Bill to bar favours to doctors from pharma companies: AzadNovember 29th, 2009 KOLKATA - To clamp down on medicos favouring particular pharmaceutical companies while prescribing medicines, the union health ministry will soon table a bill in parliament, barring doctors of state-run hospitals from taking favours like foreign trips and gifts from pharma majors. "We receive complaints from hospitals which provide cheap medicines that some doctors don't prescribe these medicines.
Rs.9.2 bn to promote Indian systems of medicineNovember 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The health ministry will spend Rs.9.2 billion this financial year for promoting Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) - the Indian systems of medicine - in the country, Minister of State for Health S. Gandhiselvan told parliament Friday.
CII launches toll free helpline on HIV/AIDSNovember 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - In a bid to spread awareness on HIV/AIDS, the Confederation of Indian Industriy (CII) Friday announced the launch of a toll free helpline in four languages. Making the announcement at a discussion organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Delhi State Aids Control Society (DSACS) and the CII here, Meenakshi Dhanda of the CII said that the helpline will be in four langauges - Hindi, English, Urdu and Punjabi.
India, EU to resolve generic drugs expots tangleNovember 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The European Union (EU) is not opposed to exports of generic medicine by Indian companies through its ports, European Commissioner for Trade Catherine Ashton said here Friday. Answering a query on the confiscation of Indian consignments of generic medicine in European ports, which were bound for other countries, she said EU would soon resolve the issue.
CII, US-India Business Council announce healthcare initiativeNovember 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the US-India Business Council (USIBC) Friday announced a joint partnership in the field of healthcare under the banner "Coalition for Healthy India". Announcing the partnership here, CII director Chandrajit Banerjee said: "CII and the US-India Business Council have long collaborated to support healthcare improvements in India.
Pharma exports up 29 percent to $9.35 bnSeptember 25th, 2009 HYDERABAD - India's exports of drugs, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals grew by 29 percent last fiscal to Rs.39,538 crore (around $9.35 billion) compared to the previous fiscal, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said Friday. "In recent times, the Indian pharmaceutical sector has emerged as one of the major contributors to Indian exports with export earnings rising from a negligible amount in early 1990s to Rs.29,139.57 crore by 2007-08," Sharma said while addressing the Indo-Africa Pharma Business Meet here.
Indian ancestry revealed in massive studySeptember 25th, 2009 LONDON - The largest ever DNA survey of Indian heritage has revealed that the population of India was founded on just two ancient groups that are as genetically distinct from each other as they are from other Asians. The findings of the study, conducted by a group of top international geneticists, have strong implications for health and medicine, and reveal important new information on caste in India.
Brain can remember a 'forgotten' languageSeptember 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Most of us learn a foreign language when we are young, but lack of practice makes us believe that we have forgotten it. However, a new study has shown that the "forgotten" language may be more deeply engraved in our minds.
Indian pharma exports up by 29 percent in 2008-09September 25th, 2009 HYDERABAD - Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma today said that the exports of drugs, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals for the year 2008-09 stood at Rs.39,538 crore, registering a growth of about 29 per cent over the last year. Addressing the Indo-Africa Pharma Business meet here, Sharma said: "In recent times, the Indian pharmaceutical sector has emerged as one of the major contributors to Indian exports with export earnings rising from a negligible amount in early 1990s to Rs.29,139.57 crore by 2007-08.
Brain can quickly learn a forgotten language againSeptember 25th, 2009 LONDON - Many of us learn a foreign language when we are young, but in some cases, exposure is brief and we never get to hear or practice the tongue subsequently. Our subjective impression is often that the neglected language completely fades away from our memory.
Indian population is 'genetic hotchpotch' of two different ancestral groupsSeptember 24th, 2009 LONDON - The largest DNA survey of Indian heritage to date has revealed that the current population of India is a genetic hotchpotch of two distinct ancestral groups. India makes up around one-sixth of the world's population, yet the South Asian country has been sorely under-represented in genome-wide studies of human genetic variation.
World's oldest surviving medicine system gets government's okSeptember 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The world's oldest surviving system of medicine called "Sowa-Rigpa" -popular in the country's Himalayan region and said to be taught by Gautam Buddha himself - got official approval from the Indian government Thursday. The decision to approve it as part of the Indian medicine system was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and later announced by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni.
A quarter of heart patients don't take their pillsSeptember 8th, 2009 LONDON - At least a fourth of cardiac patients don't take medicines prescribed to prevent heart attacks and strokes, a new study says. The study results suggest that doctors need to pay more attention to the way patients take their medicines in line with recommendations in recent National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance.
Himachal to start 12 centres for ayurvedaSeptember 7th, 2009 SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh plans to promote ayurveda by setting up 12 'panchkarma' centres in the state by December-end, Health Minister Rajeev Bindal said Tuesday. "To promote the ancient Indian art of healing through ayurveda, the government would set up 12 panchkarma centres in the state.
India says no to AIDS drug patents, reaffirms role as 'pharmacy' of poor countriesSeptember 4th, 2009 LONDON - India has rejected applications from two US companies for patents on two key AIDS drugs in a move that could mean more people in poor countries will have access to life-saving medicines. According to a report in Nature News, the decisions are the latest in a string of legal victories for Cipla, India's largest generic drug maker.
