Connect with us

Health/medicine

Indian rural healthcare witnessed significant progress in last decade

Published

on

New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) Rural healthcare in India has seen remarkable progress in the last decade, with people living in remote areas getting better access to quality health services.

New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) Rural healthcare in India has witnessed remarkable progress in the last decade, with people living in remote areas getting better access to quality health services.

The healthcare coverage, which can be credited to the expansion of telemedicine and adoption of digital health solutions such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), together with the government’s National Digital Health Mission has led to reductions in maternal and child mortality rates, polio eradication, and most recently eliminated visceral leishmaniasis or Kala-azar.

Yet, gaps remain with a significant lack of skilled healthcare professionals, and technological advancement comparatively slow in the hinterlands.

“Over the last decade, India has made substantial progress in healthcare through technology and innovation. Telemedicine and digital health solutions have expanded access to remote areas. Innovations in medical devices and diagnostics have enhanced affordability and accuracy,” Himanshu Sikka, project director, SAMRIDH, told IANS.

ALSO READ:  As Maha detects 91 FLiRT Covid cases, expert rules out any immediate concern

Himanshu noted that the integration of AI and ML, and the National Digital Health Mission “signify a transformative shift towards more accessible, efficient, and patient-centric healthcare.”

“Despite notable strides, persistent challenges like workforce shortages and technological gaps linger. Sustained investment in training, technology, and community collaboration is imperative for achieving universal health coverage and bridging the urban-rural healthcare gap by 2030,” Himanshu said.

One of the areas that SAMRIDH, a blended finance (BF) facility supported by USAID and implemented by IPE Global, works is for sickle cell screening. In remote areas of Odisha’s Phulbani, Kandhamal, it used drones to conduct over 400 sickle cell tests. The drones help in collecting samples, testing, and providing diagnoses, among others.

Boosting healthcare in rural areas is not only critical for the health results of the nation but also for the economy. It plays a pivotal role in fostering rural economic development.

Priyadarshi Mohapatra, Founder, CureBay, told IANS that in the last 10 years, rural areas in the country have seen “advancements in medical technology, robust health education programmes, and improved healthcare facilities.”

ALSO READ:  Plant-based alternatives healthy for your heart than meat: Study

These have collectively bolstered the quality of care across the nation, as well as led to reductions in maternal and child mortality rates.

“Promoting preventive practices, and accessible healthcare in rural areas significantly reduces the burden of diseases, aligning with India’s sustainable development goals,” she noted.

The healthcare startup ensures accessibility to quality healthcare in remote areas via its eClinics which are powered by an intelligent tech platform offering online consultations and a comprehensive range of services. CureBay has positively impacted over 1,86,000 patients in Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Even with the commendable progress, there exists a “vast gap in healthcare access between urban and rural India,” Smriti Tandon, Co-founder, Online Chikitsa Mitra told IANS.

“As per NHM Rural Health Statistics 2021-22, despite a 51 per cent increase in doctors, there is still a significant shortfall, with a 3.1 per cent deficit of the total requirement,” she added, emphasising the need “to address the challenge”.

The rural health-tech start-up boasts of a robust network of over 500 e-Clinics within local medical stores in remote areas. These e-Clinics, with trained store facilitators and a user-friendly platform, connect rural patients to a national network of medical specialists via teleconsultations.

ALSO READ:  Docs warn gym goers as sudden heart attacks return, killing at least 4 in 24 hrs

–IANS

rvt/dan

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Health/medicine

PM Modi hails Sudha Murty's maiden Rajya Sabha speech on women’s health

Published

on

By

New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday commended author and philanthropist Sudha Murty — newly elected to the Rajya Sabha — for her impactful maiden speech during the discussion on motion of thanks to the President’s Address in the Upper House of the Parliament.

Speaking about women’s health, she cited her father’s poignant remark – when a mother dies it is counted as one death in the hospital, but for the family, a mother is lost forever.

PM Modi expressed gratitude to Sudha Murty for her comprehensive discussion on women’s health, acknowledging her as she stood up and greeted him.

“I want to thank Sudha Murty for speaking in detail about women’s health,” PM Modi said.

While discussing Sudha Murty’s emotional remarks about mothers, the Prime Minister emphasised that over the past decade, his government has prioritised women’s health and sanitation as a crucial sector.

“Our country’s women have benefited from the toilets we have made,” PM Modi said while replying to a debate on a motion thanking President Droupadi Murmu for her address to the joint sitting of Parliament last week.

ALSO READ:  NHRC directs Odisha to pay Rs 4 lakh compensation to woman for medical negligence

PM Modi also highlighted that his government has distributed sanitary pads and launched a vaccination program for pregnant women.

Sudha Murty advocated for a government-backed vaccination programme aimed at combatting cervical cancer.

“There is a vaccination which is given to girls, between the age of nine and 14, known as a cervical vaccination. If the girls take that, it (cancer) can be avoided… we should promote vaccination for the benefit of our girls because prevention is better than cure,” she said in her first speech in Rajya Sabha.

She suggested that since the government successfully managed a significant vaccination drive during Covid-19, providing cervical vaccination to girls aged 9-14 years should not be very challenging.

Sudha Murty, nominated to the Upper House of the Parliament by President Droupadi Murmu on the eve of International Women’s Day, noted that the cervical vaccination, developed in the West, has been in use for the past 20 years.

“It worked very well. It is not expensive. Today, it is Rs 1,400 for people like me who are in the field. If the government intervenes and negotiates… you can bring it to Rs 700-800. We have such a large population. It will be beneficial for our girls in the future,” she said during her 13-minute address.

ALSO READ:  Plant-based alternatives healthy for your heart than meat: Study

–IANS

brt/pgh

Continue Reading

Health/medicine

India backs global standards for spices, vegetable oils at international food trade meet

Published

on

By

New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) India has backed global standards for spices and vegetable oils at the 86th session of the Executive Committee (CCEXEC) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on Wednesday.

The CCEXEC, ongoing at Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome from July 1-5, plays a critical role in reviewing proposals for new work and monitoring the progress of standards development.

The CAC, an international body established by the FAO and the World Health Organisation (WHO), aims to protect consumer health and promote fair practices in food trade.

During the session, India, represented by G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), strongly supported the advancement of standards development for various spices, including small cardamom, turmeric, and vanilla, the ministry said.

“This initiative is particularly significant for India, being a major producer and exporter of these spices, as it would facilitate smoother international trade,” it added.

ALSO READ:  Docs warn gym goers as sudden heart attacks return, killing at least 4 in 24 hrs

India also “backed the progression of standards for named vegetable oils, guidelines for the control of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli”.

It also called for the safe use and reuse of water in food production and processing and championed the proposal for developing Codex guidance on food safety considerations related to the use of recycled materials in food packaging.

It is “crucial in addressing global challenges such as climate change, environmental protection, and sustainability,” the ministry said.

Further, at the session, India shared its experience with the FSSAI guidelines on recycling post-consumer PET for food contact applications. “India’s participation, as a member, in the High-level Executive Committee (CCEXEC) underscores its dedication to establishing robust food safety standards and promoting fair practices in the global food trade, reflecting its pivotal role in the international food industry,” the ministry noted.

–IANS

rvt/vd

Continue Reading

Health/medicine

New AI model to boost patient response to cancer therapy

Published

on

By

New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) Australian researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can help to select the most suitable treatment for cancer patients.

The new tool DeepPT, developed by researchers at The Australian National University (ANU), predicts a patient’s messenger RNA (mRNA) profile.

This mRNA — essential for protein production — is also the key molecular information for personalised cancer medicine.

When combined with another tool called ENLIGHT, DeepPT was found to successfully predict a patient’s response to cancer therapies across multiple types of cancer, said lead author Dr Danh-Tai Hoang from ANU.

Dr Hoang said, “DeepPT was trained on over 5,500 patients across 16 prevalent cancer types, including breast, lung, head and neck, cervical and pancreatic cancers”.

The tool, detailed in the journal Nature Cancer, showed an improvement in patient response rate. The AI tool draws on microscopic pictures of patient tissue called histopathology images, also providing another key benefit for patients.

ALSO READ:  License of 14 Patanjali products cancelled, criminal complaint filed against Ramdev, Balkrishna, Uttarakhand govt tells SC

“This cuts down on delays in processing complex molecular data, which can take weeks,” Dr Hoang said, as any delay can affect patients with high-grade tumours who might require immediate treatment.

“In contrast, histopathology images are routinely available, cost-effective, and timely,” Hoang added.

–IANS

rvt/uk

Continue Reading

Health/medicine

Limit ghee, coconut oil if you have fatty liver disease: Expert

Published

on

By

New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) As fatty liver disease is increasing in India, a noted hepatologist on Wednesday advised limiting consumption of saturated fats like ghee and coconut oil.

Fatty liver disease is related to obesity and diabetes. Consuming excessive carbohydrates can raise insulin levels, and chronic high insulin levels lead to insulin resistance. This disrupts metabolism and converts excess glucose into fatty acids, which are stored in the liver.

It can be classified into two main types: alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD/MASLD) — linked to liver inflammation and damage, eventually leading to fibrosis, cirrhosis, or liver cancer.

“In the Indian context, if you have metabolic-disorder-associated fatty liver disease (previously NAFLD), remember to limit saturated fat sources in your diet,” said Dr Abby Phillips, popularly known as LiverDoc, on the social media platform X.com.

“This means limiting foods containing Ghee, clarified butter (north India), Coconut oil (south India), and Palm oil (processed/ ultra-processed foods),” he explained, adding that “saturated fats increase liver triglycerides and hence liver fat and inflammation.”

ALSO READ:  Depression around childbirth linked to future heart risk: Study

While ghee is traditionally considered healthy, the doctor noted that it “is not a superfood. It is a super danger. It is almost all fat, and more than 60 per cent is saturated (unhealthy) fat.”

He stressed the need to replace it with “healthier (vegetable) seed oils that have low saturated fat and trans-fat content.”

Dr Abby also recommended using a diverse range of seed oils in daily cooking. Instead of frying food items, he suggested “bake, boil, broil, grill, or steaming foods.”

He also called out to “increase portions of plant-based protein in daily meals and to add daily fresh cut fruit portions (instead of fruit juicing).”

“This is far more important than limiting meat (including lean meat more than red meat), fish, and eggs — all of which can be consumed in their recommended daily/weekly intake,” the doctor said.

–IANS

rvt/sd/kvd

Continue Reading

Health/medicine

Aspirin can prevent complications in pregnancy caused by flu infections: Study

Published

on

By

New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) Taking low-dose aspirin may treat flu-induced blood vessel inflammation, creating better blood flow to the placenta during pregnancy, according to the world-first study conducted in mice.

Low-dose aspirin is commonly taken to prevent preeclampsia — high blood pressure condition in pregnancy — as it stops the body from creating chemicals that cause inflammation.

The study, led by an international team from RMIT University in Australia in collaboration with a team from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, examined whether the treatment for preeclampsia could be applied to flu infections.

They found very promising results in animal studies — mice treated daily with low-dose aspirin had less inflammation and improved foetal development and offspring survival.

On the contrary, foetuses and placenta from mice with influenza A were smaller than those from uninfected mice. They also found the foetuses with low blood oxygen and poor blood vessel development.

Flu infections during pregnancy can resemble preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication that causes inflammation to the aorta and blood vessels, said lead researcher Dr Stella Liong, a post-doctoral research student at RMIT University in Melbourne.

ALSO READ:  As Maha detects 91 FLiRT Covid cases, expert rules out any immediate concern

She explained: “When the vascular system gets inflamed, it leads to poor blood flow and affects the aorta’s function.”

“This is especially a problem during pregnancy where good blood flow to the placenta is crucial to the development of the foetus.”

While the research still awaits human clinical trials, Liong said low-dose aspirin is already recognised as safe to take during pregnancy.

However, pregnant people must seek medical advice before taking new medications, the research team said.

–IANS

rvt/sd/kvd

Continue Reading

Trending