Is India Winning the War Against Rising Non-Communicable Diseases? The latest health statistics paint a concerning picture: diabetes, heart disease, and cancer rates are climbing, impacting millions across the country. From rural healthcare access to the burgeoning urban health crisis, challenges remain significant. This week, we delve into the crucial initiatives underway – government policies, technological advancements in telemedicine, and the rising role of preventative healthcare – that aim to address this national health emergency. Experts weigh in on the effectiveness of current strategies and the critical need for increased public awareness campaigns targeting lifestyle diseases. Are these efforts enough? Explore Abtak.com's in-depth coverage on healthcare in India and discover the vital information you need to protect your well-being and the future of public health. Stay informed; stay healthy.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister Veena George has ordered an investigation into allegations raised by Dr Haris Chirakkal, head of the urology department at Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital, a day after he publicly criticised the lethargy of senior officials in addressing critical shortcomings in patient care. Describing Dr Haris as "honest and hardworking," the minister on Sunday acknowledged that systemic lapses could have contributed to the delay in resolving issues. "This is a matter of the system, which includes more than just the government," she said. "I have sought a comprehensive report on the matter." Speaking to reporters in Pathanamthitta, she noted that the cost of a probe used by the urology department had increased by '3,000, prompting the department to follow procedural steps to avoid audit objections. "However, such processes should not lead to undue delays. We will thoroughly examine Dr Haris' concerns," she added. Veena also directed officials to release data on all procedures conducted by the urology department from 2011 to 2025. She emphasised the patient load at government hospitals has tripled in the past three years and that infrastructure improvements have been implemented to manage this surge. Meanwhile, Dr Haris on Sunday reiterated that his remarks were made in the interest of his department and patients, citing a lack of response from higher authorities. "My comments were not personal. They were made on behalf of my department and our patients, who have been left with no other recourse," he said. "The minister's office, the director of medical education, and the principal were all informed that surgeries could be affected if the situation persists. But perhaps the minister herself was unaware, as the matter was handled by her private secretary."
KOTTAYAM: A 52-year-old woman died and two others were injured when a portion of a decades-old and dilapidated building at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kottayam, collapsed on Thursday. The death of D Bindu, who was trapped under the debris for more than two hours, has sparked allegations of delay in rescue operations. The incident has triggered widespread outrage, with Opposition parties alleging negligence on the part of Health Minister Veena George and Cooperation Minister V N Vasavan -- who arrived at the hospital shortly after the incident -- as well as the hospital authoritie ...Read More >
By Jaikrishnan PKOTTAYAM: One woman was killed and two were injured after a part of a building in the govt medical college hospital collapsed here on Thursday. The woman got stuck in the debris of the collapsed building. It was the rescue team that found the dead body of the woman amongst the debris. The husband of the deceased complained that his wife was missing after the building collapsed. According to him, the woman went to take a bath in the washroom in the collapsed part of the building. T ...Read More >
Palakkad (Kerala) | The condition of the Nipah virus-infected patient reported in this north Kerala district remains critical, and all possible treatment is being provided, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Monday. The 38-year-old woman, a native of Thachanattukara, is undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College in neighbouring Kozhikode district. Another patient, a Malappuram native, had succumbed to the virus last week. As per protocol, the woman has been given monoclonal antibody treatment, with the second dose administered on Monday morning, George said after chairi ...Read More >
Kolkata, July 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The West Bengal unit of BJP, under the leadership of its new State party President Samik Bhattacharya is making all efforts to ensure a political rally in the state, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing it, before Trinamool Congress's annual Martyrs' day rally in Kolkata on July 21. An insider from the state committee of BJP said that the week before July 21, the Prime Minister is scheduled to go for an election campaign in Bihar where the Assembly polls are scheduled later this year. "We are trying hard so that the Prime Minister can spare some time ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 5 (ANI): A group of Youth Congress workers staged a protest march outside the official residence of Kerala Health Minister Veena George in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, demanding her resignation over the building collapse at the Kottayam Medical College. Police used water cannons to disperse the workers of the Youth Congress and detained them. This comes after a building block collapsed at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kottayam, claiming an individual's life and injuring two others on July 3. Earlier on Friday, a group of Indian Union ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 4 (ANI): A group of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) youth wing workers staged a protest march outside the official residence of Kerala Health Minister Veena George in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, demanding her resignation over the collapse of a building block at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kottayam. The incident claimed the life of one person, while two others were injured. Also Read | 'Seeking Clarity Is Not Misinformation': CM Siddaramaiah Responds to Biocon Chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw on COVID-19 Vaccine Row. Visuals from the scen ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Surgeries under Urology Unit I at the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College, led by the Head of the Department Dr Haris Chirakkal, is all set to resume following an intervention by Health Minister Veena George. The procedure had been halted after the probe used in the EMS lithoclast device malfunctioned last week. Following this, the Health Minister directed officials to ensure that a replacement probe was provided without delay. However, similar surgeries were carried out by another urology unit in the hospital the very next day, despite allegations that the surgic ...Read More >
VMPL Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], December 2: HEJJE, India's first luxury transition care centre, opened their doors today, ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with an aim of revolutionizing recovery and rehabilitation, thereby setting new standards in healthcare. Dr M.R.Seetharam - Vice Chairman of Ramaiah Group of Institutions, ex-Minister and current MLA did the honours of lighting the lamp to inaugurate HEJJE. The Launch of HEJJE saw the much-anticipated panel discussion featuring luminaries such as Dr. Nandini Mundkur, Prof. Shekar Sheshadri, Dr Saraswathy Viswa ...Read More >
Kottayam (Kerala), Jul 3 (PTI) A woman died and at least two others, including a child, were injured after a part of the Government Medical College Hospital in Kottayam collapsed on Thursday, police said here. The injured -- an 11-year-old girl and a hospital staff member --were admitted to the casualty department shortly after the incident. The woman was pulled out from the debris more than two hours later and was declared dead. Her identity was later confirmed as Bindu, a resident of Thalayolaparambu. She was at the hospital as a bystander for her daughter, who is being treated there. Th ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 4 (ANI): A group of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) youth wing workers staged a protest march outside the official residence of Kerala Health Minister Veena George in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, demanding her resignation over the collapse of a building block at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kottayam. The incident claimed the life of one person, while two others were injured. Visuals from the scene showed IUML workers trying to breach police barricades, prompting the police to use water cannons to disperse them. Earlier in the day, B ...Read More >
Malappuram: The health department has issued a high alert in six districts of Kerala -- Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Thrissur -- after a suspected Nipah virus-related death was reported on July 12. Hospitals in all these districts have been asked to exercise caution and intensify surveillance to prevent a potential outbreak. The deceased is a 57-year-old man from Mannarkkad in Palakkad, who tested positive for Nipah infection in preliminary examinations conducted at the Government Medical College Hospital in Malappuram. Health Minister Veena George stated that confirm ...Read More >
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the wake of the Nipah resurgence, the health department has strengthened surveillance in the state. A total of 425 people are on the contact list of persons confirmed with Nipah virus in the state. On Saturday, Health Minister Veena George convened a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation. Meanwhile, the condition of the 39-year-old Nipah patient from Palakkad continues to be critical. Currently, there are 228 contact cases in Malappuram, 110 in Palakkad and 87 in Kozhikode districts. The minister has instructed increased surveillance of fever cases in the a ...Read More >
KOTTAYAM: In what could be termed as grave negligence, a woman trapped under the debris of a collapsed building at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kottayam died due to delays in conducting rescue operations on Thursday. The deceased has been identified as Bindu, 52, a native of Thalayolapparambu in Kottayam. A portion of a building at the Government MCH collapsed around 10.30 am. While people on the spot managed to rescue two persons with minor injuries from the debris, Health Minister Veena George and Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan, who arrived at the scene shortly after the accide ...Read More >
Kannur: In a bid at damage control, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday clung to his government's favourite tagline -- Kerala as No. 1 in healthcare -- while all but brushing aside the serious allegation raised by Dr Harris Chirakkal, Head of Urology at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, about a crippling shortage of surgical equipment. Addressing a regional review meeting in Kannur, the Chief Minister vouched for Dr Harris's integrity, only to suggest that the senior surgeon may have unknowingly served the interests of "forces seeking to destabilise Kerala" by taking his gri ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram/Palakkad, Jul 5 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan ought to have sought Health Minister Veena George's resignation before going abroad in view of her alleged "inefficiency", "indifference", and "grave mistakes". The opposition Congress is seeking the Health Minister's resignation over the death of a woman in the collapse of a part of the Kottayam Medical College two days ago. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, while launching a protest by the Mahila Congress against George at Palakkad, told reporters that while he was no ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: A fresh case of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) was confirmed in Kerala on Saturday, with a 17-year-old boy in Thiruvananthapuram testing positive. Following this, the health department has shut down the swimming pool at Akkulam Tourist Village and collected water samples for testing. The teenager, who was diagnosed with the disease earlier this week, had reportedly gone swimming with friends at the pool, prompting officials to investigate the water quality. On Friday, a 10-year-old girl from Areekode in Malappuram tested positive for the deadly infection. She is ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 5 (ANI): A group of Youth Congress workers staged a protest march outside the official residence of Kerala Health Minister Veena George in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, demanding her resignation over the building collapse at the Kottayam Medical College. Police used water cannons to disperse the workers of the Youth Congress and detained them. Also Read | Navi Mumbai Shocker: Man Forces Wife and Mother-in-Law To Perform Black Magic Rituals Without Clothes To Help Brother-in-Law Get Married, Circulates Nude Photos of Both Women; Booked. This comes ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 5 (PTI) Various wings of parties in the Congress-led UDF and the BJP staged widespread protests in Kerala on Saturday seeking the resignation of state Health Minister Veena George over the death of a woman when a portion of the Kottayam Medical College building collapsed two days ago. Amidst the protests, state Cooperation Minister V N Vasavan came to the defence of his cabinet colleague by asking why she should resign if a portion of the building collapsed. "When 11 people died in Bengaluru during a stampede at a cricket-related event there, did anyone ask for the re ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram/Kottayam, Jul 4 (PTI) Kerala Cooperation Minister V N Vasavan on Friday rejected allegations that search and rescue operations at the collapsed portion of the Kottayam Medical College were delayed or stopped and termed such claims as "politically motivated". Speaking to reporters a day after one woman was killed and three others were injured in the incident, the minister said that his and state Health Minister Veena George's remarks about no one being there in the collapsed structure were based on information provided by hospital authorities, including the medical superinte ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 7 (PTI) BJP workers and Congress activists staged protests across Kerala on Monday, demanding Health Minister Veena George's resignation over alleged "lapses" in the health sector. Protesters clashed with police at several locations, attempting to breach barricades and calling for George to step down following the death of a woman after a portion of the Kottayam Medical College building collapsed last week. The state has been witnessing intense protests since the July 2 incident, which triggered a major political row. In Kannur, BJP workers marched to the district ho ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has set up a four-member expert committee to investigate serious allegations raised by Dr Haris C H, Head of the Urology Department, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. The move follows a grievance he shared on social media, which quickly gained traction across news outlets and prompted the Health Department to initiate a preliminary inquiry. Based on the initial findings, the government authorised the formation of an official fact-finding committee. According to a government order issued on June 29, 2025, the committee includes: Dr Padmak ...Read More >
CHENNAI: You don't need to break the bank to buy a smartphone that delivers on the features that matter. Whether you're looking for a stellar camera or firepower or AI smarts, there's a whole host of smartphones under Rs 30,000 that can get the job done. We pick five that you should consider: Nothing 3a (Pro): one of our favourite smartphones launched this year, the 3a Pro breaks the clutter with Nothing's design aesthetic and a full-circle camera module that packs the phone's much hyped periscope zoom lens. You also get Nothing's trademark glyphs (3 in total) that surround the circular camer ...Read More >
Kerala Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan on Friday (July 4, 2025) rejected allegations that search and rescue operations at the collapsed portion of a building at the Kottayam Medical College Hospital (MCH) were delayed or stopped and termed such claims as "politically motivated". Speaking to reporters a day after one woman was killed and three others were injured in the incident, the Minister said that his and State Health Minister Veena George's remarks about no one being there in the collapsed structure were based on information provided by hospital authorities, including the medical super ...Read More >
T'puram/Kottayam The Congress-led opposition intensified the protests against health minister Veena George following the death of a woman in the building collapse at Kottayam Medical College Hospital. Youth Congress, KSU, Mahila Congress and Youth League organized protests across the state, including Palakkad, Kochi, Kollam, Kannur and Mananthavady, seeking the resignation of the health minister. In the state capital, Youth Congress organized a protest march to the official residence of the healt ...Read More >
Palakkad: Health Minister Veena George here on Monday announced that the health department has identified 173 people in the contact list of the Nipah patient from Palakkad. Addressing the media, the minister noted that the two doses of monoclonal antibody are being administered to the patient who is currently undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. The 38-year-old woman from Palakkad's Thachanattukkara was tested positive for the virus on July 4. It is learnt that she still remains in critical condition at the medical college. " Monoclonal antibody is used as a potential ...Read More >
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A four-member committee has initiated an investigation into the allegations raised by Dr Haris Chirakkal against the authorities at the Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. The committee, comprising experts from Alappuzha and Kottayam medical colleges, took statements from Dr Haris, medical superintendent Dr Sunil Kumar, principal Dr P K Jabbar, and other heads of superspecialty departments. Dr Haris, who was given the first hearing, reiterated his allegations that procurement processes have been delayed over the past year. However, other department ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 4 (ANI): Kerala Police used water cannons to disperse BJP workers who staged a protest march on Friday against State Health Minister Veena George following the building collapse at Kottayam Medical College, in which one person was killed and several others sustained injuries. The protest began in response to an incident where a building block at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kottayam district collapsed. Also Read | 'Golden Home' Controversy: Content Creator Priyam Saraswat Deletes Viral Video After Indore Businessman Anoop Agrawal Sends ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Health minister Veena George on Sunday sought to downplay the row over a senior govt doctor's disclosure about issues at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. She said the doctor, Dr Haris Chirakkal, head of the urology department, pointed out systemic lapses that led to a crisis at the hospital, and they would be thoroughly examined. The govt has appointed a four-member committee headed by Dr Padmakumar, principal, Alappuzha Medical College, to probe the allegations levelled by Dr Chirakkal. It has been asked to submit its report at the earliest.The doctor had highl ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram/Palakkad, Jul 5 (PTI) Protests seeking resignation of Kerala Health Minister Veena George, over the death of a woman in the collapse of a part of the Kottayam Medical College two days ago, continued on Saturday with the Congress' women's wing holding a march to the Palakkad district hospital. The Mahila Congress workers with their mouths tied shut with a black cloth marched to the Palakkad district hospital carrying banners and placards seeking George's resignation. The protestors alleged that the minister was responsible for the death of 52-year-old Bindu and demanded a j ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 30 (PTI) Opposition Congress-led UDF on Monday set up a five-member commission to study the issues being faced by the state health sector, two days after a senior doctor made shocking revelations about the shortcomings at the Government Medical College here. The Commission, led by Congress leader and public health expert Dr S S Lal, would study the "complex and serious problems" that have arisen in the state's health sector and suggest solutions with a long-term perspective, Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said in a statement here. He alleged that the "administrative ...Read More >