-The Hindu Workshop held on recommendations of high-level panel Abolition of user fee in hospitals, 24X7 availability of healthcare services, a universal system to provide health care to all those who need it, free supply of medicines, and a strong grievance redressal mechanism. These are some of the demands that evolved out of a workshop on universal access to health care organised by Janaarogya Andolana Karnataka (JAAK) here on Wednesday. Following the recommendations of...

The UPA II’s third anniversary on May 22 may witness a repackaging of old schemes, promises and achievements in the “Report to the people” as the government has little to show for 2011-12. Sources say the 13-chapter report struggles to contest the perception of policy paralysis by pointing out social-sector initiatives based primarily on welfare schemes launched during the UPA I regime or in the first year of UPA II. The government...

Health activists and cancer patients in the US have pounced on Swiss drug multinational Novartis for the high price of its famous, multi-billion dollar anti-cancer drug Glivec, a development which challenges pharma MNCs' claims of cheap access and affordability for patented drugs. Such protests, which began first in Europe, and have now spread to the US, could make it more difficult for pharma MNCs in developing countries to convince sceptical governments...

-Down to Earth Biometric-based unique identity or Aadhaar is leading to huge problems for people working for the rural employment guarantee scheme and for others receiving welfare benefits. Not only have enrolments been done shoddily but the experience of the pilot projects shows that it is almost impossible to authenticate the work-hardened fingerprints of the poor, find Latha Jishnu and Jyotika Sood. Besides, there is the overwhelming issue of deficient online...

-The Hindu Not possible to honour smart cards under present circumstances: Hospitals The Delhi Medical Association has expressed concern over what it called the “total failure” of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) initiated through the Delhi Government to provide free health care to persons belonging to the below poverty line by providing them an insurance of Rs. 30,000 which they could utilise in any hospital in the eventuality of ailment. “The scheme...