'As the increasing air pollution in Bengaluru threatens to disrupt the usual way of life, even foetuses are affected by air pollution. There is a rise in the number of cases where the cognitive development of the infants is impacted owing to rising air pollution, highlight experts. Dr H Paramesh, a paediatric pulmonologist and a professor with the Divecha Center for Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science, stated that automobile exhaust emissions increase the levels of atmospheric lead by around 86%, and that causes lead poisoning.
'Budget 2020 does not address the financial and resource shortages affecting nutrition interventions in India, an analysis of budget data shows. Public provisioning for nutrition is important given the persistently high levels of malnutrition in India. Important nutrition schemes have received marginal increases. Given this prolonged underfunding of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, these allocations may not reflect its actual requirements, data show.
'Coronavirus may have wrecked a havoc across the world prompting the scientific community to hard pressed finding an antidote to it, but Hindu Mahasabha sees it as an 'avatar' to punish non vegetarians. "Corona is not a virus, but avatar for the protection of poor creatures. they have come to give the message of death and punishment to the one who eats them," said Swami Chakrapani, the National President of All India Hindu Mahasabha...'
'...Palhe is one of 565 mostly-uneducated women from six blocks in five Chhattisgarh districts who find themselves alienated as beneficiaries under a scheme that seeks to benefit them the most. The Chhattisgarh government has paid scant attention to an ever-increasing pile of pending applications under PMMVY even as it declared December 2-8, 2019, as maternity week to increase the enrollment of first-time nursing mothers under the scheme.
'Soaps, toothpastes, room fresheners, incense sticks, eye drops and pain-relieving oils and other products made from cow urine and cow dung are now on sale at the ongoing Magh Mela in Prayagraj. These products have been manufactured at a gaushala in Bithoor in Kanpur and among the best sellers are medicines for indigestion, arthritis, cataract, diabetes and lung infection.
'India’s healthcare budget over the last few years appears to be in a cycle of “robbing from Peter to pay Paul.” Money has systematically been moved from core components like maternal and child health, and passed on to health insurance, for the government’s Ayushman Bharat scheme. The annual budget for 2020-2021 announced on Saturday shows the same trend. Despite many statements by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her speech today, that healthcare was an important element of the three pillars of this new budget, the Health Ministry’s allocation has barely budged.
'As the coronavirus scare runs across the world with one confirmed case in India, Hindu Mahasabha has proposed bizarre treatment for the dreaded virus infection. Swami Chakrapani Maharaj, president of Hindu Mahasabha, on Friday said cow urine and cow dung can be used for treating novel coronavirus disease. He also said that a special yagna will be performed to "kill the novel coronavirus and end its effects on the world"...'
'The Ministry of AYUSH, which is the combined counterpart of the health ministry and the drug controller for traditional medicinal systems, published a dubious advisory note via the Press Information Bureau at 10:30 am on January 29 describing various homeopathic and Ayurvedic techniques to protect oneself from an infection caused by the Wuhan coronavirus.
'Recently, government think-tank NITI Aayog came up with a proposal for running district hospitals in public-private partnership (PPP) mode. Under the proposal, new and existing private medical colleges will be linked with functional district hospitals. According to sources, the proposal is open to public comments till February 10, 2020. There are proposals with regard to user fees, differential rates for beds under regulated and market beds and change in terms of employment of health staff.
'The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deny or prove his alleged statement that top pharmaceutical companies bribed doctors with women escorts. The country’s largest doctors body demanded that the PM should apologise if he fails to do so. “Reports have appeared in the media regarding the purported statement by Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi that top pharmaceutical companies bribed doctors with women escorts. IMA takes strong exception to the statement if it has been really made by the Prime Minister,” a media release from IMA said...'
