Health Bulletin 28/December/2022

Here are the top health stories for the day:

Bharat Biotech's iNCOVACC: India's 1st intranasal vaccine to cost Rs 800 in private markets, Rs 325 for govt

Bharat Biotech International Limited on Tuesday said its COVID-19 intranasal vaccine iNCOVACC, which is now available on CoWIN portal, is priced at Rs 800 (excluding GST) for private markets and Rs 325 (excluding GST) for government supplies.

A press release from the vaccine maker said the jab will be rolled out in the fourth week of January, 2023.

iNCOVACC is the world's first intranasal vaccine for COVID to receive approval for the primary two-dose schedule and as a heterologous booster dose.

For more details, check out the link given below:

COVID Intranasal Vaccine: Bharat Biotech INCOVACC Priced At Rs 800 For Private Hospitals, Rs 325 For Govt

MGM Indore applies to NMC for increasing 21 MD medicine seats

More Postgraduate medical seats are likely to be added to the seat matrix of Madhya Pradesh since Indore based Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College has applied to the National Medical Commission (NMC) for an increase of 21 PG medical seats in Medicine.

The college has completed all the preparations including recruiting adequate faculty members and it is expected that the NMC inspection team will visit the college any time in January. The college has also applied for seats in Emergency medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) and all the required formalities have been fulfilled for the same, MGM dean informed FPJ.

For more details, check out the link given below:

MGM Indore Applies To NMC For Increasing 21 MD Medicine Seats

NMC, State Medical Councils under CBI radar after 73 FMGs found practicing without qualifying mandatory test

The erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI), now National Medical Commission (NMC) and several State Medical Councils have come under the lens of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare asked the Bureau to investigate how around 73 Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) obtained their registration to practice without clearing the mandatory Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE).

On the basis of the complaint from the Union Health Ministry, CBI has started its probe against 14 state medical councils and those 73 foreign medical graduates, officials informed PTI on Monday.

For more details, check out the link given below:

NMC, State Medical Councils Under CBI Radar After 73 FMGs Found Practicing Without Qualifying Mandatory Test

Drug Safety Alert: Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission flags adverse reactions linked to Minoxidil

The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), through its recently issued drug safety alert for the month of December, has revealed that Minoxidil which is indicated for the treatment of alopecia, is linked with adverse drug reactions (ADRs) named folliculitis.

This came after preliminary analysis of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) from the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) database.

For more details, check out the link given below:

Drug Safety Alert: Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission Flags Adverse Reactions Linked To Minoxidil