Health Bulletin 20/April/2023

Here are the top health stories for the day:

NMC gives deadline to medical students abroad to fulfill deficiencies on pending applications for eligibility certificate

Referring to the pending applications for issuance of Eligibility Certificates, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has now set a 30 days deadline for the students pursuing medical courses abroad to complete their applications in the eligibility web portal and fulfill their deficiencies.

The Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of NMC has further warned that if the applicants fail to attend to the deficiencies, fill in the same information repeatedly, or do not submit their applications within 30 days, their applications will not be further considered and the pending applications will be treated as closed.

For more details, check out the link given below:

NMC Gives Deadline To Medical Students Abroad To Fulfill Deficiencies On Pending Applications For Eligibility Certificate

Private medical colleges challenge centre's decision on increasing PG medical seats in GMCs alone, SC junks plea

Expressing its happiness over the preference of the Government for Government Medical Colleges (GMCs), the Supreme Court recently on Tuesday dismissed a plea that challenged the decision of the Centre granting one-time increase in Postgraduate medical seats in GMCs alone.

For the academic year 2018-2019, the Union Government had given its permission for increasing PG medical seats in clinical courses (Broad Speciality) under the revised teacher's ratio in GMCs only. At that time, the same preference was not given to private medical colleges.

For more details, check out the link given below:

Private Medical Colleges Challenge Centre's Decision On Increasing PG Medical Seats In GMCs Alone, SC Junks Plea

Heat is surging across India, risking blackouts and even deaths

As the maximum temperature hovered around the 40-degree mark, the health department has issued a heatwave advisory in Gurgaon. The advisory directs people to stay indoors between noon and 3 pm. Heat stroke wards and ORS booths have also been set up at health centres by Govt.

Mind-body connection is built into brain, study suggests

Calm body, calm mind, say the practitioners of mindfulness. A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that the idea that the body and mind are inextricably intertwined is more than just an abstraction. The study shows that parts of the brain area that control movement are plugged into networks involved in thinking and planning, and in control of involuntary bodily functions such as blood pressure and heartbeat. The findings represent a literal linkage of body and mind in the very structure of the brain.

The research, published April 19 in the journal Nature, could help explain some baffling phenomena, such as why anxiety makes some people want to pace back and forth; why stimulating the vagus nerve, which regulates internal organ functions such as digestion and heart rate, may alleviate depression; and why people who exercise regularly report a more positive outlook on life.

Reference:

Gordon, E.M., Chauvin, R.J., Van, A.N. et al. A somato-cognitive action network alternates with effector regions in motor cortex. Nature (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05964-2