An issue we have covered before in Health Issues India is the seeming unwillingness of Indian doctors to serve in rural areas. This might seem counter-intuitive as about 72% of the Indian population still lives in rural areas. Still, only 26% of doctors in India reside in rural areas. This anomaly leads to situations where people […]
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Soon, free medicines for all at public health facilities
With the finalisation of 12th Plan outlay, the Health Ministry is aiming to roll out its ambitious project for provision of free medicines to all at public health facilities across the country. Despite a scaled-down outlay of 1.95 per cent of GDP during the 12th Plan, Health Ministry officials say none of its planned schemes will […]
Appellate Board upholds compulsory licence of cancer drug
The Hindu reports that India’s Intellectual Property Appellate Board has upheld the decision of the Controller of Patents to issue a compulsory licence for Bayer’s Nexavar. The most interesting part of the proceeding might be Bayer’s contention that Natco (the generic producer) is selling its version in China and Pakistan (the Appellate Board refused to consider […]
Radical new proposals on TB in the private sector
R.Prasad’s article in today’s Hindu has a typically restrained tone but the proposals are radical. The National Strategic Plan for TB would restrict sale of new TB medicines to authorised outlets and might only give supplies in return for notification of cases. There is also talk of going out to proactively look for cases.
Patients lose out to patents & profits
An article published in the Hindu recently stated that a 2012 WHO study ranks India third — behind Myanmar and Bangladesh — among countries that fail to provide health cover to people. A 2011 study reported in The Lancet on ‘Healthcare and equity’ also confirms this: every year, at least 39 million people here fall into poverty […]
India’s President calls for making universal healthcare a reality
A few weeks after President Pranab Mukherjee called for a ‘second freedom struggle’ to eradicate hunger, disease and poverty, healthcare took center stage once again his speech at a conference organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The President called upon multiple stakeholders in the health sector to make universal healthcare a […]
150,000 pharma sales reps go on strike
According to their union, 150,000 pharmaceutical representatives went on strike today to protest against pharmaceutical corruption and mis-selling by their employers. The reps say that they are being unfairly penalised for the sins of some in the industry; “Recently, medical practitioners and medical representatives have become target of concerted attacks of central government, state governments, […]
Pharma prices may be linked to per capita GDP
In a move sure to upset people worldwide, India has announced that it may introduce a system of price controls for patented medicines. Here’s the story in today’s Economic Times. The principle would be that the Indian cap would be based on the price that government pays in Australia, Canada, France and the UK. So far, […]
Unhealthy at 65: India has 76% shortfall in government doctors
According to the Planning Commission’s draft, the country’s government-run healthcare system is hamstrung because the number of doctors is short of the target by a jaw-dropping 76%, there are 53% fewer nurses , specialist doctors are short by 88%, radiographers are short by 85% and laboratory technicians are short by 80%. To read more please […]
President calls for a second freedom struggle against disease, hunger and poverty
India’s new President has called for a “‘second freedom struggle’ to eradicate hunger, disease and poverty,” according to Outlook, the weekly news magazine. Pranab Mukherjee was speaking on the eve of the 65th anniversary of India’s independence. The reference is to the struggle for freedom over more than fifty years leading up to independence. The […]