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Under the auspices of the Ministry of Ayush, the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) established the “SMART” initiative to mainstream ayurvedic research among teaching professionals. The programme utilises ayurvedic colleges and hospitals to advance scientific research in healthcare-related fields. In the presence of the NCISM president, board of ayurveda, BS Prasad, and other senior authorities, the programme was introduced by the NCISM chairman, Vaidya Jayant Deopujari, and the director general of CCRAS, Rabinarayan Acharya. Until January 10, 2023, eligible institutions may apply for the SMART programme. Through NCISM, the ministry informed all accredited academic institutions and hospitals of the eligibility requirements and the application process. The SMART program’s main goal is to find, support, and promote creative research proposals in the fields of healthcare research, including, but not limited to, obesity, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic bronchitis, dyslipidemia, psoriasis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), osteoarthritis, iron deficiency anaemia, chronic bronchitis, dyslipidemia, and dyslipidemia. NCISM Chairman Vaidya Jayant Deopujari said this about the initiative: “I am confident that this program has the potential to transform clinical research in Ayurveda. It was observed that the research potential of the large community of Ayurveda teachers remains under utilised mostly. Therefore, the ‘SMART’ program will have a deep long term rejuvenating impact on research in the field of Ayurveda and it will be a great service to the nation, I congratulate CCRAS for this initiative and ensure all support on behalf of NCISM.” BS Prasad, head of the board of ayurveda at NCISM, commented on the SMART initiative, saying: “The large network of Ayurveda colleges and hospitals across the country is an asset for the country in terms of its healthcare needs. This network has not only been offering healthcare services in hardest times, but it also has contributed significantly in terms of healthcare research in the country. The ‘SMART’ program will certainly motivate teachers for taking up projects in designated areas of healthcare research and create a large database.”

The Delhi government authorised a budget of Rs 104 crore on Monday for hospitals to purchase generic medicines as part of emergency plans in response to a rise in cases of Covid in several nations. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia gave the heads of government hospitals instructions to share information with the Health department by the end of the day on beds, ventilators, ICUs, human resources, oxygen plants, and medical logistics. “The surge in Covid cases globally is a matter of concern for everyone. Delhi hospitals have been asked to prepare well in advance and stay vigilant. An amount of Rs 104 crore has been approved to ensure that there is no shortage of any medicines at government hospitals and they are well prepared to deal with any situation,” a statement quoted Sisodia as saying. The deputy chief minister stated that on Tuesday, a mock drill will be held at each hospital to make sure that the institutions are prepared to manage Covid in accordance with the Center’s instructions. Any deficiencies, he stressed, will be quickly addressed by Health department employees. The mock drill will evaluate, among other things, the availability of beds, human resources, referral sources, testing capacity, medical logistics, telemedicine services, and medical oxygen. From Tuesday, the public will have access to real-time information on the availability of beds, oxygen cylinders, and ventilators on a portal run by the Delhi government, according to officials. An official stated that testing would probably soon be increased. Currently, the city hosts between 2,500 and 3,000 tests every day. Meetings with non-governmental organisations and resident welfare organisations are being held, and they are being asked to raise awareness of the current situation. The new Omicron sub-variant BF.7 of the coronavirus, which is leading to an increase in cases in other countries, has not yet been found in Delhi, according to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who also stated last week that his government is well prepared to handle any situation. There have been directives issued to boost precaution dose coverage, staffing levels in hospitals, and provide samples from all positive cases for genome sequencing. Kejriwal has also instructed authorities to obtain prior approval before purchasing any necessary materials and to check the infrastructure at all hospitals. They are self-sufficient in terms of oxygen availability and storage, according to the chief minister. Delhi experienced an oxygen crisis during the second Covid wave last year, with hospitals using social media to post SOS alerts about running out on supplies. However, according to experts, India shouldn’t be too concerned about the BF.7 sub-strain because there are many individuals who have gained immunity to the virus, either through vaccination or prior infection, in comparison to China, where people have little immunity because of strict restrictions.

In India’s first-ever colonoscopy trials, which were carried out utilising AI and Airtel’s 5G technology, colon cancer was found significantly more quickly and accurately, according to an announcement from Bharti Airtel and Apollo Hospitals. The other three firms that worked together on these trials were HealthNet Global, AWS, and Avesha. Currently, colon cancer is identified manually during a colonoscopy procedure, requiring a lot of care and time from medical professionals to provide an accurate diagnosis. The procedure is not only time-consuming, lasting up to 30 to 40 minutes per case, but it is also discomforting for both the patients and the doctors and nurses who have to perform the procedure. Even when the doctor adjusted the scope to overlay the picture on the right portion of the colon, the AI-guided colonoscopy procedure displayed image processing in real-time without any lags.  The introduction of this technology will provide doctors access to an extra set of eyes and increase the rate at which polyps are detected. Utilizing platforms from AWS (Amazon Web Services India P Ltd), Avesha edge inferencing applications processed the data in real-time. Trials for AI-assisted Colonoscopy Polyp Detection will assist physicians in enhancing patient care, increasing detection rates by accurately recording information, and minimising errors. Ajay Chitkara, CEO and Director of Airtel Business, commented on the trial by stating that “Ultra-fast, low latency 5G networks will transform the healthcare sector in the country. At Airtel, we are geared up to lead this transformation and have demonstrated this by conducting India’s first colonoscopy trials. Healthcare is one of the most promising use cases for 5G, and we are delighted to collaborate with Apollo Hospitals, AWS, HealthNet Global and Avesha.” Dr. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, stated that “By augmenting doctor’s ability to detect, AI has been proved to improve physician’s accuracy. Early detection and removal of polyps can easily avoid them from becoming cancerous. Apollo has always been a forerunner in the adoption of technology. Our patient-centric approach keeps us on an outlook for technologies which can make outcomes better.” Reiterating Chitkara’s and Dr. Reddy’s praise for 5G and AI as useful tools for developing healthcare, Vaishali Kasture, Head-Enterprise, Mid-Market & Global Businesses, India & South Asia, AWS India said, “5G and edge technologies offer high speed and real-time data analysis that can help transform the delivery of healthcare. AI inference provides better insight and information to healthcare professionals to predict, diagnose, and treat patients more effectively.”

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the country on Wednesday in light of a recent surge in cases in some regions of the world, and instructed officials to remain vigilant and increase surveillance. “In view of the rising cases of Covid-19 in some countries, reviewed the situation with experts and officials today. COVID is not over yet. I have directed all concerned to be alert and strengthen surveillance. We are prepared to manage any situation,” Mandaviya stated this in a tweet. In view of the rising cases of #Covid19 in some countries, reviewed the situation with experts and officials today. COVID is not over yet. I have directed all concerned to be alert and strengthen surveillance. We are prepared to manage any situation. pic.twitter.com/DNEj2PmE2W — Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) December 21, 2022 The meeting was attended by the secretaries of health, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, Ayush, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Rajiv Bahl, Member (Health) of NITI Aayog Dr V K Paul, and National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) Chairman Dr N K Arora, among others. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan stated in a letter to states and UTs that such an effort will enable timely detection of newer variants, if any, circulating throughout the country and will facilitate the implementation of necessary public health measures. Given the rise in cases in Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of Korea, Brazil, and China, the Union Health Ministry encouraged all states and union territories on Tuesday to increase whole genome sequencing of positive Covid samples in order to track emerging variants. COVID has been spreading rapidly in China. According to informal figures, over 40% of Beijing residents are currently infected with COVID. The CCP, on the other hand, has shifted its agenda to depict COVID as a simple flu. As the number of cases increases in major Chinese cities, even people with minor symptoms are rushing to hospitals. Emergency call operators are receiving 30,000 calls each day, which is six times the daily average. According to Voices Against Autocracy, there are long queues outside fever clinics in several towns. Treatments and medication are in low supply, and hospitals are stressed as doctors and nurses become infected with the illness. Doctors who have tested positive or are asymptomatic are also being urged to report to work, putting the public at danger of further transmission. Epidemiologists recently predicted that at least three COVID waves would hit China this winter. According to The Hong Kong Post, the Chinese government was “under-prepared” when it unexpectedly ended its zero-COVID policy in response to nationwide protests. The Chinese government has stayed silent on the number of deaths so far. However, Chinese authorities have warned of successive waves of COVID infections in the coming months, since cases have continued to increase since restrictions were lifted earlier this month. Source: PTI, ANI

More than two weeks after the AIIMS cyber-attack, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin informed the Lok Sabha on Friday that all data had been recovered from an unaffected backup server, and that most of the institute’s services had been restored. In response to a question, Pawar stated that no specific amount of ransom was wanted by the hackers, despite the fact that a statement on the server implied it was a cyber-attack. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences has filed a FIR with the Special Cell of the Delhi Police in connection with the attack, according to the minister’s written reply. The e-Hospital application of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) was hosted on five physical servers at AIIMS Delhi. All data for the e-Hospital was recovered from an unaffected backup server and restored on new servers. “Most of the functions of e-Hospital applications like patient registration, appointment, admission, discharge etc have been restored after two weeks of the cyber-attack,” Pawar stated in a written response. Also Read: AIIMS server attack is part of a larger conspiracy by organised gangs: Minister The National Nodal Agency for Responding to Cyber Security Incidents, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), has “Empanelled Information Security Auditing Organizations” for auditing computer systems, networks, and applications involving public service delivery, including the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). AIIMS took immediate steps to enhance security, including endpoint hardening, string firewall policies, and network segmentation, according to the minister. To reduce the patient load on the Delhi hospital, the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) has approved the setting up of 22 new AIIMS and 75 projects of upgradation of existing government medical colleges or institutions through the establishment of super speciality blocks or trauma centres. They are in various stages of delivering inpatient and outpatient services to the underprivileged. Day-to-day operations or surgeries, as well as accompanying duties and record keeping, were carried out manually. The dashboard for real-time emergency bed availability at AIIMS Delhi was designed in-house, according to the reply.

The government announced on Friday that it has taken strong action against medical colleges that do not have proper faculty and that similar delinquent institutions will face similar action. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also told the Lok Sabha that in the case of government-run medical institutions, state governments are responsible for retaining faculty members, however in the case of private medical colleges, the obligation lies with the respective administration. Mandaviya stated that the central government continues to send inspection teams to medical colleges in addition to seeking commitments and affidavits from medical colleges in order to maintain proper faculty. “We have to give quality education to students, we have to produce good doctors. We have taken strong action against those institutions which were not maintaining proper faculty and some more action will be taken against some other institutions,” he said. The minister stated that the government would not hesitate to take harsh measures against medical colleges found to be involved in irregularities. In response to a question about the progress of the AIIMS Madurai, he stated that classes for students have already begun, and that work on the permanent building will begin soon after a delay due to changes in the proposed structure, resulting in a budget increase from Rs 1200 crore to Rs 1900 crore. “The government of India is committed to serve the people of Tamil Nadu through AIIMS Madurai. No need to worry, we will complete the project. We will build a good AIIMS (in Madurai),” he stated. Mandaviya noted that in order to increase the availability of qualified human resources in health and to reduce disparities in the country’s existing geographical distribution of medical colleges, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare administers a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for the establishment of new medical colleges attached to existing district or referral hospitals, with preference given to underserved areas and aspirational districts where no existing government or private medical college exists. According to him, 157 medical institutions have been sanctioned under the programme in three phases, with funds shared between the Centre and State Governments in the ratio of 90:10 for Northeastern and Special Category States and 60:40 for others. According to the scheme guidelines, the state government is the implementing agency, and the state government is responsible for project development, implementation, and commissioning. The scheme’s funds are released based on the rate of expenditure, the release of the appropriate state share, and the receipt of utilisation certificates, as well as demand from the state and UT governments, he explained. Source: PTI

Reliance Jio has signed a partnership with the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences that will allow the latter to utilise Jio’s 5G network for advanced healthcare technology. Jio’s ‘True 5G’ service, along with low latency, would enable novel use cases in healthcare, including robotics-based treatment or surgery, remote ICU, ICU Ambulance, community clinics, and more. 5G will not only improve existing technologies, but will also enable new use cases in healthcare, such as robotics-based treatment and surgery, remote ICU and ICU ambulance, community clinics, and more. Reliance Jio and emergency medical response service provider Medulance Healthcare launched their 5G-Smart connected ambulance in October of this year. Medulance Healthcare intends to use Jio’s 5G network to transform its nationwide fleet of over 7,500 ambulances into smart ambulances. The vehicle is equipped with cameras and smart technologies that enable real-time, two-way audio and video communication, transmission of high-definition footage, ambulance location tracking, and real-time streaming of patient health data to a distant doctor over the high-speed 5G network. This alerts the nearest hospital and professionals, allowing them to better manage the patient upon arrival and save critical time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate three National Ayush Institutes on December 11 with the aim of improving infrastructure and promoting research in traditional medicine. PM Modi will inaugurate the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in Goa, the National Institute of UnMedicine (NIUM) in Ghaziabad, and the National Institute of Homoeopathy (NIH) in Delhi. According to the Ministry of Ayush, these satellite institutes will improve research, international cooperation, and make Ayush services more affordable to a larger community. These institutes will aid in the delivery of affordable healthcare to all citizens and to the country’s various regions. On December 11, the Ministry of Ayush will host the 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC), which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend. In Panjim, Goa, the event will highlight the scientificity, efficacy, and strength of the Ayush system of medicine on a global level. According to a Ministry of Ayush statement, the development of three new national Ayush institutes in Ayurveda, Homeopathy, and Unani would create 400 additional seats for 400 students pursuing UG, PG, and Doctoral programmes, as well as 550 additional beds in these three streams. The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in Goa will work to provide the highest quality facilities for UG, PG, and post-doctoral courses in education, research, and patient care services using the Ayurvedic medical system. According to the statement, it will be transformed into an Ayurvedic wellness hub encouraging Medical Value Travel (MVT) and will serve as a model centre for international and national collaboration for academic and research purposes. The National Institute of Homoeopathy (NIH) in Delhi, according to the statement, is the first of its kind to be established in Northern India for the development of the Homoeopathic system of medicine and the provision of health care services. It will work on mainstreaming and integrating Ayush healthcare services with contemporary medications, as well as encouraging R&D and innovation and developing reputable national institutes. The National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM) in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, will serve as a satellite center for the existing National Institute of Unani Medicine in Bangalore. It will be the first of its kind in Northern India, serving patients from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and other Indian states, as well as international nationals under MVT. Source: ANI

While calling the AIIMS server attack a “big conspiracy,” Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar speculated that it could be the work of a “state actor” or large organised gangs. Chandrasekhar told IANS that the server attack was definitely part of a larger conspiracy. He stated that the situation is being investigated by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and the Delhi Police. He went on to say that while the government makes different provisions to protect government institutions from cyber-attacks, AIIMS, as an autonomous institution, hires private agencies to do so. According to him, the government is considering establishing a standard to prevent such incidents, which would be provided to institutions such as AIIMS as an advice, pushing its adoption. The minister described it as a ransomware issue, saying that patients’ data had not yet been leaked, but it had been made inaccessible from the hospital. He referred to it as a cyber security issue. Chandrasekhar went on to say that the government would introduce a Digital Personal Data Protection Bill about data theft, after which victims would be able to complain about their data privacy breach by contacting the Data Protection Board. Source: IANS

A team of researchers has identified the bacteria most typically found in severe oral infections, a discovery that could shed more light on the link between oral bacteria and other diseases. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria were found to be the most frequent bacteria, whereas Streptococcus spp, Prevotella spp, and Staphylococcus spp were the most common genera. Previous research has found obvious links between oral health and prevalent diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden analysed samples obtained from patients with severe oral infections at Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden between 2010 and 2020 and developed a list of the most prevalent bacteria. “We’re reporting here, for the first time, the microbial composition of bacterial infections from samples collected over a ten-year period in Stockholm County,” says professor Sallberg Chen of Karolinska Institute’s Department of Dental Medicine. “The results show that several bacterial infections with links to systemic diseases are constantly present and some have even increased over the past decade in Stockholm,” the researchers wrote in the journal Microbiology Spectrum. “Our results provide new insight into the diversity and prevalence of harmful microbes in oral infections,” Chen added. “If a certain bacterium infects and causes damage in the mouth, it’s very likely that it can be harmful to tissues elsewhere in the body as the infection spreads,” the researcher explained.