July 28,2024 New Delhi, The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a woman’s petition seeking recovery of Rs 30 lakh she claimed to have given to a man to secure her daughter’s admission to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), saying seats in the MBBS course at one of the premier institutes of medicine were not for sale. Refusing to grant any relief to the woman, Justice Jasmeet Singh observed that the woman herself “perpetuated an illegality” and law did not recognise contracts having an object that is unlawful, immoral and against public policy. “It is a known fact that the AIIMS is one of the most premier institutes of medicine in India. Children spend hours and hours preparing for the entrance in AIIMS. The seats in MBBS course at AIIMS are not for sale. Appellant may be gullible but court can’t come to the assistance of a person who has perpetuated an illegality,” said the court. The woman had moved the high court in appeal against a lower court order rejecting her lawsuit for recovering Rs 30 lakh from the man who allegedly lured her into giving the money to secure a seat for her daughter claiming to have “contacts” with the health minister and officials at the institute. The court observed that students desirous of seeking admission in AIIMS studied 18 hours a day and the appellant tried to “jump the queue” by cheating. “If by paying Rs 40 lakh you are able to get a seat, what is going to happen to our country?.. The facts of the case paint an abysmal picture,” the court said and held that there was no illegality in the lower court order. Source: Healthworld

Nov 30,2024 New Delhi, The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a woman’s petition seeking recovery of Rs 30 lakh she claimed to have given to a man to secure her daughter’s admission to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), saying seats in the MBBS course at one of the premier institutes of medicine were not for sale. Refusing to grant any relief to the woman, Justice Jasmeet Singh observed that the woman herself “perpetuated an illegality” and law did not recognise contracts having an object that is unlawful, immoral and against public policy. “It is a known fact that the AIIMS is one of the most premier institutes of medicine in India. Children spend hours and hours preparing for the entrance in AIIMS. The seats in MBBS course at AIIMS are not for sale. Appellant may be gullible but court can’t come to the assistance of a person who has perpetuated an illegality,” said the court. The woman had moved the high court in appeal against a lower court order rejecting her lawsuit for recovering Rs 30 lakh from the man who allegedly lured her into giving the money to secure a seat for her daughter claiming to have “contacts” with the health minister and officials at the institute. The court observed that students desirous of seeking admission in AIIMS studied 18 hours a day and the appellant tried to “jump the queue” by cheating. “If by paying Rs 40 lakh you are able to get a seat, what is going to happen to our country?.. The facts of the case paint an abysmal picture,” the court said and held that there was no illegality in the lower court order. Source: Healthworld

July 30,2024 New Delhi: Drug manufacturers are likely to face increasing scrutiny of their branding practices, as the government plans to crack down on lookalike and soundalike brand names of medicines that it believes cause confusion and pose serious risk to patient safety. According to people in the know, the government is likely to consider as valid only the brand names which were approved first by the regulator. Other same or similar sounding and lookalike brands will not be allowed to be marketed. Drug makers will soon be asked to upload formulation details along with the brand names of their products on the government’s portal. This issue was recently discussed in the health ministry. “It has been brought to the notice that a large number of drugs are being sold in India with identical brand names treating entirely different conditions,” a person in the know told ET. “The consequences of confusion between these medications at the pharmacy can be serious for patients.” To address the issue of identical brand names in the market, the government has proposed that the database of all the products with brand names in the Sugam portal be made accessible to the public. India has been grappling with the issue of manufacturing and marketing of different drugs with the same brand name for long, another person in the know told ET. One such example include ‘Olvance’ a brand name for the antihypertensive drug olmesartan, and ‘Oleanz’, a brand of the antipsychotic drug olanzapine. Another is IMOX (amoxicillin tablets for humans) and INIMOX (a combination of amoxicillin and cloxacillin10 as an injection for veterinary use). In January, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, India’s apex drug advisory body , deliberated on the issue of same brand name (including lookalike and soundalike ones) for different category of products and it suggested that to ensure patient safety, manufacturing and marketing of different drugs with the same brand name should not be allowed. After that, the director general of health services (DGHS) has written to the Controller General of Patents , Designs and Trade Marks, seeking increased surveillance and monitoring of trademarks associated with pharmaceutical products to identify instances of similarity or confusion. “It has come to our attention that various drugs, including those with soundalike and lookalike names, are being produced and distributed under identical or similar trademarks. The situation not only creates confusion among healthcare professionals and patients but also increases the likelihood of medication errors, adverse drug reactions and other serious health consequences,” the DGHS letter said. The letter sent in May was to ensure the integrity of pharmaceutical trademarks and protect public health by stricter implementation of trademark regulation, another person said. The DGHS has asked the trademarks office to prioritise the issue and take immediate steps to strengthen trademark regulations for medicines. The drugs consultative committee will deliberate and give its recommendations in the matter this month, a person in the know said. Source: Healthworld

July 23,2024 NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over a likely “cartelization” among diagnostic centres and pathological laboratories in Delhi, health minister Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday told Lok Sabha that patients are subjected to unnecessary tests by the doctors who are guided by the “lucre of commissions” offered by diagnostic centres. He also said the government is considering to bring some type of oversight for pathological laboratories and diagnostic centres to end the corrupt practices including possible nexus between doctors and the laboratories, and cartelization among diagnostic centres. Vardhan was laying a statement in the House on a sting operation by a private TV channel, which exposed some doctors collecting 30-50% commissions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), CT Scans, ultra sound, routine pathological tests. “A kind of cartelization has resulted in so far as this aspect of the medical economy of Delhi is concerned. All the private laboratories and diagnostic centres charge roughly the same amounts for pathological tests and clinical examinations. Patients have no option but to pay up the exorbitant fees…This exacerbates their physical and mental agony,” he said. On the likely doctor and diagnostic centre nexus, the minister said that the “racket” is leading to unjustified profit margins. “This is apparent from the rate of commissions paid. In quite a few parts of the sting operation, the staff of the diagnostic centres reveal that they pay referring doctors as much as 50% commission on expensive tests like MRI. This indicates that even after paying the huge rate of commission these clinics report good profits,” Vardhan said. Stating that accepting commissions is a violation of code of ethics, the minister said he has written to the president of Medical Council of India (MCI) to call an emergency meeting of its ethics committee and post the minutes of the meeting on its website. The minister also said “nefarious” practices are thriving in the medical sector and patients need to be protected from them. “The laissez faire spirit that dominates this business in India works to the disadvantage of the consumer and needs correction,” he said. Underlining the need to codify laws relating to clinical/ diagnostic examinations, Vardhan said his ministry is drawing up a panel of reputed medical practitioners and consumer law experts to suggest measures for introducing greater transparency and accountability in medical practices. Earlier in the day, the minister assured Rajya Sabha members that the government would soon address the issue of rising cost of healthcare. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Congress MP Shantaram Naik said hospitals should not be allowed to trade in medical devices and charge high prices for these from patients. “Patients were being forced to pay double or even triple the price for medical devices at hospitals. As most of these are not available in the open market, patients can’t check prices and are held hostage by hospitals, which force them to buy at the price they quote,” Naik said. He added the government should make it mandatory for hospitals to declare the maximum retail price on each device could help cap the price. Source: TOI

August 06,2024 New Delhi: The national full immunisation coverage for 2023-24 was 93.50 per cent, with Lakshadweep and Jammu and Kashmir topping the list, according to the Source Health Management Information System. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Union Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav said Lakshadweep (108.79 per cent) and Jammu and Kashmir (108.66 per cent) were followed by Telangana (106.13 per cent), Delhi (105.03 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (101.26 per cent), Mizoram (101.10 per cent) and Maharashtra (101.04 per cent). Immunisation coverage was above 95 per cent in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, Karnataka, Jharkhand Gujarat, Chandigarh and Chhattisgarh during this period. The coverage was the lowest in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu at 48.03 per cent. According to health ministry sources, some states and Union territories had figures higher than 100 per cent because of increased coverage by catch-up campaigns such as Intensified Mission Indradhanush and immunisation of migrant populations. Under the universal immunisation programme, all eligible children up to the age of two are administered vaccination doses, according to the immunisation schedule. Jadhav said in his reply that Mission Indradhanush and Intensified Mission Indradhanush were special catch-up campaigns conducted at regular intervals to ensure vaccination of left-out and dropped-out children and pregnant women in areas of low immunisation coverage. The government encourages states and Union territories to have model immunisation centres. Immunisation camps are also conducted in the states, based on requirements. Model immunisation centres are already operational in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and in the Union territories of Chandigarh and Ladakh, Jadhav stated. Source: Healthworld

August 07,2024 Paris: Two health experts on Tuesday called for Olympic organisers to cut ties with Coca-Cola, saying the current big money sponsorship deal allows the US company to “sportswash” unhealthy sugary drinks. Events at the Paris Games have been lined with advertising for the ubiquitous fizzy drinks of Coca-Cola, which has been sponsoring the Olympics since 1928. But these sugary drinks “offer little or no nutritional value” and promoting such unhealthy products has no place in sport, according to Trish Cotter and Sandra Mullin of global health group Vital Strategies. Sugary drinks are a “key driver” of a range of serious health problems affecting people across the world, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, the pair wrote in a commentary in the journal BMJ Global Health. Coca-Cola’s products also contribute to global plastic pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and use up a huge amount of water, they added. “By continuing its association with Coca-Cola, the Olympic movement risks being complicit in intensifying a global epidemic of poor nutrition, environmental degradation and climate change,” the authors wrote. “It’s time for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to cut ties with Coca-Cola in the interest of athletes, spectators and the planet.” Coca-Cola did not respond to a request for comment. In 2020, the US food and drink giant signed a joint deal worth a reported $3 billion to extend its sponsorship of the Olympics. The partnership will last until at least 2032. Cotter and Mullin noted that last year Coca-Cola had more sports sponsorships than any other brand, including sportswear companies such as Nike. “This strategy culminates in a gold medal opportunity to ‘sportswash’ an unhealthy product,” they wrote. The World Health Organization has called for countries to tax sugar-sweetened beverages. A petition launched ahead of the Games called “Kick Big Soda Out of Sport” has more than 109,000 signatures, and been backed by a range of public health organisations including the World Obesity Federation. Source: Healthworld

August 06,2024 New Delhi: The Supreme Court’s two-judge bench, consisting of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Sandeep Mehta, came down heavily on the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for issuing a limited apology in newspapers, while hearing misleading advertisement case involving Patanjali on Tuesday. The counsel for IMA, PS Pathwalia, informed the bench that the interview in question was given to the Press Trust of India (PTI). On this, Justice Kohli questioned Pathwalia regarding the scope of the apology. “Besides the ones you are referring to, which other publications was it [the interview] shared with? You have to send [the apology] to all of them. You cannot just wash your hands off. No assumptions here in your favor just because you say so. Your public apology has to be… You are inviting trouble on yourself and we are not taking your apology,” she stated. The court insisted that the apology should be issued personally by Ashokan, a member involved in the case, and not funded by the IMA. “Apology needs to be tendered by you (Asokan) and from your own pocket, not IMA,” observed the bench during the proceedings. The Supreme Court also noted Pathwalia’s request to defer the contempt orders against Ashokan, allowing time for him to take appropriate steps to address the contempt charge. The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for September 2024. Source: Healthworld

August 11,2024 Kolkata: A staggering number of Indians face financial hardship due to disability, with lakhs suffering temporary or permanent limitations each year and recognising this critical gap in financial security, insurance companies are stepping forward with innovative solutions, officials said on Sunday. A 2018 report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) revealed that India, despite having only 1 per cent of the world’s vehicles, accounts for 6 per cent of all road crashes. According to experts, close to 5 to 7 lakh people in the country suffer from temporary or permanent disability each year due to the high rates of accidents and crippling diseases and lose their ability to work and earn a livelihood. “The onset of disability often brings substantial healthcare expenses, making comprehensive insurance coverage crucial to prevent social and financial decline,” Future Generali India Insurance, Chief Distribution Officer, Ramit Goyal said. A study titled ‘Measuring the financial impact of disabilities in India’ available on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website, suggests around one-fifth (20.32 per cent) of the household’s monthly consumption expenditure was spent on out-of-pocket expenses for disability. More than half (57.1 per cent) of the households were pushed to catastrophic health expenditure due to one of the members being disabled. Almost one-fifth (19.1 per cent) of the households that were above the poverty line before one of the members was treated for disability were pushed below the poverty line. According to R Garg, Head-Term Insurance, Policybazaar.com, in a country like India where there is no social security coverage like those in developed nations and where 2.2 per cent of the population is disabled, having disability income protection becomes prudent. FGII’s said recently launched group health insurance product covers both temporary and permanent disabilities arising from physical or mental illnesses, accidents, and unforeseen events that result in income loss. The plan provides a safety net by replacing up to 75 per cent of pre-disability income per month, along with potential coverage for loan EMIs and credit card minimum payments. Bajaj Allianz another leading insurer said it has seen a steady increase in personal accident insurance uptake, which includes disability income protection. Bhaskar Nerurkar, Head of the Health Administration Team at Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, noted that rising living costs and greater awareness of financial security through insurance are driving this trend. He added that as accident rates climb, more individuals and companies are seeking disability and income loss coverage, leading to higher penetration rates. Continued support and favourable regulations from IRDAI can further boost this growth, Nerurkar emphasised. P Nanda Gopal, Founder and CEO of Upsure, emphasizes the critical need for DIP plans among vulnerable groups like daily wage earners and gig workers. “These individuals face a devastating financial situation when disability strikes,” said Gopal. Source: Healthworld

August 10,2024 Mumbai: Nearly a third of the health insurance claims recorded by insurers are due to seasonal infectious diseases. These include vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria, which give rise to high claims in July and August, or water-borne infections such as gastroenteritis. In winter, it is usually bronchitis or influensa. As many of these claims are related to hygiene conditions in the locality they are avoidable to a large extent. However, they impact all segments of society as evident from claims data. According to a study of reported health insurance claims by Policybazaar, vector borne diseases like Dengue and Malaria account for 15 per cent of total seasonal illnesses claims. The cost for treating these mosquito-borne diseases typically ranges from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,50,000. These claims surge in July and August when humid conditions create ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Another illness that peaks during the monsoon is gastroenteritis or stomach flu which has the same treatment expenses as Malaria. This ailment accounts for 18 per cent of seasonal claims. Another 10 per cent of seasonal illness claims are due to allergic reactions where the periodicity varies according to region. Winter sees claims due to influensa and bronchitis peaking to 20 per cent and 12 per cent of seasonal illnesses. However, the cost of treatment is lower ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh. “If you look at developed countries, the share of seasonal illnesses is much lower compared to developing countries. In case of India, even in developed parts of the country like Gurgaon there are problems of water accumulation and mosquito breeding which leads to an increase in these claims,” said Siddharth Singhal, head of health insurance, Policybazaar. “These seasonal illnesses add to the frequency of claims. However, the average claim amount is much lower than chronic illnesses, and in terms of value, the share of claims would be below 20 per cent ,” said Singhal. According to Singhal, the cases of hospitalisation for illnesses that would have earlier been treated at home have gone up. “This is a positive development as it is always good to have professional support. ,” he said. Source: Healthworld