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.
Satna, Madhya Pradesh: In a disturbing case of medical negligence, four children suffering from thalassaemia were allegedly transfused with HIV-positive blood at a government hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Satna district. A routine, life-saving procedure turned into a nightmare for four families after the children, aged between eight and 11, battling thalassaemia, were found to be HIV-positive after receiving blood transfusions. The serious lapse has compounded the woes of the children who depend on regular transfusions to stay alive. The transfusions in question took place nearly four months ago. The infections came to light only recently, when follow-up medical tests showed results that shook the families. The families say initial tests at the Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) had clearly shown the children were HIV-negative. It was only later, during routine monitoring, that the devastating diagnosis emerged. A lifetime of transfusions, a lifetime of risk Dr Devendra Patel, who heads the blood bank at the district hospital, said children with thalassaemia often receive blood dozens of times over their lives. "Some children have undergone 70, 80, even more than 100 transfusions," he said. "With repeated transfusions, the risk of infection inevitably increases. Our task now is to identify when and how this happened," he said in an interaction with the local media. Blood came from multiple sources Investigators say the blood transfused into the children was not drawn from a single centre. Along with Satna District Hospital, units were sourced from Birla Hospital in Rewa and other districts across Madhya Pradesh. Health officials are now scrambling to trace every donor linked to these transfusions. To rule out transmission within families, the parents of all four children were tested. All were found to be HIV-negative. How did infected blood reach the patients Under existing medical guidelines, every unit of donated blood must be screened for HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and other infections before it is cleared for use. In this case, that safeguard appears to have failed. At least four units of HIV-infected blood were reportedly transfused, suggesting a serious breakdown either in testing, record-keeping, or both. What has added to the outrage is the delay in detection. Families allege that had the infection been identified earlier, the children could have received timely counselling and medical care to manage the condition better. Hospital authorities insist that established protocols were followed. Donors, officials say, are screened for age, weight and haemoglobin levels, and blood is tested for infections, including HIV. Dr Patel explained that while testing methods have improved over the years -- moving from rapid kits to ELISA-based testing -- no system is foolproof. "ELISA can detect antibodies within 20 to 90 days, but infections during the early window period can still escape detection," he said, adding that the quality and sensitivity of the testing kits are now under review. Fear spreads beyond the affected children The case has raised wider alarm. Blood from the same bank was also given to pregnant women and other patients. Some of them have not yet returned for retesting, heightening fears that the impact could be broader than currently known. Recognising the gravity of the situation, Satna Collector Dr Satish Kumar S has ordered a comprehensive report from the Chief Medical and Health Officer, covering every stage -- from blood collection to screening and transfusion. Donors still untraced, probe underway Despite the gravity of the incident, the blood donor or donors linked to the infected units have not yet been traced. Officials have not clarified whether the failure lies with the blood bank, the Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC), or hospital oversight. Tracking down the source of the infection has proved difficult. Blood bank officials say only about half the donors have been traced so far. Incorrect phone numbers and incomplete addresses have slowed the process, leaving investigators with more questions than answers. The case has laid bare uncomfortable truths about gaps in blood safety and accountability, bringing out the devastating cost of those gaps for children who were already fighting for their lives.
aipur, Nov 25 ( IANS) Jaipur District Collector Jitendra Kumar Soni on Monday instructed the departmental officials to make every possible effort with mutual cooperation and coordination to make the district beggar-free. He directed to ensure effective rehabilitation of people involved in beggary so that such persons leave begging and start a respectable life on the basis of their skills and hard work. The district collector held a meeting on Monday in the Collectorate Auditorium regarding the rehabilitation of people involved in beggary. As the Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit wil ...Read More >
Mumbai: A day after leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged "match fixing" between BJP and ECI, state Congress chief Harshawardhan Sapkal on Sunday demanded narco tests on chief electoral officer (CEO) S Chockalingam and then additional CEO Kiran Kulkarni to expose the truth in Maharashtra's "vote theft" in the 2024 assembly election.Sapkal said it is BJP and CM Devendra Fadnavis who have jumped in with rebuttals, instead of the election watchdog. Fadnavis had on Saturday called Rahul's allegations an outright lie and in an article published in a national newspaper and a ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, July 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The diarrhoea outbreak reported from Ustapalli village in Digapahandi block of Ganjam district has been brought under complete control through coordinated field-level interventions and awareness drives, informed the state health department on Tuesday. The department claimed that the infection, which had started sporadically on July 6, was contained before it could spread further, thanks to door-to-door surveillance and swift medical response. As per an official statement, the Director of Public Health, Dr. Nilakantha Mishra, on Tuesday, noted that 11 case ...Read More >
Chennai, Aug 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Tamil Nadu government's flagship health initiative, 'Nalam Kakkum Stalin', has reached over 4.44 lakh people across the state since its launch, according to the State Health Department. Launched on August 2 by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, the comprehensive health screening programme aims to provide specialised medical care to residents through a network of camps held across Tamil Nadu. A total of 1,256 camps were set up on the inaugural day alone, offering a range of diagnostic services to the public free of cost. Chennai recorded the highest number of bene ...Read More >
Gastroenterologist Dr. Joseph Salhab joins 'Fox & Friends' to examine a new study on the effects of pathogenic gut bacteria and tips for limiting exposure to harmful bacteria. Human infections from drug-resistant bacteria are spiking in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned. The CDC's laboratory tests have shown that occurrences of a bacteria called NDM-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (NDM-CRE) have increased dramatically. NDM-CRE belongs to a broa ...Read More >
Chandel (Manipur) [India], September 26 (ANI): In a decisive operation aimed at curbing illicit drug trafficking, a joint team of 22 personnel from Assam Rifles and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has successfully apprehended two individuals in possession of a massive cache of narcotics in Chandel district, Manipur, a release said on Friday. According to the release, the operation unfolded on Friday following specific intelligence inputs. Acting swiftly on the information, a mobile vehicle check post was established in the general area of Bala Point. Also Read | Raipur Steel Plant Collaps ...Read More >
The Mumbai AIDS Control Society, in association with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), organized the 'Red Run Marathon 2025' on Sunday. The marathon aimed to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, encourage open communication, education, and support among patients living with the virus. This year's theme was 'Run to End AIDS', and the event was flagged off by Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Health) Sharad Ughade. Race Details and Participation The marathon featured a 4-kilometer race for co ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) Verbal autopsy is a scientific tool that can significantly aid India in the fight against tuberculosis, as it helps identify the deep reasons for mortality caused by the world's deadliest infection, said Dr Kavita Vasudevan from Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (IGMC&RI) in Puducherry. Speaking to IANS, Vasudevan, from the Community Medicine Department at the Medical College explained how a verbal autopsy model can help identify TB treatment delay patterns, and reasons for TB deaths and improve the referral process. "A comprehensive appr ...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 >
New Delhi, August 25: In a major step forward for veterinary healthcare, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying on Monday released India's first comprehensive national guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for blood transfusion and blood banks for animals. Blood transfusion is widely recognised as a life-saving intervention for managing trauma, severe anaemia, surgical blood loss, infectious diseases, and coagulation disorders in animals. However, until now, India did not have a structured national fr ...Read More >
New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) India's gains from importing discounted Russian oil are estimated to be just USD 2.5 billion per annum, significantly lower than the previously speculated range of USD 10-25 billion, a research report said on Thursday. Stopping Russian oil imports would force India, the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, to rely on limited alternatives, potentially driving global crude prices up to USD 100 per barrel amid rising demand and tight supply. "Benefit from Russian oil imports is way less than exaggerated media numbers," brokerage CLSA said in a report. While ...Read More >
Mumbai, June 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana joins names such as Kamal Haasan, Ariana Grande, and Jeremy Strong at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year. Ayushmann along with names such as Kamal Haasan Naomi Ackie, Gillian Anderson, Branford Marsalis, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Graham, Jodie Comer and Jason Momoa are among 534 individuals who were invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences on June 26. "We are thrilled to invite this esteemed class of artists, technologists, and professionals to join the Academy," said Ac ...Read More >
Pune: The Indian Gig Workers' Front on Saturday evening suspended the ongoing strike of cabs and autorickshaws operating on applications till Tuesday, after leaving many commuters, including those arriving at the airport on Saturday morning, hassled. Keshav Kshirsagar, the president of the front, said, "We have a meeting on Tuesday with senior officials of the state transport department. If its decisions don't meet our expectations, the strike will resume." Several commuters had a harrowing experience on roads on Friday and in the early hours of Saturday. Cabs and autos were hard to come by. T ...Read More >
CHENNAI: The State Health Department has announced that 4,44,018 people have so far benefited from the 'Nalam Kakkum Stalin' scheme. According to a report from Thanthi TV, Chennai recorded the highest number of beneficiaries with 2,935 people availing the scheme. In Villupuram, 2,013 people have benefited, followed by 1,385 in Coimbatore and 1,360 in Tiruvannamalai. Chief Minister MK Stalin launched the comprehensive and specialised health screening scheme on August 2 with 1256 camps to provide healthcare for residents across Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, on August 9, Stalin will inaugurate a new ...Read More >
VIJAYAWADA: The State government on Friday accorded approvals to a slew of industries. Among those are Krishnapatnam Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), which is set to establish a 350 MW Solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Thamminapatnam and Mommidi villages of SPSR Nellore district with a Rs 1,225 crore investment, creating 575 jobs. Furthermore, the government also waived off a Rs 54 crore extension of time fee, contingent on project completion within two years as per the Andhra Pradesh Integrated Clean Energy Policy-2024. The government also allocated 22.80 acres at MPSEZ in N ...Read More >
Twelve workers got trapped under the soil. Upon hearing the cries, other labourers and project staff started rescue attempts, but the depth and heaviness of the soil made immediate efforts difficult, they said. District administration, police and disaster management teams reached the site soon after being alerted. The rescue teams used earthmoving machines to remove soil and retrieve the trapped labourers. They managed to pull out seven labourers, two of whom -- Ankul (22) and Vimla Devi (45) -- died. While five are undergoing treatment at the district hospital, five others are still trapped ...Read More >
MADURAI: Likening the custodial murder of Ajith Kumar in Tiruppuvanam to an 'organised crime by police where the state kills its own citizens,' Madras high court lambasted the Tamil Nadu police and said the action against the perpetrators should be more stringent than in normal murder cases.A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice A D Maria Clete pointed to 44 external injuries on the person of Ajith Kumar and said no part of the body was spared by the delinquent cops. "Even an ordinary murderer would not have inflicted such kind of injuries," the bench said on Tuesday.The natur ...Read More >
NewsVoirBengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 12: DKMS Foundation India, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the fight against blood cancer and other blood disorders such as thalassemia and aplastic anemia, celebrates siblinghood this marks Raksha Bandhan, with two unique brother-sister pair.Two young children, Ayan Khan and Papali Gaan were battling with a blood disorder called thalassemia major, but their siblings saved them by donating their blood stem cells.India faces a pressing healthcar ...Read More >
Tens of thousands of people were gathered in sweltering heat in Tamil Nadu state's Karur for a political rally by Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, popularly known as Vijay, when the stampede began. Vijay, one of India's most successful actors, launched his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, in 2024. He's running for office in the state election scheduled to be held in early 2026. A 65-year-old woman, identified as Suguna, was the latest victim to succumb at the Karur Government Medical Colle ...Read More >
Uttarakhand Journalist Death: The body of independent journalist Rajeev Pratap Singh was pulled from the Bhagirathi River in Uttarkashi 10 days after his disappearance. Officially, police have called it an accident, but now they are looking for another angle as well. The family insists it was anything but. Singh's wife has claims that he was anxious and got threat calls to take down the video of alleged corruption in the Uttarakhand District Hospital. Singh had allegedly been receiving death threats after publishing reports on corruption in a district hospital, and his sudden death has raised ...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 >
Bengaluru, Dec 3 (PTI) The Karnataka government on Tuesday requested the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to investigate and take necessary action against a West Bengal-based manufacturer, amid concerns that recent maternal deaths in Ballari district, could be linked to substandard Ringer Lactate solution supplied by the company. In a letter, Karnataka Health Principal Secretary Harsh Gupta, drew the attention of the DCGI to the supply of several batches of "Compound Sodium Lactate I P (Ringer's Lactate I P)" by the West Bengal-based pharmaceutical company Paschim Banga Pharmaceutical ...Read More >
Dibrugarh: Jorhat DC Jay Shivani led by example as he rolled up his sleeves and donated blood at the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) on Monday, officially launching the blood donation campaign as part of the 42nd Jorhat District Day celebrations from June 30 to July 3.The DC's gesture was aimed at encouraging voluntary blood donation and raising awareness about the critical need for blood supplies in the district's healthcare facilities. His participation set the tone for what organisers hope will be a successful four-day celebration marking Jorhat's establishment as an independent ...Read More >
Bareilly (UP), Jul 17 (PTI) A teacher from Bahedi district, who went viral recently after reciting a poem mentioning Kanwar Yatra, approached the police on Thursday stating a threat to his life from anti-social elements. A case has been registered at Bahedi police station based on a complaint from Dr Rajneesh Kumar Gangwar, a teacher at MGM Inter College in the district. According to Circle Officer Arun Kumar Singh, Gangwar's complaint says that ever since his recitation of the poem 'Tum Kanwad Lene Mat Jana, Gyaan Ka Deepak Jalaana' (You don't go get Kavad, light the lamp of knowledge inste ...Read More >
Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 5 (ANI): Japanese Encephalitis (JE), a mosquito-borne viral infection, has claimed 13 lives at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Assam so far this year. The hospital has reported 50 confirmed cases of JE since April 1, raising significant concerns among health authorities. Dr Ujjal Kumar Sharma, Deputy Superintendent of GMCH, told ANI, 'In Guwahati Medical College & Hospital, from April 1 to July 4, 50 patients of Japanese Encephalitis have been admitted.' He added, 'Out of the 50 patients, 13 patients have expired here. Three patients left again ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh administration has strengthened security arrangements across several districts including Lucknow, Sambhal, and Moradabad to ensure peace and avoid any disruption, as Muharram processions and the Kanwar Yatra are being held at the same time.Large crowds gathered for Muharram processions across different regions, while preparations for the Kanwar Yatra are also underway. Police personnel have been deployed in all sensitive areas, and surveillance is being carried out using drones and CCTV cameras.In SambhalDistrict Magistrate Dr Rajender Pensiya while speaking to ANI ...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 >
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. NDM-CRE infections have been historically uncommon in the United States, the CDC said. The NDM gene - which was first identified in 2008 from a Swedish patient who had been hospitalized in New Delhi - creates an enzyme that destroys most antibiotics, including so-called carbapenems, which are usually used in last-ditch efforts to save patients with infections that fail to respond to standard antibiotics, The Washington Post ...Read More >
Kerala has reported 104 cases of amoebic encephalitis, with 23 deaths, primarily in Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. The state health minister highlighted that early detection and treatment have significantly reduced the global fatality rate of this rare brain infection. An action plan based on the One Health approach is being implemented to prevent further cases. A total of 104 cases of amoebic encephalitis (brain fever) have been reported so far in Kerala, of which 23 patients have die ...Read More >
Jamshedpur, June 26: Six Rotary Clubs of Jamshedpur jointly held a press conference on Thursday at a hotel in Bistupur to share details of their ongoing and upcoming projects, marking the beginning of the new Rotary year on July 1. The event was attended by Zone 5 Assistant Governor Kusum Thakur, along with Rotary Club presidents and representatives: Suchismita (Dalma), Animesh Chhapolia (Next Gen), Ashok Jha (West), Ananna Dutta (Green), and Jitesh Chaudhary (Secretary, Steel City). President Animesh Chhapolia of Rotary Next Gen highlighted their "Water on Wheels" initiative aimed at supply ...Read More >