Author: BharatSpeaks
A new nationwide survey has revealed a startling public health challenge—nine out of ten Indians suffer from dental problems, yet only 9% actively seek dental care. The findings underscore a deep-rooted gap in oral health awareness, access, and preventive behavior across the country. The data comes from the Oral Health Movement (OHM), an expansive screening initiative conducted in collaboration with the Indian Dental Association (IDA) and Colgate-Palmolive India. Over 4.5 million individuals were surveyed across 700 districts and 18,000 PIN codes, making it one of the most comprehensive oral health assessments in India’s history. Widespread Risk, Minimal Action The survey…
In a determined push to eliminate tuberculosis by the end of 2025, the Rajasthan government has launched one of India’s largest public health mobilizations—a statewide door-to-door TB survey involving more than 50,000 ASHA workers. The campaign, which began this week and will run until July 11, targets early detection of active TB cases, especially among high-risk and vulnerable populations. These include individuals living with HIV, diabetes, and malnutrition, as well as tobacco users, alcohol-dependent individuals, migrant laborers, tribal communities, and people in overcrowded or unhygienic conditions such as slums, jails, mining camps, and construction sites. A Grassroots Approach to Detection…
An unregistered hospital in the Baragaon area of Varanasi has been shut down and an FIR ordered after serious allegations of fraud under the central government’s flagship healthcare program, Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). The move follows a direct complaint by a local beneficiary to a senior state minister and highlights renewed state efforts to curb misuse of public health funds. A Patient’s Complaint Unveils the Deception The action stems from a grievance raised by Surendra Banwasi, a resident of Nayepur village, who told authorities that Asha Hospital had charged his family for treatment despite the…
India’s top virology institute has developed a low-cost, portable diagnostic kit for the Nipah virus that promises 100% accuracy, marking a major milestone in the country’s epidemic preparedness. The innovation, unveiled by the Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV) in Pune, is priced at just ₹250 and can detect the virus within 1 to 2 hours, even in remote field settings with no access to laboratories. The test uses Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) technology, a method that amplifies viral genetic material without the need for specialized RT-PCR machines. It is designed to be deployed in districts like…
In a significant step toward eliminating one of India’s most persistent genetic disorders, the Government of India has launched a nationwide deployment of affordable sickle cell anaemia test kits, reducing the cost of screening from an average of ₹350 to under ₹50 per kit. The move is a key milestone in the government’s National Sickle Cell Elimination Programme, which seeks to screen 70 million individuals across tribal and high-risk populations in states like Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha—regions where up to 1 in 70 children are born with the disease. A Strategic Breakthrough in Public Health The low-cost kits,…
In a bold assertion of India’s ambitions to become a digital-first society, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Shekhar, said no Indian should be left “out of network”—either digitally or medically—as the country advances from “digital dependence to digital dominance.” Speaking at the ETHealthWorld FutureMedX conference on Monday, the Minister outlined a sweeping vision for the future of healthcare in India, one deeply integrated with digital infrastructure and guided by a commitment to equity and accessibility. “Let’s ensure that in our drive to innovate, we also ensure no one is excluded,” Dr. Chandra Shekhar…