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.
Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 19 (ANI): Two hospitals in Coimbatore have collaboratively performed the country first-ever inter-hospital swap liver transplant, giving a new lease of life to two patients suffering from end-stage liver disease. GEM Hospital Coimbatore was also the first in India to perform laparoscopic living donor surgery in 2017. The complex procedure was successfully executed through a joint effort between GEM Hospital and Sri Ramakrishna Hospital in Coimbatore, marking a historic medical feat that required meticulous planning right from the stage of patient evaluation, donor-recipient matching, comprehensive pre-operative optimisation and unprecedented inter-institutional cooperation. The patients, a 59-year-old man from Salem admitted to GEM Hospital and a 53-year-old man from Tiruppur admitted to Sri Ramakrishna Hospital, were both in dire need of liver transplants. Their respective wives were willing to donate, but blood group incompatibility ruled out direct donation. In a rare stroke of opportunity, doctors identified that a wap transplant where the donor of each patient gives to the other, was the only viable solution. Finally, the surgery was simultaneously performed at both hospitals on 3rd July 2025. Dr. Anand Vijay, Liver Transplant Surgeon at Gem Hospital, speaking about the swap, said, This is the first time we have done the first successful liver transplant swap in India, that is in hospital. Usually, the liver transplant happens in the same hospital. Both the two donors and all the recipients walked home comfortably on the 10th post-op day. Both patients are doing well, so this is. First of its kind, so I think this liver transplant might open a forum so that a lot of transplants can happen in the future, and the waiting time for the donor liver will reduce, and the outcomes will be better. Unlike conventional living donor liver transplantation, where a relative donates directly to the patient, a swap transplant enables patients who do not have a compatible donor within their own family to exchange donors with another family in a similar situation. This approach expands the donor pool and offers new hope to patients with end-stage liver disease who would otherwise remain on long waiting lists or have no viable curative treatment option. Dr. R Jayapal, Liver Transplant Surgeon at Sri Ramakrishna Hospital, said, The planning for intra-hospital swap started with the patient initial visit where both the doctor team discussed about the possibility of doing this in a hospital swap transplant, matching their groups, matching their liver volume and the liver quality. During the day of transplantation, we also coordinated simultaneously at multiple places with a real-time relay of information between both teams at hospitals, and then we were able to complete the procedure well, and both patients got discharged successfully, he added. What makes this case historic is not just the medical complexity, but that the swap occurred across two different hospitals, a scenario never before attempted in India for liver transplants. (ANI) Disclaimer: This news article is a direct feed from ANI and has not been edited by the News Nation team. The news agency is solely responsible for its content.
Jaipur: The 23-year-old patient who received the heart, kidney and lungs of a brain-dead patient -- that were airlifted in the first such instance of organ transport in Rajasthan -- died on Tuesday late night at the SMS Hospital here. The hospital's senior doctor and spokesperson Dr Manish Agarwal said the complicated surgery was successful. Doctors tried hard to save the woman, but could not succeed, after which the patient died. The organs were airlifted for the first time in Rajasthan. The heart, kidney and lungs of Vishnu Prasad, a brain-dead youth in Jhalawar, were transported to Jaipur ...Read More >
Thrissur, June 7: Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko, who was injured when his car crashed with a lorry at Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu, will need to undergo surgery on his left hand, according to doctors attending on him. Speaking to the media here on Saturday, doctors attached to a private hospital in Thrissur said the surgery will take place anytime after the funeral of Chacko's father on Monday. "The actor and his mother were brought from Dharmapuri late on Friday night. Chacko has left humerus multiple fractures, an issue in the backbone's vertebrae, besides having multiple concussions on his ...Read More >
CHENNAI: Two hospitals in Coimbatore collaboratively performed the country's first inter-hospital swap liver transplant on two patients suffering from end-stage liver disease. The complex procedure was executed between GEM Hospital and Sri Ramakrishna Hospital in Coimbatore. The patients, a 59-year-old man from Salem admitted in GEM and a 53-year-old man from Tirupur in Sri Ramakrishna, were both in need of liver transplants. Their wives were willing to donate, but blood group incompatibility ruled out direct donation. In a rare stroke of opportunity, doctors identified that a 'swap transpla ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 20 (ANI): Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury on Sunday expressed concern over the government inaction in bringing to justice the terrorists behind the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians, including a Nepali citizen. As the Parliament Monsoon session begins, Chowdhury stated that the INDIA bloc will raise this issue, demanding answers from the government. Speaking to ANI, Chowdhury said, The Parliament session is starting, so we have reached Delhi. We have not been able to see those who killed our countrymen in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam arrested yet. T ...Read More >
Chaibasa, October 26: At least five thalassemia-affected children in West Singhbhum district have reportedly tested HIV positive following routine blood transfusions at Sadar Hospital, prompting a high-level investigation by the Jharkhand Health Department. The first case came to light when a child who received a transfusion on September 13 tested HIV positive during a follow-up on October 18. The child's father subsequently filed a complaint alleging negligence by a blood bank technician. Following media coverage, the Jharkhand High Court took suo motu cognizance, and a team from the Jharkha ...Read More >
Heart transplant patients in the United States typically spend months waiting for a donated organ. But Kayoko Hira was not a typical patient. Mrs. Hira, the wife of a hotel magnate in Japan, flew to the United States in September 2021, went to the University of Chicago Medical Center and, within days, got a new heart from an American teenager who had died. Soon after, The New York Times found, a charity run by her husband made a donation to a nonprofit group led by the heart surgeon's wife. It ...Read More >
Chennai : NephroPlus, a leading network of dialysis centres, brought its flagship patient engagement initiative 'Aashayein 2026' to life at The Vijay Park, Madhavaram, Chennai, uniting dialysis patients, caregivers, nephrologists and healthcare experts for a powerful day of hope, resilience and community spirit. The event spotlighted inspiring patient success stories, celebrating individuals who have shown extraordinary strength and commitment to their treatment journey, uplifting and motivating the wider patient community. The event witnessed participation from approximately 200 guests (pati ...Read More >
CHENNAI: Two liver failure patients in Coimbatore -- a 59-year-old in GEM Hospital and a 53-year-old in Sri Ramakrishna Hospital -- were desperate when doctors told them a transplant would be complicated as their wives' organs were incompatible. However, their doctors found a possibility for a swap transplant, which allows patients to exchange donors with another family in a similar situation.Both hospitals performed the surgeries simultaneously in two different operation theatres located 5 km ap ...Read More >
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government is planning to increase the budget for organ transplants under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, Health Minister Prakash Abitkar announced on Wednesday, pledging wider financial support for patients in need. The commitment came during a moving ceremony at Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children to mark World Organ Donation Day, where donor families were honoured for their life-saving contributions. Wadia Hospital Secures Pediatric Heart Transplant License The event, filled with emotion and gratitude, featured a soulful prayer dance by Riddhi-Sidd ...Read More >
CHENNAI: GEM Hospital and Sri Ramakrishna Hospital, located five-kilometre apart in Coimbatore, have pulled off simultaneous liver transplants for two men in their fifties, involving an inter-hospital swap of organs from donors, who were each other's wives. Addressing the media here on Friday, the hospitals claimed that this was the first time in India that such liver transplants involving inter-hospital swap were done. The patients, aged 59 from Salem and 53 from Tiruppur respectively admitted in GEM and Ramakrishna hospitals, were in dire need of liver transplants. Although their respective ...Read More >
Medak: Telangana State BJP President N. Ramchander Rao on Friday appealed to the people to give the committed party an opportunity to meet the aspirations of the poor and downtrodden. Addressing a large gathering of party workers in Medak, the BJP chief remarked that citizens have experienced the rule of the BRS and the Congress party and have had bitter experiences with the deceitful practices of both. He urged people to support the BJP wholeheartedly in the upcoming local body elections as a way to teach the ruling Congress party a lesson for its unfulfilled promises. Rao emphasized that t ...Read More >
Raichur (Karnataka) [India], August 14: In a landmark moment for global hepatology and Indian pharmaceutical innovation, Shilpa Medicare Limited (BSE: 530661) (NSE: SHILPAMED) has secured the world first regulatory approval from India Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) for Nor Ursodeoxycholic Acid (NorUDCA) Tablets 500 mg, the first-ever approved therapy targeting NAFLD. * Shilpa Medicare emerges as the global pioneer to receive approval for NorUDCA, offering new hope to over a billion people affected by Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) * NAFLD affects 1 in 4 people ...Read More >
Bangalore Gold Rate Today: Shattering all hopes of retail jewellery buyers of some relief amid the ongoing Navratri festival, gold rates in Bangalore, and other Indian cities broke another record on Monday, September 29. The price of gold in Bangalore, aka Bengaluru, witnessed a sharp surge bringing 24 karat gold Rs 16,000 above the historic Rs 1 lakh mark. The gold price rally in Karnataka capital mirrored the surge in gold rate in India and across the world. The sharp rally in precious metal is on its path to beat the record-rally of 1979. Multiple factors like US Fed rate cut, trade becau ...Read More >
In a shocking incident in Pune, a 73-year-old man had a stent left inside his body for two years following an ERCP procedure in 2022. Despite being instructed to return for its removal, the patient forgot, leading to the development of stones in the bile duct. After experiencing severe symptoms, including stomach pain and jaundice, doctors discovered the stent during an ultrasound. Surgeons at Mhaske Hospital performed successful laparoscopic surgery to remove the stent and stones. The patient is now recovering after the surgery, highlighting the importance of follow-up care after medical proc ...Read More >
Keonjhar: The last rites of Lata Mohanta (58), an organ donor from Kodakhaman village in Patna block, was performed with state honours. Mohanta, wife of Kulamani Mahanta, passed away at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar after a brief illness following her brain stroke. Her family honoured her last wish by consenting to donate her organs, her liver successfully transplanted into another patient. "State honours were accorded to recognize her noble sacrifice and promote awareness about organ donation," said additional district magistrate Mandardhar Mahalik, who attended the ceremony. She was gi ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: State govt on Wednesday conferred 'Suraj Samman' on 24 organ donors posthumously on the occasion of Organ Donation Day. A cash reward of Rs 5 lakh each was received by family members of the awardees.Health minister Mukesh Mahaling presented the awards after paying homage to the organ donors and their immediate family members. "Enlivening others in the aftermath of one's death through organ donation is a higher order of noble acts," he added.Mahaling said that because of the noble acts of the family of the donors, Odisha was honoured at the national level as an emerging state in or ...Read More >
Chaibasa (Jharkhand), Oct 30 (PTI) Three donors of Chaibasa blood bank in West Singhbhum district were detected to be HIV-positive, Jharkhand Health minister Irfan Ansari said on Thursday. Altogether 259 people had donated blood in Chaibas blood bank between 2023 and 2025, and the administration is trying to contact each donor over the phone, the minister said, after inspecting the blood bank following the detection of five minor thalassemia patients with HIV-positive last week. Family members of one of the thalassemia patient had accused the blood bank of transfusing HIV-infected blood to h ...Read More >
Kochi: Malayalam director Ranjith Balakrishnan, who was arrested in a sexual harassment case, was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days on Wednesday. He is being taken to Ernakulam Sub Jail. Responding to the media at the magistrate's residence, the director claimed that a false case had been registered against him. His lawyer also confirmed the director's statement and added that a bail plea would be submitted in the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-I. The lawyer told the media that Ranjith has multiple health issues, as he had undergone a liver transplantation and spine surgery. P ...Read More >
Thane, Apr 5 (PTI) A family from Maharashtra's Thane district was allegedly swindled of more than Rs 1.66 crore by a man who exploited their fear of "black magic" and promised them divine remedies through elaborate rituals and pilgrimages, police said on Sunday. The Kasarvadavali police district on April 2 registered a first information report (FIR) against Manjunath Shetty, a resident of Andheri in neighbouring Mumbai, based on the family's allegations that they were manipulated into paying the accused over a period of two years to "neutralise black magic" performed by a relative, an officia ...Read More >
In a clear case of medical negligence, a 34-year-old woman died after doctors transferred the wrong blood type at Kakinada Government General Hospital, Andhra Pradesh. On Tuesday, November 26, the deceased, Bhavana Sirisha, was given AB+ blood group instead of O+. A house surgeon mistakenly transferred the wrong blood type. Sirisha, a resident of Palakollu in West Godavari district, was suffering from kidney ailments for the last four years and was admitted to the hospital for treatment. Doctors had advised a blood transfusion with 'O positive' group blood due to low hemoglobin levels. The ...Read More >
Mumbai, May 29 (UNI) The police on Thursday arrested Dr Ajay Taware, the former medical superintendent of Sassoon General Hospital, in an alleged kidney transplant racket at a prominent private hospital in Pune. Dr Taware, who is already in custody at Yerwada Central Jail in a separate case involving alleged tampering of blood samples in the high-profile Pune Porsche crash, was taken into custody by the city crime branch for his suspected role in the 2022 kidney transplant scam at Ruby Hall Clinic. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Nikhil Pingale, Dr Taware will be produced ...Read More >
New Delhi: Traffic in central Delhi will be affected on Thursday as the traffic police has issued an advisory due to the Janmashtami and Tazia processions.According to police, the traffic movement in Paharganj is likely to be affected from 1.30pm in view of the shobha yatra for Janmashtami and the Tazia procession.The Janmashtami procession will start from Mandir Shri Banke Bihari Ji in Paharganj's Sangatrasan Bazar and pass through Desh Bandhu Gupta Road, Chuna Mandi, Main Bazar, Munja Chowk and Arakashan Road. The Tazia procession will start from Ajmeri Gate and proceed through Pul Paharganj ...Read More >
KOCHI: Biljith Biju and Isaac George, two youngsters who were declared brain dead last week, have, through organ donation, served a purpose beyond saving lives -- raising awareness of the importance of their life-affirming acts of eternal kindness. And, this has reflected in the number of organ-donation pledges made in the state on Friday and Saturday. On September 13, 191 people pledged to donate organs after their death. The number was 193 on September 12. "Factors like acceptance and the honour donors and their families receive, and the improved quality of life of recipients have motivate ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Ministry of Ayush on Friday announced a two-day national seminar to boost liver health through Ayurveda, taking forward its commitment to evidence-based traditional medicine. The national seminar -- Hepatobiliary Wellness through Ayurveda: Bridging Traditional Wisdom with Contemporary Science -- will be organised along with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), from October 25 to 26 in Odisha's Bhubaneswar. The seminar, themed "Yakrut Suraksha, Ji ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): BJP MP Gulam Ali Khatana, who was part of the all-party parliamentary delegation to Europe, said that during their recently conclued visit they successfully communicated India's development story and its resolute stand against terrorism, particularly emanating from Pakistan. Highlighting the delegation's key discussions during the tour, Khatana told ANI, 'We discussed how we dismantled the terrorism factory in Pakistan by responding... We also talked about tourism infrastructure, G20 Summit, and projects like the six-lane roads, bridges, solar initiatives, our ...Read More >
Chandigarh: In a landmark advancement in urological surgery and male infertility treatment, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, has successfully performed India's first robot-assisted vasovasostomy -- a sophisticated procedure to reverse vasectomy -- using cutting-edge robotic technology.The breakthrough surgery was performed on July 9, 2025, by a skilled team led by Dr Aditya Prakash Sharma, Dr Girdhar Bora, both Additional Professors, and Prof Ravi Mohan from the Department of Urology. This pioneering intervention replaces the traditional micros ...Read More >
Bengaluru: A 38-year-old woman from Kolar district in Karnataka has been identified with a previously unknown blood group, now officially recognised and named CRIB by the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT). CRIB stands for Cromer India Bengaluru. "Cromer" refers to the blood group system under which the antigen has been classified. "India" indicates the country of discovery and "Bengaluru" marks the city where the blood sample was studied. The discovery was made during routine testing before the woman was scheduled for cardiac surgery. Doctors at RL Jalappa Hospital in Kolar f ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Doctors at Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital have successfully removed a denture lodged deep inside a man's food pipe using an advanced endoscopic procedure involving a laser cutter, helping the patient avoid the need for surgery. According to the doctors, the patient was brought to the hospital with severe respiratory distress, throat pain, and difficulty swallowing after he accidentally ingested his denture. The denture eventually became lodged just below the junction of the food pipe and windpipe in the upper oesophagus, causing significant chest discomfort, they said. Subsequent ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: In a major medical breakthrough, a city hospital has successfully performed the living donor liver transplant in combination with double heart valve surgery. The rare and high-risk procedure was conducted on a 55-year-old woman from Kyrgyzstan suffering from end-stage autoimmune liver disease and severe dysfunction in both the mitral and tricuspid heart valves. The patient, Anara M, sought treatment at Paras Health, Gurugram, on February 25, after years of hospitalisation. The pre-su ...Read More >
Saveetha Medical College & Hospital collaborates with Apollo Hospitals to offer affordable liver transplants in India. This alliance brings world-class care at reduced costs, making life-saving surgeries accessible to all. The partnership combines Apollo's medical expertise with Saveetha's social mission, transforming healthcare accessibility nationwide. In a landmark agreement poised to transform the landscape of affordable tertiary healthcare in India, Saveetha Medical College & Hospital has p ...Read More >