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: As many as nine students and two teachers of Govt Higher Secondary School, Punnamoodu, were admitted to medical college hospital with breathing difficulties after a student accidentally used pepper spray inside class on Wednesday morning.All of them were discharged by evening after receiving necessary medical care, police said. Since it was not an intentional offence, Nemom police have not yet registered any case over the incident. One of the students, who was already suffering from respiratory illnesses, was admitted to ICU as she developed giddiness and severe breathing difficulty. She was also discharged after her condition became stable, authorities said. Meanwhile, regional deputy director of education sought a report on the incident from school authorities. According to police, one of the students on his way to school reportedly found a bottle of spray on a two-wheeler parked outside the school compound. He grabbed the bottle out of curiosity and after reaching school sprayed it inside the classroom. As three fans were on, the pepper particles spread inside the room creating panic among students. Soon students started experiencing breathing difficulties. Two teachers, who rushed to the classroom upon hearing the commotion also felt unwell. They were initially rushed to general hospital and later to medical college hospital.
MALAPPURAM: Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Sunday said that there are 383 people in the contact lists of the two persons infected with the Nipah virus in the state. Of those on the contact list, 12 people are under treatment in Malappuram district with five in the ICU and four are being treated in isolation in Palakkad district, the minister said in a statement after chairing a high-level meeting. The recent death of an 18-year-old girl in Malappuram district was confirmed as Nipah infection, while a 38-year-old woman from Thachanattukara in Palakkad district also tested positive for ...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 >
Bhubaneswar: Authorities imposed Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar Saturday night and declared the hospital ward area a prohibited zone after tensions escalated over the treatment of a teenage girl who was set on fire in Odisha's Puri district. The Commissionerate Police directed the protestors to vacate the hospital premises, and three platoons of police forces were deployed to maintain law and order. The move came amid a brawl between BJP and BJD workers over the incident. Earlier in the day, the hospital's medical superintendent had urged the pu ...Read More >
Mumbai: Maharashtra recorded 12 new COVID-19 cases and one death in the past 24 hours, the state's Public Health Department said on Saturday. A 76-year-old woman from Kolhapur district, who had underlying health conditions, succumbed to the infection after reporting fever and shortness of breath. This takes the state's COVID-19 death toll for 2025 to 41. According to the health department, the fresh cases reported on July 5 include four from Pune, two from Mumbai, and one each from Thane, Navi Mumbai, Gadchiroli and Kolhapur, along with two from Nagpur. Mumbai's COVID-19 tally now stands at ...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 >
New Delhi [India], December 15 (ANI): Delhi's worsening air quality has triggered a sharp rise in respiratory and cardiac health problems, with doctors warning that the national capital is facing a "silent public health emergency" as the Air Quality Index (AQI) continues to remain in the 'severe' category. Medical experts have reported a nearly 90 per cent increase in respiratory illness cases among both children and adults visiting outpatient departments (OPDs), directly linked to prolonged exposure to toxic air. Also Read | Delhi Air Pollution: Government Directs Schools To Shift to Online ...Read More >
Lucknow: In a set of decisions aimed at boosting welfare outreach and strengthening public services, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday approved a sharp increase in honorarium for Shiksha Mitras and part-time instructors, alongside key proposals in education technology and healthcare infrastructure. Honorarium Revision Details Briefing reporters after the meeting, Basic Education Minister Sandeep Singh said the monthly honorarium of Shiksha Mitras has been raised from Rs 10,000 to Rs 18,000, while that of part-time instructors has been increased from R ...Read More >
Severe air pollution in northern India has led to a surge in demand for respiratory medications, with Foracort becoming India’s top-selling drug in October. The inhaler, used to treat asthma and COPD, recorded Rs 75 crore in sales, surpassing popular medicines like Augmentin and Glycomet-GP. Manufactured by Cipla, Foracort combines budesonide and formoterol for effective dual-action therapy. Other respiratory drugs, Duolin and Budecort, also saw increased sales. With Delhi’s Air Quality Index reaching hazardous levels, the rise in respiratory issues underscores the urgent need for better healt ...Read More >
HASSAN: Eight people died and 25 suffered grievous injuries when a speeding truck ploughed through a Ganesh immersion procession in Mosalehosahalli in Karnataka's Hassan district on Friday. The death toll was likely to rise as several of those injured were critical, officials said.Villagers from Mosalehosahalli were holding the procession on one side of the four-laned NH-373. Police had blocked the road while diverting traffic on the other lane. The truck, which had been moving towards Holenarasi ...Read More >
The 24-hour AQI clocked in at 461, recording one of the worst Decembers ever documented. High moisture levels, cool temperatures, and stagnant winds conspired to keep pollutants hovering low, dimming the sky. A dense blanket of fog enveloped Delhi-NCR on Monday morning, severely reducing visibility across roads and disrupting normal movement, while the region continued to grapple with toxic air quality in the 'severe-plus' category. The deteriorating weather and pollution conditions also impacte ...Read More >
Delhi Air Pollution: As the Air Quality Index (AQI) remains in the 'very poor' category, increasing the risks of health problems, especially respiratory issues, the former director of AIIMS Delhi, Dr Randeep Guleria, on Wednesday said that those who have underlying respiratory conditions, need to be extra careful. Guleria, who is also the Chairman of Internal Medicine, Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at Medanta The Medicity, noted that to some extent, the rising air pollution can be termed a public health emergency because it is going to lead to increased symptoms, with more people coming to t ...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 >
With Delhi grappling with the season's worst air quality, there has been a surge in the number of patients with respiratory issues at city hospitals in the past two days, according to doctors. Resurgence of health issues has been noticed in patients whose conditions had stabilised, they added. Doctors pointed out that persistent dry cough, fatigue, and difficulty inbreathing were common issues facing people ofall ages. Thesewere particularly severein the elderly, children, and those ...Read More >
Shimla, Jul 17 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to remove encroachments on forest lands, including the fruit-bearing trees, all across the state and not limit it to some areas. The order was passed by a division bench consisting of Justices Vivek Thakur and Bipin C Negi on Wednesday after the Advocate General placed on record fresh instructions issued by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, informing that 2,456 apple and other fruit trees have been felled from forest lands in Chaithla village, and 713 and 490 trees in Rohru and Kotgarh forest divisions, r ...Read More >
Jaipur: In a decisive move, the state govt informed the Rajasthan High Court Tuesday it would not cancel the controversial 2021 sub-inspector recruitment examination, despite allegations of paper leaks and use of dummy candidates. After months of protests for and against the demand to cancel the exam as well as the court's directives for administrative clarity in the matter, the state govt finally made its stand clear during the hearing before the single bench of Justice Sameer Jain.Advocate general Rajendra Prasad, representing the state govt, said, "The decision to continue with the recruitm ...Read More >
Months ahead of assembly elections in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Purnea district on Monday to address a rally and launch development projects worth Rs 36,000 crore. The PM will also inaugurate a newly developed airport terminal at the north Bihar town, which would fulfil the region's long-standing demand for air connectivity. Another key highlight is the scheduled inauguration of the National Makhana Board, the setting up of which was announced in the Union budget earlier th ...Read More >
Panaji, Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has defended his decision to order suspension of a doctor from a state-run hospital, citing the latter's "arrogant behaviour" towards a patient. The minister on Saturday said he will not apologise for standing up for a patient who was denied care. Rane said he took the action after receiving a complaint from a senior journalist who pointed out that his mother-in-law was mistreated by the doctor in the casualty ward of the Goa Medical College and Hospit ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The US embassy in India has warned that "committing assault, theft, or burglary in the United States won't just cause you legal issues -- it could lead to your visa being revoked and make you ineligible for future US visas". The warning was issued days after a video of an Indian woman who tried to leave a store with a cart full of items without paying went viral. This also prompted the embassy to say, "The US values law and order and expects foreign visitors to follow all US laws."Responding to queries on the issue, the ministry of external affairs said that "whether a person is liv ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 21: Delhi's air quality was in the "very poor" category on Tuesday, a day after Diwali, with Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) II norms already in force. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi stood at 351 as of 4 pm today. Bawana recorded an AQI of 424 and remains the only area with air quality that falls under the 'severe' category. AQI in Anand Vihar stood at 332, Ashok Vihar 373, Burari Crossing 388, IGI Airport (Terminal 3) 295, ITO 349, Lodhi Road 334, Mundka 380, Najafgarh 312, Narela 363, Patparganj 320 an ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 15 (ANI): Delhi's worsening air quality has triggered a sharp rise in respiratory and cardiac health problems, with doctors warning that the national capital is facing a "silent public health emergency" as the Air Quality Index (AQI) continues to remain in the 'severe' category. Medical experts have reported a nearly 90 per cent increase in respiratory illness cases among both children and adults visiting outpatient departments (OPDs), directly linked to prolonged exposure to toxic air. According to Dr Manav Manchanda, Director and Head of Respiratory, Critical Ca ...Read More >
NEW DELHI (AP) - Dense toxic smog blanketed India´s national capital Monday, pushing air pollution levels to their worst levels in weeks, disrupting travel and causing authorities to impose the strictest containment measures. More than 40 flights were cancelled and several dozens delayed. Over 50 trains arriving and departing from New Delhi were delayed by several hours, authorities said. Healthcare experts warned residents to avoid all outdoor activities as hospitals reported an influx of pat ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 7 (PTI) Tamil Nadu has become the first state in the country to implement a model which predicts the probability of deaths among adults with Tuberculosis and has integrated it with the existing state-wide application TB SeWA, which triages them at diagnosis. The predictive model, developed by ICMR's National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) that was launched last week, aims to reduce the average time from diagnosis to hospital admission for severely ill TB patients, thereby bringing down the mortality rate further, said Dr Asha Frederick, State TB Officer of Tamil Nadu. The ne ...Read More >
ITANAGAR, 12 Sep: A pall of silent fear descended upon the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) premises in Naharlagun, following the brutal assault on two doctors and the subsequent vitriolic media campaign against the TRIHMS and the doctor community on social media. The anguished faces of the TRIHMS administrators, doctor community, nurses, and other supporting medical staff revealed that they were truly traumatized by the incident, and are now distressed and demotivated. Two doctors - Dr Arvind Pusha and Dr Tam Tariang - who were attending their duties on the third ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 4 (ANI): Health authorities in Kerala have issued an alert in three districts -- Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad after two suspected cases of the Nipah virus were detected. Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that the suspected cases of Nipah virus are from Palakkad and Malappuram districts. Also Read | India-US Trade Pact Likely Before July 9; Certain Issues Still Pending in Agriculture, Auto Sectors, Says Official. "An alert has been issued in three districts of Kerala, namely Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad, in connection with two new ...Read More >
New Delhi: Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) -- a common fungal infection that claims 340,000 lives every year worldwide, can turn lethal for about 1 in three people with lung diseases, finds a study by researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital. CPA, caused by exposure to airborne spores of the mould Aspergillus, causes gradual scarring of the lungs for months and years. It is a debilitating condition that causes severe tiredness, weight loss, breathlessness, and coughing up blood. While exposure to Aspergillus is harmless to most people, ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jul 10 (PTI) More than 14,500 women in Maharashtra's Hingoli have been detected with "cancer-like symptoms" during screening under the Sanjivani scheme, state health minister Prakash Abitkar informed the assembly on Thursday. A total of 2,92,996 were surveyed since March 8 there during which they had to answer a questionnaire related to cancer symptoms, Abitkar said in a written reply in the House. "Out of these, 14,542 women were detected with cancer-like symptoms. So far, three have been diagnosed with cancer of the uterus, one with breast cancer and eight with oral cancer after sc ...Read More >
Bhopal, July 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's seven-day foreign visits to Dubai and Spain concluded on Saturday, and he is scheduled to return to New Delhi on Sunday, government officials said. Talking to media in Barcelona in Spain on Saturday, Chief Minister Yadav said that his visit has been successful as various memorandums of understanding were signed with investors to increase production, employment opportunity and farmers' income in the state. Speaking at the conclusion of his visit, the Chief Minister highlighted the state's focused efforts on developme ...Read More >
LUCKNOW: Prominent classical vocalist Padma Vibhushan Pandit Chhannulal Mishra, who had not been keeping well for the last seven months, was shifted to the ICU of Sir Sunder Lal Hospital of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi, following a sharp deterioration in his health condition late on Saturday night. A medical bulletin issued by SSL Hospital on the health condition of the veteran vocalist on Sunday evening stated, "Mishra, 89, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) under the Department of Medicine of the hospital after being brought here at 11 pm on Saturday with fever and ...Read More >
New Delhi: After the change in regime in the national capital the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is cornering its predecessor Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by ordering probes into alleged scams. On the other hand the AAP leadership has accused the BJP of witch hunt by misusing probe agencies to target the leaders. The BJP government under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in its first five months of coming to power has ordered an investigation into the Jai Bhim Mukhyamantri Pratibha Vikas Yojana by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) besides the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registering three cases of ...Read More >
New Delhi: Leaders of the 24 party I.N.D.I.A. bloc met virtually on Saturday to finalise their strategy for the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which begins on Monday. They agreed to focus on eight priority issues, while reserving the option to raise additional local concerns as they arise. Among the key issues identified are Pahalgam terror attack and the Centre's response, Operation Sindoor and US President Donald Trump's claim that he brokered an India Pakistan cease fire ("five jets were shot down"), foreign policy questions, including India's position on the Gaza conflict, Special Intensi ...Read More >