The Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI) is advocating for the development of ultrasound machines equipped with software that can track fetal development without revealing the fetus’s gender. This initiative aims to facilitate easier access to ultrasound scans, particularly in complex pregnancy cases, by circumventing restrictions imposed by the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. AHPI, representing approximately 15,000 hospitals across India, has engaged with leading ultrasound manufacturers to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their machi ..read more

The Centre for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC) has successfully conducted screenings for high blood pressure (BP) on over 1.1 million individuals in India as part of the May Measurement Month (MMM) initiative launched in 2017. Serving as MMM’s official Indian partner, CCDC participated in a global effort that has screened more than 6 million individuals across over 100 countries. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) contribute to nearly 63% of deaths in India, with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) accounting for 27% of these cases. High blood pressure is a significant risk factor for CVDs. Through MM ..read more

Global pharmaceutical company Lupin Limited has announced a licensing and supply agreement with OLIC (Thailand) Limited, a subsidiary of the prominent Japanese firm Fuji Pharma Co., Ltd. This partnership will see the marketing of Nextstellis (drospirenone and estetrol tablets) in Vietnam and the Philippines. Nextstellis is a birth control pill combining drospirenone (DRSP) and estetrol (E4), designed for women of reproductive age to prevent pregnancy. Dr. Fabrice Egros, President of Corporate Development and Growth Markets at Lupin, expressed excitement about the collaboration, stating that th ..read more

With this, we have launched a new feature titled ‘Reflections,’ which will present views of leading medical experts on specific topics of the World Health Days. In honour of International Women’s Health Day on May 28th, 2024, our editorial team solicited the views of doctors nationwide on women’s healthcare and associated challenges. Their views are presented here “Women have made great strides over the decades, yet access and awareness to repro-ductive healthcare are limited in many parts of the world. There are so many barriers such as low socioeconomic status, lack of awareness and cultural ..read more

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the University of Surrey, UK, have collaborated to drive innovation in semiconductor technology and medical research. The partnership underscores the significance of advancing cutting-edge semiconductor capabilities as a cornerstone of economic prosperity in the coming years. According to a statement from the University of Surrey shared with TOI, the development of AI chips is deemed crucial by scientists from IISc and the University of Surrey to secure future technological dominance. The MoU between the two institutions will explore avenues in semico ..read more

The Tamil Nadu Chapter of the Association of Healthcare Providers India (AHPI) is set to organize AHPICON 2024, a conference themed ‘Growth and Sustainability in Healthcare.’ Scheduled for June 15, 2024, in Madurai, the event will feature over 50 expert talks and gather more than 500 healthcare professionals, including doctors, administrators, and consultants from 200 hospitals across the state. AHPICON 2024 will also include an award ceremony recognizing 15 hospitals of varying sizes for their excellence in patient service. Interested participants and hospitals can register and nominate for a ..read more

Actinium Pharmaceuticals unveiled findings at the Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Annual Meeting regarding the efficacy of Iomab-B in treating patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (r/r AML). According to the Phase 3 SIERRA trial data, Iomab-B, a targeted radiotherapy, successfully achieved its primary endpoint of durable Complete Remission with high statistical significance. The trial, which focused on a subset of 37 patients with a TP53 mutation, revealed that those treated with Iomab-B experienced a median overall survival of 5.49 months, si ..read more

Researchers have reported significant long-term benefits from Genicular Artery Embolisation (GAE) in treating knee osteoarthritis, according to the GENESIS (Genicular Artery Embolisation in Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Knee) study. Published in CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology, the study demonstrates the sustained pain relief and functional improvement GAE offers to patients with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common arthritis type, affects millions globally, causing severe pain and mobility issues, especially in weight-bearing joints like ..read more

Researchers at the University of Chicago have developed an AI-driven “digital twin” microbiome model named Q-net, which uses data from fecal samples of preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to predict cognitive deficits with 76% accuracy. While the gut microbiome significantly influences infants’ health and development, traditional lab experiments are insufficient to fully understand bacterial interactions and their potential to cause gastrointestinal diseases and neurodevelopmental issues. Ishanu Chattopadhyay, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, noted that studying micro ..read more

The Union Health Ministry is considering a mandate for private hospital doctors to prescribe generic medicines instead of expensive branded ones to their patients. As part of this initiative, the government will initially require doctors to prescribe generic medicines for Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) beneficiaries in private hospitals. This proposal follows complaints about doctors prescribing costly branded drugs despite the availability of cheaper generic alternatives. An anonymous official mentioned that the health ministry had already instructed doctors in Central Government Hos ..read more