Health minister visits Gandhi Hospital, directs action against absent doctors

During a surprise visit to Gandhi Hospital on Tuesday, Health Minister C Damodar Raja Narasimha raised serious concerns over staff attendance and service inefficiencies. Several doctors, including professors and associate professors, were found absent during the visit.

The unapproved absenteeism prompted the minister to direct senior officials to investigate and hold those responsible accountable for neglecting their duties. Rajanarsimha ordered the hospital superintendent and the Director of Medical Education (DME) to issue show-cause notices to the absent medical professionals, demanding an explanation for their unauthorized absence.

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Ayushman Card Scam: Khyati Hospital Chairman sent to 6 days police remand

Ahmedabad: The chairman of Khyati Hospital in Ahmedabad, Kartik Patel, who is currently in Sabarmati Central Jail following his arrest for the deaths of two PMJAY beneficiaries after a botched angioplasty in November last year, has been placed under a six-day custodial remand for interrogation by the Crime Branch in connection with a PMJAY card racket. 

This development comes after the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) of Ahmedabad City Police approached a magisterial court to request Patel’s custody for 14 days. Their investigation revealed his alleged role in issuing Ayushman cards to ineligible individuals, enabling fraudulent claims under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

Also read- PMJAY Angioplasty Deaths Case: Khyati Hospital Chairman arrested

This year, the crime branch busted a racket where Ayushman cards were issued to ineligible persons. The investigation allegedly revealed the involvement of office-bearers of Khyati Hospital, which also included Patel in the list. Previously, Chirag Rajput, CEO of Khyati Multispecialty Hospital, was arrested in this regard. 

During the probe, police recovered between 1,200 and 1,500 cards issued to ineligible candidates at a nominal price, enabling them to illegally get access to the scheme benefits. While the crime branch requested 14 days of custody of him, the court granted only six days for interrogation.

As per the Indian Express news report, Patel was arrested on Tuesday from Sabarmati Central Jail in connection with the case and was interrogated before being presented in court. The court approved his custodial interrogation until March 11.

He has been in jail since his arrest on January 18 in three cases related to the deaths of two PMJAY beneficiaries from Borisana village of Kadi in Mehsana district.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that Kartik Patel was arrested after evading arrest for more than two months in connection with the deaths of two PMJAY beneficiaries. He was arrested after he landed at the Ahmedabad airport from Dubai late on Friday night.

Seven persons underwent angioplasty, a procedure that widens blocked or narrowed coronary arteries to improve blood flow to the heart, at Khyati Multispeciality Hospital on November 11 last year, following which two of them died, prompting Vastrapur police to register three FIRs the next day.

The probe showed the hospital organised free check-up camps in villages to convince Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) cardholders to undergo angioplasty despite no medical necessity. They were shown in the “emergency” category to expedite government approval, after which the hospital claimed payments under the Central scheme.

With Kartik Patel’s arrest, the police have apprehended all nine accused in the case, including the hospital’s CEO and the marketing director.

Also read- Gujarat Medical Council suspends 2 doctors over Angioplasty deaths case

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Cases of Parkinson’s disease set to reach 25 million worldwide by 2050, study suggests

By 2050, there will be 25.2 million people living with Parkinson’s disease worldwide (a 112% increase from 2021), largely due to population aging, suggests a modeling study published by The BMJ.

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Anti-obesity drugs found to benefit kidney transplant recipients with type 2 diabetes

Kidney transplant recipients with type 2 diabetes treated with a new class of anti-obesity drugs were less likely to experience organ failure and survived longer, a new study shows. Not only is obesity a known risk factor for diabetes, but it also increases risk of postsurgical complications, such as inflammation, organ rejection, and early death.

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Are robotic hernia repairs still in the ‘learning curve’ phase?

For an abdominal wall hernia repair, also known as a ventral hernia repair, the most common surgical approaches have been laparoscopic and open techniques. But a new approach for repairing hernias has been steadily growing in popularity: the surgical robot.

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The ‘silent’ X chromosome gives the aging female brain a boost

UCSF researchers may have discovered how the female brain remains resilient in aging, answering an age-old question of how most women outlive men and retain their cognitive abilities longer.

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New STI impacts 1 in 3 women: Study reveals men are the missing link

A study reveals that bacterial vaginosis (BV), a condition affecting nearly a third of women worldwide and causing infertility, premature births and newborn deaths, is in fact a sexually transmitted infection (STI), paving the way for a revolution in how it is treated.

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Seeking Admission To DM Virology? Check Out Feeder Qualification

New Delhi: For the NEET SS 2024 aspirants seeking admission to DM Virology, MD/DNB (Microbiology) has been designated as the feeder qualifications.

DM Virology or Doctorate of Medicine in Virology also known as DM in Virology is a super specialty level course for doctors in India that is done by them after completion of their postgraduate medical degree course. The duration of this super specialty course is 3 years, and it focuses on the study of diagnosis, prevention and management of viral infections.

The NEET SS 2024 correction window ended recently. As per the information bulletin released by the National Board of Examinations (NBE), the feeder qualification for DM Virology is MD/DNB (Microbiology) defined by the NBE and is subject to changes by the NBE.

The eligibility criteria for DM Virology are defined as the set of rules or minimum prerequisites that aspirants must meet in order to be eligible for admission, which include:

Name of course

Course Type

Prior Eligibility Requirement

Virology

DM

 MD/DNB (Microbiology)

NEET SS 2024:

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The applicant must meet/fulfil the following criteria-

1 Candidates who have a recognized postgraduate medical Degree/Provisional Pass Certificate (MD/MS/DNB) or equivalent recognized qualification or are likely to have the same by 30th April 2025 by eligible feeder speciality qualifications for super speciality courses as mentioned in Annexure B of this Information Bulletin can apply for NEET-SS 2024.

2 Candidates found to be ineligible at any stage of NEET-SS 2024 will not be permitted to appear in the examination. In the unlikely event of any ineligible candidate appearing and/or being successful in NEET-SS 2024, the result/ candidature of such candidate shall be cancelled and/or is deemed to be cancelled as and when the ineligibility is detected.

3 The cutoff date for qualifying MD/MS/DNB Broad Specialty/ eligible feeder qualification towards determination of eligibility for appearing in NEET-SS 2024 shall be 30th April 2025.

4 Requests for appearing in NEET-SS 2024 from candidates who are qualifying and/or getting the results of their MD/MS/DNB qualifications/eligible feeder qualifications after 30th April 2025 shall be summarily rejected.

5 Registration with NMC/State Medical Council is mandatory and its documentary proof should be furnished at the test Centre on the examination day.

6 Foreign Nationals including Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders can appear in NEET-SS 2024 without registration with the National Medical Commission (NMC). The NMC may, on payment of the prescribed fee for registration, grant temporary registration for the duration of the post-doctoral course limited to the medical college/institution to which he/she is admitted for the time being exclusively for pursuing postdoctoral studies. Provided further that temporary registration to such foreign national shall be subject to the condition that such person is duly registered with appropriate registering authority in his/her own country where he has obtained his PG Medical qualification and is duly recognised by the corresponding Medical Council or concerned authority.

7 Candidates already pursuing or have joined a Doctoral Course (DM/MCh/DrNB) through NEET-SS are not eligible for admission to DrNB Superspecialty courses through NEET-SS 2024 for the entire duration prescribed for the course already joined by them earlier. This shall be irrespective of their resignation or discontinuation from the said course due to any reason.

8 The FCPS qualifications awarded by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Mumbai are not equivalent to either MD or MS courses. Accordingly, candidates possessing FCPS qualifications awarded by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Mumbai are not eligible to apply for NEET-SS, solely based on their FCPS qualifications.

9 Eligibility of candidates issued admit card for the examination shall be purely provisional. Appearing in NEET-SS 2024 does not confer any automatic rights upon the candidate for admission to DM/MCh/DrNB Super Specialty courses.

Examination Fee

Examination Fee per Group*

Rs. 3500

*Excluding charges as may be applicable by various payment gateways. GST has been EXEMPTED as per Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Govt of India circular no 151/07/2021-GST dated 17.06.2021

Candidate shall be required to pay the examination fee as mentioned above for each group in which he/she chooses to appear. For eg. A candidate with MD Paediatrics qualification who chooses to appear in question papers for both Medical and Paediatric Groups shall be required to pay Rs. 3500 + 3500 = 7000/- towards examination fee. Please refer chapter on details of scheme of examination

Applications forms once submitted cannot be withdrawn. Fee shall neither be carried forward to a future date nor refunded under any circumstances. Application once submitted cannot be withdrawn. Any claim for refund, adjustment or carrying forward of Application fee will not be entertained.

How to pay: The prescribed exam fee should be remitted through payment gateway provided using a Credit Card or a Debit Card issued by banks in India or other modes as may be made available and have been provided on the web page. Fee can not be deposited through any mode other than the payment gateway available while submitting online application form submission.

Examination fees in respect of candidates who are absent or have been declared ineligible due to any reason will be forfeited. Candidates are advised to read the information bulletin for NEET SS 2024 carefully and pay examination fee only if they fulfil eligibility criteria prescribed in the bulletin.

Meanwhile, NBEMS will be conducting the NEET-SS 2024 in two slots in 2 days on a computer-based platform at various exam centres across the country. Interested candidates can start submitting the application form for the NEET-SS 2024. Below is the complete schedule-

SCHEDULE

S.NO

PROCESSES

TIMELINES

1

Online Application Submission.

4th February 2025 (3 PM Onwards) to 24th February 2025 (Till 11:55 PM).

2

Edit Window for All Applicants.

27th February 2025 to 3rd March 2025.

3

Final Edit Window to Rectify Deficient/Incorrect Images (No further opportunity shall be given)

1 Photograph.

2 Signatures.

3 Thumb Impression.

11th March 2025 to 13th March 2025.

4

Issue of Admit Card.

25th March 2025.

5

Examination Date.

29th & 30th March 2025.

6

Cut Off Date for qualifying MD/ MS/DNB Broad Specialty qualification towards determination of eligibility for appearing in NEET-SS 2024.

30th April 2025.

7

Declaration of Result.

By 30th April 2025.

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Delay in Promotions: GMCH 32 Chandigarh Faculty Call for Action

Chandigarh: Amid the ongoing delay in implementing central recruitment and promotion rules, the Faculty Association of Government Medical College and Hospital GMCH, Sector 32, recently held a general body meeting.

Despite Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s announcement in March 2022 that the Central Civil Service Rules would be applied to all employees under the Chandigarh Administration, including GMCH faculty, nearly three years have passed with no action taken to enforce these new rules.

During the recent meeting, this issue was brought to the forefront, where Faculty members of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, expressed their growing discontent. The recruitment and promotional rules for the teaching faculty were officially notified in the Gazette and were meant to take effect from April 1, 2022. However, faculty members are still waiting for these crucial changes, which has led to significant professional stagnation.

Also Read: Expedite Faculty recruitment in GMCHs, HC tells Maharashtra Govt

Prof. Ashwani K Dalal, president of the Faculty Welfare Body, highlighted the severe impact the delay has had on faculty members’ careers. Speaking to TNIE he said, “Many eligible faculty members remain in limbo due to this administrative delay.”

In response to this ongoing issue, the Faculty Welfare Body has resolved to give the Chandigarh Administration until March 10, 2025, to take concrete action towards implementing the new rules. If no progress is made by this deadline, the body has warned that they will consider further measures to push for the implementation of the new rules. Prof. Dalal added that they remain committed to advocating for the rights and career progression of their members and will take all necessary steps to resolve the issue.

Although several central rules have already been implemented—such as the retirement age increase from 62 to 65, adjustments to the pay structure, and a reduction in casual leave—the much-anticipated changes to recruitment and promotions have not materialized. This has not only led to professional stagnation but has also delayed new recruitments, resulting in multiple litigations across various departments.

Also Read: Excess Payment of Rs 70 lakh made to Doctors, Consultants at Safdarjung Hospital : CAG report

Speaking to TNIE, Prof. Dalal said, “We have even received permission from the Ministry of Health to adopt the service rules, yet the Administration has taken no action despite repeated appeals. It can adopt the rules as they are, modify them for Chandigarh, or frame new ones, but a decision must be made soon.”

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ICMR Addendum Exempts AYUSH-Approved Medicines from Extra Safety Trials

New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has published an addendum to the ICMR National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants (2017) to provide a structured ethical framework for Research in Integrative Medicine (RIM).

This initiative marks a significant milestone in strengthening the scientific foundation of Ayush-based integrative healthcare by ensuring ethical rigour and regulatory compliance in research that explores the integration of traditional and modern medical practices.

Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, highlighted the significance of the development and said, “The addition of these ethical guidelines marks a significant step in encouraging the scientific community to explore Integrative Medicine with greater credibility and confidence.

Also Read:ICMR-NIOH to Host Indo-US Conference on Impact of Climate Change on Health

By providing a structured ethical framework, we aim to inspire researchers to advance evidence-based integration of traditional and modern medicine, ensuring safe, effective, and scientifically validated healthcare solutions for all”.

Integrative Medicine (IM) involves a multimodal approach, where Ayush systems are integrated alongside modern/conventional medicine to enhance patient care and improve health outcomes. With growing global interest in holistic and personalised medicine, it is observed that ethical and regulatory clarity is essential to ensure the credibility, safety, and efficacy of integrative approaches.

This addendum aims to guide researchers, institutions, Ethics Committees (ECs), and regulatory bodies involved in Integrative Medicine research, ensuring that scientific integrity and patient safety remain paramount.

The addendum introduces key measures to enhance the ethical and regulatory framework for Integrative Medicine research. Ethics Committees overseeing such research must now include two Ayush subject-matter experts, with at least one being external to the institution, ensuring well-rounded and informed deliberations. Informed consent standards have been strengthened, requiring that research participants receive clear, tailored information about Integrative Medicine interventions while adhering to India’s standard ethical guidelines for biomedical and clinical research.

Additionally, Ayush-approved medicines used in integrative research will not require extra safety trials or preclinical studies. However, non-codified traditional medicines must undergo the entire regulatory approval process. To ensure compliance, all research must align with the Drugs & Cosmetics Act (1940), New Drugs & Clinical Trial Rules (2019), and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines specific to Ayush systems.

Also Read:Integrated approach in Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment to reduce cancer burden: PM Modi

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