On July 16, 1991, the world's first hospital on a train chugged out of Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus on its maiden journey. Twenty-six years later, the Lifeline Express (also called Jeevan Rekha Express) continues to take a multitude of medical services, from major surgeries to dedicated cancer treatment, to the people of India.
More rural women are having babies in government hospitals. Facilities have improved, but Bihar has is a long way to go in public health.
'Even if the clinical trials are successful and we have a couple of vaccines by the end of this year, we still need the hundreds of billions of doses, which will take time'
'If we cannot handle an epidemic of that strata, (causing that kind) of excessive calamity, then we really have to prevent it.' 'If we become complacent in even preventing it, then we are in for a disaster.'
The Naz Foundation is trying to sensitise workplaces towards the LGBT community, reports Geetanjali Krishna.
'If it doesn't happen, we may be in for a difficult time.' 'Our biggest problem is our population and the fact we are a very social people.' 'However, I would say two months is more than enough time for things to settle down.'
'If our body is able to mount a very successful immune response, we can negate the virus.'
Personal health and hygiene are a pre-requisite for donating blood.
'The only idea -- the only idea -- of the shutdown was to buy time.'
2.3 million people are opioid-dependent. 860,000 people are opioid users. 123,000 people are heroin-dependent.
'SARS-CoV-2 is going to change to avoid/overcome any thing thrown at it.'
'People are just putting the mask below their nose.' 'They are only protecting the mouth, but not the nose.' 'People need to understand that it is the nose which has to be protected.'
'The genetic thing is not in your control. The virulence is not known.' 'The only thing is if you can avoid it.' 'Once you get COVID-19, none of it is in your control.'
'In 2009 we had 741 new cases of polio. This was the highest in the world. We ran the most apolitical crusade ever. We had the support of every government. We were never short of funds. The central government gave us Rs 11,000 crore a year. In 2011 we had 42 new cases. From 42 to 0 was our most difficult phase,' Mission Director Anuradha Gupta tells Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar in an exclusive interview about India's monumental campaign to eradicate polio.
'Healthcare is so expensive that while it saves lives, it destroys more lives socially and financially.' 'While the poor gets wiped out, a middle-class man goes to a corporate hospital and after the treatment, he ends up below the poverty line.' 'Generally, hospitals would like to have patients who need procedures and operations.' 'They are not so fond of palliative care.' 'How much can be made from one hour of counselling? And how much can be made from one hour of an operation?'
Few drugs in the market are not approved by the authorities and can be life-threatening.
'Every disease has traits and we have found out that actually 99 per cent of people who have got COVID-19, should recover.'
If you have fever over 105 degree Fahrenheit, experience sweating and fatigue, it could be signs of malaria, warns Dr Ajay Aggarwal.
India will provide immediate medical visa for patient and an attendant coming for treatment as well as business visa for 3-5 years for SAARC nations.
It is important to visit an obstetrician as soon as you miss your first period after intercourse, suggests Dr Danny Laliwalla.
Drug maker Cipla always fought a lone battle to make drugs affordable in India.
Her appointment as World Health Organisation's deputy director offers an opportunity to push for improving the medical research environment in India.
A virologist answers questions on the deadly virus presently haunting the world.
'The majority of transmission will be via people who are within two metres of one another.' 'The closer you are, the more likely that you'll be infected.'
'"The end" depends on two things.' 'Either you develop a vaccine which is effective or if you have a drug, you can terminate this infection very quickly.' 'Otherwise, you have to depend on herd immunity.' 'I think it should happen earlier. Far earlier, than we can imagine or achieve 'herd immunity'.'
Thirty-seven-year-old Indian-American physician Vivek Hallegere Murthy has been confirmed as the 19th surgeon general of America by the United States senate. He is youngest person and first person of Indian-origin to hold the post.
The Union Health Ministry, which has drawn new guidelines for treating rape victims, has asked all hospitals to set up a designated room for forensic and medical examination of victims besides outlawing the two-finger test performed on them, dubbing it as unscientific.
'Our drains are not filled with bodies, our hospitals not run out of beds.' 'That good news, or absence of expected bad news, is the truth that so many in the international community, and also within India, seem unable to handle,' notes Shekhar Gupta.
Nanotechnology researcher Dr Anita Goel feels that India can benefit from the gene Radar sensing technology which can detect the presence or absence of a disease's pathogen with the same accuracy available only in a diagnostic lab, reports Suman Guha Mozumder.
'This is a stirring, touching film but it stays impressively away from overt manipulation.' 'It is a film about smarts,' says Raja Sen after watching Dallas Buyers' Club.
The impact from NELM on the Indian pharmaceutical sector is estimated to be around Rs 6,000 crore.
'The worst case scenario is a rebound of the virus.' 'Life is not going to be what it was.' 'Life as we know it has changed forever.' 'The new normal therefore is test, trace and treat.'
A nine-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar, heard marathon arguments for six days over a period of three weeks and reserved its verdict on the issue whether right to privacy can be held as a fundamental right under the Constitution.
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India has been pursuing measures that discriminate against overseas businesses, says US Congressman Erik Paulsen.
Mandatory prescription of generic names is not a complete solution. Rather, in the absence of a range of approaches, it could mean passing the choice of selecting a drug from a doctor to a pharmacist, says Chandrakant Lahariya.
Time is running out: Will India manage to attain goals set by the UN.
The government plans to rationalise trade margins for many other medical devices, besides stents and knee implants.
Health insurance has almost 23 per cent market share in the general insurance space.
A Ganesh Nadar visits the bustling centre that hosts Tamil Nadu's health helpline that answers more than 100 medical queries an hour.
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