Health Bulletin 21/July/2023

Here are the top health stories for the day:

MCC NEET counselling 2023: DGHS allows MBBS candidates to upgrade choices up to round 3

Introducing major relief to the medical aspirants across the country, who want to get admitted to the MBBS course, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), operative under the Central Government, has decided to allow students upgrade their choice of colleges up to the third round of the NEET-UG counselling.

With this, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), under DGHS, has modified the rules that allowed candidates upgradation of choices only till round two. This rule was in place since the year 2018.

The new rule will allow students, who were stuck with the allotted seats in the second round and did not get a chance to try for better seats even if better seats were available in round three, to upgrade their choices if they are not satisfied with their allotment. Previously, the third round was open only for those MBBS candidates who did not have any seats.

For more details, check out the link given below:

MCC NEET Counselling 2023: DGHS Allows MBBS Candidates To Upgrade Choices Up To Round 3

Delhi govt asks chemists not to sell painkillers without prescription

The Delhi government's Department of Drugs Control has asked all chemical associations in the city to not sell drugs like Aspirin and Ibuprofen without a doctor's prescription, amid rising incidence of vector-borne diseases.

The department also advised chemist shop owners to keep a record of painkiller drugs.

For more details, check out the link given below:

NSAIDs Including Aspirin, Ibuprofen To Be Sold On Doctor's Prescription Only: Delhi Govt

Doctors oppose appointment of non-medical graduates as faculty in medical colleges, stage protest

Opposing the appointment of non-medical graduates as faculty in medical colleges, doctors across the country have started raising their voices.

While recently the Indian Medical Association (IMA) wrote to the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in this regard, All India Pre and Para Medical Association organised a peaceful protest in this regard on July 20, 2023.

The peaceful protest against the appointment of non-medicos (without MBBS/MD/MS Degrees and without entrance examination in medical colleges) was held by the association at Jantar Mantar, National Medical Commission (NMC), and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Representatives from the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) also participated in the protest.

For more details, check out the link given below:

Doctors Oppose Appointment Of Non-Medical Graduates As Faculty In Medical Colleges, Stage Protest

Microwaving food containers can expose you to toxic nano plastics: Study

Researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln conducted experiments in the laboratory to investigate the release of plastic particles from microwaving plastic baby food containers. The experiments revealed that the process released a significant number of plastic particles, reaching astonishing levels. For every square centimeter of the container, more than 2 billion nanoplastics and 4 million microplastics were emitted.

While the health implications of consuming micro- and nanoplastics remain uncertain, the researchers found alarming results when examining cultured embryonic kidney cells exposed to these particles. After just two days of exposure, three-quarters of the kidney cells had died.

In response to these findings, the World Health Organisation issued a 2022 report recommending the limitation of exposure to such plastic particles.