-The Economic Times At a time when the government is desperately trying to take growth to remote tribal-dominated areas, it has found that a key link in the chain - voluntary organisations - has been malfunctioning. Random surveys, conducted by the tribal affairs ministry, have unearthed how over the years NGOs had been getting grants from the Centre for tribal welfare and the money was being misused to make private residences.  The...

A breath test to detect the deadly tuberculosis (TB) bacteria in six minutes flat has been developed in the US, with help from experts in Mumbai. Doctors from Hinduja Hospital in Mahim and the state-run JJ Hospital in Byculla have helped validate the prototype for the point-of-breath test, according to an article published in medical journal 'Tuberculosis' recently.  The test could emerge as the quickest way to screen a patient for...

-The Hindustan Times The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the multi-crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam on Saturday registered a fresh case relating to selective appointment of more than 100 chief medical officers (CMOs) in 72 districts of Uttar Pradesh. The appointments — in total disregard of rules — were made by then ministers Babu Singh Kushwaha and Anant Kumar Mishra in collusion with private contractors to ensure that...

-The Telegraph Dispur has decided to provide free treatment to children below 12 years who are suffering from blood cancer or leukaemia. Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today said Dispur was working on the project and hoped to launch it on Independence Day. He told this correspondent that considering the huge cost of treatment for leukaemia, the government was also considering free treatment for adults below poverty line and subsidised rates for those...

Can a city’s bird count impact its health? Well, if ornithologists are to be believed, it can. Jamshedpur has shown two clear trends in terms of its avian population. One, the number of crows has dwindled to less than 5,000 now from 20,000 in the recent past. Two, the number of pigeons (also called rock dove) has increased to 10,000 from4,000 to 5,000. And this, a city ornithologist says, can be dangerous...