BE PREPARED TO QUIT"An aide to Modi said companies were being asked to bring down prices of medical devices "or be prepared to quit" the country, and a bureaucrat who works closely with the prime ministers office said raising the matter to diplomatic levels would not influence Indias position.US-based companies such as Boston Scientific Corp and Abbott Laboratories sell heart stents in India, while Johnson & Johnson sells other devices.Following the February decision, Abbott moved to withdraw one of its stents from India, but its plea was rejected by Modis government.Boston Scientific - which also has a research base near New Delhi - sought a higher price for one of its stents but a government panel declined the request.Such decisions...

Euthanasia is a term derived from ancient Greek and means a good death. India lacks a clear, practical and legally sound process for both living wills and medical futility resolution. Without these a peaceful passing is usually not possible.Time to ActAfter the Aruna Shanbaug case, a draft on EOLC was submitted to the Centre but no legislation has been passed. The road ahead is spelt out with as much clarity as is possible.Physician assisted death is against the will of God. But the most important task is to tackle the public stigma around any discussions on death, which seems to be common in other Asian societies as well. The last Japanese emperor, Hirohito, died without knowing that he had cancer. They can also identify who (health...

If the family opinion is not necessary for an incompetent patient, why should this be important for a competent patient? What if the patient has no family or friends or is incompetent and without family?Then, Section 6 provides for Palliative Care. Luxembourg: Patients suffering from incurable, unbearable physical/mental pain, can end their life with the help of a doctor. How will an incompetent patient give consent to withhold or withdraw consent? This section provides that even though medical treatment has been withheld or withdrawn by the medical practitioner in accordance with the Bill, such a practitioner is not debarred from administering Palliative Care.A provision such as Section 9 of the Bill, which provides for permission...

Instead of bringing those who have allegedly taken the bribe and given the bribe to the judicial process, the blame is being thrust on the MCI to dismantle it., a medico hailing from Mysuru, the decision to hold such a test would promote the coaching institute lobbies to earn more. This will allow the allegedly corrupt to go scot free, while punishing the MCI as an institution. They also added that this would also lead to devaluing the 36 comprehensive exams being conducted over the four years of their undergraduate medical education. However, mixing up modern scientific medicine with AYUSH will not encourage AYUSH, but will in fact destroy AYUSH completely, by obliterating all the diagnostic and therapeutic methods of those systems.“It...

Recent media reports say the new programme to be introduced by the company will support patients who have been implanted in India with its ASR hip implant from June 2004 to August 2010.The investigations cover coronary stents, pacemakers, hip implants, knee implants, breast implants, pelvic meshes and intrauterine devices. The Indian unit of the global pharma giant has been forced to initiate a new “India-specific” reimbursement programme for those Indian patients who have suffered due to its Acetabular Surface Replacement (ASR), or hip implants. But desperation fuelled by celebrity culture, use of unrealistic images in advertising, social media have led to an environment where many are prepared to do anything to change his/her...

“The IMA expects the government of India to provide for each of these components,” according to the statement.Doctors at the Centre-run Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital, and RML Hospital, and Delhi government’s healthcare facilities such as GTB Hospital, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital and DDU Hospital, boycotted work and held protests on Saturday. The apex medical body, IMA, however, demanded a comprehensive central law in dealing with violence on doctors and healthcare staff, and in hospitals.The apex medical body, IMA, however, demanded a comprehensive central law in dealing with violence on doctors and healthcare staff, and in hospitals.

Some diseases like diabetes and hypertension are known as silent killers, and there is a good chance that people with borderline disease may not be aware of their medical conditi-on. Any small evidence of fraud or suppression of a pre-existing disease will lead to a complete denial of claim, even in future.If you are having any pre-existing disease, you are expected to disclose it in your declaration and your premium will be fixed accordingly. Some companies even insist medical check-ups for those above 35 years.Thinking one can get away by hiding their existing diseases or save time by not opting for a medical test would only be detrimental for the future.But recently, a couple of private health insurance companies have come up with...

The nursing staff put together by Maoists have been given their medical education in the tribal Gondi language.The nursing staff put together by Maoists have been given their medical education in the tribal Gondi language.Hand-written “medical books”, seized from a Naxal camp at Dabbakunna in Chhattisgarh’s south Bastar district of Dantewada on August 17, have led to the disclosure that the Naxals’ medical staff have been trained, not only to treat cases of minor illness, but also to perform critical surgeries on the grievously wounded.“We have seized hand-written note books, a complete translation of MBBS course books in Gondi language, in the Naxal camp busted at Dabbkunna recently.