Month: October 2021

Categories
COVID-19 Medical Updates

PM to launch ₹64k-cr health infra scheme from Varanasi today

health infra
PM to launch ₹64k-cr health infra scheme from Varanasi today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday will launch the Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PMASBY), worth ₹64,180 crores, to strengthen the health care infrastructure across the country.

According to a statement by the press information bureau, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the project from his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, during a visit to poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. Besides this, he will also inaugurate nine new medical colleges at Siddharth Nagar, the bureau added.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttar Pradesh on 25th October, 2021… at around 1.15 in Varanasi, the Prime Minister will launch PMASBY. It will be one of the largest pan-India schemes for strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the country. It will be in addition to the National Health Mission,” a note by the press information bureau said on Sunday.

“Modi will also inaugurate various development projects worth more than ₹5,200 crore for Varanasi,” it added.

The PMASBY scheme with an outlay of around ₹64,180 crore over six years (till financial year 2025-26) was announced by the Centre during the Budget session in February this year. This scheme will be in addition to the National Health Mission, the statement said.

The scheme focuses on developing capacities of health systems and institutions across the continuum of care at all levels — primary, secondary and tertiary — and on preparing health care systems for responding effectively to the current and future pandemics, and disasters, it added.

Under the scheme, government support will be provided to 17,788 rural health and wellness centres in 10 high-focus states. At least 11,024 urban health and wellness centres will be set up.

Besides these, critical care services will be available in districts having more than 500,000 population, through exclusive critical care hospital blocks, while the remaining districts will be covered through referral services.

“Under PMASBY, a National Institution for One Health, 4 New National Institutes for Virology, a Regional Research Platform for WHO South East Asia Region, 9 Biosafety Level III laboratories, 5 New Regional National Centre for Disease Control will be set up. PMASBY targets to build an IT enabled disease surveillance system by developing a network of surveillance laboratories at block, district, regional and national levels, in Metropolitan areas. Integrated Health Information Portal will be expanded to all States/UTs to connect all public health labs,” the statement said.

Experts believe it is time to strengthen the medical infrastructure at the ground level.

“In a country like India whatever efforts we make to improve the health care system, it will still be less because of the population; and inaccessibility and affordability is also an issue… This underutilised infrastructure in the pvt sector can be utilised either through Ayushman Bharat or any other schemes…,” said Dr. MC Misra, former director, AIIMS, Delhi.

source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/

Categories
Medical Updates Uncategorized

‘Israel seeks greater engagement with India on big data, tech, healthcare’

Israel
'Israel seeks greater engagement with India on big data, tech, healthcare'

Israel wants India to play a greater role in the emerging strategic landscape in the Middle East, with its own transformed relationship with the Arab world.

On the eve of foreign minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Israel, Alon Ushpiz, foreign secretary of Israel, sat down for an exclusive chat with TOI.“We want very much to look into, how can the new situation in the Middle East have an Indian angle to it? How can we incorporate India into the opportunities that are emerging? Normally this region is flooded with threats and challenges. But in the last year, I have seen the dramatically changed landscape in the Middle East because of the Abraham Accords. This is really a strategic earthquake.”

This is India’s first high-level engagement with the Naftali Bennett government in Jerusalem, therefore a visit that will be closely watched in Israel. India, particularly Modi, enjoyed an unprecedented relationship with former PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, and the signals from the visit will be a pointer to the future of one of the closest relationships in the world. Therefore the Jaishankar-Yair Lapid discussions would be significant.

Interestingly, Ushpij said, while no one in the Quad had contacted Israel, they would like to engage “with anyone” on the Quad focus areas of vaccines, emerging technology, climate change, and security. “We would be happy to engage in any dialogue in these areas. I would be very happy to deepen our cooperation with India on all these issues. But… none of the Quad has knocked on our door. ”

Ushpij said that the next frontier of the bilateral relationship lies in Big Data, technology, health care, and communication.

“We don’t have the luxury of missing out when it comes to technology—AI, quantum computing, big data, cyber—all things that can be part of our security collaboration and economic prosperity, but also provide security. And stability for our people.”

“We have to be very strict, keep our eyes on the ball when it comes to new areas of technology. There is no doubt in my mind that technology can easily decide the economic fortunes of nations,” Ushpij said.

Iran will remain a challenging destination for both countries. Ushpiz said that Iran is “very determined to have a nuclear capability, which I think they have not given up, which I believe they want to take forward as quickly as possible, which we believe they will make every promise.” in violation of what they have done and every paper that they have signed.

Unfortunately, in their mind, in the mind of the Iranians, they do not see a strong and strong reaction from the international community. ”

India, on the other hand, is doubling down on Iran, especially in the context of the latest security challenges emerging from Afghanistan.

source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

 

 

Categories
COVID-19 Medical Equipments Medical Updates

Days Away From 1 Billion Vaccine Milestone, India Plans Big Celebration

vaccine
Days Away From 1 Billion Vaccine Milestone, India Plans Big Celebration

The Health Ministry is preparing to celebrate administering 100 crore, or a billion vaccine doses with a variety of events across the country, sources.

The Health Ministry expects that India should be able to reach the milestone next week by Monday or Tuesday, the sources said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may also address the nation to thank healthcare workers for their immense contribution to India’s vaccine drive.

The Union Health Ministry is planning to celebrate the day with events across India, sources told News18, adding that it plans to involve Covid-19 warriors and ground-level healthcare staff, who are key to the vaccination drive.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has also sought ideas from the Ministry’s officials on how to honor Covid-19 warriors during the celebrations of 100 crore doses, including those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Special recognition will also likely be announced to motivate the healthcare workers and professionals, and ASHA and Anganwadi workers who have been working tirelessly in the fight against Covid.

The BJP also plans to hold various activities across the country which may include a thank-you drive for doctors and professionals.

On October 10, Mandaviya had hailed India’s vaccine drive after the country crossed the 95 crore-landmark on Sunday, adding that the country is “marching rapidly towards administering 100 crore vaccine doses”.

According to the Cowin dashboard, 96,74,52,484 vaccine doses have been administered as of yet in the country. Thirty-two lakh vaccine doses have been administered on Wednesday till 7 PM.

Meanwhile, more than 97.79 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday. Over 8.43 crore balance and unutilized vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered, it said.

The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to states and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain, the ministry said.

More than 97.79 crore vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through Govt of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category, the ministry said.

The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2.

The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1.

The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1. Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry said that more than 95.96 crore Covid vaccine doses have been provided to states and Union Territories so far.

source: https://www.news18.com/

Categories
COVID-19 Medical Updates

Covid vaccine: Over 92 cr doses administered in India so far, says Health Ministry

vaccine
Over 92 Crore Vaccine Doses Administered in India So Far, Says Health Ministry

The cumulative coronavirus vaccine doses administered in India crossed 92 crores on Tuesday, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

More than 54 lakh vaccine doses have been administered in the country till 7 pm today and the tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports by late in the night, the ministry said.

The Covid-19 vaccination campaign as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from the deadly virus continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, the ministry underlined.

The nationwide vaccination program was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of frontline workers started on February 2.

The next phase of Covid-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1.

The Centre then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1.

Meanwhile, India logged 18,346 new Covid-19 infections, the lowest in 209 days, taking the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 3,38,53,048, while the active cases declined to 2,52,902, the lowest in 201 days, according to the government data.

The death toll climbed to 4,49,260 with 263 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.

The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has remained below 30,000 for 11 straight days.

The active Covid-19 cases comprise 0.75 percent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.93 percent, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said.

A decrease of 11,556 cases has been recorded in the active coronavirus caseload in a span of 24 hours.

source: https://www.livemint.com/

Categories
Medical Updates Medicine & Health

‘Third Wave of Corona Likely to Hit India in October-December’

third wave
‘Third Wave of Corona Likely to Hit India in October-December’

The third wave of Corona is likely to hit the country in October-December, predicted Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Chairman, and Managing Director, Kailash Group of Hospitals yesterday and claimed that it would be less dangerous. Sharma made the remarks while speaking at Healthgiri Awards.

He also admitted that India was not prepared for the deadly second wave which devastated the country. “It is a fact that we were not prepared for the second wave. Our healthcare workers and doctors were not mentally prepared; else there wouldn’t have been a shortage of oxygen or Remdesivir”,  Sharma as saying.

Besides,  Professor Gyaneshwer Chaubey, a senior geneticist of the zoology department in the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), had also stated that the third wave of coronavirus would be less severe and deadly, especially for the vaccinated group of people, those who have been cured of the virus and the children. He said that people who have been vaccinated and cured of Covid-19 would fall under the protected group during the third wave.

Echoing similar remarks virologist Dr. Gagandeep Kang had claimed that if there are no new variants, the chances of the third wave of corona as strong as the second are extremely unlikely and that really is because the bulk of the population is either being infected or vaccinated.

Meanwhile, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Randeep Guleria, ahead of festivals, has warned of the possible rise in daily corona cases and asked people to remain alert and vigilant.

“During the festive season, we have to remain alert and vigilant. If we remain careful for the next 6-8 weeks, then we will be able to see a decline in the overall number of COVID-19 cases”, news agency ANI quoted the AIIMS chief as saying.

source: https://www.india.com/