The state health department has sought additional 7.6 lakh capsules and syrup of oseltamivir (popularly known as Tamiflu) from the Union government for distribution to rural areas of the state. The fresh demand for oseltamivir, the only prescribed drug to treat swine flu, was triggered by reports of more cases of infection and deaths in rural parts of Maharashtra since the onset of monsoon this year. The department has demanded...

It is not uncommon for private gynaecologists registered under state government-run Chiranjeevi Scheme to ensure institutional deliveries and refer beneficiaries to government Hospitals. But the latest trend is of Chiranjeevi doctors referring cesarean cases to doctors registered under the Central government-run Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) in order to save costs. Even as doctors registered under Chiranjeevi Scheme have repeatedly complained of the low remuneration package offered by the state government...

The shortage of doctors and paramedical staff for the country's poor and downtrodden is assuming alarming proportions. According to the latest data on rural health statistics, a huge number of posts sanctioned for medical staff in primary and community health centers have been lying vacant. Consider the case of primary health centres. The vacancies stack up to 5,224 doctors, 7,243 health care workers and 1701 health assistants, respectively. The situation...

Bengal has the largest proportion of teenage mothers in the country, according to a data sheet prepared by the family planning division of the Union health ministry. The grim statistics emerged on a day the Lok Sabha discussed ways to control population and some MPs found merit in Sanjay Gandhi’s iron-fist policy. But Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad hastened to say “once bitten, twice shy” to make clear forcible measures...

To unlock the lifesaving potential of breast milk, two United Nations agencies have unveiled 10 steps to help mothers successfully breast feed, kicking off World Breastfeeding Week today. According to the UN World Health Organization (WHO), breast milk is the ideal food for newborns and infants because it is safe and gives them the nutrients necessary for healthy development. It also contains antibodies to protect infants from common childhood illnesses. Although exclusive...