Health

New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS) The Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate cuts in the healthcare sector are a bold step and will go a long way in advancing the vision of a Swasth Bharat underpinning a Samriddh Bharat, said industry experts on Thursday, while hailing the move.In a landmark move, the GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Wednesday rationalised the indirect tax structure, cutting the current four slabs down to two -- scrapping the 12 per cent and 28 per cent rates, while retaining the 5 per cent and 18 per cent slabs.As per the revision, life-saving drugs, health-related products, and some medical devices will see a rate cut from 12 per cent/18 per cent to 5 per cent or nil.Notably, the GST rates for 33 cancer drugs and rare medicines have been reduced from 12 t...

New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) The government is committed to develop state-specific frameworks and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for strengthening integration of Ayush, said Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav, on Wednesday.He was speaking at the inauguration of the Departmental Summit on 'National Ayush Mission and Capacity Building in States' at All India Institute of Ayurveda, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi.Jadhav emphasised the government’s commitment to building a resilient and inclusive healthcare framework tailored to state-specific needs.Jadhav highlighted the government’s approach to developing comprehensive SOPs for enhancing healthcare delivery across the country.“Our aim is to create state-specific frameworks, develop comprehensive SOPs...

New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) The recently launched Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme is a transformative step that will foster India’s growth in science and innovation on the world stage, according to a media report.In July, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the RDI scheme, allocating Rs 1 lakh crore for it.The scheme aims at transforming the private research and innovation ecosystem in the country.“The initiative will stimulate private sector participation in research, development, and innovation, particularly in 'sunrise' sectors -- emerging industries poised to shape the future -- and strategic areas critical to India’s growth and security,” noted the report in news platform Newsbomb Greece.With long-term financing and refinancing at low or ...

New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday announced plans to amend rules for the pharmaceutical and clinical research sectors to promote ease of doing business.“The proposed amendments in the New Drugs and Clinical Trials (NDCT) Rules, 2019, aim to simplify the requirements and procedures for obtaining test licences and for submitting applications related to Bioavailability/Bioequivalence (BA/BE) studies,” the Ministry said, noting that it has also published this in the Gazette of India on August 28 to seek public comments.The initiative underscores the government's commitment to ongoing regulatory reforms in the pharmaceutical sector."It forms a part of the broader efforts toward Ease of Doing Business to promote the growth of the Indian pharma industry and align dome...

New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Airborne pathogens, bacteria capable of causing infections in the lungs, gut, mouth, and skin, are twice as abundant in densely populated parts compared to less crowded regions, according to a study led by the Bose Institute, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), on Tuesday.The team studied the health risks posed by airborne pathogens in an urban metropolitan city like Delhi.Their findings, published in an international journal named ‘Atmospheric Environment: X’, showed that airborne pathogenic bacteria, mainly responsible for respiratory, gastrointestinal tract (GIT), oral, and skin infections, are two times higher over densely populated urban regions due to higher concentrations of tiny particles PM2.5."PM2.5 -- the microscopic...

New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) The Department of Pharmaceuticals is set to host the second edition of the India MedTech Expo 2025 to showcase the country’s strength and innovation in medical technologies, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said on Tuesday.The three-day expo will be held at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, here, from September 4-6, as part of the larger Bharat Health 2025 initiative.“India MedTech Expo has emerged as a premier platform to highlight India’s capabilities and growth in the medical technology and devices sector. The 2025 edition will once again bring together policymakers, global business leaders, innovators, investors, and healthcare stakeholders, reinforcing India’s position as a hub for precision-driven, yet affordable, MedTech solutions,” the Ministry said....

New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) More than 1 crore people globally live with a mental health disorder, and women account for over 53 per cent, according to new data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday.The WHO reports World Mental Health Today and Mental Health Atlas 2024 stated that conditions such as anxiety and depression inflict immense human and economic tolls and called for greater investment and action to scale up services to protect and promote people’s mental health.“Transforming mental health services is one of the most pressing public health challenges,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General."Investing in mental health means investing in people, communities, and economies -- an investment no country can afford to neglect. Every government and ever...

New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Zydus Lifesciences on Tuesday launched India’s first trivalent influenza vaccine, aligning with the global recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).Seasonal influenza viruses evolve rapidly, necessitating annual updates to vaccine compositions. The WHO, thus, recommended trivalent vaccines for use in the 2025-2026 Northern Hemisphere (NH) influenza season.The new Vaxiflu-Trivalent Influenza Vaccine (TIV) is recommended for individuals aged 6 months and above. It will effectively protect strains such as an A/Victoria/4897/2022 (H1N1) pdm09-like virus; an A/Croatia/10136RV/2023 (H3N2)-like virus; and a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus, stated the company.Globally, the influenza vaccine is available as quadrivalent and trivalent form...

New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Niva Bupa Health Insurance on Tuesday clarified that the viral social media post regarding the cashless denial of a Mumbai-based policyholder is ‘baseless’.The viral post on professional networking site LinkedIn detailed the case of Chandra Kumar Jain, battling Myeloid Leukaemia and urgently needing a Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai.The LinkedIn post, from health insurance and investments advisor Avigyan Mitra, stated that the patient with a Rs 2.40 crore policy was allegedly denied a Rs 61 lakh cashless claim for the life-saving procedure.Stating the allegation being made against Niva Bupa "baseless”, the company, in a statement, called out against the “fear-mongering narratives around the case”.The company said that Ja...

New Delhi, Sep 1 (IANS) As thousands of health policyholders in India are suffering due to loss of access to cashless hospitalisation, the Association of Healthcare Providers - India (AHPI) on Monday asked health insurance firms to revoke suspension and create an affordable as well as sustainable model.Speaking to IANS, AHPI Director General Dr. Girdhar Gyani said that AHPI has asked insurance companies to restore the cashless service wherever they have removed hospitals from their panel.He noted that the association will facilitate conversations between hospitals and insurance firms to address the root cause and provide respite to patients."We have sent notice to seven of the insurance companies asking them to revoke suspension on hospitals that were removed from the panel. After bringing...