Page 2 - Health Ministry

Suspected mpox case under probe, no cause for alarm: Health ministry

A man who recently travelled from a country experiencing mpox transmission has been identified as a suspected case of the disease, the Union health ministry said on Sunday. The patient has been isolated at a designated hospital and is currently stable, it said, adding that there is no cause for concern. Samples have been collected from the man and are being tested to confirm the presence of mpox. "The case is being managed in line with established protocols, and contact tracing is ongoing to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country," the ministry said. The development of this case is consistent with the earlier risk assessment conducted by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and there is no cause of any undue concern, it said. The country is fully prepared to deal with such isolated travel-related cases and has robust measures in place to manage and mitigate any potential risk, the ministry added.

'Warrior Moms' urges health minister to act on air pollution, proposes plan

A collective of mothers from across India advocating for clean air on Saturday urged the Union Health Ministry to create "Low Emission Zones" around hospitals and issue advisories for doctors to consider a patient's exposure to air pollution when diagnosing illnesses. In a letter to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, the "Warrior Moms" also proposed the development of a "Health Action Plan" for each state to tackle pollution-related health issues. The letter coincided with the UN International Day of Blue Skies and Clean Air. The mothers called for an immediate update to India's Air Quality Index (AQI) standards, which have been delayed for over two years, along with the establishment of clear targets to reduce pollution levels. They urged the installation of real-time AQI monitoring systems in hospitals, schools, government buildings, and public spaces to ensure transparency and accountability. "Warrior Moms" also suggested that the ministry collaborate with other government bodies

Union health ministry approves new treatment for multi-drug resistant TB

The Union health ministry has approved the introduction of the BPaLM regimen, a novel treatment for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) under its National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) as a highly effective and shorter treatment option. This regimen includes a new anti-TB drug namely Pretomanid in combination with Bedaquiline and Linezolid (with or without Moxifloxacin), the ministry said in a statement.\ Pretomanid has earlier been approved and licensed for use in India by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). The BPaLM regimen, which consists four-drug combination -- Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid and Moxifloxacin -- has been proven to be safe, more effective and a quicker treatment option than the previous MDR-TB treatment procedure, the ministry said. "While traditional MDR-TB treatments can last up to 20 months with severe side effects, BPaLM regimen can cure the drug-resistant TB in just six months with a high treatment success rate," the stateme

4 theme-based sub-groups formed to address concerns of doctors safety

Four theme-based sub-groups have been constituted on the recommendations of the National Task Force to address the concerns highlighted by the Supreme Court in the wake of protests by doctors following the RG Kar rape and murder incident. Taking suo motu cognisance of the rape and murder case of a trainee woman doctor at a state-run medical college and hospital in Kolkata, the apex court had constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other health care professionals. The Union Health Ministry on Thursday issued an office memorandum notifying the four sub-groups of the NTF, each of which have been mandated with four themes -- strengthening infrastructure of medical institutions, strengthening security systems in medical institutions, revamping working conditions of health care professionals and strengthening of legal framework across all states. "... following four theme based sub-groups are constituted

All not well in health dept: Delhi HC asks Aiims director to bring reforms

Observing that "all is not well" in the city's health department which is witnessing a "bitter" fight between authorities, the Delhi High Court on Monday tasked the AIIMS director with the responsibility of implementing the recommendations of the six-member expert committee headed by Dr S K Sarin for improving services at Delhi government-run hospitals. A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, which received a letter from Sarin urging that the committee be recused from monitoring the implementation of the proposed reforms, remarked that four member doctors, who were working in hospitals under the Delhi government, were "feeling threatened" and "scared". The court lamented the "complete lack of consensus between the bureaucrats and the minister", and said the quality of healthcare services in Delhi continued to be "dismal" and the common man was the ultimate victim of apathy and indifference at the hands of those who are responsible. "The letter speaks volume. The court is of

Delhi govt maintaining strict vigilant on mpox situation, says minister

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Friday that the city government was maintaining strict vigil on the mpox situation and closely monitoring developments. During a press conference, he said that they were carefully observing the actions taken by both the central and other state governments. "We are closely monitoring the situation. We are keeping a close watch on the actions taken by both the central and (other) state governments." Earlier this week, the Delhi government directed the LNJP Hospital, GTB Hospital and the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital to set up isolation rooms for the management of suspected and confirmed mpox cases while emphasising that no patients had been detected. Then LNJP Hospital has been designated as the nodal facility while the other two are on standby. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in view of its prevalence and spread across many parts of Africa. Meanwhile, Bharadwaj ...

Mpox outbreak: What travellers from US, India, & other countries must know

Since 2022, the WHO has reported 99,176 Mpox cases and 208 deaths across 116 countries

Health ministry issues office memorandum on task force for medicos' safety

The panel will be headed by Cabinet Secretary, Government of India as its Chairperson has been constituted following the Supreme Court's direction on August 20

Health secretary reviews preparedness to tackle Monkeypox challenge in J&K

Though no case of Monkeypox was reported from anywhere in Jammu and Kashmir, the authorities here on Tuesday reviewed the preparedness of public health agencies to meet the challenge posed by the infectious viral disease in the Union Territory, an official said. Health Secretary Syed Abid Rasheed Shah chaired a meeting of the officers in the light of recent declaration of Monkeypox as an emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO), the official said. He said that Shah directed all stakeholders to take proactive measures to ensure full preparedness to handle any situation. All the institutions across Jammu and Kashmir were directed to maintain high vigil for any exigency, the officials said. They said the Health Secretary also asked all heads of departments to conduct mock drills across the Union Territory and to impart training to all the health officials regarding logistics and transportation concerned with potential situations. Shah ordered all the HODs to dedicate isolatio

SC forms 10-member task force to frame protocol, ensure safety of doctors

Health Ministry writes to central govt-run hospitals to ensure doctor's security

Mpox scare: Aiims Delhi issues protocol to handle suspected patients

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency last week. At least 4 cases have been reported in neighbouring Pakistan

Health ministry asks central govt-run hospital to enhance security

The ministry asked all central government-run institutions to provide an adequate number of 'well-secured' duty rooms with basic amenities for female health professionals

Health Ministry writes to Centre-run hospitals heads to enhance security

Ministry further mentioned taking appropriate action including a sufficient number of High-resolution CCTV cameras installed in different areas to address safety issues in govt health organisations

Mpox reaches Pak-occupied Kashmir, total 4 cases; India on alert. Updates

Mpox outbreak: In view of the outbreak, the Centre has directed airport, ports and border authorities to remain vigilant and ensure strict scanning to detect any mpox infection at the earliest

India directs airports, ports, to stay alert as Mpox cases rise globally

Earlier, PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, led a review meeting to assess the nation's preparedness for Mpox

RG Kar Hospital horror: Doctors offer OPD services outside health ministry

The continuation of protests comes two days after IMA held a 24-hour nationwide strike in protest against the incident

Risk of surge in Mpox cases very low in India at present: Official sources

The risk for an upsurge of Mpox, once known as monkeypox, infection is very low in India at the moment and there is no need to panic, sources in the health ministry said in the wake of WHO declaring the disease a public health emergency of international concern. Official sources said the last case of monkeypox in India was reported from Kerala in March this year. According to official data, 30 laboratory confirmed cases of monkeypox since 2022 have been reported in India since 2022. The health ministry might write to points of entry such as airports, seaports to be alert and vigilant and deal with suspected cases of monkeypox as per the guidelines in terms of isolation and treatment, an official source told PTI. "At the moment, the risk of a surge in monkeypox infection is very low in India and there is no need to panic," the official source said. Union Health Minister J P Nadda is likely to hold a meeting with officials from the ministry, NCDC and ICMR on Saturday. On Wednesday

Centre issues '6-hour FIR' order over violence against health workers

Centre's order came amid massive protests in India, calling for justice in the rape-murder of the 31-year-old junior doctor, whose body was found at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last

Doctor Murder: FORDA ends stir after meeting Nadda, others won't relent

The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) on Tuesday said it was calling off its strike over the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata as the Union health minister has accepted their demands. However, the medics at the central government-run AIIMS, the Indira Gandhi Hospital and other resident doctors' associations, including the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA), said their stir would continue until a central law to curb attacks on medical personnel is implemented and a concrete solution found. A delegation of FORDA met with Union Health Minister J P Nadda at his residence on Tuesday night. The association said the decision to end the strike, effective from Wednesday morning, was taken in the interest of the welfare of patients. In a statement, FORDA said, "A key outcome of the meeting was the health minister's agreement to form a committee with FORDA's involvement to work on the Central Protection Act. The ministry has assured that

Five-member expert team to visit landslide-hit areas in Wayanad today

Expert panel will also recommend suitable land uses for area, Kerala Health Minister Veena George has directed appointment of more psychiatry experts from medical colleges to serve in disaster areas