Health Bulletin 20/ May/ 2024

The issue surfaced on May 5 when a student’s biometric data mismatched during the NEET exam at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan Mehta Vidyalaya in the Tilak Marg area. Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar Mahla stated that the two proxy students, Sumit Mandoliya and Krishan Kesarwani, were apprehended at the exam center. Due to the severity of the offense, the case was transferred to the Special Staff of New Delhi District, with a dedicated team led by Inspector Sanjay Kumar Gupta conducting the investigation, explained the DCP.

During interrogation, Sumit Mandoliya and Krishan Kesarwani, both MBBS students, revealed the names of their handlers—Prabhat Kumar, 27, and Kishor Lal, 37—who were arrested from a hotel in Noida on Friday.

Singapore is grappling with a new wave of COVID-19 infections, while in India, a new variant of the virus is emerging. Authorities in Singapore recorded more than 25,900 cases from May 5 to 11, almost doubling the previous week's count. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has issued a health advisory recommending mask-wearing again. The average daily COVID-19 hospitalizations rose to about 250 from 181 the previous week. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that the current wave is expected to peak between mid- and end of June. Despite the surge, the average daily number of intensive care cases remains low, and no new social restrictions are planned, as COVID-19 is treated as an endemic disease in Singapore.

Through a recent notice, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has warned the public against an individual impersonating the Chairman of NMC, Dr B N Gangadhar. The Apex Medical Regulator informed that the concerned individual is engaging with others claiming to be the NMC chairman using a specific mobile number i.e. 7050392639.

Issuing the notice, the Commission has clarified that the mobile number in question does not belong to Dr Gangadhar and advised the public not to engage with the person.

A court in Pithoragarh has sentenced three individuals to six months' imprisonment for violating food safety standards in the production of Patanjali Elaichi "soan papdi." Assistant Prosecution Officer Ritesh Verma stated that Chief Judicial Magistrate Sanjay Singh also imposed fines ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹25,000 on the convicts, in addition to the jail sentences.

Leeladhar Pathak, a shopkeeper from Berinag town, received a six-month jail term and a ₹5,000 fine for selling the substandard product. Ajay Joshi, the assistant manager of Kanhaji Distributors Pvt Ltd, Patanjali's authorized representative in Nainital's Ramnagar, was also sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined ₹10,000. Abhishek Kumar, the assistant general manager of the company, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined ₹25,000.

In a tragic incident at a government hospital in Wardhannapet mandal, Warangal district, a newborn died a day after a delivery was conducted under phone instructions from a duty doctor. The incident has sparked outrage and allegations of medical negligence.

Kasireddy Srija, a pregnant woman from Gundepudi, Maripeda mandal in Mahbubabad district, was admitted with severe labor pains on Friday evening. Dr. Manasa Reddy, the duty doctor, left the hospital without examining Srija, instructing nurses Sunitha and auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) Subhadra to manage her care. As Srija's condition worsened, her husband, Naresh, pleaded for a C-section, but Dr. Reddy insisted on a normal delivery, providing guidance over the phone.