-The Indian Express The public health system is failing all stakeholders: practitioners, patients and their families. Doctors — or, more broadly, medical practitioners — are the most important cogs in any health delivery system. They diagnose the sick, devise a course of treatment and follow it through, the lead problem-solvers, as it were. As a series in this newspaper has shown, however, doctors, particularly in the public health system, are overworked...

-Hindustan Times On World Population Day today, the ministry of health and family welfare should be congratulated for committing to enlarge the scope of contraceptive choices to rejuvenate the family planning programme in the country. This move fulfils the long awaited need for expanding the basket of choice in the public healthcare system. To deliver quality family planning services in a spirit of voluntarism and within a rights and accountability framework, the...

-Outlook Vikram Patel is professor of international mental health and founding director of the Centre for Global Mental Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He’s been feat­ured in Time magazine’s 100 most influential people worldwide. He spoke to Priyadarshini Sen on the dark side of mental institutions. Excerpts: * What are your thoughts on labelling a person ‘mad’ and committing him/her to a psychiatric care facility? Well, being admitted...

-Hindustan Times New Delhi: Taking note of the issues raised in HT’s Sick Hospitals investigation, Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain on Friday promised to bring primary healthcare to the doorstep of every Delhiite with neighbourhood clinics, diagnostic labs and free ambulance services. “Currently, Delhi Hospitals score two on (a scale of) 10,” admitted Jain. “Give me two years. They will at least score a six on 10. HT should do a follow-up...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Despite the government's attempt over the years to popularize AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga or Naturopathy Unani, Siddha and homoeopathy), the people at large are still inclined towards allopathy treatment both in rural and urban India. The NSSO survey has found higher inclination towards allopathy treatment-- around 90%--in both rural and urban areas. Only 5 to 7% usage of 'other' type of treatment including AYUSH has been reported...