Kerala is reporting a host of diseases that are becoming far more prevalent in recent years. Many were almost entirely unreported within the state. Others were simply less common. The increased prevalence of these diseases may indicate diseases from other states are spreading to Kerala. In the case of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) there may be […]
Kerala
The Nipah virus: India’s next epidemic?
An outbreak of the Nipah virus in the Indian state of Kerala has made global headlines and creating an air of tension similar to that of the ebola crisis. Fears of a large-scale epidemic are abundant. However, is there any credibility to these claims? What is the Nipah virus? The Nipah virus is a zoonotic […]
Government doctors strike in Kerala
Government doctors have gone on strike in Kerala, protesting changes to outpatient services at family health centres. The strike began on Friday, April 13th and will continue indefinitely. Doctors are protesting state government plans to extend the duration of outpatient services in the state. The original schedule was 9am to 12pm; it is now […]
Kerala to make vaccination mandatory for school admission
Kerala is to introduce a new policy that would require all children starting school to show that they have been vaccinated Health Minister K K Shailaja claimed the move would fortify the health sector and make progress towards higher immunisation rates within the state. The state’s cabinet approved a draft of the new medical policy […]
Inequality between states harms health in India
‘Nations Within a Nation’ A groundbreaking new study published today in The Lancet spotlights a major concern about healthcare in India: the vast disparities between its states. ‘Nations Within a Nation’, touted as ‘the first comprehensive analysis of health in India’, shows that the ‘substantial gains in healthcare’ made by India in recent years have […]
Paid menstrual leave in India: Progress?
Paid menstrual leave is gaining popularity among companies in India. However, debate continues over whether it is a progressive or regressive policy. A number of Indian companies now allow women to take paid leave for dysmenorrhea, or period pain. Culture Machine, Magzter and Mathrumbi are among the firms to have taken this step in recent […]
Cash for colleges: BJP bribery scandal in Kerala
The BJP faces accusations of institutionalised corruption in yet another scandal involving medical colleges. As controversy over the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh continues, a similar issue has arisen in Kerala. Allegations this time say approval for medical colleges by the Medical Council of India (MCI) is being obtained through bribes. This is according to […]
C-sections on the rise in India: Profiteering to blame?
Caesarean sections are on the rise in India, provoking concerns that doctors are performing the procedure excessively. The rate of caesarean sections in India has risen sixfold in the past twenty years and doubled in the last decade, reports The Wire. “In some states like Telangana, Tripura, West Bengal, Kerala, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil […]
Shocking pocket of malnutrition in India’s healthiest state
The current edition of Outlook contains a series of articles about infant deaths among tribal people in Kerala. The state has the lowest infant mortality in India (with 16 deaths per 1,000 children born alive, its infant mortality rate is comparable to parts of Europe) and the highest literacy rate. The magazine says, though, that […]