Tag: medical updates

Categories
Medical Updates Medicine & Health

Gambia deaths: ‘WHO yet to give relevant papers’

Gambia deaths: 'WHO yet to give relevant papers'
Synopsis

India’s drug regulator has written thrice to the WHO to provide documents but there has been no response, they said. Last month, the WHO had issued a warning on cough syrups after which Indian health authorities halted all production of the company.

The Indian government has not been able to make headway into the mysterious deaths of children in Gambia as the World Health Organization (WHO) has failed to provide it “relevant documents” needed to investigate and find causality between the deaths and cough syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals, people in the know told ET.

India’s drug regulator has written thrice to the WHO to provide documents but there has been no response, they said. Last month, the WHO had issued a warning on cough syrups after which Indian health authorities halted all production of the company.

Gambia deaths: 'WHO yet to give relevant papers'

“We have so far not got anything from the WHO to take a step forward into the investigation,” said a person in the know.

A detailed email sent by ET to WHO on November 3 regarding the issue did not elicit any response.

Earlier last month, Indian government formed a committee under noted pharmacologist YK Gupta to investigate the mysterious child deaths that were thought to be linked to cough syrups made by Sonipat-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals.

The committee met three times but has not been able to make any headway.

Gambia’s national drug regulatory body, which has also been investigating, has so far not found any link between cough syrups from India and deaths of at least 70 children, and said some children died without consuming the suspected drugs, a local newspaper had reported early this month. However, the real cause of the acute kidney injury cases linked to the child deaths is still “unknown”, Medicines Control Agency ,The Gambia, told The Point newspaper.

Read more at-https://bit.ly/3WWalij

Categories
Medical Equipments Medical Updates Medicine & Health

‘Measles deaths’: Health ministry sends team to Mumbai

‘Measles deaths’: Health ministry sends team to Mumbai

“The team will also undertake field visits to investigate the outbreak and assist the state health department in terms of public health measures, management guidelines, and protocols to manage the increasing cases of measles being reported in Mumbai,” said the ministry in a statement.

AFTER REPORTS of increase in suspected measles cases and three deaths in children, the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday rushed a multi-disciplinary team to Mumbai. It is yet to be determined whether the deaths could have been due to measles that can sometimes lead to complications such as encephalitis (swelling in the brain), blindness, and pneumonia.

“We don’t even know whether the deaths are because of measles; the state government has also not categorised these deaths as measles. The team of experts from different fields will determine whether these were in fact measles cases. The team will also see the vaccination status of the children who have died; measles deaths should not occur because our vaccination coverage is nearly 100%,” said an official from the Health Ministry. The team is likely to submit a preliminary report by Thursday evening.

‘Measles deaths’: Health ministry sends team to Mumbai

AFTER REPORTS of increase in suspected measles cases and three deaths in children, the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday rushed a multi-disciplinary team to Mumbai. It is yet to be determined whether the deaths could have been due to measles that can sometimes lead to complications such as encephalitis (swelling in the brain), blindness, and pneumonia.

“We don’t even know whether the deaths are because of measles; the state government has also not categorised these deaths as measles. The team of experts from different fields will determine whether these were in fact measles cases. The team will also see the vaccination status of the children who have died; measles deaths should not occur because our vaccination coverage is nearly 100%,” said an official from the Health Ministry. The team is likely to submit a preliminary report by Thursday evening.

The three-member team is headed by Dr Anubhav Srivastava, Deputy Director, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), NCDC.

India has seen an increase in the number of measles cases – 11,156 cases of measles have been reported in 2022 till September, according to data from the World Health Organization. To compare, there were 6,078 recorded in 2021, 5,598 cases in 2020, and 10,708 cases in 2019.

Measles is a highly contagious infection with vaccination considered to be one of the most effective intervention for reducing cases and deaths. With a goal of eliminating measles and rubella (another similar viral infection), India launched a one-time immunisation campaign for all children between the ages of 9 months to 15 years in a phased manner 2017 onwards, with almost all states including Maharashtra having completed the vaccination.

Read more at-https://bit.ly/3tiRYGM

Categories
Medical Equipments Medical Updates Medicine & Health

Cholesterol medicines lessen risk of degenerative eye disease of ageing

Cholesterol medicines lessen risk of degenerative eye disease of ageing

In high-income nations, AMD is the main contributor to serious vision impairment in elderly adults. The ailment presently affects 67 million individuals in Europe alone, and as the continent’s population ages, it is expected that the number of new cases would skyrocket.

According to a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, which was published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, regular use of medications to lower cholesterol and manage type 2 diabetes may reduce the risk of AMD, a degenerative eye condition associated with ageing.

According to the findings, these common medications are associated with a lower prevalence of AMD (age-related macular degeneration) in European populations.

Cholesterol medicines lessen risk of degenerative eye disease of ageing

In high-income nations, AMD is the main contributor to serious vision impairment in elderly adults. The ailment presently affects 67 million individuals in Europe alone, and as the continent’s population ages, it is expected that the number of new cases would skyrocket.

AMD impairs both central vision and fine detail perception. AMD is assumed to be caused by a number of genetic and environmental ageing-related factors, but the best ways to prevent it or halt its growth are yet unknown.

Prior studies have suggested that medications to lower cholesterol, manage diabetes, and reduce inflammation may assist to minimise the chance of getting AMD, but these results were inconsistent and based on small participant numbers.

The researchers aggregated the findings from 14 population-based and hospital-based studies, encompassing 38,694 participants from France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Russia, and the UK, in an effort to circumvent these problems.

The studies are a part of the European Eye Epidemiology (E3) project, a pan-European collaborative network whose main goal is to create and analyse sizable pooled datasets to further our understanding of eye illness and vision loss.

All of the participants were over 50 and receiving at least one of the medications listed below: Levodopa used to treat movement difficulties brought on by neurodegenerative diseases; statins to lower cholesterol; insulin to regulate diabetes; steroids to reduce inflammation.

In the studies that were considered, the prevalence of AMD ranged from 12.5 per cent to 64.5 per cent, totalling 9,332 instances, whereas the prevalence of advanced (late) AMD ranged from 0.5 per cent to 35.5 per cent, totalling 951.

After taking into account any potential influencing factors, the pooled data analysis revealed that medications to lower cholesterol or control diabetes were related to, respectively, 15 per cent and 22 per cent lower prevalence of any type of AMD.

Despite the fact that there were only a very small number of such cases, the researchers highlight that no such connections were discovered for any of the other drug classes or for severe AMD in particular.

Theirs are the first large pooled data analysis of its kind to use individual-level data from various population-based and hospital-based studies, highlight the researchers.

“Yet, further longitudinal data are needed to confirm our findings, which are inherently limited by using cross-sectional data only and cannot infer causality,” they cautioned.

But the findings point to a likely key role for metabolic processes in the development of AMD, which may offer potential new avenues for treatment and have implications for public health messaging, they suggest.

“Our study suggests that regular intake of [lipid lowering] and antidiabetic drugs is associated with reduced prevalence of AMD in the general population. Given a potential interference of these drugs with pathophysiological pathways relevant in AMD, this may contribute to a better understanding of AMD aetiology,” they concluded.

Read more at-https://bit.ly/3Ukeafi

Categories
Government Guidelines Medical Updates Medicine & Health

Health Ministry working on guidelines to scrap bond policy for doctors

Health Ministry working on guidelines to scrap bond policy for doctors
The Union Health Ministry is working to finalise guidelines to do away with the bond policy for doctors based on the National Medical Commission’s recommendations in this regard, official sources said.

In pursuance of the Supreme Court’s directions, the Health Ministry constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Dr. B. D. Athani, Principal Consultant, Directorate General of Health Services, in 2019 to examine the matter. The committee submitted its report in May 2020 and it was forwarded to the National Medical Commission (NMC) for comments.

The NMC furnished its comments in February 2021. It said the report does not clearly address the origin of the policies on compulsory imposition of bond conditions by the various State governments for students.

Health Ministry working on guidelines to scrap bond policy for doctors

The NMC, in its comments, stated that since the promulgation of the bond policy by the various States, much has changed in medical education in the country and therefore, it may be worth reviewing the merits/effectiveness of this policy by the various States.

“The NMC submitted its detailed observations. In view of its observations and notwithstanding the observations of the SC upholding the legalities related to the bond policies of the state governments, the commission was of the considered view that medical students should not be burdened with any bond conditions and doing so may run contrary to the principles of natural justice,” the source said.

Further, the matter was thoroughly examined by the Ministry and it was proposed that there is a need to re-examine the entire bond policy de-novo along with the views of all States, Union Territories and other stakeholders.

Since then, meetings have been held to deliberate on operationalisation of the uniform bond policy, including finalisation of quantum of bond, manner of enforcement and timely availability of posts in States after completion of internship etc., the source said.

There is no provision of a bond under the NMC Act, 2019 or the erstwhile Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and regulations made thereunder. The condition of bond is imposed by the State to increase access to improved healthcare services, especially in rural areas by filling the vacant position in community health centres (CHCs) and primary health centres (PHCs).

The amount of bond is decided by the State in lieu of subsidised education being provided in the government medical colleges.

The amount of bond varies from state to state and ranges widely between ₹5 lakh (Goa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu) and ₹1 crore (Uttarakhand) for MBBS and up to ₹2-2.5 crore (Kerala, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra) for PG and super-speciality.

The duration of compulsory service also varies between 1 year and 5 years.

“In a meeting, it was observed that there is a consensus that there should be mandatory rural service to enhance availability of doctors in rural and remote areas with flexibility. Also, the bond could be non-financial and implemented through an administrative mechanism,” the source said.

“The Health Ministry is working to finalise guidelines for doing away with the bond policy based on the recommendations by NMC,” the source added.

Read more at-https://bit.ly/3NVlR9D

Categories
COVID-19 Medical Equipments Medical Updates Medicine & Health

Blood oxygen monitors don’t work as well on people with darker skin: FDA

Blood oxygen monitors don't work as well on people with darker skin: FDA
Synopsis

As smartwatches now claim to read blood oxygen levels, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised fresh concerns over pulse oximeters that monitor blood oxygen levels in the hospital and at home.

As smartwatches now claim to read blood oxygen levels, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised fresh concerns over pulse oximeters that monitor blood oxygen levels in the hospital and at home.

According to an FDA advisory panel, blood oxygen monitors need to be more carefully regulated as they don’t work as well on people with darker skin tones.

In 2021 during the pandemic, the FDA had issued an alert saying that these devices have “limitations”.

Blood oxygen monitors don't work as well on people with darker skin: FDA

“As part of its premarket evaluation of pulse oximeters, FDA has long required premarket data assessing pulse oximeter performance in subjects with different skin pigmentation. However, a December 2020 published report suggests that pulse oximeters may be less accurate in patients with darker skin pigmentation,” said the FDA panel in its report.

The panel reviewed multiple research studies that show oximeters don’t work as well on darker skin.

It delayed Covid treatments in Black patients because the devices didn’t show dropping oxygen levels, according to one study.

The over-the-counter pulse oximeters or “wellness” devices aren’t reviewed by the FDA.

An assessment of the US pulse oximeter market demonstrates the use of these devices increased during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since the December 2020 study, additional real-world studies have been published suggesting increased risk for missed diagnosis of “occult hypoxemia”, delays in treatment eligibility decisions and worse patient outcomes among subjects with darker skin pigmentation.

“Occult hypoxemia” is defined as Sao2 less than 88 per cent despite a Spo2 of greater than 92 per cent, based on previously published parameters.

Pulse oximeters are widely used by many types of healthcare providers and consumers to obtain an indirect measure (SpO2) of arterial blood oxygen saturation (SaO2).

“We need to take appropriate steps to remove the growing uncertainty around these devices and ensure the health and safety of the public,” anesthesiologist Jesse Ehrenfeld told the panel, reports The Verge.

Read more at-https://bit.ly/3NBPWKY

Categories
Government Guidelines Medical Updates Medicine & Health

Responsive Policymaking For Achieving India’s Tobacco Control Goals

About 200 million people use smokeless tobacco, 72 million use beedis and 28 million use cigarettes in India. However, the focus of tobacco control and taxation has been on cigarette smokers only. This blinkered approach ignores the plight of the socio-economically disadvantaged people who use beedis or smokeless tobacco.

We need to start conversations with our patients about tobacco use – more so about smokeless tobacco. But the usual Power Talks tend to demonize Nicotine as a root cause of all ills, treat tobacco as a taboo and cast uncalled-for assumptions about smokers.

The first step would be to accept that nicotine and tobacco are not interchangeable: Nicotine by itself is not carcinogenic. Delinking the two can radically alter the way we go about reducing the suffering and deaths from tobacco. We need to educate ourselves all over again about nicotine.

Responsive Policymaking For Achieving India’s Tobacco Control Goals

 

Consider the stats and facts critical to tobacco control –

A single “cessation-only” strategy to get all people to quit will not produce spectacular results.

The quit rate in India is about 0.5% annually. (a 99.5% failure rate).

It takes smokers over 30 attempts to finally quit – and the large majority never manage to do so; because the likelihood of quitting diminishes with each attempt, as per a study by Chaiton et al in 2016.

Over 70% of smokers want to quit, but only 7% manage to do so, as per the US CDC in 2017.

The Government’s plan to add Nicotine Replacement Therapy products (NRT) — chewing gums, patches, tablets, oral strips and lozenges — to the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) is a very welcome step in helping people to quit tobacco, more so as the prevalent problem here is smokeless tobacco. The objective could be better served if products like nicotine pouches and inhalers are also considered for inclusion in the NLEM.

We need to understand that an awareness initiative that portrays the truth about nicotine, without hedging, obfuscation or prevarication will give hope to those of us in tobacco harm reduction.

Also, there is a need for a review of the prohibition on e-cigarettes. Cigarette sales have sharply plummeted in countries that allow e-cigarettes or vaping, proving that they are true substitutes. Significantly, the US FDA has approved e-cigarette and vaping devices. A statement by 15 past presidents of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) – a globally respected organisation dedicated to evidence-based research on tobacco and nicotine use, has called for considering the use of e-cigarettes and vaping as a means to double the quit rate.

The real question one needs to ask is – which one is safer, vaping or cigarettes? While the UK bodies have stated that vaping is 95% safer than cigarettes, other public health bodies have chosen not to answer this question at all.

It boggles the mind that a less harmful method (e-cigarettes) has been banned while cigarettes and beedis continue to be freely available in India. The argument around the “gateway theory” that vaping leads to increased smoking has been comprehensively debunked. Moreover, the UK bodies hold that vaping is not smoking.

During a recent interaction with diverse stakeholders, I was not surprised to see the government policy of bans – like the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Bill, 2019 – receiving a big thumbs-down from tobacco harm reduction leaders and medical practitioners.

Key Takeaways from the discussion –

Ban on the sale and manufacture of e-cigarettes has failed abysmally

We lost a public health opportunity to regulate these devices, hold manufacturers to safety standards and enforcement of age checks

Vaping has been driven underground, where it is freely available to people of all ages with little safety or standards

The reasons for the ban – EVALI, teen vaping, higher health risks – have been debunked.

We need to include tobacco users in policymaking

We need to re-focus our national tobacco control programme on the real problem – smokeless tobacco

India’s harm-reduction campaign can greatly benefit from recent breakthroughs in the UK, Japan, and New Zealand. They have embraced the use of reduced-risk products for combating the harms of tobacco. The same goes for Sweden with its sinuous and nicotine pouches.

Australia’s controversial step of making e-cigarettes available only on a doctor’s prescription is not optimal as social smokers do not always identify as smokers and hence, they are less likely to seek medical help. Also, policies that restrict reduced-risk products have the unintended effect of increasing tobacco use.

In making laws that affect tobacco users, we need to respect their agency and autonomy as well as consider their views. “Nothing about me without me” – a phrase uttered by Valerie Billingham in 1998 captures everything one needs to say about inclusion and shared decision-making.

Read more at-https://bit.ly/3T59PuY

 

Categories
COVID-19 Government Guidelines Medical Updates Medicine & Health

India adds 1,604 Covid-19 cases, active caseloads fall by 485

India adds 1,604 Covid-19 cases, active caseloads fall by 485
Synopsis
According to the health ministry, the active cases comprise 0.04 percent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.77 percent. Active Covid-19 caseloads fell by 485 in a span of 24 hours.

India’s coronavirus caseloads rose by 1,604 in the last 24 hours to take the total tally to 4,46,52,266, while the active cases fell to 18,317, the Union Health Ministry said.

With eight more fatalities, the death toll has climbed to 5,29,016, the data updated by the government at 8 am said.

The new fatalities include three deaths reconciled by Kerala.

India adds 1,604 Covid-19 cases, active caseloads fall by 485

According to the health ministry, the active cases comprise 0.04 percent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.77 percent.

Active Covid-19 caseloads fell by 485 in a span of 24 hours.

Daily positivity rate stood at 1.02 percent, and the weekly positivity rate was at 1.08 per cent.

Case fatalitity rate was at 1.18 percent, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease rose to 4,41,04,933.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year. It crossed the four-crore mark on January 25 this year.

According to ministry data, 219.63 crore doses of vaccines have been administered in the country so far under the Covid-19 vaccination drive.
Read more at-https://bit.ly/3FGSFkB

Categories
Medical Equipments Medical Updates Medicine & Health

Health tips on rebuilding your work life after suffering a heart stroke

Health tips on rebuilding your work life after suffering a heart stroke

Returning to work after suffering a cardiac arrest? Here’s what you need to know about the kind of help you require and a back-to-work program that can help to create a safe workspace for people with heart stroke tendency .

Stroke is a major public health challenge in India, specifically with the annual stroke cases rising since 2000 and this non-communicable disease with a high burden is one of the leading causes of disability in the country. Furthermore, stroke can affect persons of various age groups but an alarming number of people are getting affected in the age group of 30 to 40 years, which makes up a considerable size of the working population.

Stroke can affect muscle strength, walking ability, balance, speech, bladder control and can lead to psychological problems and loss of independence to a certain extent. While there have been advancements in stroke care, there are still challenges in rehabilitating person with stroke hence, it is important to ensure that timely and correct treatment is provided to persons with stroke to mitigate the long-term effects and enable them to lead healthy lives.

Health tips on rebuilding your work life after suffering a heart stroke

However, it is natural for a person to face certain difficulties after a stroke. This instantly affects confidence levels when one returns to work, and often lack the courage to ask for support in performing their duties.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Shiva Kumar R, Clinical Coordinator, Senior Consultant Neurologist Epileptologist at Sakra World Hospital in Bengaluru, insisted that employees should speak up about the kind of help they require. According to him, some quick factors to keep in mind are:

1. Your commute to work and alternatives if you cannot travel to the office every day

2. The number of hours your body will allow putting in for work without straining yourself

3. Create a list of tasks that you can and cannot perform in line with your job description and discuss it with your manager

4. Proactive work reviews with your team to smoothen out any operational issues and share responsibilities or delegate tasks if need be

5. Most notably, one must have a clear communication with their manager on the effects of stroke, medication, and emotional state of mind for a mutually beneficial arrangement for everyone involved at work

He said, “On several occasions, companies are not equipped to navigate the challenges of person with stroke and provide them with the support they need. There is an acute need for guidance and back-to-work programs that foster an inclusive working environment for employees with difficulties.” He revealed that some elements in a back-to-work program that can help to create a safe workspace for people with stroke. These include:

1. Ergonomic workstations and equipment such as stand-sitting desks, among others

2. Speech recognition software to aid patients suffering from speech impairment

3. Reviewing the company’s leave policies so that an employee can take personal time off without feeling guilty or facing any financial strain

4. Flexible working hours and models, that allows employees to work from home permanently if needed

5. Most importantly, communicating and being flexible with your employee who is returning to work after a stroke

Dr Shiva Kumar R suggested, “A stroke should not hinder letting one live their life to the fullest. When employers and employees can work cohesively to chart a plan that works for everyone, it can be a major confidence booster for the person affected with stroke. That, in turn, would lead to enhanced emotional well-being and greater productivity. It is imperative that instead of viewing this issue with fear and reluctance, it is addressed with compassion and acceptance.”

Read more at-https://bit.ly/3zwXHMo

Categories
Government Guidelines Medical Updates Medicine & Health Techniques

India to see 80% increase in investment of digital healthcare tools in the next 5 years: MoS Jitendra Singh

India to see 80% increase in investment of digital healthcare tools in the next 5 years: MoS Jitendra Singh
Synopsis

Singh added that India has all the essential ingredients for the exponential growth in this sector, including a large population, a robust pharma and medical supply chain, smartphone users, and technical manpower.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies across industries, including health care, which resulted in new innovations and an uptake in virtual care.

Speaking at the Global Digital Health Summit, Expo & Innovation Awards Addressing the summit, Minister of State for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, said, “This summit is an excellent opportunity to focus on research and innovation priorities, particularly in relation to the digital advances in the healthcare sector. Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, rapid digitisation, increasing internet and smartphone penetration, and government initiatives like Make in India and National Digital Health Mission, the healthcare sector is digitizing and innovating at an accelerated speed,” said Singh.

The Minister added that under PM Modi’s leadership healthcare has become more focused on innovation and technology over the past few years. 80% of the healthcare systems are aiming to increase their investment in digital healthcare tools in the coming five years. Indian innovators are developing pathbreaking health-tech products and solutions. The government is applying these digital health developments through the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission,” said Singh.

India to see 80% increase in investment of digital healthcare tools in the next 5 years: MoS Jitendra Singh

Singh added that India has all the essential ingredients for the exponential growth in this sector, including a large population, a robust pharma and medical supply chain, smartphone users, and technical manpower. “As the pace of digital innovation accelerates, the opportunities for healthcare companies and manufacturers will multiply and patient outcomes will improve,” Singh said.

In a bid to address issues critical to building a digital ecosystem aiming at digital health for all and how organisations can adopt digital technologies, the Global Digital Health Summit, Expo & Innovation Awards kicked off at New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan on October 28, 2022 with an attendance of more than 1500 delegates from 50 countries.

The two-day summit began with a welcome address by the Summit co-chair Brian O’Connor and a keynote address by Bakul Patel, Senior Director – Global Digital Health, Strategy and Regulatory, Google. It was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Return on Investment in Digital Health’. Chaired by Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Chairman – Dynamic Coalition on Digital Health, IGF – United Nations, and the panel featured Cathy Wolfe, President & CEO, GGM, Wolters Kluwer, USA; Dr Devi Shetty, Chairman & Executive Director, Narayana Health; Rustom Lawyer, Co-founder & CEO, Augnito; Anand Iyer, Chief Analytics Officer, Welldoc Inc, USA; and Manivannan Selvaraj, Founder & MD, Kauvery Group of Hospitals. The session highlighted the importance of the clinical decision support system (CDSS), challenges, and the way forward for affordable and accessible healthcare.

“In India, as of 2020, the ratio of doctors to population stands at 7.35 to 10,000. It is important to overcome the ratio and provide cost-efficient access to quality care and onboard into digital health. CDSS provides evidence-based medicine, which is way faster and diverse than experience-based medicine. This arrangement not only helps with reducing physician burnout but also ensures improved patient outcomes. Equitable healthcare, the right care at the right time, improved outcomes can result in immediate ROI,” said Wolfe.

Commenting on the way forward, Lawyer shared, “I believe that better healthcare for all is possible by leveraging the power of digital tech artificial intelligence. For best results, we need to build ICT strategy and framework keeping technology investment as a profit centre rather than a cost centre, drive population health analytics by investing in technology that introduces and enhances EMR adoption, invest in solutions that make it easier for doctors to adopt digital solutions such as ABDM,  and invest in technology that augments current workforce as shortage of doctors cannot be solved overnight.”

The second half of the event had Patricia Mechael, Co-founder – Global Digital Health Index, delivering the keynote address wherein she highlighted the challenges in data sharing and accessibility, followed by a panel discussion on ‘Adoption of digital health across the continuum of care: hospitals, pharma, clinicians- challenges and solutions’, featuring Rajesh Ranjan Singh, CEO – WISH Foundation; Uma Nambiar, MD – Zeeden Life Sciences; Sudarashan Jain, Secretary-General, Indian Pharmaceuticals Alliance; Manivannan Selvaraj, Founder & MD, Kauvery Group of Hospitals; Ruchi Tushir, VP & GM – Wolters Kluwer GGM India; and Binu Sharma, Senior Director Nursing, Max Healthcare Institute.

“Data accessibility plays an important role in delivering high quality patient care as it provides clinicians with immediate access to patient records, including medical history, test results and relevant information provided by other clinicians. With access to the right data, clinicians can deliver exceptional healthcare by making informed decisions substantially faster,reducing wait times and contributing to providing better healthcare at a better cost. However, access to data that is clean, complete, accurate for use is still an ongoing battle in the healthcare sector. This needs to be addressed immediately,” said Mechael in her keynote address.

The summit concluded with another panel discussion on ‘Making India a World Leader in Digital Health Implementation’ featuring Bharat Lal, Director General – National Centre for Good Governance, GoI; Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary – AYUSH, GoI; Vivek Sehgal, Director General – Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India; and Sanjay Sood, Project Director – eSanjeevani (National Telemedicine Service), C-DAC Mohali.

Other highlights of the event included the release of ‘Women’s Health Guideline’ and ‘Digital Health for All – By 2028’, and launch of Project Concern 2028 and Health Parliament.
Read More at-https://bit.ly/3gYmAKD

Categories
COVID-19 Government Guidelines Medical Equipments Medical Updates Medicine & Health

Global roll-out of 12 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses largest-ever but access an issue: WHO

Global roll-out of 12 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses largest-ever but access an issue: WHO
Synopsis

Addressing the annual general meeting of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN) virtually on Thursday, he flagged the issue of inequities in access to COVID-19 vaccines.

World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that global roll-out of more than 12 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses is the largest and fastest in human history.
Addressing the annual general meeting of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN) virtually on Thursday, he flagged the issue of inequities in access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The three-day event is being co-hosted by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by volume, said a statement.
“Global roll-out of more than 12 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses is the largest and fastest in history with an estimated 60 per cent doses produced by manufacturers in developing countries. Despite this achievement, stark inequities in access to COVID-19 vaccines remain,” he said.

Global roll-out of 12 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses largest-ever but access an issue: WHO

“These inequities are due partly to the fact that globally vaccine production is too concentrated. To address this, the WHO and our partners have established the mRNA Tech Transfer hub in South Africa to facilitate the know-how in low & middle-income countries,” Ghebreyesus said.
Adar Poonawalla, CEO of SII, said it was a proud moment for his company to co-host the 23rd DCVMN annual general meeting in Pune.

“Today, the world is more aware and focused on chalking out an ambition-to-action roadmap for future pandemic preparedness. For that, building the infrastructure and regulations to ensure global equity and timely access to vaccines is the foremost priority,” Poonawalla said.

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya delivered the inaugural address.
DCVMN is an international alliance of manufacturers from developing countries who are engaged in innovation, research, development, manufacturing and supply of high-quality vaccines to 170 countries.

The organisation aims to protect people against known and emerging infectious diseases globally by increasing the production of high-quality vaccines in developing countries.

Read more at-https://bit.ly/3gKtK55