United Doctors Front announces National Core Committee for 2025-26

New Delhi: United Doctors Front (UDF), an organization dedicated to the rights and welfare of doctors and medical students, has announced its National Core Committee for the 2025-26 session. 

The 2025–26 term will place special emphasis on the safety and dignity of the medical community. The new team comprises both experienced experts and dedicated young doctors.

Dr Lakshya Mittal has been appointed as the Chairperson and National President. Dr Amit Vyas has been designated as the National Vice President, while Dr Arun K. Kumar takes over as the National General Secretary.

Also Read:Doctors Urge Union Health Minister to Implement Rotatory Headship at AIIMS, PGI Chandigarh

Dr Meer Wasim and Dr. Rakesh Beniwal have been given the role of State Joint Secretaries. Dr. Yagika Pareek and Dr. Bhanu Kumar have been appointed as State Spokespersons. 

The responsibility of the National Finance Secretary has been entrusted to Dr. Bharat Rathore. Additionally, Dr. Aditi Singh (Social Media Secretary), Swami Das (Head, National RTI Cell), Dr. Charu Mathur and Satyam Singh Rajput (Legal Advisors), and Dr. Lay Paghadar (Divyangjan Secretary) have been announced. Dr. Akshat Gautam and Dr. Manoj Jat have been appointed as JR Secretaries.

Furthermore, Dr. Shubhapratap Solanki, Dr. Hanuman Bishnoi, Dr. Krishna Sharma, and Dr. Alok Singh have been appointed as North Zone Secretaries. Dr. Hariharan will serve as the South Zone Secretary. Dr. Anshuman Patra, Dr. Jugal Krishna Dole, and Dr. Amit Kumar Giri will hold the positions of East Zone Secretaries. Dr. Ajit Singh Shekhawat, Dr. Samyak Bansal, and Dr. Sukharam Gehlot will serve as West Zone Secretaries. Dr. Vikas Milky, Dr. Sasanpuri Sai Santosh Teja, and Dr. Rajat Khurana have been appointed as Central Zone Secretaries.

Dr. Harshit Naranival, Dr. Divjot Singh Kalra, and Dr. Akshay Sharma have been made Anti-Ragging Secretaries. The role of Mental Health Secretaries will be taken up by Dr. Prashant Sharma, Dr. Lalit Tanwar, and Dr. Anshita Chhabra. Dr. Kanchan Dochaniya and Rhythm will lead the Research Cell, while Dr. Abhinandana Tokas and Dr. Khushboo Vyas have been given charge of the Academic Cell. Dr. Yogendra Pal Yadav and Dr. Vansh Chopra have been appointed as FMG Secretaries. The IT Cell will be handled by Dr. Rakesh Beniwal and Dr. Gopal Singh.

In the Student Wing, Batul Fatima, Amrit Singh, Aryan Kansal, and Akshat Tiwari have been appointed as Secretaries. Dr. Jagpati Bhardwaj will lead the Dental Wing. The Social Media team includes Dr. Shashank Tiwari, Deependra, Pragya Chauhan, Tripti Yadav, Dr. Ayaan Bhati, I.V. Sabarish, and Sheikh Kaifuddin.

National President Dr. Lakshya Mittal stated that the new team will take concrete steps toward major reforms in medical education, ensuring defined working hours for resident doctors, and preventing violence against doctors. The goal is to protect the dignity, safety, and well-being of doctors while ensuring quality healthcare services for every citizen.

Also Read:United Doctors Front Association Elects New Leadership for 2024-2025

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Jharkhand appoints 126 Specialist doctors through lowest honorarium bids

Ranchi: The Jharkhand government on Tuesday handed over appointment letters to 126 specialist doctors selected under the National Health Mission (NHM) through a first-of-its-kind bidding-based recruitment process.

This selection process allowed specialist doctors to choose their preferred postings by quoting the lowest honorarium.

According to an IANS report, at a function held at the IPH Auditorium in Namkum, Ranchi, on Tuesday, Health Minister Dr Irfan Ansari handed over appointment and posting letters to the selected doctors.

Under this innovative system, doctors were presented with a list of available health centres across the state. They were then allowed to select their preferred posting, with priority given to those quoting the lowest honorarium for their choice of location.

Also Read:Ranchi: 2,600-bed Super Speciality Hospital RIMS-2 set to boost Medical Tourism

Congratulating the newly appointed specialists, Dr Ansari said, “Our dream is to make every district of Jharkhand a Medicos City. We want every citizen to receive quality healthcare in their own district. These doctors are not just receiving appointments — they are being entrusted with responsibility. From now on, each of them is the ‘Health Minister’ of their hospital.”

Additional Chief Secretary Ajay Kumar Singh, who was also present, emphasised that the appointments are part of a broader mission to improve healthcare access across Jharkhand.

“This is more than a job — it’s a mission to bring specialist care to every corner of the state. Sadar Hospital in Ranchi is already emerging as a national model, and the Uttar Pradesh government has asked us to present our innovation,” he said.

The appointments include 22 pediatricians, 20 surgeons, 19 gynaecologists, 17 anesthetists, 11 general physicians, 10 orthopaedic surgeons, 9 ophthalmologists, 5 ENT specialists, 5 psychiatrists, 4 radiologists, and 4 dermatologists, reports IANS. 

Although the health department had initiated the process to appoint 219 doctors, only 126 applied and completed the procedure. The remaining 93 positions remain vacant.

As per the terms, the selected doctors must reside in government-provided accommodation and are prohibited from engaging in private practice.

The government believes that this approach will incentivise doctors to serve in rural and remote regions while improving the overall reach and quality of healthcare services. Plans are underway to extend this model to future appointments.

Notably, Jharkhand faces a severe shortage of doctors. Against a requirement of 37,000 doctors (based on population), only 7,500 are currently available. The scarcity is even more acute among specialists — just 300 are serving against 1,200 sanctioned posts.

Also Read:Jharkhand Health Department sees major reshuffle, 58 Medical Officers Transferred

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6 crore screened for Sickle Cell Disease; States Step Up Efforts

New Delhi: A total of 6 crore individuals have been screened for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) against the targeted 7 crore under the National Sickle Cell Mission.

Among those screened, 2.15 lakh individuals diagnosed with the disease and 16.7 lakh carriers have been identified. Additionally, 2.6 crore health cards have been distributed by the respective states to the screened individuals. 

States including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, Karnataka, and Uttarakhand have demonstrated significant progress by achieving a high percentage of screening relative to their targets. The highest incidence of diagnosed cases has been reported in the states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.

Also Read:Govt slashes Sickle Cell Test Kit Price below Rs 50

Screening for SCD is being conducted using validated Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) kits, which ensure rapid, reliable, and confirmatory results. Furthermore, a dedicated dashboard and a sickle cell disease portal have been established to consolidate screening data from all participating states.

Future priorities encompass intensifying screening efforts to meet the remaining target and ensuring follow-up and counselling services for individuals diagnosed as diseased or carriers.

The National Sickle Cell Anemia Elimination Mission was inaugurated on 1st July 2023 by the Hon’ble Prime Minister at Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh. The mission aims to eliminate sickle cell anemia in India by 2047 through the creation of awareness, universal screening of 7 crore individuals aged 0-40 years in affected tribal areas by FY 2025-26, and provision of counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that to support the eradication of Sickle cell anaemia, the government has significantly reduced the cost of testing kits to less than Rs 50. The initiative is part of the National Sickle Cell Elimination Programme, which aims to screen a population of seven crore across the country. 

Also Read:India offers Rs 10 crore reward for new drug to treat sickle cell disease

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Biocon Biologics launches Nepexto in Australia

Bengaluru: Biocon Biologics Ltd, a fully integrated global biosimilars company and subsidiary of Biocon Ltd, has announced it has launched Nepexto, a biosimilar to the
reference product Enbrel (Etanercept), in Australia.

Nepexto will be promoted by Generic Health,
the company’s local partner and a provider of generic prescription, injectable and over-thecounter medicines, to expand access to patients in Australia.

Etanercept is a fusion-protein that inhibits tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and is used in the treatment
of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and psoriatic
arthritis, plaque psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis.

Since receiving EU marketing authorization in 2020, Nepexto has earned broad adoption across
Europe.

Read also: Malaysia extends Insulins supply contract with Biocon Biologics arm, Duopharma Marketing for additional 6 months

“Following the 2022 acquisition and vertical integration of the biosimilars business globally,
Biocon Biologics is building on the solid foundation to strategically expand Nepexto into new
markets worldwide and further strengthen our immunology offering,” the company’s spokesperson stated.

Nepexto is a registered trademark of Biosimilars New Co Limited, a Biocon Biologics Company.

Read also: Phase 3 study comparing Yesintek with Stelara in adult patients with chronic plaque psoriasis shows positive results: Biocon Biologics

Biocon Biologics is a global player in biosimilars and insulin production and has achieved many “firsts” in the industry including the first to receive approval of a trastuzumab in the United States, OGIVRI (Trastuzumab-dkst), as well as FULPHILA (Pegfilgrastim-jmdb) and the first U.S. approval of an interchangeable biosimilar for SEMGLEE (insulin glargine). Biocon Biologics has a comprehensive portfolio of in-market and in-development biosimilar products across multiple therapies, including seven approved biosimilars in the United States and six in Canada, with a development pipeline of 20 biosimilar assets, including insulins and monoclonal antibodies spanning multiple therapy areas.

Read also: Biocon Biologics gets EU nod for bone disease treatments, including Osteoporosis, giant cell tumour of bone

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Faculty uproar over temporary deputation to Baramati Medical College

Pune: A decision to temporarily transfer 12 senior medical professors — 11 from Pune’s prestigious B.J. Medical College (BJMC) and one from Solapur’s Government Medical College (GMC) — to the newly established Punyashlok Ahilyabai Devi Holkar Government Medical College in Baramati has sparked discontent among the faculty involved. 

An official letter, signed by Anil Bhandari, Commissioner of Medical Education and AYUSH, aimed to address the acute faculty shortage at the newly established government medical college.

In the letter, addressed to the deans of BJMC and GMC Solapur, Bhandari stated that the deputed professors are being assigned on a temporary basis and that their existing pay scales and grade structures will remain unchanged during this period.

Also Read: UP: Worried about low attendance, 2nd year MBBS hangs self in hostel room

Speaking to TOI, Bhandari said, “As per the National Medical Council (NMC) norms, there is excess faculty in these two colleges. So, we have deputed some staff to Baramati Medical College, where students have already taken admission, and it is the need of the hour. It is a temporary deputation, and we are getting new recruits through MPSC in a month. However, we will look into their objections.”

BJMC Dean Dr. Eknath Pawar confirmed that he has not yet relieved the deputed professors as he is awaiting formal communication. Speaking to TOI, he said, “The senior professors met me. I have not yet relieved them since I have not yet received the letter. We, too, have a shortage of faculty, and if these professors go to Baramati, then our students will face difficulties.”

GMC Solapur Dean Dr. R. D. Jaykar confirmed that only one professor from his college has been deputed and has already been relieved of duties.

The move has been met with resistance at BJMC. The professors affected include senior heads and associate professors from critical departments such as gynaecology, internal medicine, microbiology, surgery, paediatrics, orthopaedics, obstetrics, pharmacy, and anatomy.

On Tuesday, the deputed professors submitted a formal letter to the commissioner’s office, requesting a rollback of the decision.

Faculty and postgraduate students at BJMC have questioned the rationale behind pulling resources from one of the state’s oldest and most prominent medical colleges to staff a new institution that is still in the process of becoming fully operational.

Also Read: Pune’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College faces Faculty Shortage, Infrastructure Gaps

One of the affected professors said he may resign if he is forced to go to Baramati. “Many of us have been here for a long time and built a strong reputation. Some others have been at BJMC for their entire careers, but have not been told to go to Baramati,” reports TOI.

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Nerve pain drug gabapentin linked to increased dementia, cognitive impairment risks

Receiving six or more prescriptions of the drug gabapentin for low back pain is associated with significantly increased risks of developing dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI)—29% and 85%, respectively—finds a large medical records study published online in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.

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Hypertension Affects 1 in 5 Young Cancer Survivors, Global Study Finds

Japan: A new systematic review and meta-analysis has revealed a significant and growing burden of hypertension among childhood and adolescent/young adult (AYA) cancer survivors, emphasizing the importance of long-term cardiovascular care in this population. The study, published in Hypertension Research, was conducted by Dr. Shintaro Minegishi from the Department of Cardiology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Japan, along with a team of international researchers.

As cancer survival rates improve globally, attention has increasingly turned to the long-term health consequences faced by survivors. One of the most pressing concerns is cardiovascular health, particularly hypertension, a modifiable risk factor known to increase the likelihood of heart disease, stroke, and other serious conditions. Despite its known risks, the extent and persistence of high blood pressure in young cancer survivors have not been thoroughly understood until now.

To better quantify this risk, the researchers conducted a comprehensive search of four major databases—PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science—focusing on studies involving childhood and AYA cancer survivors who had completed treatment. A total of 91 studies comprising data from 86,132 individuals were included in the analysis.

The researchers reported the following findings:

  • Around 20.35% of childhood and young adult cancer survivors were found to have hypertension, according to pooled estimates.
  • Hypertension prevalence increased over time after cancer treatment, reaching 16.60% within the first 10 years.
  • Between 10 to 20 years post-treatment, the rate slightly rose to 17.48%.
  • Beyond 20 years, the prevalence of hypertension significantly increased to 32.12%.
  • Meta-regression analysis confirmed a steady rise in hypertension risk starting early after treatment and continuing over time.
  • Survivors of kidney tumors showed the highest prevalence of hypertension at 24.80%, indicating a possible link between specific cancer types or treatments and long-term cardiovascular damage.

These results highlight the sustained vulnerability of childhood and AYA cancer survivors to hypertension and related complications. The authors stress that routine monitoring and proactive management of blood pressure should be an integral part of survivorship care. Early identification and long-term follow-up are essential to mitigate cardiovascular risks and enhance the quality and longevity of life for this growing survivor population.

The authors concluded, “The study makes a compelling case for integrating cardiovascular risk assessment into cancer follow-up protocols and tailoring hypertension management strategies to meet the unique needs of survivors from a young age. As the survivor population continues to grow globally, such measures could play a pivotal role in reducing preventable cardiovascular deaths and improving overall health outcomes.”

Reference:

Asai, M., Tokoro, T., Komura, N., Minegishi, S., Horigome, A., Hattori, K., Ishii, S., Hanajima, Y., Okazaki, Y., Horita, N., Ishigami, T., Hibi, K., Yano, Y., Nishiyama, A., & Node, K. (2025). Prevalence and management of hypertension in childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Hypertension Research, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-025-02276-y

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Nerve pain drug gabapentin linked to increased dementia, cognitive impairment risks: Study

Receiving six or more prescriptions of the drug gabapentin for low back pain is associated with significantly increased risks of developing dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI)–29% and 85%, respectively-finds a large medical records study published online in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.

What’s more, these risks were more than twice as high in those normally considered too young to develop either condition-18-64 year olds-the findings indicate.

Unlike opioids, gabapentin has relatively low addictive potential, and it has become increasingly popular for the treatment of chronic pain, especially neuropathic pain, as it offers potentially neuroprotective benefits, point out the researchers.

But concerns are beginning to emerge about its side effects, including a possible association with neurodegeneration, although the findings to date have been mixed, including if particular age groups might be more vulnerable they add.

In a bid to shed more light on these issues, the researchers drew on real-time data from TriNetX, a federated health research network, which contains electronic health records from 68 healthcare organisations across the USA.

They scrutinised the anonymised records of adult patients who had and hadn’t been prescribed gabapentin (26,414 in each group) for chronic low pain between 2004 and 2024, taking account of demographics, co-existing conditions, and the use of other analgesic drugs.

Those who had received six or more gabapentin prescriptions were 29% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia and 85% more likely to be diagnosed with MCI within 10 years of their initial pain diagnosis.

And when the records were stratified by age, 18–64 year olds prescribed the drug were more than twice as likely to develop either condition than those who hadn’t been prescribed gabapentin.

While there was no heightened risk among 18–34 year olds prescribed the drug, the risks of dementia more than doubled and those of MCI more than tripled among 35–49 year olds prescribed it. A similar pattern was observed among 50–64 year olds.

Risks also rose in tandem with prescription frequency: patients with 12 or more prescriptions were 40% more likely to develop dementia and 65% more likely to develop MCI than those prescribed gabapentin between 3 and 11 times.

This is an observational study, and as such, no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. The researchers also acknowledge that their study was retrospective, and they weren’t able to account for dose or length of gabapentin use.

Nevertheless, they conclude: “Our findings indicate an association between gabapentin prescription and dementia or cognitive impairment within 10 years. Moreover, increased gabapentin prescription frequency correlated with dementia incidence.”

They add: “Our results support the need for close monitoring of adult patients prescribed gabapentin to assess for potential cognitive decline.”

Reference:

Risk of dementia following gabapentin prescription in chronic low back pain patients, Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1136/rapm-2025-106577 

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Periodontitis linked to higher risk of Peptic & Duodenal Ulcers: Study

Researchers have found in a new study that periodontitis was linked to a higher risk of peptic and duodenal ulcers, but not gastric ulcers. Therefore treatment of periodontitis may enhance the effectiveness of peptic and duodenal ulcer therapies.

Considering the importance of periodontal diseases in the occurrence of systemic diseases such as peptic ulcer diseases, the relationship between peptic ulcer diseases and periodontal diseases is important, therefore, the purpose of this meta-analysis is to investigate the relationship between peptic ulcer and periodontitis. In this systematic review, to find the relevant articles, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases were reviewed according to the search strategy. All studies were screened and eligible studies were selected to include in the meta-analysis. The quality of the selected articles was evaluated by the Newcastle–Ottawa assessment scale. I-square statistic was used to investigate the heterogeneity between studies and its significance was checked with Chi-square test. In cases where there was serious heterogeneity, random-effects model was used for data synthesis, otherwise fixed-effects model was used. Results: Five studies from different countries were included, among which there were two cross-sectional, two case–control, and one cohort study. Based on the primary studies that reported the adjusted results to control for confounders, a significant relationship between periodontitis and peptic ulcer was observed (effect size (ES) = 1.47, 95% CI 1.01–1.93, I-square = 93.1%), and similar significant results were also obtained regarding the relationship between periodontitis and duodenal ulcer (ES = 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.17, I-square = 33.0%), but there is no significant relationship between periodontitis and gastric ulcer (ES: 1.33, 95% CI 0.71–1.96, I-square = 74.0%). The results of this study showed that periodontitis is associated with increased risk of peptic ulcer and duodenal ulcer, but no significant relationship was observed with gastric ulcer. Therefore, the implementation of periodontitis treatment protocol can increase the success of peptic ulcer and duodenal ulcer treatment.

Reference:

Motaghi, A., Bayani, M., Mehrafarid, H. et al. Increased risk of peptic ulcer following periodontitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Med Res 30, 584 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-025-02669-2

Keywords:

Periodontitis, linked, higher, risk, Peptic, Duodenal Ulcers, Study, European Journal of Medical Research, Motaghi, A., Bayani, M., Mehrafarid, H, Peptic ulcer, Gastroduodenal ulcer, Periodontal diseases, Periodontitis, Meta-analysis

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Childhood Gut and Urinary Disorders May Triple Risk of Interstitial Cystitis in Adulthood: Study Finds

USA: A new retrospective cohort study published in Neurourology and Urodynamics has revealed a significant association between certain childhood health conditions and the likelihood of developing interstitial cystitis (IC) later in life. Conducted by Dr. Mohammad Alipour-Vaezi and colleagues from Virginia Tech, the research analyzed data from the TriNetX US Collaborative Network, which includes health records from over 118 million individuals.

Interstitial cystitis, a chronic bladder disorder marked by pelvic pain, urinary urgency, and frequent urination, continues to pose clinical challenges due to its unclear origins and limited treatment options. In this large-scale investigation, the researchers explored whether early-life diagnoses—specifically gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, urological anomalies (UA), psychiatric disorders (PD), and autoimmune diseases (AD)—influence IC risk in adulthood.

The team established study and control cohorts based on childhood diagnoses and tracked the incidence of IC over a 14-year follow-up period. Statistical tools such as propensity score matching and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to ensure balanced comparisons and robust findings.

The study revealed the following findings:

  • Childhood gastrointestinal (GI) and urological anomaly (UA) conditions were significantly linked to a higher risk of developing interstitial cystitis (IC) in adulthood.
  • Individuals with childhood irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) had nearly a threefold increased risk of IC (risk ratio 2.9).
  • Those with a history of childhood urinary tract infections (UTIs) had more than a threefold higher risk of developing IC (risk ratio 3.2).
  • The study identified notable gender differences, with adolescent females showing a higher prevalence of UA and autoimmune diseases (AD), along with a greater risk of IC.
  • Individuals with early-life GI and UA conditions also tended to have more comorbidities, indicating a multifactorial pathway in the development of IC.
  • These findings suggest that childhood medical history can be a valuable tool in identifying individuals at elevated risk for IC later in life.

The study’s large sample size, drawn from nearly four million patient records, lends credibility to its findings. However, the authors also noted several limitations. These include potential inaccuracies in diagnostic coding within electronic health records, loss of data from patients who left participating healthcare systems, and the rarity of IC itself, which limited the strength of statistical conclusions for certain subgroups, especially those with autoimmune and psychiatric conditions.

Despite these limitations, the findings offer valuable contributions to the understanding of IC. They underscore the importance of early monitoring and intervention for children with GI and urological disorders to prevent or minimize the long-term burden of IC. The authors advocate for greater awareness of IC and call for interdisciplinary collaboration across specialties, such as urology, gastroenterology, psychiatry, rheumatology, and pediatrics.

The authors concluded, “Looking ahead, the study encourages further prospective research with more comprehensive datasets to strengthen the evidence base, particularly for rarer conditions. Such efforts could ultimately improve risk stratification and lead to earlier, more effective strategies for IC prevention and management.”

Reference:

Alipour-Vaezi, M., McNamara, R. S., Rukstalis, M. R., Gentry, E. C., Rukstalis, D. B., Penzien, D. B., Tsui, L., & Zhong, H. Comparative Risk of Developing Interstitial Cystitis With Childhood Gastrointestinal, Urological, Autoimmune, or Psychiatric Disorders. Neurourology and Urodynamics. https://doi.org/10.1002/nau.70104

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