Health

Rajasthan Cough Syrup Fails Tests, Scheme Under Scrutiny

By BPN News Desk October 3, 2025

In Rajasthan, forty samples of a government-supplied cough syrup reportedly failed quality tests, raising serious concerns about the state’s free medicine scheme. The syrup, linked to the deaths and illnesses of children in Sikar and Bharatpur, was still distributed under the scheme despite earlier bans. Batches Banned and Inquiry Ordered Authorities have banned 22

Health

GST Exemption Frustration for Insurers, Policyholders

By BPN News Desk September 24, 2025

From September 22, 2025, individual life and health insurance premiums in India are exempt from the 18% Goods and Services Tax (GST). This move was announced by the GST Council to reduce the cost burden on policyholders. No Input Tax Credit for Insurers Because these insurance premiums are now exempt, insurers can no longer claim […]

Diseases & Prevention Health

India Orders States To Step Up Dengue & Malaria Control

By BPN News Desk September 12, 2025

The Indian Health Ministry has issued an advisory directing all states and Union Territories to intensify prevention of dengue and malaria. States are asked to prepare action plans within 20 days. Hospitals must ensure they have sufficient drugs, diagnostics, beds, and keep premises mosquito-free. Focus On Delhi And High-Risk Areas A special review has been […]

Health

U.S. Confirms Travel-Related Human Screwworm Case in Maryland

By BPN News Desk August 25, 2025

Health officials confirmed the first U.S. case of New World screwworm infection this year. The patient, a traveler returning from Central America—either El Salvador or Guatemala—is being treated in Maryland. What Is the Screwworm Parasite? The New World screwworm is a parasitic fly whose larvae infest open wounds of warm-blooded animals and, in rare cases, […]

Health

President Urges Doctors to Be Clinical, Not Cold

By BPN News Desk August 1, 2025

President Droupadi Murmu, addressing the first convocation ceremony of AIIMS Deoghar, advised graduating doctors to maintain clinical precision in their work but remain warm and compassionate in their behaviour with patients. Balance Skill With Empathy In her speech to the young doctors, President Murmu said diagnosis and surgery should be accurate and professional, but a

Health

South Korea Reprograms Cancer Cells Into Healthy Ones Sans Chemo

By BPN News Desk June 16, 2025

In a stunning leap for cancer research, scientists at South Korea’s KAIST have developed a method to reprogram colon cancer cells into healthy ones—without the use of chemotherapy or radiation. The innovation centers on cellular transformation rather than destruction, offering a new paradigm for cancer treatment. Cancer reprogramming breakthrough At the heart of this

Health

Active COVID Cases Rise in India, Karnataka and Gujarat Worst Hit

By BPN News Desk June 11, 2025

India has reported a fresh spike in active COVID-19 cases, with the national tally crossing 6,800. The sudden rise, observed in early June, has put health authorities on alert, with Karnataka and Gujarat emerging as the worst-affected states. Health officials are attributing the spike to increased transmission of a new variant, XFG, and are urging […]

Health

India Detects 163 Cases of XFG COVID Variant Amid Surge

By BPN News Desk June 10, 2025

India is witnessing a renewed rise in COVID-19 cases as health authorities confirm the spread of a new Omicron-derived variant, XFG. The country has recorded 163 confirmed cases of the variant, coinciding with a national active caseload that now stands at approximately 6,815. XFG Variant Spreads Across States The XFG variant, first identified in Canada, […]

Health

India’s COVID-19 Death Toll Rises to 37 Amid Fresh Surge

By BPN News Desk June 4, 2025

India has reported five more fatalities due to COVID-19, bringing the national death toll to 37 as of June 3, 2025. The fresh deaths include two from Maharashtra and one each from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. These numbers reflect a steady rise in COVID-related complications as India faces a new wave of infections. […]

Diseases & Prevention Health

World Health Assembly Adopts Historic Pandemic Agreement to Strengthen Global Health Security

By BPN News Desk May 20, 2025

The 78th World Health Assembly, convened in Geneva on May 20, 2025, has adopted a landmark Pandemic Agreement aimed at ensuring a more equitable and coordinated global response to future health emergencies. This historic decision comes in the wake of lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to address the longstanding disparities in global […]