Govt of India is dedicated to improve the healthcare for the elderly and has taken multiple steps in this regard. It has been noted as per Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), the self-reported prevalence of major chronic health condition among the elderly above 60 years of age ismore than the general population. As per the study, the prevalence rate of Cardiovascular diseases (34.06%), Hypertension (32%),bone/joint disease (18.8%), Diabetes Mellitus (14.2%) and Chronic lung disease (8.3%) has been observed in them.

To provide dedicated health care facilities to the elderly people (>60 years of age) at various levels of primary, secondary and tertiary health care and to address their health related problems, the “National Programme for the Health Care of Elderly ” (NPHCE) had been launched by the Government since 2010-11.

The primary and secondary care services are provided through District Hospitals (DH), Community Health Centers (CHC), Primary Health Centers (PHC), Sub –Centers/Health & Wellness Centers within the umbrella of National Health Mission, (NHM) in all 36 States & UTs of the country. Under Tertiary level health care services, Regional Geriatric Centers & National Centers for Ageing in selected medical colleges/Institutes have been established to take care of specific needs of elderly, with focus on long term care.

Health being the state subject, the Department of Health & Family Welfare, is providing technical and financial support to the States/UTs under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS), as part of National Health Mission (NHM), based on the proposals received from the States/UTs.Theprogramme focusses on strengthening infrastructure, human resource development, health promotion & awareness generation for prevention, early diagnosis, management and referral to an appropriate level of healthcare facility for treatment of the given Non-Communicable Diseases including Diabetes.

Preventive aspect of Diabetes is strengthened under Comprehensive Primary Health Care through Ayushman Bharat Health Wellness Centre scheme, by promotion of wellness activities and targeted communication at the community level. Other initiatives for increasing public awareness about Diabetes and for promotion of healthy lifestyle include observation of International/National Health Days and use of print, electronic and social media for continued community awareness. In addition, NPCDCS gives financial support under NHM for awareness generation (IEC) activities to be undertaken by the States/UTs as per their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs).

Furthermore, healthy eating is also promoted through FSSAI. Fit India movement is implemented by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and various Yoga related activities are carried out by Ministry of AYUSH.

The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has decided to depute three high-level multi-disciplinary 3-member teams to Ranchi (Jharkhand), Ahmedabad (Gujarat) and Malappuram (Kerala) to take stock of the upsurge in cases of Measles. The teams will assist the State Health Authorities in instituting public health measures and facilitate operationalization of requisite control and containment measures.

The Central team to Ranchi comprises of experts drawn from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi, and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RMLH), New Delhi. Experts from PHO, Mumbai, Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital (KSCH), New Delhi and Regional Office of Health and Family Welfare (RoHFW), Ahmedabad will comprise the Central team to Ahmedabad and the team to Malappuram will consist of experts from RoHFW, Thiruvananthapuram, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry and Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), New Delhi.

Senior Regional Director, RoHFW, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Kerala will coordinate with the respective teams regarding their visits.

The teams will also undertake field visits to investigate the outbreak and assist the State Health Departments in terms of public health measures, management guidelines and protocols to manage the increasing cases of Measles being reported in the three cities. The teams will also coordinate with the States for ensuring active case search in the area and with VRDLs for testing of the identified cases.

The India MedTech Expo (IMTE), the first-ever Expo of Indian Medtech Industry by Government, is rescheduled and now will be held from 17th to 19th January 2023 at Aerocity Grounds, New Delhi.

The three days Expo was earlier scheduled from 9th to 11th December 2022. On 30th September 2022, the website of India MedTech Expo (IMTE) was launched and the flyer was released for the event.

India MedTech Expo (IMTE), a three-day long event is the 1st edition of India MedTech Expo, organized by Dept. of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India, in close association with all the Medical Devices Industry Associations. It is being coordinated by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). The Expo is planned around the theme “Future of Device, Diagnostics & Digital”. The event is organized with an objective to create opportunities to network and explore collaborations both for the sector’s growth in India and its potential contribution globally, by bringing together all the stakeholders such as PLI participants, start-ups, MSMEs, Innovative entrepreneurs, R&D facilities, Incubators, public and private hospitals, Industry at large, Academia, Research institutions, Investors, State governments, MedTech parks and key Government officials for taking the sector on a forward growth trajectory.

India MedTech Expo has received tremendous response from the MedTech Industry, which has come forward in large numbers and given their confirmation for participation. So far, about 150+ Start-ups, 275+ Indian & International Medical Device companies and MSME units, 50+ Research Institutions, etc. have confirmed their participation in the Expo. Over 376 foreign buyers entries have been received out of which selected 200+ foreign buyers will be hosted for B2B engagement.

The current market size of the medical devices sector in India is estimated to be 11 Bn USD and the sector in India is at a growth stage with CAGR of 10-12% over the last decade and has the potential to reach $ 50 bn by 2030. The proposed Expo will create visibility of medical devices ecosystem to the world and build a brand identity for the Indian MedTech sector.

IMTE-23 would offer a unique platform to meet and interact with Start-ups, Indian & International Medical Device companies, MSME units & Research Institutions. IMTE-23 would feature special Government Regulators, State MedTech Parks, Future Healthcare, R&D and Innovation, Make in India & Start-ups Pavilion, along with parallel thematic Conference sessions.

Details of the National MedTech Expo 2023 are available at - http://www.indiamedtechexpo.in/

While regretting the inconvenience caused due to rescheduling, the Department has requested the Indian medical devices manufacturers , buyers and all stakeholders to continue their committed support to make the proposed India’s first Medtech Expo 2023 a resounding success.

Department of Pharmaceuticals took up the campaign in right earnest and met set targets on pendency areas, viz. MP’s References, PMO References Inter-Departmental Memos, Inter-Ministerial Consultation References, State Government References, Public Grievances, Record Management Practices, Swachhata Campaign sites and Scrap Disposal.

SCDPM 2.0 was more focused on Field Offices with respect to their daily activities on cleaning, record management and disposal of unserviceable/obsolete items. The campaign was conducted, besides the department, by its attached office, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), seven National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs), and three PSUs, namely Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd. (HAL), Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (KAPL) and Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (BCPL).

An innovative approach adopted by the department included partnering with private entrepreneur owned Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) in the country for carrying out swachhata campaigns. Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), a society under the aegis of the department distributed special posters for this purpose as a means of awareness creation. About 7,000 PMBJKs carried out cleaning of their shops and surrounding areas encouraging general public towards cleanliness and hygiene in their daily life. Despite being a small department, the department has conducted cleanness campaigns on 7,021 Sites during the campaign period.

Towards propagation of the message of Swachhata in Office premises and creating a mindset of clean and green workplace, the department has converted most of its physical files into e-files and weeded out old records lying beyond their retention periods. Disposal of scrap material earned revenue of about Rs.95,000/- and freed storage space of approx. 480 sq.ft.

The cumulative target set at the start of the Campaign on 2nd October, 2022 was 4064 but towards the end of the Campaign, total of 6453 physical files have been weeded out, which is 158% of the initial target. In other parameters of the Special Campaign like MP references, PMO references, IMC references, Public Grievances, Easing of Rules, the Department has been able to achieve 100% pendency removal by the end of the Campaign on 31st October, 2022.

The department has also utilized its social media handles as well as that of its Field Offices to periodically highlight the activities conducted during the Campaign period.

The National Health Authority (NHA) under its flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is undertaking a pilot for faster OPD registration service at the new OPD block of Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) & Smt. Sucheta Kriplani Hospital (SSKH) in New Delhi. This service allows old as well as new patients to simply scan a QR Code and share their demographic details like name, father name, age, gender, address, mobile number etc. with the hospital. This helps to reduce the time taken at the OPD registration counter, provides accurate data in the hospital record and, most importantly, avoid the wait in the long queues. The service is planned to be extended to other health facilities and departments soon.

The QR Code based OPD registration service allows the patients to scan the hospital’s unique QR Code with their mobile phone (using phone camera/scanner/ABHA App/Arogya Setu App/or any other ABDM enabled App) and share their profile details with the hospital. Once the profile is shared, the hospital provides a token number (queue number). The token generated is sent as a notification to the patient’s selected app and is also displayed on the screens placed at the OPD registration counters for the ease of patients. As per their token number, the patient can go to the registration counter and directly collect their outpatient slip (OP Slip) for doctor consultation as their details are already present at the registration counter.

Talking about the benefits of this service, Dr. R.S. Sharma, CEO, NHA said – “Under the ABDM, we’re using technology to simplify processes and make healthcare more efficient. The QR Code based rapid OPD registration service is a step in this direction. It helped over 2200 patients avoid the hustle of long queues with considerably reduced waiting time and minimal time at the registration counter within 15 days of this pilot in LHMC & SSKH. The direct profile sharing has also helped achieve higher level of accuracy in patient records. Our team is working with other health facilities and departments to extend this service and help more patients.”

The ABDM team worked closely with the team of LHMC/ SSKH to set-up the QR Code based faster registration service for their OPD block. Appropriate messaging and kiosk were put up to significantly reduce the waiting time for patients. Further, to assist the patients, support personnel were also posted to help them understand the steps and benefits of using this service. The team also helped the patients create their Ayushman Bharat Health Account or ABHA numbers that shall help them in digitizing their health records. These services will now be extended to more health facilities like hospitals, clinics, diagnostic labs etc. to help the patients save time and efforts.

WHO on 29.09.2022 informed DCGI, the National Drug Regulator of India, that WHO it is currently providing technical assistance and advice to Gambia, where children have died and where a contributing factor, is suspected to be the use of medicines which may have been contaminated with Diethylene glycol or Ethylene glycol (in some of the samples it was claimed to have been confirmed by further analysis conducted by WHO).

CDSCO took up the matter immediately with Haryana State Regulatory Authority, under whose jurisdiction the drug manufacturing unit of M/s Maiden Pharmaceutical Limited, Sonepat is located. Further, a detailed investigation was launched to ascertain the facts/ details in the matter in collaboration with State Drugs Controller, Haryana.

From the preliminary enquiry of CDSCO, it has been made out that M/s Maiden Pharmaceutical Limited, Sonepat, Haryana is a manufacturer licensed by the State Drug Controller for the products Promethazine Oral Solution BP, Kofexnalin Baby Cough Syrup, MaKoff Baby Cough Syrup and MaGrip n Cold Syrup under reference, and holds manufacturing permission for these products for export only. The company has manufactured and exported these products only to Gambia.

It is a usual practice that the importing country tests these imported products on quality parameters, and satisfies itself as to the quality of the products before the importing country decides to release such products for usage in the country.

As per the tentative results received by WHO, out of the 23 samples of the products under reference which were tested, 04 samples have been found to contain Diethylene Glycol/ Ethylene Glycol. It has also been informed by WHO that the certificate of analysis will be made available to WHO in near future and WHO will share it with the Indian Regulator which is yet to be done. The exact one to one causal relation of death has not yet been provided by WHO to CDSCO.

As a robust National Regulatory Authority, CDSCO has requested WHO to share at the earliest with CDSCO the report on establishment of causal relation to death with the medical products in question etc.

The State Drug Controller had given licenses to the said Company only for export of these four drugs namely Promethazine Oral Solution BP, Kofexnalin Baby Cough Syrup, MaKoff Baby Cough Syrup and MaGrip n Cold Syrup. Further all these 04 drugs manufactured only for exports by M/s. Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited are not licensed for manufacture and sale in India. In effect, none of these four drugs of M/s. Maiden Pharmaceuticals is sold domestically in India.

The samples (controlled samples of the same batch manufactured by M/s. Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited for all the four drugs in question) have been taken and sent for testing to Regional Drug Testing Lab, Chandigarh by CDSCO, the results of which will guide further course of action as well as bring clarity on the inputs received/ to be received from WHO.

Hon’ble President Smt. Droupadi Murmu will virtually launch the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan on September 9th to reinvigorate the mission of TB elimination from the country by 2025. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gave the clarion call to end TB in the country five years ahead of SDG target of 2030 at the Delhi End TB Summit in March 2018.The Abhiyaan will be launched in presence of Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, MoS (HFW), Union Ministers, Governors and Lt. Governors and other dignitaries. The virtual event will be attended by representatives from State & district health administration, corporates, industries, civil society and NGOs as the country reiterates the commitment towards TB elimination by 2025.

The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has been envisioned to bring together all community stakeholders to support those on TB treatment and accelerate the country’s progress towards TB elimination. Hon’ble President will also launch the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative which forms a vital component of the Abhiyaan. The Ni-kshay Mitra portal provides a platform for donors to provide various forms of support to those undergoing TB treatment. The three pronged support includes nutritional, additional diagnostic, and vocational support. The donors, called Ni-kshay Mitras, could be a wide range of stakeholders from elected representatives, political parties, to corporates, NGOs, and individuals.

The launch event aims to highlight the need for a societal approach that brings together people from all backgrounds into a Jan Andolan to achieve the ambitious target of eliminating TB from the country by 2025. Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan is a step towards garnering community support towards a patient-centric health system.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya today inaugurated the two days long Arogya Manthan 2022 programme in the presence of Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & IT Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr. Vinod Paul, Uttarakhand State Health Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat and CEO National Health Authority Dr. R S Sharma. Arogya Manthan marks the completion of 4 years of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and 1 year of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

Highlighting the PMJAY beneficiaries as the most important stakeholder in the largest global public health insurance scheme, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya stated that over 19 crore Ayushman Cards have been made in the country spanning its coverage in 33 States/UTs, and more than 24 crore ABHA numbers have also been generated. This reflects an important milestone in the digitization of health records in the country". He further informed that the current rate of making 4.5 lakh cards per day will be increased to making 10 lakh Ayushman Cards everyday.

He said the Government’s focus is to make health services reach the person at the end of the delivery chain, enabled by technology. Dr. Mandaviya stated that PM-JAY has been successful in bridging the gap between rich and poor in terms of accessibility of healthcare services in the country.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said that with the interplay of Information Technology and Health, the vision of Honourable Prime Minister of making healthcare accessible in the country can be achieved. He added that every village in the country will be connected through high speed optical fibre in the next few years which will ensure connectivity and continuous health access to all. Shri Vaishnaw also highlighted that the Government is making adequate legal framework towards safeguarding the data of the health beneficiaries.

Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar stated that the country is not only pioneering the adoption of technology in health services but also ensuring that it is implemented at the grass root level. She added that the Government is working holistically to ensure the best of healthcare services to its citizens. Dr. Pawar lauded the completion of 4 years of PM-JAY and 1 year of ABDM and said that it marks an important milestone in the direction of Universal Health Coverage. She said that ABDM will have multi-fold impact in digitizing the health infrastructure in the country.

NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr. V K Paul underlined the importance and need for strong healthcare systems to achieve Universal Health Coverage by 2030.

CEO, NHA Dr. R S Sharma congratulated all the stakeholders at the centre and state level for being active participants in the journey towards making healthcare accessible and affordable for all. He highlighted the importance of accessibility, quality and financial protection in order to achieve the goal of Universal Health Coverage.

The Union Health Minister launched several new initiatives including Health Claims Exchange (HCX), National e-Rupi Portal and Roadmap for Digitization. The digital versions of Annual Report for NHA, Coffee Table Book and Best Practices Booklet were also unveiled. The publications can be viewed at pmjay.gov.in.

Dr. Mandaviya inaugurated the "Digital Health Expo" that saw enthusiastic participation from digital health innovators like NIC (showcasing eHospital and Aarogya Setu), C-DAC, Karnataka Government, Medical Devices start-ups from Vizag, AWS India, Google, Microsoft, Tata Medical and Diagnostics, Reliance Digital Health, Hitachi MGRM, Paytm, Bajaj Finserv Health among others from government as well as private sector.

The day 1 of Arogya Manthan saw informative sessions with representatives from international organizations/ministries like Hong Kong Hospital Authority, Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health, World Bank, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Global Health Payment LLC, USA, Health Ministry Mexico, Ministry of Health, Thailand and Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, Australia along with various thought leaders of healthcare and technology in India. The sessions brought about exciting discussions around roadmap for universal health coverage, promoting inter-operability in digital health, enhancing the efficiency of PMJAY, increasing the adoption of digital health, health technology assessment for evidence based PMJAY decisions and privacy and data security at the core for digital health in India.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya today inaugurated the two days long Arogya Manthan 2022 programme in the presence of Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & IT Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr. Vinod Paul, Uttarakhand State Health Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat and CEO National Health Authority Dr. R S Sharma. Arogya Manthan marks the completion of 4 years of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and 1 year of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

Highlighting the PMJAY beneficiaries as the most important stakeholder in the largest global public health insurance scheme, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya stated that over 19 crore Ayushman Cards have been made in the country spanning its coverage in 33 States/UTs, and more than 24 crore ABHA numbers have also been generated. This reflects an important milestone in the digitization of health records in the country". He further informed that the current rate of making 4.5 lakh cards per day will be increased to making 10 lakh Ayushman Cards everyday.

He said the Government’s focus is to make health services reach the person at the end of the delivery chain, enabled by technology. Dr. Mandaviya stated that PM-JAY has been successful in bridging the gap between rich and poor in terms of accessibility of healthcare services in the country.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said that with the interplay of Information Technology and Health, the vision of Honourable Prime Minister of making healthcare accessible in the country can be achieved. He added that every village in the country will be connected through high speed optical fibre in the next few years which will ensure connectivity and continuous health access to all. Shri Vaishnaw also highlighted that the Government is making adequate legal framework towards safeguarding the data of the health beneficiaries.

Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar stated that the country is not only pioneering the adoption of technology in health services but also ensuring that it is implemented at the grass root level. She added that the Government is working holistically to ensure the best of healthcare services to its citizens. Dr. Pawar lauded the completion of 4 years of PM-JAY and 1 year of ABDM and said that it marks an important milestone in the direction of Universal Health Coverage. She said that ABDM will have multi-fold impact in digitizing the health infrastructure in the country.

NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr. V K Paul underlined the importance and need for strong healthcare systems to achieve Universal Health Coverage by 2030.

CEO, NHA Dr. R S Sharma congratulated all the stakeholders at the centre and state level for being active participants in the journey towards making healthcare accessible and affordable for all. He highlighted the importance of accessibility, quality and financial protection in order to achieve the goal of Universal Health Coverage.

The Union Health Minister launched several new initiatives including Health Claims Exchange (HCX), National e-Rupi Portal and Roadmap for Digitization. The digital versions of Annual Report for NHA, Coffee Table Book and Best Practices Booklet were also unveiled. The publications can be viewed at pmjay.gov.in.

Dr. Mandaviya inaugurated the "Digital Health Expo" that saw enthusiastic participation from digital health innovators like NIC (showcasing eHospital and Aarogya Setu), C-DAC, Karnataka Government, Medical Devices start-ups from Vizag, AWS India, Google, Microsoft, Tata Medical and Diagnostics, Reliance Digital Health, Hitachi MGRM, Paytm, Bajaj Finserv Health among others from government as well as private sector.

The day 1 of Arogya Manthan saw informative sessions with representatives from international organizations/ministries like Hong Kong Hospital Authority, Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health, World Bank, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Global Health Payment LLC, USA, Health Ministry Mexico, Ministry of Health, Thailand and Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, Australia along with various thought leaders of healthcare and technology in India. The sessions brought about exciting discussions around roadmap for universal health coverage, promoting inter-operability in digital health, enhancing the efficiency of PMJAY, increasing the adoption of digital health, health technology assessment for evidence based PMJAY decisions and privacy and data security at the core for digital health in India.

“Cashless, paperless and portable healthcare and treatment facility provided by Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY scheme for poor and underserved families has substantially reduced their out-of-pocket expenditure and in turn financial bankruptcy due to severe and prolonged illness, and expensive treatment”. Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya stated this as he interacted virtually with some beneficiaries from different part of the country, here today, as Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) completes four years of implementation today. Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar was also present. Shri Rishikesh Patel, Health Minister of Gujarat attended the event virtually.

The Union Health Minister shared the travails and pain of the beneficiaries and their families who narrated their experience of severe health crisis, and their inability of meeting the healthcare expenditure on their own. They also relived their joy on receiving financial support under AB-PMJAY which enabled them to seek quality tertiary treatment in PMJAY empanelled hospitals.

Dr. Mandaviya elaborated on the various features of the scheme and stated that “Ayushman Bharat has strengthened the Government’s mission to ensure Health for All”. He further urged States who are still to onboard the scheme to join in this national mission of providing affordable healthcare aimed towards citizen welfare. “With co-branding of the Ayushman Cards, we shall soon provide all eligible beneficiaries with the card”, he said. So far, more than 19 crore AB-PMJAY cards have been created and more than 3.8 cr beneficiaries have availed of free treatment under the scheme.

Highlighting the salient features of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), he noted that ABHA Health ID will prove to be a game changer in the health sector. Few beneficiaries narrated the ease of creating the health ID and benefits of storing their health records on one platform. The heath accounts are highly helpful in identifying, authenticating and easily accessing one’s health records without any hassle or charge, they informed. Union Health Minister appreciated the beneficiaries who have made their online accounts and stated that the youth are ambassadors of government’s schemes and can help senior citizens in accessing benefits of such digital interventions.

Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar highlighted that the scheme has brought major changes in the healthcare sector and has made it accessible for the poor families. AB PMJAY has been successful in providing quality health services to the beneficiaries who come from weak financial backgrounds and might have not been able to afford expensive treatment. Apart from providing healthcare services to the needy, the scheme is also educating the beneficiaries about their healthcare rights. She gave the clarion call for building upon this foundation of robust physical and digital infrastructure by increasing coverage of the scheme.