September 2024

Sep 25, 2024 New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda on Tuesday urged the National Medical Commission to expand 75,000 medical seats by 2029. Nadda made this statement while addressing the 4th-anniversary ceremony of the National Medical Commission today. He also noted that NMC achieved its target of MBBS seats in the country a year in advance. He fulther encouraged NMC to achieve the target set by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, of adding 75,000 medical seats over the next 5 years to meet the growing demand of aspiring medical professionals, as per the release. “Lauding recent technological methodologies adopted by NMC such as in assessing medical colleges through AI and introduction of Aadhar- enabled biometric attendance (AEBAS) for faculty, Nadda motivated NMC to continue its eff01ts to improve and enhance the quality of medical education in the country,” as per the release. He also highlighted the initiation of the National Medical Register (NMR), calling it “a dynamic database for all allopathic doctors which has already received about 20,000 applications”. The Union Health Minister said that recent eff01ts towards serving public health, especially the Family Adoption Program will prepare MBBS students to become more humane and skillful clinicians. He also pointed out the shift in mindset to preventive healthcare and wellness. “On the occasion, the Union Health Minister released an essay compilation book – ‘Making of a Family Physician: Reaching the Roots’ of selected 89 essays, a Collage book- ‘Art of Making of a Family Physician: Reaching the Roots’ of selected 67 collages and a First Survey report on medical camps conducted by colleges under Family Adoption Program through village outreach. The smvey has been carried out by 2nd year MBBS students in 2022 from 496 colleges from 28 states/ Union Territories participated,” as per the release. The Union Minister also felicitated the students who wrote the best essays and made the best collages. He concluded his address by congratulating the new students who took admission in MBBS courses around the country. Hekali Zhimomi, Additional Secretary, Union Health Ministly; Dr BN Gangadhar, Chailperson, NMC; Dr Aruna V Vanikar (Undergraduate Medical Education Board) and DrVijay Oza (Postgraduate Medical Education Board), Presidents, NMC and senior officials of the Union Health Ministry were present on the occasion. (ANI) Source: Economic Times

Sep 25, 2024 Hyderabad: The Drugs Control Administration, Telangana conducted raids at a medical shop in Nagulbanda, Falaknuma, which was being operated by Mohammed Ayub Pasha without a valid drug license, and seized 23 varieties of medicines, including antibiotics, antihistamines, analgesics, antipyretics, etc that were illegally stocked for sale. The drug samples in the medical shop, which did not have the mandatory drug license, have been collected and sent to the DCA laboratory for quality testing. The DG, TSDCA, V B Kamalasan Reddy urged wholesalers and traders to ensure that they supply drugs in bulk only to individuals or medical shops that have valid DCA drug license, which is issued under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Quack held In a separate raid by the DCA, Telangana, the drug inspectors seized large stocks of medicines from a quack’s clinic in Konne village, Bachannapet mandal, Jangaon district. The DCA inspecting team raided the clinic of a quack K Laxminarayana, who was practicing allopathy without any qualification in Konne village. During the course of the raid, the DCA teams seized 34 varieties of medicines including antibiotics, steroids etc, worth Rs 20,000, which were stocked at the premises without any drug license. The DCA has reported that several higher generation antibiotics were seized at the clinic during the raids. Source: Telangana Today

Sep 15, 2024 New Delhi: The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has issued a new code for drug inspectors posted across the country to make their inspections, sample collections and permits uniform, predictable and accountable. In a guidance issued on 12 September to all zonal, sub-zonal and port offices, the drug regulator directed drug inspectors to follow a uniform drug sampling method and focus on identifying risks during selection of sample drugs, cosmetics and medical devices moving in the supply chain. The new code replaces a more-than-decade-old set of guidelines in view of changes in the procedure and advancements in the regulatory system. As per the new set of rules, each drug inspector in consultation with their authority shall prepare a sampling plan on a monthly and annual basis for finalizing the sampling locations to cover the entire jurisdiction. The sampling plan shall include rural areas and drugs used in areas endemic for certain diseases, drugs for seasonal diseases etc. This will be useful for effective surveillance for quality and efficacy of drugs and cosmetic available in the market by adopting uniform drug sampling methodology. Inspector will have to collect samples of drugs, cosmetics, medical devices and vaccines. Drugs are regulated under the Drugs & Cosmetic Act, 1940 to ensure safety, efficacy and quality of the drugs available in the country. Centralized list According to the guidance note, the drug inspectors will have to maintain a centralized monthly list of sub-standard or spurious drug and put it in public domain to avoid their further use and ensure the availability of true product in the market and initiate quick actions for NSQ product declared by the Government Analyst. For conducting uniform enforcement, the drug inspectors have to do onsite inspections to evaluate compliance of the quality system and infrastructure with nationally & internationally accepted Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Standards. However, the inspection will have to be conducted in the knowledge of manufacturer with proper evidence and documents. Notably, DCGI is the head of Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) which has 8 Zonal offices, 7 Sub-Zonal offices, 8 Central Drugs Testing Laboratories and 9 Airport & 19 Sea port Offices. Last year, Parliament was informed that the number of sanctioned posts and filling of the vacant post of Drug Inspectors in the states come under the respective State Government. Such information is not maintained centrally. However, CDSCO, till December last year, has 504 sanctioned posts, 201 is working strength and 303 are still vacant post. Shortage of drug inspectors This indicates that there is a major shortage of drug inspectors in CDSCO and at the level of state government. “There’s an acute shortage of competent medical devices officers at CDSCO and State Licensing Authorities from the Engineering and science background to adequately regulate medical devices that have recently came under regulations. Due to these shortages pharmacists drug inspectors have been redesignated as Medical Devices Officers and in many cases these are not experts at the diverse range of engineered medical devices they are supposed to regulate. This becomes a huge challenge to manufacturers as they struggle to communicate with these regulators who see products like Defibrilator and ventilators from eye of a medicine . It’s like an airforce officer trying to insist on a naval officer what’s expected by the Airforce,” explained Rajiv Nath, forum Coordinator, AiMeD ( Association of Indian Medical Devices) Industry adding that the government needs to address this issue urgently. Source: Live Mint

Sep 25, 2024 New Delhi: On the back of several concentrated efforts and initiatives, the prevalence of new annual HIV infections has decreased by 44 per cent since 2010, outperforming the global reduction rate of 39 per cent, Anupriya Singh Patel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, stated during a high-level side event at the United Nations. In her address, the Union Minister said, “As per the recent India HIV Estimations 2023 report, over 2.5 million people are living with HIV in India. Thanks to concerted efforts, adult HIV prevalence stands at 0.2 per cent, and estimated annual new HIV infections are around 66,400. New annual HIV infections have decreased by 44 per cent since 2010, outperforming the global reduction rate of 39 per cent.” “India offers comprehensive HIV and Syphilis testing to all pregnant women, with more than 30 million free HIV tests conducted annually. In total, more than 1.7 million people are receiving free Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) through public healthcare systems,” she added. Patel also highlighted that India is the world’s largest supplier of anti- retroviral chugs, accounting for over 70 per cent of global production. The countlY ensures affordable access to nations in need. “We are proud to contribute to the global fight against HIV/AIDS by making quality treatment accessible worldwide,” said the Minister. To combat other complexities faced by HIV patients, Patel shared, “India’s approach to integrating national health programs, including eff01ts to tackle tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, and non-communicable diseases, is helping address co-morbidities faced by people living with HIV.” The high-level side event at the United Nations was themed “Revitalized Multilateralism: Recommitting to Ending AIDS Together” and was organised by UNAIDS, the Global Fund, and PEPFAR. Source: Economic times

Sep 15, 2024 Kochi: A joint inspection by excise special squad and drugs control depaltment at a medical shop at Kadavanthra has exposed the alleged sale of prescription drugs without proper documents, said officials. According to an official statement from the department, the inspection was held based on the information received by excise commissioner Mahipal Yadav. The checking was held at Spectrum Pharma as per the directive of joint excise commissioner (central region) N Ashok Kumar. It was found that tramadol tablets, classified under Schedule HI and being misused as a narcotic among students and youngsters, were allegedly being sold without documentation. According to excise, it was found that from July, 20,910 tramadol tablets were purchased, out of which 18,535 were sold, while 2,758 tablets were sold without any records. Spasmonil tablets, which are used as a narcotic, were also allegedly sold without clear prescriptions, excise said, adding that it was also found that the medical shop had OCB cigarette rolling papers in bulk stock. Officials added that the owner of the establishment has 13 medical shops in Ernakulam district and inspections will be conducted there in the coming days. Possessing tramadol tablets, which are used as painkillers, without a doctor’s prescription in quantities of five gram or more is a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Strong follow-up actions will be taken against the sale of such substances under the guise of a medical shop licence, as it creates widespread negative impacts on society, excise said. Drugs control depaltment has announced that strict measures, including cancellation of licences, will be taken. Excise authorities also stated that steps have been initiated to identify individuals purchasing narcotic drugs from medical shops. The inspection team included excise circle inspector P Sreeraj, drug inspectors Tessy Thomas and Gladys P Kachappilly, excise inspector Pramod, preventive officer (grade) Pradeesh, and civil excise officers Karthik, Jiji Ashokan, and driver Bader. Source: Economic times

Sep 23, 2024 New Delhi: The Central government is set to launch a scheme to develop 12 indigenous drugs for eight rare diseases, health minister J.P. Nadda said on Monday. The programme aims to provide financial relief to many rare disease patients in the country. “As part of India’s drive towards becoming a global leader in affordablea healthcare, DHR is set to launch a programme developing 12 indigenous drugs for eight rare diseases. This initiative will aim to drastically reduce the cost of treatment for conditions like muscular dystrophy and Gaucher’s disease, making life saving therapies accessible and affordable for the masses,” said Nadda. A health ministry official later listed the diseases as: Familial Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), Familial Hypercholesterolemia, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Gaucher Disease, Pompe Disease, Fabry Disease, Niemann Pick Disease (NPD) and Alkaptonuria. Currently, the National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD) lists 63 rare diseases. Financial support is provided of up to lakh per patient during the course of the treatment at centres of excellence (COEs) for rare diseases. Since the launch of the policy in 2021, approx. 1,118 patients have benefited under NPRD. Health conditions classified under the policy are osteopetrosis that causes bone diseases; Fanconi Anemia that causes bone marrow failures, tumours and other abnormalities; Laron Syndrome that causes growth hormone insensitivity; and immune deficiency disorders such as severe combined immunodeficiency and Wiskot Aldrich Syndrome. The rare diseases Familial DMD is a genetic disorder that leads to progressive muscle weakness and degeneration, Familial Hypercholesterolemia is a disorder that causes LDL (bad) cholesterol level to be very high. The condition begins at birth and can cause heart attacks at an early age. SMA is a genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. Gaucher disease causes bone pain, anaemia, enlarged organs, a swollen, painful belly, and bruising and bleeding. Pompe Disease is a metabolic disorder that causes a buildup of glycogen in the body’s cells, damaging cells and impairing the function of organs and tissues, especially muscles. Fabry Disease is a rare X-Iinked lysosomal disorder that results in excessive deposition of lipids in the tissues. NPD is a group of inherited disorders that cause lipids to build up in the cells  of the brain, liver, and spleen. Alkaptonuria, or black urine disease, is a very rare inherited disorder that prevents the body fully breaking down two protein building blocks (amino acids) called tyrosine and phenylalanine. Other government initiatives Nadda, while highlighting the initiatives taken by his ministry in the first 100 days of the government, said a Centre for Evidence-Based Guidelines is ready for inauguration to help standardize medical practices nationwide, ensuring better standards of care. The department also launched the National One Health Mission (NOHM) for Pandemic Preparedness to manage zoonotic diseases and pandemics. The government also launched the Med-Tech Mitra online platform to help meditech innovators, startups and industry partners fulfill regulatory compliance. Inspired by India’s landmark Chandrayaan-3 mission, the department has also undertaken “First in the World” challenge to fund 50 high-risk, high- reward innovations in biomedical research. “These initiatives represent transformative steps in healthcare innovation, pandemic preparedness, and the development of indigenous medical solutions, contributing to a healthier, more resilient and Atmanirbhar Bharat,” he said. The establishment of the “Research to Action” vertical in DHR will ensure that cutting-edge health research is seamlessly integrated into policy and practice. The government said that Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs) across the country have been strengthened through funding support. “Six of these VRDLs are being converted into Integrated Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (IRDLs) covering larger domain of infectious diseases. Construction of Zonal laboratories of National Institute of Virology (NIV) has also been initiated,” it said. Source: Live Mint

Sep 24, 2024 To protect public health and avoid the inevitable financial drain on the national economy due to escalating chronic disease, the United Kingdom’s (UK) All-Paity Parliamenta1Y Group (APPG) on Indian Traditional Sciences intends to integrate Ayurvedic principles into mainstream healthcare for a comprehensive approach to well-being. “Ayurveda is our collective heritage. Every nation can benefit from the integration of the traditional science of Ayurveda to supplement the constantly evolving technologies of crisis management within modern science,” said Amarjeet Singh Bhamra of Ayurveda Centre of Excellence (ACE), APPG. He added that the history of ‘Safe Use’ of Aytuvecla to restore innate immunity within individual life provides the essential prevention- oriented approach to public health and well-being required within the family of nations. He informed that APPG will hold ‘The Ayurveda Summit 2024: Integrating Evidence-Based Preventive Medicine into Healthcare Delivery” on October 24 and 25 in London. “APPG has been conducting events and engaging with policymakers since its inception in 2014, to integrate Ayulveda and Yoga into the health architecture of the UK and Europe,” he said. ACE and APPG Indian Traditional Sciences were established to contribute capacity building, competent to maintain the health of the nation, and to interact thereby with academics and practising medical professionals in the UK and abroad. He said they intend to educate and promote preventive health measures through a variety of initiatives, including workshops, educational programmes, publications, research, awareness campaigns, and consultations. Practitioners and global statistics report the growing demand for non- invasive medical treatments and increasing responsibility for ‘self-care’ to create wellness and avoid ill-health. “The unprecedented rate of growth for natural and traditional healthcare products and treatments is reflected by a multi-trillion-dollar ‘Wellness Indust1Y’ worldwide, which is expanding year on year. Source: Economic Times

Sep 19, 2024 London: Britain has seen the biggest rise in health-related welfare benefits among a group of similar economies, according to a report published on Thursday – underscoring the challenge which the new government faces to get people back into work. The Institute for Fiscal Studies, an independent think tank, said the number of working-age people receiving health-related benefits in England and Wales jumped by 38% in four years to 3.9 million people or 10% of the working-age population. By contrast, the figure fell or remained flat in Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United States, the IFS said. Denmark, the only other countlY to see a significant rise, recorded a 13% increase. Eduin Latimer, an IFS economist and an author of the report, said the COVID pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis might have hit Britain harder than other countries due to strains on the health service and low unemployment benefits, but the exact causes of the countlY’s problems remained unclear. “Figuring out what is behind the recent rise must surely be a top priority for the government if it is going to be able to respond appropriately,” he said. Under Britain’s benefits system, a single person who is unemployed would typically receive 393.45 pounds ($520.10) a month plus housing costs, and may have to prove they are spending as much as 35 hours a week looking for work. But if they are classed as long-term sick instead, they can receive an extra 416 pounds a month and an exemption from work requirements. Last year, the government of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced incentives and sanctions to try to curb high levels of inactivity among working-age people. New Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he also wants to get more people into work but plans to do it mainly by improving the health service. The IFS said the increase in health-related welfare spending was concentrated in areas that had high numbers of claimants before the pandemic. Despite the jump, the UK’s spending on working-age health-related benefits was similar to that of other comparable countries at around 1.7% of national economic output but that could rise if recent trends continue, it said. ($1 = 0.7565 pounds) (Writing by William Schomberg; editing by David Milliken) Source: Economic Times

Sep 17, 2024 Recognizing the urgent need for a broad-based effort globally to reduce errors in medical diagnosis, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on all stakeholders to “Get it right, make it safe!” as part of the World Patient Safety Day campaign on 17 September. The theme ‘improving diagnosis for patient safety’ was selected in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders – from patients to policy-makers – to highlight how everyone has a vital role to play in reducing the risks and impact of errors in diagnosis. “The right diagnosis, at the right time, is the basis of safe and effective health care. By contrast, diagnostic errors can lead to serious harm, and even death,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Reducing this risk takes collaboration between health workers and managers, policymakers and regulators, civil society and the private sector, and importantly, patients and their families.” Each year, diagnostic errors account for an estimated 16% of preventable harm in health care, with tremendous human and economic consequences. Data suggest that most adults will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, which can result in prolonged ill health, increased health care costs, or even preventable death. Diagnostic error is when a diagnosis is delayed, incorrect, missed, or miscommunicated and can occur at any stage of a patient’s journey. Targeted interventions by policy-makers, health care leaders, health workers, medical product regulators and manufacturers, with the active engagement of patients, their families and civil society can help reduce the risk of error. Policy-makers should ensure appropriate national guidelines, protocols and regulations exist and are implemented, and necessary budget and resources are allocated. Health facility and programme managers should create safe and conducive working environments, promote continuous improvement, and ensure adequate systems, standards and processes are in place. Health facility and programme managers should also ensure that diagnostic tools and technologies are well-maintained, sharing user feedback with the manufacturer quickly to improve systems. At the individual level, patients and their families should proactively participate in the diagnostic process by sharing their symptoms and full medical history, asking questions, raising concerns and following up on test results. Health workers should actively engage their patients while integrating excellence into every stage of the diagnostic process. WHO is developing a model to support the implementation of diagnostic safety interventions. On 10- 1 2 September the WHO-convened World Patient Safety 2024 Global Consultation brought together patients, patient advocates, health workers, health care facility managers, policy-makers, diagnostic safety experts, and academic and research institutions to provide input on the implementation model. Participants also discussed the progress and challenges in implementing the Global Patient Safety Action Plan (GPSAP) 2021-2030. The GPSAP serves as an action framework for stakeholders to work towards the goal of safe and high- quality health care for all patients. The recently published Global Patient Safety Report 2024 highlighted progress made by many countries towards the GPSAP goals, but also underscored the huge scope for further improvement. The implementation model for improving diagnostic safety will be released in 2025 as one of the range of WHO tools and practical resources to help stakeholders drive progress towards the goals set in the GPSAP. Source: WHO

Sep 19, 2024 • The rate of neurodegenerative conditions is growing globally, meaning that a lot of research is into prevention of these problems. • There has been some research suggesting that a type of type 2 diabetes drugs called SGLT2 inhibitors could reduce the incidence of some neurodegenerative conditions including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. • Now, a large cohort study has shown use of these drugs is associated with a lower risk of developing these neurodegenerative conditions. Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease risk are lowered in people who take a type of type 2 diabetes drug, a study from South Korea has shown. Researchers from Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul showed that Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia risk, in general, were reduced by about 20% in people with type 2 diabetes who took these drugs. Published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, the study analyzed the impact of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on the risk of developing these diseases, when compared to other diabetes drugs. How do these diabetes drugs lower the risk of cognitive decline? Minyoung Lee MD PhD, of Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, and co-author of the paper explained to Medical News Today the premise of her and her colleagues’ study. “Common pathophysiological links between type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases have been proposed, and individuals with type 2 diabetes are considered at high risk for neurodegenerative conditions,” she told “Consequently, there has been research into whether diabetes medications might offer benefits for neurodegenerative diseases, but no drug has yet shown definitive evidence.” “When I began my research, SGLT2 inhibitors had been introduced as a new treatment for diabetes. These drugs not only lower blood sugar but also increase urinary glucose excretion, which leads to reduced insulin levels and elevated ketone bodies in the body. Since ketones are known to be beneficial metabolites for the nervous system, I hypothesized that the unique pharmacological action of SGLT2 inhibitors might make them particularly beneficial in reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases,” explained Lee. Steve Allder, MD, who is a consultant neurologist at Re:Cognition Health, and was not involved in this research, suggested to MNTthat “The mechanism behind the neuroprotective effects of SGLT2 inhibitors is likely multifaceted, involving cardiovascular, metabolic and cellular effects.” SGLT2 inhibitors linked to 21% lower dementia risk To investigate whether or not use of SGLT2 inhibitors impacted risk of neurodegenerative conditions, researchers analyzed data on a cohort of 358,862 participants with type 2 diabetes. Participants who had started taking SGLT2 inhibitors between 2014—2019 were matched with participants who were on other oral antidiabetes medications. All participants were over 40 years old. The analysis showed that over a follow-up period of an average of 2.06 years for people on SGLT2 inhibitors, and 3.70 years for people on different antidiabetes drugs, there was a reduction in the risk of developing all-cause dementia in the group who took SGLT2 inhibitors of 21%. In addition to this, a decrease of 20% incidence of Parkinson’s disease, as well as a 19% decrease in incidence of Alzheimer’s disease was observed in the group. Risk of vascular dementia was 31% lower. What was surprising about the study findings? Daniel Truong, MD, a neurologist, medical director of the Truong Neuroscience Institute at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Clinical Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, who was not involved in the research, told MNTthat: The study authors say that the results show there are potential benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes taking SGLT2 inhibitors, which is important as they are at increased risk of neurological disease. However, they point out the study is observational and requires further study to determine how long-term this reduced risk is. Lee told us: “l consider that the effect of SGLT2 inhibitors on neurodegenerative disease could be closer to the concept of attenuating the degenerative process and delaying the onset of dementia, rather than the concept of preventing dementia so that it never occurs.” “At the population level, reducing the population at risk of dementia and changing social condition could be translated into ‘prevention.’ However, the meaning of prevention from the perspective of a single individual may differ from the population view, as it may imply an expectation of no incidence in their lifetime,” she cautioned. Further work was needed to elucidate the mechanism behind the observed reduction in risk, said Lee. “l am engaged in research using a mouse model of dementia associated with metabolic disorders to explore how SGLT2 inhibitors positively affect neurodegenerative diseases,” she noted. “Previous studies have assessed the drug’s potential using a nationwide database from a broader perspective; however, my current work is dedicated to mechanistic studies that aim to elucidate these effects,” Lee told MNT. Source: Medical News Today