-The Hindu T.N., Maharashtra among better performing States According to information provided by the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha recently, of the total 25,650 primary health centres (PHCs) in the country, 15,700 (61.2%) function with one doctor each. As many as 1,974 (7.69%) PHCs do not have even a single doctor. As per to the Indian Public Health Standards...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The father of an eight-year-old boy who died in a private hospital in Gurgaon last year from dengue complications said on Thursday the hospital had refunded the full billed amount of about Rs 15 lakh after appeals by an MP and the health ministry. Public health activists said the refund had been made on condition that Gopendra Parmar withdraw the police complaint of overcharging he had filed against...

-The Hindu Farming must be treated as a market-based enterprise and made viable on its own terms The week-long farmers’ march which reached Mumbai earlier this month, on the anniversary of Gandhi’s Dandi March of 1930, was unprecedented in many ways. It was mostly silent and disciplined, mostly leaderless, non-disruptive and non-violent, and well organised. It received the sympathy of middle class city dwellers, food and water from bystanders, free medical services...

-The Times of India MUMBAI: A new set of global guidelines on managing diabetes that aim to replace those followed for over three decades, has stirred up a controversy within the medical community. Medical practitioners here in India feel the guidelines which recommend relaxing blood sugar targets will, not only lead to serious complications in diabetics, but also confusion in treatment protocol, advising that these should be ignored for Indians. There were over...

-The Hindu Right to dignity includes right to refuse treatment and die with dignity. In a historic decision, the Supreme Court on Friday declared passive euthanasia and the right of persons, including the terminally ill, to give advance directives to refuse medical treatment permissible. A Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, in three concurring opinions, upheld that the fundamental right to life and dignity includes right to refuse treatment...