Health Bulletin 13/ July/ 2024

The plea was filed by foreign medical students who are enrolled for internship in eight medical colleges in Rajasthan and Ram Manohar Lohia Institute. Agreeing to hear the plea, the Apex Court bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and K V Vishwanathan said, "Issue notice."

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SC Issues Notice To NMC On Plea By FMGs Seeking Stipend During Mandatory Internship

Health Minister Nadda reviews dengue readiness as cases rise

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the dengue situation across the country and preparedness of public health system for prevention, containment and management of dengue in view of the onset of monsoon and the rise in dengue cases globally.

The Union Health Minister was briefed on the nationwide dengue situation and preparedness of the Ministry. It was informed that the Dengue Case Fatality Rate has reduced from 3.3 % (1996) to 0.1 % in 2024 as a result of focused, timely and collaborative activities. Underlining the challenge posed by the onset of monsoon and the threat of increasing number of dengue cases during the rainy season, Shri Nadda emphasized the importance of being prepared against dengue. He directed the officials to gear up and strengthen prevention, containment and management measures against dengue.

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Union Health Minister Nadda Reviews Dengue Preparedness Amid Seasonal Surge

Madras HC slams NTA over failure to submit report in NEET 2019 fraud case

Madurai: Slamming the National Testing Agency (NTA) for failing to submit a report on the 2019 National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) fraud case, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court suggested that NTA officials might be complicit in the fraud case and warned that continued inaction by the officials could lead to their arrest.

The court issued the warning after observing that the case which has been pending for the last five years had not shown significant progress due to the NTA's failure to submit essential documents. The court also suggested that NTA officials could be implicated in a cover-up related to the case.

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Madras HC Slams NTA Over Failure To Submit Report In NEET 2019 Fraud Case, Says "Continued Inaction By Officials Can Lead To Arrest"

Study reveals nearly 50% of government doctor prescriptions deviate from guidelines

A recent study conducted by researchers, including those from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), revealed that nearly half of the medical prescriptions issued in India deviated from standard treatment guidelines, with about 10% showing "unacceptable deviations." The analysis covered 4,838 prescriptions from August 2019 to August 2020, collected from 13 Rational Use of Medicines Centres (RUMC) established by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in various tertiary care teaching hospitals and medical colleges.

The study identified ‘Pantoprazole’ as the most frequently prescribed drug in cases with unacceptable deviations, particularly for treating Herpes Zoster. Pantoprazole, often used to reduce stomach acid, was prescribed in 54 instances alongside other medications like Paracetamol. Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and hypertension were the most commonly diagnosed conditions in these deviant prescriptions.