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.
Chennai - Rainbow Children's Hospital, India's leading Paediatric multi-specialty and perinatal care hospital chain, has achieved a landmark in the nation's medical history by performing India's first live Paediatric liver transplant for Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type 13 (PFIC 13). The procedure was carried out on an eight-year-old boy from Thoothukkudi at the hospital's state-of-the-art Center of Excellence for Paediatric Liver Transplant. Alongside this national first, the team successfully completed two additional rare Paediatric liver transplants on infants under one year of age, reinforcing Rainbow's position as a pioneer in advanced Paediatric liver care in India. The milestone surgeries were made possible by Rainbow's experienced team of pediatric liver specialists and its advanced transplant facilities. Under the leadership of Dr. Mettu Srinivas Reddy, Lead Transplant Surgeon, and Dr. Somashekar, Senior Consultant Pediatric Hepatologist, the team included Dr. Prasanna Gopal, Transplant Surgeon, Dr. Karthik Narayanan and Dr. Nataraj Palaniappan, Senior Consultants in Paediatric Intensive Care, and Dr. Keerthivasan, Consultant Pediatric Gastroenterology & Hepatology. The team was further supported by Dr. Sathish Chander, who led the anaesthesiology department, along with skilled nursing staff and dedicated transplant coordinators. This multidisciplinary collaboration ensured the expertise and meticulous care required for these complex paediatric liver transplants. Marking a moment that also went down in history as the India's first pediatric live liver donor transplant for PFIC 13, Eight-year-old from Thoothukudi was battling Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type 13 (PFIC 13), an extremely rare inherited liver disorder, with only less than 8 cases reported in the literature making it one of the least common forms of pediatric cholestasis. With the timely and selfless partial organ donation from his mother, he is well and back to school. Seven-month-old, from Pondicherry who developed severe liver disease in her infancy, was saved after her father lost 9 kilos in just one month to qualify as a living donor, before bravely undergoing an 11-hour transplant surgery. Five-month-old Baby from West Bengal born with Biliary Atresia was given a second chance at life when his mother partially donated her organ as a donor and was saved after a 14-hour transplant surgery. Commenting on the success, Dr. Somashekara, Senior Consultant Pediatric Hepatologist, said "Pediatric Liver transplant is one of the most critical yet challenging areas in medicine. With our expertise and advanced infrastructure at Rainbow Children's Hospital, we have today successfully treated and cured three rare Liver disorders. To see the children have a second chance at life with the support of their parents is truly heartwarming and fulfilling personally. These surgeries reaffirm Rainbow's commitment to delivering world-class pediatric liver care with compassion, precision, and expertise." The Center of Excellence For Pediatric Liver Transplant at Rainbow Children's Hospital is equipped with dedicated pediatric Liver ICUs, modular operation theatres, advanced imaging and diagnostic systems, infection-controlled transplant wards, and 24/7 multi-specialty support teams. The program integrates global best practices in pediatric liver transplantation with advanced technologies such as high-end anesthesia systems, precision surgical tools, and child-friendly infrastructure, ensuring safety, precision, and compassionate care for young patients.
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 >
New Delhi: Actress and reality TV star Sana Makbul, winner of Bigg Boss OTT 3, has been hospitalised due to a serious health issue, according to a statement by her close friend Aashna Kanchwala on social media. While the exact nature of her condition has not been disclosed, Kanchwala described it as a "grave condition" in an Instagram Story. Sharing her support, Aashna wrote: "My strongest Diva, I'm so proud of you for showing so much strength and resilience as you battle such a grave condition. Inshallah, you will fight this and come out even stronger... Allah is with you. And I am always s ...Read More >
Finding a suitable kidney donor is still the biggest obstacle, even though Prabhas' support has given the family hope. Telugu actor Prabhas has come forward to show support for veteran comedian Fish Venkat, who is receiving treatment in the intensive care unit and is in critical condition. The well-known philanthropist actor has promised to pay for Venkat's urgent kidney transplant. Sravanthi, Venkat's daughter, confirmed in an interview with One India that Prabhas' team has committed to paying ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar/Balasore: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, has constituted a high-level expert committee to oversee and monitor the treatment of the Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College student who attempted self-immolation. The woman student was admitted to the institute following her self-immolation bid before the principal's chamber Saturday over alleged harassment by the Head of Department (HOD). As per the office order issued by the Medical Superintendent of AIIMS Bhubaneswar, the expert committee includes Prof. Jayant Mitra - Department of Anaesthesia, Prof. Ma ...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 >
TURA, July 1: In a first-of-its-kind surgery at Baghmara Civil Hospital, a 25-year-old woman underwent an emergency lower segment caesarean section (LSCS) on Tuesday due to foetal distress, resulting in the successful delivery of a baby girl weighing 2.6 kg. Both the mother and the baby are in stable condition, sources confirmed. This marks the first surgery of its kind at Baghmara Civil Hospital following the completion of the new operation theatre. The LSCS was conducted by Dr Susan Sangma and Dr Presiana Shira, both trained in Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care (CEmOC), with assistan ...Read More >
Lucknow, Jul 14 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said the state's health services must be made future-ready to keep pace with global advancements and effectively respond to emerging challenges. He was speaking at the foundation stone laying and inauguration ceremony of various health projects worth Rs 1,000 crore at King George's Medical University (KGMU) here. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the Health portfolio, and Medical Education Minister Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh were present on the occasion. The chief minister said institutions like K ...Read More >
Delhi : Apollo Home Healthcare, India's leading home healthcare provider, has announced the launch of its pioneering 'Integrated Palliative Care at Home' program in Delhi, in association with Apollo Indraprastha Hospital, Delhi. The initiative will soon be extended to the newly launched Apollo Athenaa, a dedicated center for cancer care for women in Delhi, and will roll out across other major cities to address India's growing need for accessible, quality palliative care at home. Palliative care is a specialized medical care for people living with serious, life-limiting illnesses. It focuses o ...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 >
NEW DELHI: The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has suggested prioritising women in allocation of deceased donor organs.In a letter to the states/UTs, the apex authority for regulating organ donations and transplants in the country, has said a provision should be made to mark additional points for women recipients of donor organs, to address gender disparity. Studies have shown that while women make up a large percentage of donors, they receive fewer organs than men. "Women are equally vulnerable when it comes to end-stage organ failure due to illness, and it is import ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: A student of Fakir Mohan College in Balasore, who set herself on fire on the campus over alleged sexual harassment on Saturday, has been put on ventilator support at AIIMS Bhubaneswar after she sustained 95 per cent burn injuries. A 12-member team of doctors is closely monitoring her health condition. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi along with his deputy Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo visited AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Sunday to inquire about her condition. Majhi interacted with doctors and spoke to her family. Former CM and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik has appealed the Governor to ...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 >
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 >
LUCKNOW: Hours after the abduction and rape of a three-year-old girl sleeping with her mother under a bridge near Alambagh metro station, the accused was killed in an encounter with Lucknow police early Friday.The accused, identified as Deepak Verma, a habitual offender with multiple criminal cases lodged across city police stations, was traced through CCTV footage that captured him fleeing with the child on a white scooter around 3.30 am on Thursday.Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone) Ashish Srivastava said multiple police teams were formed immediately after the incident, and a rewar ...Read More >
Srinagar, Jun 7 (PTI) Authorities on Saturday barred Eid prayers from taking place at the Eidgah ground and the Jama Masjid in the old city here, while Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq claimed that he was put under house arrest. "Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar deeply regrets to inform that the authorities have once again disallowed Eid-ul-Adha prayers at the Eidgah as well as at the historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar by closing the gates of the mosque and deploying police personnel outside," the management of the historic mosque said in a statement. ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Jul 20 (PTI) A 15-year-old girl, who was undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar after three miscreants set her ablaze in Odisha's Puri district, was airlifted to Delhi on Sunday, officials said. Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena told reporters that a green corridor was set up to take the patient from AIIMS Bhubaneswar to Biju Patnaik International Airport, and one platoon of police force was deployed. Bhubaneswar Traffic DCP Tapan Kumar Mohanty said that the ambulance carrying the patient reached the airport from AIIMS Bhubaneswar within 10 to 12 minutes. She was taken in an adv ...Read More >
Mumbai, Aug 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a bid to increase organ donation in Maharashtra and give new life to patients awaiting transplants, the state government has launched the Organ Donation Fortnight with a range of awareness initiatives. Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Prakash Abitkar took the lead by personally filling out the organ donation form and taking a pledge, thus formally inaugurating the campaign. He urged citizens across the state to join the campaign and pledge to donate organs. The Angdaan Jeevandaan Sanjeevani Abhiyan (Organ Donation - A Gift of Life Campaign) is being ...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 >
Gurgaon: Two days after a law student died and his friend suffered critical injuries when a car knocked them down as they stood near railing on the service lane of Delhi-Jaipur highway in the early hours of Tuesday, a civil engineer was arrested on Thursday.Mohit (31), an employee of a private company in the city, told police that he got drowsy while driving. He is staying at a PG facility in Sector 14.The student who died, Harsh Singhal (25), was a resident of Om Nagar colony. His friend Abhishek Kumar (23), who is from Shanti Nagar in Sector 11, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital ...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 >
Pune: Hospitals in Pune have started reporting an increase in dengue cases among children following recent heavy rainfall and intermittent showers. Conditions are now ripe for mosquito breeding, experts said, as they warned citizens to ensure there's no waterlogging or stagnant pools near homes and offices. "Dengue is typically seen first in children as they often play outside," said Dr Sagar Lad, a senior neonatologist and pediatric intensivist at Jehangir Hospital and Sahyadri Hospital, Shastrinagar. Dr Lad said he's seen at least three children admitted for dengue this week, with all of the ...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 >
Vijayawada: The NSS Unit of Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), here organised an organ donation awareness programme in collaboration with Manipal Hospital and Red FM on the occasion of Organ Donation Day on Wednesday. The programme was aimed to sensitise students, faculty, and staff about the vital role of organ donation in saving lives. Registrar Dr M Ravichand appreciated the noble cause of organ donation, noting that by pledging their organs, individuals can offer hope and grant a new lease of life to those in need. Dean of Admissions Dr GSN Swami highlighte ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Despite India making progress in organ transplantation, and being a sought-after transplant tourism destination for patients from abroad, the country still faces challenges in achieving equitable access for all its citizens, especially those living in remote areas, said a latest Lancet study. The study stressed that India needs stronger government investment, better data collection, improved public sector capacity, and policies to reduce financial and geographic barriers. India, placed in Category 4 along with South Africa, witnesses most transplants in private hospitals concentrat ...Read More >