Uttarakhand Govt appoints 9 specialist doctors at GMC Srinagar

Dehradun: Health and Medical Education Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat has approved the appointment of nine specialist doctors on a contractual basis at the Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar. 

A walk-in interview was conducted by a committee, chaired by the Vice Chancellor of HNB Uttarakhand Medical Education University, to fill faculty positions at the Government Medical College in Srinagar. Following the selection process, nine specialist doctors were appointed.

Medical Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat announced the appointments, stating that the inclusion of these specialists will enhance the quality of training and teaching activities at the institution. 

Also Read:300 doctors to be recruited, 56 terminated for absenteeism in Uttarakhand

According to the ETV Bharat, Dr. Kuldeep Singh has been appointed Professor in the Department of Cardiology, Dr. Devendra Kumar in the Department of Neurosurgery, and Indira Yadav in the Department of Radiotherapy. Similarly, Dr. Saurabh Sachhar has been appointed Associate Professor in Radiodiagnosis, Vicky Bakshi in Respiratory Medicine, and Dr. Sheeba Rana in the Department of ENT. For Srinagar Medical College, Dr. Nidhi Bahuguna has been appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Gynaecology, Dr. Sufia Khan in the Department of Ophthalmology, and Dr. Chhatra Pal in the Department of Emergency Medicine.

These doctors have been appointed on a contractual basis for three years, or until permanent appointments are made to their respective positions.

Minister Dhan Singh Rawat stated that the addition of experienced specialists will enhance the quality of education and training for MBBS students, while also strengthening healthcare services for the residents of Srinagar and nearby districts.

Also Read:JnK Health Department reshuffle sparks row over Seniority

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that a recent administrative reshuffle in the Jammu & Kashmir Health and Medical Education Department has stirred controversy, with senior doctors and healthcare professionals accusing authorities of violating seniority norms and favouring certain individuals in key appointments. The controversy follows government order No. 429-JK (HME) of 2025, dated June 28, 2025, which details the transfers and postings of 33 doctors in the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK). 

Powered by WPeMatico

NBE extends fee payment deadline for pending Formative Assessment test 2025 applications

New Delhi: The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has issued a notice addressing pending applications for the Formative Assessment Test (FAT) 2025, scheduled to be conducted on November 14, 2025.

The process of online application submission for FAT 2025 requires both the NBEMS training institutions and NBEMS trainees to complete their components of application process.

Whereas the training institutions are required
to add the trainees who would be appearing in the FAT 2025 and make the necessary
payments of examination fee, the respective NBEMS trainees who are added by the
institution to appear in FAT 2025 are required to upload their photograph, signature,
and select the test cities. The application process is completed only when both
the components of the application are successfully completed within the
prescribed application window. Both the components can be concurrently
completed.

Also Read: NBE notifies on Formative Assessment Test 2025, Check complete details

EXTENDED DEADLINES

To facilitate completion of the pending applications, NBEMS has extended the last date for fee payment by training institutions to October 21, 2025. However, the deadline for trainees to complete their application process remains unchanged at October 22, 2025. No further extension of these dates will be granted.

CATEGORIES OF PENDING APPLICATIONS

NBEMS reviewed the status of applications as of October 16, 2025, and identified several cases where applications remain incomplete. These have been categorised as follows-

S.NO

TRAINEES WHOSE APPLICATION SUBMISSION IS INCOMPLETE AS ON 16th OCTOBER 2025

ACTION TO BE TAKEN BEFORE PRESCRIBED CUT-OFF DATE

1

Application Submitted Payment Pending.

The training institutions are required to make the required payment on/before 21st October 2025.

2

Application Pending Payment Success.

The trainees are required to upload their photograph, signature, and select the test cities on/before 22nd October 2025.

3

Application Pending Payment Pending.

The training institutions are required to make the required payment on/before 21st October 2025.

AND

The trainees are required to upload their photograph, signature, and select the test cities on/before 22nd October 2025.

LOGIN AND SUPPORT INSTRUCTIONS

NBEMS informed that login credentials have already been shared with trainees on their registered email IDs. If not received, candidates are advised to check their spam/junk folders or use the “Get Password” option available on the application login page.

Institutions facing OTP issues during registration can contact NBEMS for updates. The status of fee payments is usually reflected within 24-48 hours after bank reconciliation. NBEMS also clarified that trainees whose applications remain incomplete, due to non-payment of fees by their institutions or non-submission of personal details, will not be permitted to appear for FAT 2025.

To view the notice, click the link below

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/nbe-extends-fee-payment-deadline-for-pending-formative-assessment-test-fat-2025-applications-304960.pdf

Powered by WPeMatico

How lifestyle and environment reshape the sperm epigenome and why it matters for fertility, embryos and child health

A review in Clinical Epigenetics synthesizes growing evidence that paternal lifestyle and environmental exposures such as diet, obesity, smoking, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and stress alter sperm epigenetic marks (DNA methylation, histone retention, and small non-coding RNAs). These changes can influence sperm quality and fertilizing ability, early embryo development, assisted reproduction outcomes, and long-term health risks in offspring.

Powered by WPeMatico

Psychological factors linking pelvic pain and health-related quality of life in endometriosis: influence of illness representations and coping strategies

Endometriosis is a prevalent chronic gynecological condition
characterized by severe pelvic pain, negatively affecting women’s
health-related quality of life. The Common-Sense Model of Illness
Self-regulation has revealed the importance of illness perceptions and coping
strategies in explaining the impact of illness on across several conditions.
These aspects have never been assessed in endometriosis.

Authors aimed to explore the relationship between pelvic
pain severity and health-related quality of life in women with endometriosis,
hypothesizing that illness representations and pain-specific cognitive and
behavioral maladaptive coping strategies influence this relationship.

This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 273 women with
endometriosis who completed an online questionnaire assessing pelvic pain
severity, illness perceptions, specific pain-related coping strategies, and
health-related quality of life. A path analysis through MPlus was conducted to
examine the direct and indirect relationships between variables.

The main findings of this cross-sectional study are that
illness representations and coping strategies partially mediated the
relationship between pelvic pain severity and HRQOL and that maladaptive coping
strategies partially mediated the association between illness perceptions and
HRQOL.

This study is the first to investigate the role of illness
representations and cognitive coping strategies in the relationship between
pelvic pain severity and HRQOL in patients with endometriosis. It indicates
that the relationship between the intensity of illness symptoms (ie, pelvic
pain) and HRQOL is partially mediated by negative illness perceptions, linking
to maladaptive coping strategies (ie, increased pain catastrophizing, guarding,
seeking social assistance, and resting), which, in turn, are associated with a
diminished quality of life. The findings suggest the applicability of the CSM
for conceptualizing the beliefs, perceptions, and cognitive strategies influencing
the relationship between pain severity and HRQOL also in endometriosis
patients. Clinicians should consider assessing illness representations to
identify patients at risk of decreased QOL and employ cognitive therapies to
challenge unhelpful negative illness perceptions and reduce maladaptive coping
strategies, which can worsen the experience of pain caused by endometriosis.

Accordingly, future research should explore experimental
interventions aimed at modifying illness representations or coping strategies
and evaluate their impact on health outcomes in women with endometriosis.

Source: Spinoni M, Capano AU, Porpora MG, et al.
Understanding the psychological factors linking pelvic pain and health-related
quality of life in endometriosis: the influence of illness representations and
coping strategies. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2025;233:54.e1-10.

Powered by WPeMatico

How the auditory cortex syncs with behavior to help the brain become a better listener

When we are engaged in a task, our brain’s auditory system changes how it works. One of the main auditory centers of the brain, the auditory cortex, is filled with neural activity that is not sound-driven—rather, this activity times the task, each neuron ticking at a different moment during task performance.

Powered by WPeMatico

Stringent climate policies could offer major health and economic gains by 2030

Air pollution is one of the world’s leading health risks, contributing to nearly one in eight deaths globally. A new study published in Science Advances by the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) shows that stringent climate policies designed to avoid temporarily exceeding 1.5°C warming could prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths while avoiding trillions of dollars in economic damages.

Powered by WPeMatico

How immune cells deliver their deadly cargo: An unexpected connection to lipid metabolism

When immune cells strike, precision is everything. New research reveals how natural killer and T cells orchestrate the release of toxic granules—microscopic packages that destroy virus-infected or cancerous cells.

Powered by WPeMatico

Poor sleep in youth linked to early signs of biological stress

Late nights, early risings and broken sleep schedules are hallmarks of youth, but those sleepless nights may leave marks deeper than dark circles under the eyes.

Powered by WPeMatico

Patients with MetALD undergo significantly higher risks of severe liver complications compared to those with MASLD: Study

A new study published in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology revealed that individuals with metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-associated steatotic liver disease (MetALD) undergo significantly higher risks of severe liver complications when compared to those with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). 

This research systematically analyzed 24 cohort studies encompassing more than 11.5 million adults throughout the globe. Of these, approximately 9.8 million had MASLD, while 1.7 million had MetALD. The participants with MASLD were on average older (57 years vs. 49 years) and included a larger proportion of women (38% vs. 18%) when compared to the individuals with MetALD, where men predominated.

This study assessed risks for a range of outcomes, including liver-related events, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), extrahepatic cancers, cardiovascular disease, and overall mortality. Advanced statistical models were used to account for confounding factors such as age, sex, and comorbidities.

The patients with MetALD were 62% more likely to develop severe liver complications when compared to those with MASLD. The risk of primary liver cancer was 33% higher in the MetALD group. The individuals with MetALD carried a modest but statistically significant 3% increased risk of cancers outside the liver. Also, the outcomes like cardiovascular events, all-cause mortality, and mortality from extrahepatic cancers did not show meaningful differences between MASLD and MetALD.

The results indicated clear disparities in liver-specific outcomes, while broader health risks like heart disease and overall survival appeared comparable across the two groups. For example, cardiovascular events occurred at nearly identical rates in both conditions (hazard ratio close to 1.0). Similarly, while there was a trend toward higher extrahepatic cancer-related mortality in MetALD, this did not reach statistical significance.

Overall, these findings support the view that MetALD is a more aggressive disease phenotype, particularly in terms of liver progression and cancer development. However, since overall mortality and cardiovascular risks remain similar to MASLD, the results suggest that prevention and management strategies should not be one-size-fits-all.

Source:

Celsa, C., Pennisi, G., Tulone, A., Ciancimino, G., Vaccaro, M., Pecorella, F., Di Maria, G., Enea, M., Midiri, F., Mantovani, A., Targher, G., Krag, A., Rinella, M. E., Cammà, C., & Petta, S. (2025). Risk of hepatic and extrahepatic outcomes associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-associated steatotic liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet. Gastroenterology & Hepatology. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(25)00188-8

Powered by WPeMatico

Only WHO-Compliant Formulas Can Use ORS Tag: FSSAI Cracks Down on Misleading Beverage Labels

New Delhi: In a decision to protect consumers from misleading claims and prevent companies from marketing sugary or flavored drinks as medical rehydration solutions, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued an order prohibiting the use of the term ‘ORS’ (Oral Rehydration Salts) on beverage labels unless the formulation strictly adheres to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended standards.

The order marked under file number RCD-15001/6/2021-Regulatory-FSSAI—comes after an eight-year-long campaign led by pediatrician Dr Sivarajanani, who fought against the rampant misuse of the “ORS” label on commercial beverages that did not meet WHO criteria.

This directive overturns the earlier FSSAI orders issued in July 2022 and February 2024, which had placed strict labeling conditions on products using the term “ORS.” Those regulations had required manufacturers of non-WHO-compliant formulations to display a prominent front-of-pack disclaimer reading, “The product is NOT an ORS formula as recommended by WHO,” in order to safeguard consumers from misleading claims.

The FSSAI directive states,

“It is hereby clarified that, upon further review, the use of the term “ORS” in the trademarked name or in the naming of any food product otherwise-whether fruit-based, non-carbonated, or ready-to-drink beverages-even when accompanied by a prefix or suffix, constitutes a violation of the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the regulations made thereunder.”

Dr Sivarajanani’s relentless pursuit, spanning eight years of advocacy, three years of filing Public Interest Litigations (PILs), and four to five years of battling official apathy, culminated in this decisive regulatory action.

“It was a war. Eight years of battle, three years of filing PILs, and four to five years of fighting indifference. We have won—no one can use ‘ORS’ on their label unless it’s a WHO-recommended formula,” the doctor expressed.

Earlier, the Medical Dialogues Team had reported that Dr Santosh previously had written to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in this regard and already had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Telangana High Court.

Also Read: Promotion of Sugary Drinks? ORSL Stall at Pedicon Conference Leads to Controversy

Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Sivaranjani had explained that ORSL, which is an energy drink, contains added sugar- around 10 times the recommended amount by the World Health Organization (WHO).

For years, several beverage brands had marketed flavored electrolyte drinks and fruit-based beverages as “ORS,” allegedly exploiting consumer trust in a medically recognized term. Such misbranding blurred the line between medical formulations and commercial beverages, posing public health and consumer protection risks.

According to FSSAI’s order dated October 14, 2025, no company can use “ORS” on product labels unless the formula fully matches the WHO-prescribed standard.

FSSAI’s latest order firmly restores that distinction, ensuring that only scientifically validated, WHO-aligned formulations can bear the “ORS” label. The decision aligns with FSSAI’s mandate under the Food Safety and Standards Act to prevent false, misleading, or deceptive claims in the food and beverage industry.

Following the order, FSSAI has directed all enforcement divisions and State food authorities to monitor compliance and initiate strict regulatory action against violators. Manufacturers using the “ORS” term on labels will be required to reformulate their products or remove the misleading terminology immediately.

Beverage manufacturers will be required to remove or revise any misleading ‘ORS’ labeling unless their products conform exactly to WHO-recommended ORS composition. FSSAI has instructed its enforcement divisions to monitor compliance and take strict regulatory action against violators.

Also Read: FSSAI Bans Misleading ORS Drinks That Could Aggravate Dehydration Risks

To view the official order, click the link below:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/ors-fssai-304978.pdf

Powered by WPeMatico