-The Times of India Free medicines to all patients visiting any government health facility across the country could soon be a reality with the health ministry ready to roll out a nearly Rs 30,000 crore 'free-medicines-for-all' scheme with the PMO's strong backing. The free medicine initiative along with an expansion of the National Rural Health Mission to urban areas, a more district-oriented approach and implementation of recommendations of the K Srinath Reddy...

The recent toxic liquor tragedy killing 33 persons in Cuttack and Khurda districts has brought to the spotlight at least eight types of medicines being misused by addicts in various parts of the state. The latest deaths occurred due to methyl alcohol in Epee-Carm Carminative and concentrated Cinnamon water. That may be a routine misuse going horribly wrong, because ethyl alcohol got replaced by methyl alcohol and the latter is poisonous. Doctors...

-AP   Efforts by India and the European Union to strengthen trade are threatening India's ability to deliver lifesaving medicines to the world's poorest, analysts say as the two sides push through protracted negotiations on a free-trade pact.  India's prime minister and top EU officials are hoping their summit Friday in New Delhi helps move beyond disagreements over issues like European labor market limits and Indian duties on cars.  But health industry workers and...

-The Hindu With the Supreme Court issuing notice to the Central government on the matter of illegal drug trials, the sordid state of human clinical trials is all set to be exposed. For multinational companies eager to cut corners, India offers an attractive package of weak laws, lax and almost non-existent oversight of trials, a huge illiterate, vulnerable population that can be easily exploited, very little volunteer protection and a sizeable...

-IANS At least 24 people died in Odisha after consuming spurious liquor laced with medicines, authorities said. The victims from Cuttack and Khordha districts fell ill Tuesday after taking the drink that officials said contained Drugs used to treat cough and cold and to dress wounds. District Collector S.N. Girish told IANS that among the dead was Baidhar Bhoi, the brew seller. He was the first to die -- Tuesday morning.   Other deaths took...