Health Bulletin 25/December/2023

Here are the top health stories for the day:

"No need to panic, need to remain alert": AIIMS on new COVID subvariant JN.1

After a surge in the cases of the new COVID subvariant JN.1, doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have advised people to not panic but rather remain alert and vigilant.

"People are getting infected by the new sub-variant of COVID-JN.1 in many states of the country. The symptoms of the patients are mild. Therefore, there is no need to panic but the need to remain alert," Doctor Neeraj Nischal said.

For more details, check out the link given below:

COVID Subvariant JN.1: AIIMS Delhi Advises Not To Panic, Need To Remain Alert

Disclosure of assets of members: NMC expresses its reservations to Health Ministry

Amid the rising pressure to make the details of the assets and liabilities of the NMC Chairman and members public, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has expressed its 'reservations' in this regard.

Writing to the Under Secretary of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the Commission has mentioned about the reservations for uploading some of the personal information of the officers including the details of lands, jewellery, investments in banks/ financial institutions/ insurance policy i.e. numbers, addresses etc.

For more details, check out the link given below:

Disclosure Of Assets Of Members: NMC Expresses Its Reservations To Health Ministry

Chinese doctor suspended for punching patient during surgery

Chinese authorities are investigating an incident where a surgeon is alleged to have punched a patient during an operation, as shown in a viral video without a specified date. The hospital's parent company, Aier China, has suspended the surgeon, and the hospital's CEO, where the 2019 incident occurred, has also been dismissed. The video appears to depict the surgeon, performing eye surgery, punching the patient's head multiple times, with two others present in the operating room.

Aier China operates a chain of eye hospitals, confirmed the incident at its Guigang hospital, involving an 82-year-old woman who experienced discomfort during surgery due to local anesthesia. The patient, who spoke a local dialect, reportedly did not respond to warnings in Mandarin, leading the surgeon to act roughly in what was described as an emergency situation. Local authorities noted injuries to the patient's forehead.