 12 years, while The Department of Health Research has been allocated Rs 4,821.21 crore. This rising government expenditure demonstrates strong commitment toward universal healthcare and medical research innovation, the statement noted.The government highlighted 100 per cent cus...

New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) under Ayush Ministry on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding with Anuvadini AI, a platform designed by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) under the Ministry of Education.In a significant step toward making information about evidence-based Ayurveda accessible across linguistic barriers, the initiative aims to expand public access to evidence-based Ayurveda knowledge across India.Under this MoU, Anuvadini AI will facilitate the translation of CCRAS's research outputs and educational materials into 13 regional languages, including Hindi, ensuring that evidence-based Ayurveda knowledge reaches every corner of the country.Professor Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General, CCRAS, sta...

New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) India’s pharmaceutical sector is set to take a major step towards becoming an innovation-driven global powerhouse, as India Pharma 2026 aims to accelerate the industry’s transition from volume-based growth to value and research-led expansion, the government said on Monday.The Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), will organise the 9th edition of India Pharma 2026 on April 13-14 at Federation House in the national capital.The conference will act as a key platform for discussions on how India’s pharma industry can move beyond being a volume-driven market to becoming a value- and innovation-led ...

Seoul, March 30 (IANS) More than 80 per cent of South Korea's teenagers and adults expressed concerns over online abuse involving the misuse of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as the creation of deepfake videos and disinformation, a poll here showed on Monday.According to the poll conducted from September to November last year on teenagers and adults by the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC), 89.4 percent of teenagers said they recognise the seriousness of AI-driven cyber violence, while 87.6 percent of adults said the same.The survey was conducted on 9,296 students from fourth-grade elementary school to third-year high school, and 7,521 adults aged 19 to 69, reports Yonhap news agency.Teenage respondents cited the ease of creating content with AI tools as...

New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) A cumulative investment of about Rs 9,207 crore has been made by the approved applicants under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for Food Processing Industries (PLISFPI) till December 31, 2025, according to the government.Around 35 lakh metric tonnes per annum of processing and preservation capacity has been created under the scheme. Total incentive amount of Rs 2,714.79 crore has been disbursed till date, according to Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Ravneet Singh.Out of 168 applicants approved under PLISFPI Scheme, 69 applicants are under Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) category. In addition, 40 contract manufacturing units of main approved applicants are also from MSME. Out of 168 applicants approved under PLISFPI, 2 app...

New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) India’s health insurance sector has recorded strong growth, with total premiums crossing Rs 1.2 lakh crore in 2024-25, the government said on Thursday.India’s health insurance sector continues to expand steadily, growing at around 9 per cent annually, driven by increasing awareness, better access to healthcare financing and a rising need for financial protection against medical expenses.To improve efficiency and ensure faster support to policyholders, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has set strict timelines for processing cashless health insurance claims.As per the norms, insurers must approve cashless pre-authorisation requests within one hour, while final approval must be completed within three hours.These measures are aimed at reduc...