Intracytoplasmic sperm injection in non-severe male infertility fails to improve outcomes: Study

A recent study conducted across ten reproductive centers in China suggests that the widely-used fertility treatment known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may not provide better outcomes than conventional in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in cases of non-severe male infertility. The findings published in The Lancet journal are expected to influence clinical practices and patient choices by emphasizing the importance of tailoring fertility treatments to specific medical profiles.

ICSI was introduced in 1992 and was initially designed to overcome severe male infertility by directly injecting a single sperm into an egg. This method has become a common procedure throughout the globe, for severe cases and for a broader range of fertility issues, including non-severe male infertility.

The multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial enrolled a total of 2,387 couples dealing with non-severe male infertility. These couples were without any prior history of poor fertilization issues and were randomly assigned to undergo either ICSI or conventional IVF. The primary focus of the study was the live birth rate after the first embryo transfer.

After several screening and adjustments that included the exclusion of ineligible participants or those who withdrew consent, this study analyzed outcomes for 1,154 couples in the ICSI group and 1,175 in the conventional IVF group. The results observed from April 2018 to November 2021 revealed that the live birth rates were quite similar between the two groups. Also, 33.8% of the couples in the ICSI group and 36.6% in the IVF group achieved live births where the adjusted risk ratio was 0.92, which was not statistically significant (p=0.16).

The research also recorded neonatal mortality that marked slightly higher incidents in the ICSI group (0.2%) when compared to the IVF group (0.1%). This findings raised concerns about the risks associated with the more invasive nature of ICSI, unlike conventional IVF which involves the direct injection of sperm into the egg. Overall, the outcomes of this study advises caution in the routine use of ICSI for couples where male infertility does not reach a severe threshold.

Source:

Wang, Y., Li, R., Yang, R., Zheng, D., Zeng, L., Lian, Y., Zhu, Y., Zhao, J., Liang, X., Li, W., Liu, J., Tang, L., Cao, Y., Hao, G., Wang, H., Zhang, H., Wang, R., Mol, B. W., Huang, H., & Qiao, J. (2024). Intracytoplasmic sperm injection versus conventional in-vitro fertilisation for couples with infertility with non-severe male factor: a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial. In The Lancet (Vol. 403, Issue 10430, pp. 924–934). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(23)02416-9

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Heart failure, not stroke most common complication of atrial fibrillation, claims study

The lifetime risk of atrial fibrillation (a heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate) has increased from one in four to one in three over the past two decades, finds a study from Denmark in The BMJ today.

And among those with the condition, two in five are likely to develop heart failure over their remaining lifetime and one in five encounter a stroke, with little or no improvement in risk evident over the 20 year study period.

As such, the researchers say stroke and heart failure prevention strategies are needed for people with atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is estimated to affect 18 million people in Europe by 2060 and 16 million people in the US by 2050. In the English NHS alone, more new cases of atrial fibrillation are diagnosed each year than the four most common causes of cancer combined, and direct expenditure on atrial fibrillation has reached £2.5 billion.

Once atrial fibrillation develops, patient care has primarily focused on the risk of stroke, but other complications such as heart failure and heart attack have yet to be fully explored.

To address this knowledge gap, researchers analysed national data for 3.5 million Danish adults with no history of atrial fibrillation at age 45 or older to see whether they developed atrial fibrillation over a 23 year period (2000-22).

All 362,721 individuals with a new diagnosis of atrial fibrillation during this time (46% women and 54% men) but with no complications, were subsequently followed until a diagnosis of heart failure, stroke or heart attack.

Potentially influential factors such as history of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart failure, chronic lung and kidney disease, family income and educational attainment, were also taken into account.

The results show that the lifetime risk of atrial fibrillation increased from 24% in 2000-10 to 31% in 2011-22. The increase was larger among men and individuals with a history of heart failure, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease.

Among those with atrial fibrillation, the most common complication was heart failure (lifetime risk 41%). This was twice as large as the lifetime risk of any stroke (21%) and four times greater than the lifetime risk of heart attack (12%).

Men showed a higher lifetime risk of complications after atrial fibrillation compared with women for heart failure (44% vs 33%) and heart attack (12% vs 10%), while the lifetime risk of stroke after atrial fibrillation was slightly lower in men than women (21% vs 23%).

Over the 23-year study period, there was virtually no improvement in the lifetime risk of heart failure after atrial fibrillation (43% in 2000-10 vs 42% in 2011-22) and only slight (4-5%) decreases in the lifetime risks of any stroke, ischaemic stroke, and heart attack after atrial fibrillation, which were similar among men and women.

This is an observational study, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, and the authors acknowledge that they may have missed patients with undiagnosed atrial fibrillation. Nor did they have information on ethnicity or lifestyle factors, and say results may not apply to other countries or settings.

But despite these caveats, they conclude: “Our novel quantification of the long term downstream consequences of atrial fibrillation highlights the critical need for treatments to further decrease stroke risk as well as for heart failure prevention strategies among patients with atrial fibrillation.”

Interventions to prevent stroke have dominated atrial fibrillation research and guidelines during this study period, but no evidence suggests that these interventions can prevent incident heart failure, say UK researchers in a linked editorial.

They call for alignment of both randomised clinical trials and guidelines “to better reflect the needs of the real-world population with atrial fibrillation” and say this robust observational research “provides novel information that challenges research priorities and guideline design, and raises critical questions for the research and clinical communities about how the growing burden of atrial fibrillation can be stopped.”

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Depression may increase risk of gout study

Depression may increase the risk of gout suggests a new study published in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.

The co-disease of depression and gout is becoming more common in the modern era. However, the relationship between the severity of depressive symptoms and gout prevalence and treatment rate was still unclear. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the prevalence, treatment rate of gout, and the severity of depression in the United States. The cross-sectional analysis of the 2007-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for participants with depression was performed. According to their Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores, participants were categorized as none, mild, moderate, moderately severe, and severe. To learn the correlation between the severity of depressive symptoms and the prevalence and treatment rate of gout using multivariate logistic regression to control for confounder interference. Results: A total of 25 022 patients were included in this study. As the severity of the depressive symptoms worsened (Mild, Moderate and Moderately severe), the risk of gout increased in non-adjusted model and model 1,2,3 (p-value for trend =.01 in non-adjusted model, <.0001 in model 1, <.01 in models 2 and 3; prevalence group in Model 1, aOR1.71, 95% CI (1.40, 2.08) in the mild group, aOR1.68, 95% CI (1.19, 2.39) in the moderate group, aOR1.31,95% CI (0.82, 2.11) in the moderately severe group, aOR1.21, 95% CI (0.62, 2.38) in the severe group). However, the lower gout prevalence trend has no statistical significance after adjusting all factors in Model 4(p-value for trend =.98). Compared with patients without depression, only a few patients received treatment, especially patients with severe depression (none, 80.1%; severe, 0.2%). The more severe the depression, the lower the treatment rate. Compared with patients without depression, the patients with depression had a higher risk of gout. With the aggravation of depression, the prevalence of gout and the rate of treatment both decreased. Patients with gout and depression need to receive multidisciplinary care after diagnosis. However, currently, treatment cannot meet the needs of the current patients.

Reference:

Lu S, Qian T, Cao F, Kang T, Liu X, Wang C, Xia Y, Hou X. Prevalence and treatment rate of gout by depressive symptom severity: A cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 2007-2018. Int J Rheum Dis. 2024 Jan;27(1):e14959. doi: 10.1111/1756-185X.14959. Epub 2023 Nov 20. PMID: 37984452.

Keywords:

Depression, risk, gout, Lu S, Qian T, Cao F, Kang T, Liu X, Wang C, Xia Y, Hou X, NHANES; co-morbidity; depression; gout; prevalence; treatment.

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Does watching TV or videos during the day affect nighttime urination?

In a study published in Neurourology and Urodynamics, adults who spent 5 or more hours a day watching TV and/or videos were more likely to develop nocturia, or the need to urinate multiple times during the night.

The study drew from 2011–2016 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Among 13,294 US individuals aged 20 and older, 4,236 (31.86%) reported experiencing nocturia, while 9,058 (68.14%) did not. Participants with 5 or more hours of TV and/or video viewing time per day had a 48% higher risk of experiencing nocturia compared with those with less than 1 hour of daily TV and/or video viewing time.

“As individuals increasingly engage in screen‐based activities, a comprehensive understanding of the impact of extended TV and/or video time on patterns of nocturia is crucial for both healthcare professionals and public health practitioners,” the authors wrote. “For individuals who engage in prolonged TV and/or video time, healthcare professionals can offer behavioral intervention recommendations, encouraging appropriate screen time management.”

Reference:

Junwei Wang, Aiwei Zhang, Miaoyong Ye, Cunming Zhang, Association between TV and/or video time and nocturia in adults: An analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Neurourology and Urodynamics, https://doi.org/10.1002/nau.25406.

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Lack of infrastructure, teaching staff: Former Medical Council member moves HC seeking discontinuation of CPS courses

Mumbai: Challenging the three notifications that allowed the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS) to continue its 19 medical courses, the former president of the Maharashtra branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and a former member of the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) approached the Bombay High Court recently.

Worried over the inadequate infrastructure, equipment and teaching and non-teaching staff for the students, Dr Suhas Pingle in his Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has prayed for an order restraining CPS from affiliating or permitting any clinics and hospitals to admit the students for its post-graduate diploma or fellowship courses, reports HT.

In his plea, Dr. Pingle submitted that he recently came to know that clinics are affiliated with CPS as their training and teaching hospitals to confer their medical degrees. As per Dr. Pingle, such clinics and hospitals do not have the essential infrastructure, teaching and non-teaching staff, and equipment. He further claimed that there was no transparency in the process of admitting students to various postgraduate courses and to conduct examinations and evaluation of answer sheets.

The HC bench has listed the PIL for further hearing on April 22, 2024.

Last year, the Maharashtra Government de-recognised the CPS courses and asked the medical institutes and hospitals not to admit students for any of the 26 diplomas or fellowships offered by CPS, Mumbai. However, the State had clarified that the candidates who had already been admitted to these PG courses before notification would not be affected by this.

However, this year, the State Medical Education Department issued a gazette notification on March 15 reintroducing the 10 CPS courses dermatology, midwifery and gynaecology, gynaecology, pathology, surgery, medicine, ophthalmology and diploma courses in gynaecology and obstetrics, pathology and bacteriology, and child health.

Also Read: 10 CPS courses to restart in Maharashtra

According to a recent report by Hindustan Times, Dr. Pingle has challenged the validity of the notifications issued in 2017 and 2018 and argued that the concerned notifications allowed 9 PG courses offered by CPS at 5 specific medical colleges. However, later, those 5 colleges stopped admitting CPS students and started their own MD or MS courses. Referring to this, the petitioner claimed that the CPS courses have been recognised even in those 5 colleges and considering this, it was required to strike down the notifications.

Apart from this, the petitioner has also challenged the notification issued on March 15, 2024, through which 10 CPS courses were re-recognised. Dr. Pingle argued that even though the concerned notification stated that it was issued under Section 28(1) of the MMC Act, after consultations with the MMC, the state-appointed MMC administrator was not present in the meeting in which it was decided to allow the said courses.

Objecting the decision of allowing CPS to continue these 10 courses, the petitioner claimed that 72 hospitals did not even allow MMC inspectors to inspect their premises to check if those institutes had adequate facilities for training the doctors for PG and Fellowship courses offered by CPS.

The petitioner has also challenged the constitutional validity of section 28 of the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) Act, which empowers the State Government for including any course offered by any university or medical college in the Schedule to the Act and therefore confers legal validity on the course across the State.

He argued that the MMC Act is enacted for dealing with the registration of qualified persons to practice modern scientific medicine to take disciplinary action in the case of misconduct and not to deal with medical education.

Referring to Section 10 of the MMC Act, Dr. Pingle further submitted that the concerned section limits the power of MMC to regulate the registration of medical professionals to prescribe the code of conduct and take disciplinary action. Therefore, the provision contained in section 28 was ultra-vires- beyond the scope of the Act, argued the petitioner.

Also Read: Maharashtra derecognises College of Physicians and Surgeons courses

The CPS Controversy:

Established in 1912, CPS Mumbai is an autonomous body that imparts Postgraduate medical education and offers fellowship, diploma, and certificate courses for medical professionals. For the Diploma courses, the tenure is two years; in case of Fellowship, the tenure is three years. After obtaining the qualification granted by CPS Mumbai, the practitioners are allowed to register themselves as specialists in the concerned speciality.

CPS courses have been facing major controversies for a long time. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that referring to significant gaps in the standards or institutes offering CPS courses, the medical education department of Maharashtra previously wrote to the Union Health Ministry asking for its opinion on whether counselling can be conducted for around 1,100 CPS seats.

Writing to the Centre, the department referred to the inspection of the Maharashtra Medical Council conducted last year and how during the inspection, MMC had found “severe deficiencies” in several institutes. In fact, the Central Government has also set up an eight-member committee to look into the matter.

The controversy continued further and then the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) recommended to the Union Health Ministry to withdraw the popular DPB- Diploma in Pathology and Bacteriology, DCH – Diploma in Child Health and DGO- Diploma Gynecology and Obstetrics courses run by CPS from the next academic year.

After NMC, the National Board of Examinations (NBE) also offered rejection to the CPS courses by refusing to bring them under the aegis of the NBE. At this outset, States including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Karnataka were reportedly considering decreasing the intake for the CPS courses or discontinuing them.

Last year, the Maharashtra Government then de-recognised the courses offered by CPS and asked the medical institutes and hospitals not to admit students for any of the 26 diplomas or fellowships offered by CPS, Mumbai.

Ultimately the matter reached the Court and filing a plea, CPS argued that 10 courses which were recognised under NMC Act 2019 cannot be de-recognised by the State. Thereafter, in December 2023, the State filed an affidavit in the Bombay HC and stated that it would review its decision.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that last year, opposing the plea by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, which challenged the State Government’s decision to de-recognise the CPS courses, former MMC member Dr. Suhas Pingle had approached the Bombay HC.

Also Read: CPS challenges derecognition, Former Medical Council member moves HC against petition

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Kozhikode MCH Sexual Assault Case: Complaint filed against gynaecologist

Kozhikode: Accusing the gynaecologist of failing to gather scientific evidence and inaccurately documenting her statement, the survivor of the sexual assault case at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (MCH) has lodged a formal complaint against her and threatened to organize a demonstration if the police do not take appropriate action.   

Demanding legal action against the gynaecologist, the survivor has urged the City Police Commissioner and the officials to provide her with a copy of the investigation report within 48 hours.

Failing to do so, she warned that she would resume her protest and announced her plan to hold a demonstration outside the commissioner’s office.

Also read- Kozhikode MCH Sexual Assault Case: Chief Nursing Officer, Nursing Superintendent Transferred

This comes after the survivor previously filed a complaint against the gynaecologist alleging that the doctor failed to record a significant portion of her statements and had conspired to save the accused as reported by Asianet News.

Therefore, she recently approached the Kozhikode City Police Commissioner to inquire about the status of the investigation into her complaint and filed a fresh complaint against the gynaecologist. 

In her complaint, the survivor also alleged that the doctor demeaned her when nurses requested documentation of her bodily injuries.

Medical Dialogues team recently reported that senior Nursing officer P B Anitha resumed her duties at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) on Sunday, marking the end of her sit-in protest outside the hospital. Her demonstration was prompted by the hospital’s refusal to reinstate her despite a High Court directive.

In March 2023, a woman patient admitted to the post-surgery Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Kozhikode Medical College Hospital was allegedly raped by a 55-year-old employee at the hospital on March 18. The victim claimed that the employee exploited her while she was in a semi-conscious state after undergoing thyroid surgery at the medical college hospital. 

Following this, five hospital staff were suspended for attempting to influence the accused and Chief Nursing Officer and Nursing Superintendent were transferred for failing to address a complaint filed by a Senior Nursing Officer who stood by the rape survivor in the case.

Also read- Kozhikode MCH ICU Sexual Assault Case: Nursing Officer Rejoins Duty

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Submit details of stipend paid to MBBS interns, resident doctors: NMC issues deadline to all medical colleges

 In compliance with the directions issued by the Supreme Court, asking for the details of the stipend paid to the MBBS interns and resident doctors, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed medical colleges across the country to submit the details by 23rd April 2024.

Issuing a public notice, the Apex medical education regulatory body has asked for the details of the stipend paid to their UG Interns, Post-Graduate Residents, and Senior Residents or PGs in Super Specialty for the financial year 2023-24 as per the annexure provided with the notice.

For more details, check out the full story on the link below:

NMC Gives Deadline To All Medical Colleges To Submit Details Of Stipend Paid To MBBS Interns, Resident Doctors


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Sir Ganga Ram Hospital’s 69th Foundation Day: Rs 60 crores spent on poor patients

New Delhi: Over the last seven decades, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has been providing the best medical treatment, embodying the vision of its esteemed founder, Sir Ganga Ram, to offer top notch health care services to the community. 

Sir Ganga Ram Trust Society, Board of Management, consultants and staff of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital celebrated its 69th Founder’s Day on 13th April, 2024. Dr Jitendra Prasad- Additional DG of the Ministry of Health was the chief guest. The atmosphere was filled with a sense of gratitude and admiration for the visionary who made such a significant impact on the lives of countless individuals.

Also Read:Sir Ganga Ram Hospital signs MoU with Religare Enterprises Ltd to strengthen Arunachal Pradesh’s healthcare services

The celebration started in the morning with a garlanding ceremony in which the management and staff paid rich floral tribute to Sir Ganga Ram, founder of the hospital. Later in the day, Dr. Jitendra Prasad- Additional DG (JP) of Health Services, Ministry of Health said, ” Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is well known for its excellence in academics and research.

It is rendering selfless and exemplary services to the society and supports those who cannot meet the expense of high-priced treatment. Hospital is building the trust and confidence of people. Unique, friendly and family like atmosphere of the hospital. The hospital has a self-sustaining model.”

Speaking on the occasion, Dr D.S Rana, Chairman at Sir Ganga Ram Trust Society, also a renowned Nephrologist and Padma Shri Awardee, said, “This hospital has diligently followed in the footsteps of Sir Ganga Ram, with charitable activities at the forefront. We take immense pride in continuing the legacy and each member of our team, including consultants, Para-medical staff, and administrative personnel, has unwaveringly upheld the ethos and principles of Sir Ganga Ram.

Additionally, we take pride in our strong emphasis on research and academics, which keeps us at the forefront and sets us apart. Here, we function as a cohesive family, and it’s crucial to maintain a clear vision as we progress forward.”

The hospital has been an example of medical excellence and compassionate care for nearly seven decades providing exceptional medical care to those in need. And today, it was a day of great importance – the Founder’s Day celebration. This occasion not only honours the remarkable contributions of Sir Ganga Ram but also celebrates the hospital’s journey of excellence in healthcare since its establishment.

Speaking further, Dr. Ajay Swaroop, Chairman, Board of Management, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital presented the hospital performance report for the year 2023-24.

Dr Swaroop Said, “The charity and free work have been considered as the second pillar of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. In the financial year (2023-24) the hospital spent 60 crores on free treatment to poor patient. Sir Ganga Ram hospital is the biggest charitable hospital in India. Sir Ganga Ram has provided free surgeries for 2647 patients, 20,078 free X-ray, 2,238 free MRI and 2,661 free CT scan during the year 2023 to 2024.

He highlighted the stellar performance of the hospital staff, excellent patient care, hospital’s commitment to charity and free work and hospital’s firm belief in academics and research activities.” He also enumerated various awards and accolades received by the hospital and Dr. (Prof) I C Verma, Doyen of Genetics, Padma Shri Awardee.

Dr Swaroop also shared that very shortly a comprehensive and holistic cancer care center will be commissioned along with 200 additional beds.

Mrs. Sujata Sharma, Vice Chairman, Sir Ganga Ram Trust Society, paid tribute to Sir Ganga Ram, who was distinguished philanthropist and a civil engineer who established the prestigious Sir Ganga Ram Hospital with a vision to provide quality healthcare services to the community. Founder’s Day has also been an occasion when the hospital coumarate the services of the employees who have contributed years of their lives to the journey of the hospital by felicitating them with long service awards, awards and best employees awards to distinguished doctors and employees.

A cultural program was presented by the students of the School of Nursing of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and followed by a community lunch for the invitees and the entire hospital staff of more than 4000 people.

Also Read:AP Govt inks MoU with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Religare Enterprises to boost tertiary healthcare services

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Health Bulletin 17/ April/ 2024

Here are the top health stories for the day:

NMC sets deadline for medical colleges to submit MBBS interns’ and resident doctors’ stipend details

In compliance with the directions issued by the Supreme Court, asking for the details of the stipend paid to the MBBS interns and resident doctors, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed medical colleges across the country to submit the details by 23rd April 2024.

Issuing a public notice, the Apex medical education regulatory body has asked for the details of the stipend paid to their UG Interns, Post-Graduate Residents, and Senior Residents or PGs in Super Specialty for the financial year 2023-24 as per the annexure provided with the notice.

For more details, check out the full story on the link below:

NMC Gives Deadline To All Medical Colleges To Submit Details Of Stipend Paid To MBBS Interns, Resident Doctors


NEET PG 2024 includes post-MBBS DNB, diploma, and 6-year DrNB courses; no separate DNB PDCET

There will be no separate DNB PDCET this year for admission to various Post MBBS DNB courses, Direct 6 Years DrNB and Post MBBS Diploma Courses and the merit list of NEET PG 2024 will be utilised for admission to these courses. This was recently announced by the National Board of Examination (NBE) in its NEET PG 2024 information bulletin.

The NBE has invited applications for the NEET PG 2024 for admission to various MD, MS, PG Diploma Courses, Post MBBS DNB Courses, Post MBBS Direct 6-year DrNB courses and NBEMS diploma courses. On this, NBE has released the information bulletin of NEET PG 2024 which details the merit list, eligibility criteria and allotment and reservation of seats for Post MBBS DNB, Direct 6-year DRNB and NBEMS Diploma courses. The registration process for NEET PG 2024 has started from 16th April 2024 from 3 PM onwards and will be valid till 6th May 2024 at 11:55 pm.

For more details, check out the full story on the link below:

No Separate DNB PDCET This Year! NEET PG 2024 For Post MBBS DNB, Diploma And Direct 6-Year DrNB Courses


MKCG Medical College Hospital successfully performs laparoscopic bilateral adrenalectomy on 9-year-old girl

Berhampur: Doctors at the government-run MKCG Medical College and Hospital recently achieved a milestone by performing a laparoscopic bilateral adrenalectomy on a 9-year-old girl suffering from Cushing syndrome, an exceptionally rare condition. This marked the first instance of such a procedure in the state.

Cushing syndrome is caused due to a rare genetic disease called primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD), an extremely rare disorder with a prevalence of less than one in two lakh. The doctors took around three hours to perform the laparoscopic on April 9, said a doctor.

For more details, check out the full story on the link below:

MKCG Medical College Hospital Doctors Perform Laparoscopic Bilateral Adrenalectomy On 9-Year-Old Girl


Doctor and hospital fined Rs 17 lakh for misdiagnosis, wrong dosage, and record forgery

Palakkad: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC) recently held a doctor and a private hospital in Palakkad guilty of medical negligence for administering the wrong dosage of folitrax containing Methotrexate (MTX) leading to the patient’s death and directed them to pay Rs 17 lakh as compensation. The consumer court noted that there was grave negligence on the part of the orthopaedic doctor and the hospital and records were forged to hide vital information of the treatment.

Filing the plea before the consumer court, the deceased patient’s family members alleged that the doctor had administered MTX at 7.5 mg twice daily when the medical protocol dictates that the permissible dosage of MTX is 7.5 mg per week.

For more details, check out the full story on the link below:

Misdiagnosis, Prescribing Wrong Dosage, Forging Of Records: Doctor, Hospital Slapped Rs 17 Lakh Compensation

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India refutes Lancet report on its healthcare spending

Following a Lancet report on low healthcare spending, government sources defended their efforts, stating allocation is at an all-time high. The National Health Policy aims for 2.5% of GDP by 2025, urging states to boost health budgets annually. Budget estimates for Health and Family Welfare surged from Rs 36,948 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 86,175 crore in 2023-24, a 133.23% increase.

The 15th Finance Commission allocated Rs 70,051 crore for health grants through local governments. National Health Accounts show a rise in total health expenditure from Rs 4,83,259 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 6,55,822 crore in 2019-20. Government health spending as a percent of GDP increased from 1.13% to 1.35%, with out-of-pocket expenditure decreasing from 62.6% to 47.1%.

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