Stem cell industry is playing on the emotions of naïve patients and families promising a future which may not really exist
In January this year, doctors at a corporate hospital in Delhi claimed to have treated an Iraqi patient of paraplegia using stem cells. The patient, who had lost sensation in his lower limb, was said to be able to stand now.
Though dust is of trivial significance to us, it kills millions of workers in Indian industries and mines. Silicosis, one of the many lung disorders caused by dust, is not only untreatable but also the commonest and most widespread of all occupational diseases. Exposure to large amount of free silica can pass unnoticed since it is odourless, non-irritant and hence is confused with ordinary dust. The problem is more severe in unorganised industries like slate pencil cutting, stone cutting and agate industry since these are not covered by any legislation.
Tripti Tandon of Lawyers Collective talks to GOI Monitor about a recent case which brought the issue of immunity for drug users under treatment into limelight
Q: Please tell us about the case of Aatish Suraj in which Supreme Court allowed Indian Harm Reduction Network to intervene?
The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Bill 2019 is an absolutely diluted piece of legislation, which fails to address the grave issue of nicotine-laced products. It’s just an all bark no bite legislation, not worth the paper it’s printed on. It partially addresses only e-cigarettes, which is less than one percent of the real problem of nicotine abuse. Such piecemeal restriction of e-cigarettes will only help the tobacco manufacturers and cigarette companies as it will eliminate their competition
The movie ‘Extraordinary Measures’ released last year features a family conjuring all means possible to get treatment for their children who suffer from a hitherto unknown disease and are believed to be dying. The family’s struggle as it approaches politicians and pharma companies to seek help in finding cure for the disease depicts the never-say-die spirit of human beings. The disease they fight in the movie is called Pompe, one of the 8,000 rare diseases which are inflicting several children across the world.
Thanks to our fast still sedentary lifestyle, there are more medicines than fruits in our baskets and hence a big share of monthly budget is spent on buying them. According to a study published in international journal Lancet, despite living in a welfare state, 78 per cent of the health expenditure is met by Indians from their own pockets. Also 72 per cent of this total expenditure is spent on purchasing drugs. If you think that’s high be prepared for much higher medical bills in near future. The free trade agreement (FTA)
The recent incidents of medical negligence and over pricing have spurred strong criticism of private players with Delhi government cancelling the licence of one hospital. What escapes the eye, however, is the constant support since 1990s that has led to growth of private sector at the cost of affordable government or public healthcare. The only solution is roping in private resources for public health system with regulations.
While the number of cases has declined by 60 per cent over 2001, there are concerns that malaria is still being under reported. Other issues include the systemic resistance to drugs which were previously used to limit vector growth. Around 35 countries have been certified to be free of malaria and another 21 on their way to reach their target of zero transmission by the year 2020. In our neighbourhood, Sri Lanka and Maldives have also achieved the malaria-free status and Bhutan will be there soon.
Children on autism spectrum face a lot of distress due to sudden change in routines. Abrupt closure of schools, playgrounds and other recreational outlets is resulting in more frequent meltdowns. Children unable to go outdoors have a lot of pent up energy which leads to aggression. Their schedules have been altered and they are also unable to visit the intervention centres. It is a tough situation for both the child and the caregiver. Children from poorer families are the most affected by closing in of the space
There can be no argument that the recent fervor shown by the IMA and other doctors’ groups to protest for the first time against the lacklustre performance by the government may kindle a ray of a new hope to find medical justice for hapless patients in India. But serious introspection and changes in the “self-policing” policy by Indian doctors are essential before public trust for our healers can be restored in India
It’s imperative to save our children against diseases, but does that justify mindless immunisation drives like the one involving pentavalent vaccine?
On September 11 this year, 23 children with thalassemia tested HIV positive at a civil hospital in Junagarh, Gujarat, where they were reportedly getting regular blood transfusions. The saddest part is this is not the first incident of its kind. In July 2010, at least 56 thalassemic children had tested positive for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C after receiving blood at a government- run hospital in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Another dozen thalassaemic children met the same fate at a Delhi hospital in 2008-09.
In 2007, the state government of Andhra Pradesh launched an insurance scheme that was designed to protect patients from the ‘catastrophic’ impact of out of pocket expenses incurred on hospital care. Termed as the ‘Rajiv Arogyasri’ scheme, it soon became
Founded by doctor couple, Abhay Bang and Rani Bang, and run on Gandhian philosophy of Gram Swaraj (self governance), Shodhgram offers affordable and compassionate services to the people, especially tribals of the region. It has also devised unique solutions to the most pressing community health issues. For instance, Indian government replicated Shodhgram’s concept of home-based mother and newborn care through ASHA.
Are you free to be healthy? Can you cut back on junk food, jog around and reduce booze and cigarettes of your own will? "Yes," you might say, "we live in a democracy and can choose how to live." You are right but only partially. In the present times, junk food pervade not just the food courts but also what's cooked in our home kitchens, most of the open spaces for walking and jogging have been turned into parking lots and it's quite easy to relapse into smoking with surrogate tobacco promotions all around us. In fact, when it comes to choosing between various options, we don't have an absolute say. The State has already got that covered.
India's health care system is one of the most privatised in the world. Due to insufficient expansion of the public health system and overall private sector friendly policies of the state, the vast majority of doctors passing out from medical colleges have joined the private sector. In 1950 there were 60,000 MBBS doctors, now there are 7.5 lakh MBBS, equal number of AYUSH doctors and most of them are private providers. Added to this is the tremendous growth of corporate hospitals, starting with the Apollo Hospital in Chennai in 1983.
India’s health care system is one of the most privatised in the world. Thanks to policy of the government to encourage the growth of the private sector, especially since the 1990s, the share of private sector in various components of health care in India today is very high. Due to insufficient expansion of the public health system and overall private sector friendly policies of the state, the vast majority of doctors passing out from medical colleges have joined the private sector. This trend has accelerated with production of higher proportion of postgraduate doctors since the 1970s.
रिसर्च स्कॉलर नित्या मोहन जब मात्र सात साल की थीं, तब उन्हें कैंसर का सामना करना पड़ा। लेकिन समय पर इलाज, परिवार के सहयोग और खुद के हौसले ने कैंसर को हरा दिया। इतनी कम उम्र में कैंसर का मतलब एक छोटे बच्चे की समझ से परे था। लेकिन कैंसर के इलाज के दौरान की यादें नित्या के मन में इतनी गहराई तक समाईं कि बड़े होने पर भी उनके मन में कई सवाल उठते रहे, जैसे आखिर यह कैंसर है क्या? इसका कारण क्या होता है? क्या कोई ऐसी वैक्सीन नहीं है, जो कैंसर को होने से रोक सके? और इन्हीं सवालों के जवाब ढूंढने के लिए उन्होंने कैंसर पर रिसर्च करने का निश्चय किया। उनका वह इरादा इतना प्रबल था कि उसे हकीकत में बदलना ही पड़ा।वर्ष 2016 में उनका चयन जर्मन कैंसर रिसर्च सेंटर, हाइडलबर्ग, जर्मनी के लिए हो गया। जहां से इस समय वे कैंसर इम्यूनोथैरेपी में पीएचडी कर रही हैं
कोरोना की तीसरी लहर में बच्चों के अधिक संक्रमित होने की आशंका जताई जा रही है। इस आशंका को देखते हुए कुछ राज्यों ने तो अभी से तैयारी भी शुरू कर दी है। क्या इस तीसरी लहर को रोका जा सकता है? क्या वास्तव में यह बच्चों को अधिक संक्रमित करेगी? इस तरह के सवाल हम सबके मन में हैं। इन सब सवालों के जवाब जानने के लिए हमने बात की पीडियाट्रिशियन डॉ. भवनीत भारती से जो कि डॉ. बी आर अंबेडकर इंस्टीट्यूट ऑफ मेडिकल साइंसेस (AIMS), मोहाली, पंजाब की डायरेक्टर प्रिंसीपल हैं
Around 70 million patients, mostly children, living with rare diseases in India have something to cheer about as the Union government has formally recognised their existence and formed a policy to address diagnostic and treatment gaps There are over 7,000 rare diseases in the world of which only 450 have been identified through reported cases in India. Most of these diseases go undiagnosed and most families can’t afford the high cost of treatment.