-Livemint India decides to frame policy that will incentivize local manufacturing of raw materials, bulk drugs New Delhi: Six years back when China shut factories making drug ingredients to reduce pollution levels before Beijing Olympics, Indian bulk drug makers which depend on them suffered. Now, India has decided to frame a policy which will incentivize local manufacturing of raw materials and bulk drugs, and discourage Indian pharmaceutical firms from importing them. Please click...

-The Indian Express The era of globalised markets is also an era of globalised sovereignties. Nation states must constantly sync their policies with global constituencies of policies and citizens. At times, domestic disharmony is the price nation states may be required and willing to pay. The case in point here is the proposed review of the intellectual property rights (IPR) policy, particularly those clauses that are related to pharmaceutical patent policy....

-The Hindu Business Line Through the ‘Sukrutham' scheme, the Kerala Government aims to take advanced cancer treatment to the poorest Kerala: "We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up or fight like hell," Lance Armstrong, champion cycle racer, who recovered from advanced testicular cancer once said about his battle against cancer. The American, fortunately, had the money to pay for the extremely expensive treatment. But, for the majority of 1.75 lakh...

-Livemint NHAM aims to provide all citizens with free drugs and diagnostic treatment, as well as insurance cover to treat serious ailments New Delhi: India's universal health plan that aims to offer guaranteed benefits to a sixth of the world's population will cost an estimated Rs1.6 trillion ($26 billion) over the next four years, a senior health ministry official said. Under the National Health Assurance Mission (NHAM), Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government...

-Livemint The health ministry will also digitize various govt-run health centres including primary health centres, community health centres and hospitals New Delhi: The Union health ministry is rolling out an online database of medicines stocked at government-run health centres and a centralized agency to procure drugs as patient groups and civil society organizations highlight shortages triggering greater drug immunity and higher treatment costs. The ministry will also digitize various government-run health centres...