Lifestyle

Chennai, Aug 5 (IANS) The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will launch a citywide vaccination campaign in the second week of August, targeting around two lakh stray dogs as part of intensified efforts to prevent rabies and improve animal welfare.

The campaign will cover all zones of the city and will also provide free anti-rabies and anti-parasite vaccines to pet dogs. Pet owners have been urged to make use of the programme and ensure their animals are vaccinated.

The civic body had vaccinated around 1.47 lakh stray dogs last year, when Chennai’s stray dog population was estimated at approximately 1.80 lakh.

With the population believed to have increased since then, the GCC has raised this year’s vaccination target to two lakh dogs. The campaign comes alongside an expansion of the Corporation’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) infrastructure.

At present, 11 of the 15 ABC centres in Chennai are operational. Two more centres at Nandambakkam and Perungudi are expected to begin functioning next week. The remaining centres at Athipattu in Ambattur and Sholinganallur are scheduled to become operational by the fourth week of August.

Once all 15 facilities are functioning, the GCC expects its capacity to carry out sterilisation procedures to increase substantially.

The existing centres together conduct around 200 ABC surgeries every day. The Corporation expects this to double to approximately 400 surgeries per day with the additional facilities. Nearly 24,000 birth control surgeries have been performed on stray dogs since January this year. The number of procedures has steadily increased, from 1,490 in January to 2,493 in February and 3,058 in March.

The Corporation conducted 3,259 surgeries in April; 3,637 in May and 4,765 in June. The monthly figure reached its highest level so far in July, when 5,324 surgeries were done.

The vaccination campaign, however, comes amid concerns raised by animal welfare activists over the handling of stray dogs during capture and vaccination operations.

Concerns have also been expressed over maintaining the required cold-chain conditions for vaccines and ensuring that vaccinated animals are safely returned to their territories. The GCC has rejected allegations of improper vaccine handling, maintaining that vaccination vials are stored and transported with necessary safeguards.

The civic body has also sought greater public participation in the campaign, particularly from pet owners, local animal feeders and rescuers, as it seeks to expand vaccination coverage and reduce the risk of rabies transmission across Chennai.

--IANS

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Gandhinagar, Aug 4 (IANS) Health authorities in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar have intensified surveillance and vector-control measures following recent heavy rainfall, carrying out thousands of water quality checks, household inspections and mosquito-control operations to reduce the risk of water-borne and vector-borne diseases during the monsoon.

According to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), its Health Department has been undertaking preventive and relief measures across the city to ensure safe drinking water and curb the spread of disease.

As of 9 a.m. on Tuesday, officials had conducted 714 chlorine tests and collected 334 drinking water samples for laboratory examination across the city's seven zones.

The South Zone recorded the highest activity with 172 chlorine tests and 76 water samples, followed by the West Zone with 134 chlorine tests and 66 water samples.

The North Zone carried out 98 chlorine tests and collected 49 samples, while the East Zone conducted 91 tests and collected 48 samples.

The Central Zone completed 89 tests and 40 samples, the South West Zone 68 tests and 29 samples, and the North West Zone 62 tests and 26 samples.

The civic body said that on August 3, teams across the city had conducted 2,258 chlorine tests, while water-sampling teams had also remained active to monitor drinking water quality.

To ensure access to healthcare in rain-affected localities, the corporation has deployed mobile medical vans and mobile medical teams, which are providing free health examinations, distributing essential medicines and offering health guidance to residents.

The Health Department has also distributed 10,022 chlorine tablets across the city to ensure safe drinking water.

Distribution included 1,796 tablets in the South Zone, 1,599 in the West Zone, 1,590 in the South West Zone, 1,399 in the Central Zone, 1,279 in the North West Zone, 1,254 in the North Zone and 1,105 in the East Zone.

On August 3 alone, 37,887 chlorine tablets were distributed citywide. The AMC Health Department said preventive health measures would continue throughout the monsoon to prevent the spread of water-borne and vector-borne diseases.

Meanwhile, the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) has stepped up mosquito-control measures after a break in the rains.

Over the past three days, 150 vector control teams inspected 29,759 houses and examined 38,624 water-holding containers, including tanks, drums, barrels and pots.

The inspections identified 395 houses with mosquito breeding, where 629 breeding containers tested positive.

The breeding sources were destroyed immediately, while Abate larvicide treatment was carried out in clean water storage containers.

Officials also collected blood samples from 271 suspected fever cases for laboratory diagnosis. As part of post-rain vector-control operations, the civic body sprayed 430 litres of burnt oil in roadside pits, drains, tanks and other locations with stagnant rainwater to control mosquito breeding.

During the past week, indoor fogging was carried out in 1,392 houses, while one round of outdoor cold fogging was also completed. The corporation said the operations would continue.

In areas such as large lakes and locations inaccessible to ground teams, drones were used to spray 3,000 litres of biological larvicide.

The municipal corporation said another round of drone spraying would be undertaken during August to prevent mosquito breeding in these water bodies.

The GMC also urged residents to wear full-sleeved clothing during the day, sleep under mosquito nets at night and ensure that water does not stagnate in or around their homes to help reduce the risk of mosquito-borne diseases.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Aug 4 (IANS) A paradigm shift in dietary habits, increasing consumption of processed foods, and widespread sedentary lifestyles are severely impacting India's metabolic health, a health expert said on Tuesday.

In an interview with IANS, Dr. Kalapala, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Director - Center for Obesity and Metabolic Therapy at the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG Hospitals), warned that obesity should no longer be viewed in isolation, but as a complex metabolic disease affecting organs from head to toe.

Highlighting the dangers of modern dietary patterns, Dr. Kalapala noted that heavily processed foods laden with high carbohydrates, bad fats, and refined sugars dominate markets across both urban and rural areas.

"The processed food itself will increase cravings because of delayed satiety," said Dr. Kalapala, who is the Vice Chair of American Bariatric Endoscopy and Fellow of American, European and Japanese Endoscopy Societies . "Once you consume these foods, which have high carbs, high fats, and that too bad fats with no proteins, this will take a toll on the metabolic health of the body, leading to weight gain, fatty liver, diabetes, and other systemic involvement."

Dr. Kalapala emphasised that even individuals identifying as pure vegetarians or teetotalers who neither smoke nor consume alcohol are falling prey to metabolic disorders.

"Because of this food change, sedentary lifestyle, and widespread stress, it leads to metabolic changes, mainly fatty liver," he explained. "The liver, when it contains fat, remains silent until detected through ultrasound or liver function tests. By the time a person knows, the liver is already damaged."

He added that modern stress significantly exacerbates the crisis through the gut-brain axis, noting that "stress is something which will precipitate and make people crave more and eat more," while discouraging physical activity.

Further addressing the younger demographic, Dr. Kalapala pointed to alarming statistics from ICMR and National Family Health Survey studies, showing childhood obesity rates touching 15 to 18 percent in India.

Crucially, he noted that the roots of childhood obesity often begin in the womb.

"If the mother is overweight during pregnancy, the same thing transmits to the fetus, and then the child who is born—from then itself childhood obesity starts," he said, adding that coupled with academic pressures and a lack of school playgrounds, children enter their teenage years already facing severe metabolic shifts.

--IANS

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Jaipur, Aug 4 (IANS) Rajasthan's Drug Control Organisation has reported that the vast majority of medicines tested in July met prescribed quality standards, reinforcing the state's ongoing efforts to ensure the availability of safe and effective drugs.

Of the 587 drug samples analysed during the month, 579 samples (98.64 per cent) were found to be of standard quality, while eight samples (1.36 per cent) were classified as Not of Standard Quality (NSQ).

The monthly quality assessment was conducted by the Drug Testing Laboratory as part of the state's routine surveillance programme aimed at monitoring the quality of medicines available in the market.

Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Gayatri Rathore said the Drug Control Organisation regularly collects medicine samples from across the state and subjects them to scientific testing to safeguard public health and ensure that only quality medicines reach consumers.

According to the report, the eight NSQ samples included Cefixime with Lactic Acid Bacillus tablets, Nifedipine Sustained Release tablets, Formaldehyde solution, Betamethasone Sodium Phosphate injection, Metronidazole tablets, Cefixime and Ofloxacin dispersible tablets, Tapentadol Hydrochloride tablets, and Levocetirizine Dihydrochloride tablets. These medicines were manufactured by pharmaceutical companies located in different states.

Food Safety and Drug Control Commissioner T. Shubhamangala said statutory action has been initiated against the manufacturers of the substandard medicines in accordance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and related regulations.

She added that necessary directions have been issued to the concerned drug control officers to take appropriate action.

The department will continue its regular market surveillance and quality testing of medicines. Strict action will be taken against manufacturers and other stakeholders found violating quality norms to ensure that safe, effective and high-quality medicines remain available to the public.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) Under the National Ayush Mission (NAM), 12,500 units of existing Ayush dispensaries and sub-health centres (SCs) have been upgraded for operationalisation as Ayush Health and Wellness Centres, renamed as Ayushman Arogya Mandir (Ayush), the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

Union Minister of State for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha, said that as many as 40,269 dispensaries and 3,648 hospitals are currently offering Ayush OPD services across the country.

He said under the Centrally-Sponsored Scheme NAM, consolidated funds are released to the State/UT Governments against the proposals submitted through SAAPs, as per provisions of the NAM guideline. Financial assistance is allocated at a unit cost of Rs 16.22 lakh per Ayush Dispensary and Rs 15.744 lakh per Sub-Centres for upgrading them into AAM (Ayush).

Karnataka has the highest number of such facilities that include 7,641 dispensaries and 274 hospitals, he said.

Jadhav said as per the operational guidelines, AAM (Ayush) were approved with an objective to establish a holistic wellness model based on Ayush principles and practices (Yoga therapy, Ayurveda consultations, Naturopathy treatments, etc.), focusing on preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative healthcare, he said.

As reported by States/UTs, the footfall of the beneficiaries visiting AAM (Ayush) has been subsequently increased after upgradation of Ayush Dispensaries/Sub health centres into AAM (Ayush) because, in addition to OPD services, these facilities are also providing various other services like Prakriti Parikshan and Yoga-related activities, he said.

There are NABH assessments and also third-party review besides visits by the Central team in different States/UTs to ensure quality, accreditation, training of Ayush practitioners deployed at these centres and monitoring of the implementation progress of different activities/services being provided by operational AAM (Ayush), he said.

The State/UT governments have also been advised for appropriate training and capacity building of AAM (Ayush) team, strengthening of referral linkages with other public health facilities, effective involvement of field-level workers, especially ASHAs, for better outcomes, the Minister of State said.

--IANS

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Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 4 (IANS) Kerala has taken the first formal step towards establishing an independent AYUSH University, a move expected to give a major boost to education, research and innovation in the country’s traditional systems of medicine.

Health and Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan on Tuesday announced the constitution of a four‑member committee to draft legislation for the proposed university. The panel has been asked to submit the draft Kerala AYUSH University Bill within two months.

The proposed university will bring under one umbrella all AYUSH educational institutions in the state currently affiliated to the Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS).

It is envisaged as a specialised institution to coordinate academic programmes, clinical training, research, drug development and policy initiatives in Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Siddha, Unani and other recognised AYUSH streams.

Calling it a historic step in strengthening Kerala’s traditional healthcare systems, the minister said the university would create an integrated academic ecosystem capable of meeting international standards in teaching and research.

The university is proposed to be headquartered at the School of Fundamental Research in Ayurveda at Tripunithura.

Besides framing the legislation, the committee will examine governance structure, academic framework, research priorities and administrative systems before submitting its recommendations.

The committee will be chaired by the Principal Secretary, AYUSH Department, with the State Mission Director of the National AYUSH Mission serving as convener.

The Director of Ayurvedic Medical Education and the Principal and Controlling Officer of the Government Homoeopathic Medical College are the other members.

The university is expected to strengthen interdisciplinary research, improve the quality of AYUSH education and expand opportunities for clinical studies and pharmaceutical innovation.

With Kerala already regarded as a leading centre for Ayurveda, the proposed university is expected to enhance the state’s position as a national hub for traditional medicine while giving greater global visibility to India’s indigenous healthcare systems.

The initiative also aligns with the Centre’s growing emphasis on expanding the AYUSH sector through specialised education, research and evidence‑based clinical practice.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) The government on Tuesday said that under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), 12.69 crore cashless hospital admissions worth Rs 1.92 lakh crore have been authorised under the scheme (as on June 30) through a network of 37,413 public and private hospitals, significantly reducing the out-of-pocket expenditure.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha that the scheme provides health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to 12 crore economically vulnerable families, constituting the bottom 40 per cent of the population.

AB-PMJAY has significantly contributed to reducing out-of-pocket expenditure, said the minister.

According to the National Health Accounts Estimates 2022-23, out of pocket expenditure as a proportion of total health expenditure declined from 62.6 per cent in 2014-15 to 43.4 per cent in 2022-23.

This substantial reduction indicates that households are incurring a considerably lower share of healthcare costs directly from their own pockets, owing to increased public investment in health and the expansion of publicly financed health insurance schemes such as AB-PMJAY.

In March 2024, the scheme was expanded to include approximately 37 lakh families of Accredited Social Health Activists, Anganwadi Workers, and Anganwadi Helpers.

The scheme was further expanded in October 2024 to cover 6 crore senior citizens of age 70 years and above belonging to 4.5 crore families irrespective of their socio-economic status.

Meanwhile, the government has increased the budget in health research along with new schemes/initiatives to make research grants more competitive and accessible.

The budgetary allocation for the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has increased from Rs 2,732.13 crore in Budget Estimates 2024–25 to Rs 3,125.50 crore in Budget Estimates 2025–26 and Rs 4,000.00 crore in Budget Estimates 2026–27.

The allocation for 2026–27 represents an increase of approximately 21 per cent over the Revised Estimates for 2025–26 of Rs 3,150.00 crore.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a prohibition order against Dabur India Limited over the sale of food products carrying allegedly misleading claims.

The food regulator has directed the FMCG major to immediately cease the sale of products bearing claims such as "100 per cent Natural", "100 per cent Pure", "100 per cent Purity Guaranteed", "100 per cent Organic" and "100 per cent Tender Coconut Water".

The action follows FSSAI's observation that these claims were ambiguous, unverifiable and likely to mislead consumers.

According to the regulator, the use of such claims violates the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018.

FSSAI further noted that Dabur Himalayan Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Dabur Organic Honey displayed the Jaivik Bharat logo without valid FSSAI organic endorsement, allegedly violating the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017.

In addition, Dabur Hommade Coconut Milk was marketed with the claim "100 per cent Purity", which is not permitted for compound food products, the regulator said.

The regulator also stated that despite an earlier notice directing the company to discontinue the misleading "100 per cent” claims, satisfactory corrective action was not taken.

FSSAI has directed the company to immediately stop the sale of the identified products and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 15 days.

Following this, shares of Dabur India traded more than 2 per cent lower at Rs 414.60 apiece on the BSE, hitting an intraday low in the morning trade. The FMCG stock has recorded a 52-week low of Rs 401.05 and a 52-week high of Rs 576.80.

However, the stock has declined over 20 per cent in the last one-year horizon and plunged almost 30 per cent in the last five-year period.

--IANS

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Gandhinagar, Aug 3 (IANS) Three government healthcare institutions in Gujarat have received national recognition for their work in organ donation and transplantation, with awards announced on Indian Organ Donation Day 2026 during the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day ceremony held at Dr B. R. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi on Monday.

The honours recognise achievements in organ transplantation, organ retrieval and brain stem death management, highlighting the state's role in strengthening deceased organ donation programmes.

The Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC) in Ahmedabad received the 'Excellence in Leading Government Hospital in Organ Transplantation' award.

Ahmedabad Civil Hospital was presented with the 'Best Non-Transplant Organ Retrieval Centre (NTORC)' award for its organ retrieval work from deceased donors, while New Civil Hospital in Surat was selected for the 'Best Brain Stem Death Team' award for its identification of brain stem death cases, counselling of families and adherence to clinical protocols.

Gujarat Health Minister Praful Pansheriya congratulated the medical teams and said the recognition reflected the state's continued efforts in organ donation and transplantation under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Sharing details of the achievements, the minister said: "IKDRC performed 597 organ transplants during 2025, comprising 502 kidney transplants, 86 liver transplants and nine pancreas transplants. Of these, 380 patients received free treatment under the PM-JAY scheme. Notably, 34 per cent of patients treated at the institute came from outside Gujarat, demonstrating its national standing in organ transplantation."

According to the Health Department, Ahmedabad Civil Hospital retrieved 171 organs and 34 tissues from 48 deceased donors during 2025-26 out of 104 brain stem death cases, allowing life-saving transplants for numerous recipients.

During the same period, the Brain Stem Death Team at New Civil Hospital in Surat certified 82 brain stem death cases, contributing to a more effective and timely organ donation process.

Pansheriya emphasised that the achievements reflected the coordinated efforts of the Health Department, the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) Gujarat and government hospitals, supported by advanced medical technology and dedicated healthcare professionals.

Expressing condolences to the families of organ donors, the minister said: "Despite the pain of losing their loved ones, they made the noble decision to donate their organs. Their inspiring decision has given a new lease of life to many people."

Describing organ donation as "one of the greatest acts of humanity", he added: "It allows a person to give the gift of life even after death."

He appealed to citizens, hospitals and medical professionals across Gujarat to spread awareness about organ donation and work together to ensure that no organ from a brain-dead individual goes to waste.

--IANS

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Bhubaneswar, Aug 3 (IANS) AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Monday received the prestigious “Emerging Government Institution in Organ Transplantation” award during the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day (IODD) celebrations held in New Delhi.

According to an official statement, the event was organised by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) under the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (H&FW).

The award was presented by Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilisers, Anupriya Patel, in the presence of Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, H&FW Ministry; Loveneesh G. Krishna, Director General of Health Services (DGHS); Vijay Nehra, Additional Secretary, H&FW Ministry; and Anil Kumar, Director, NOTTO.

The award was received on behalf of AIIMS Bhubaneswar by Anita Saxena, President; Ashutosh Biswas, Executive Director & CEO; Prabhas Ranjan Tripathy, Medical Superintendent; and Bramhadatta Pattnaik, Associate Professor & Head, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology.

Officials stated that AIIMS Bhubaneswar was recognised for its remarkable progress in organ transplantation, particularly the increase in procedures from 16 transplants in 2024 to 63 in 2025, reflecting rapid growth and commitment to advanced transplant care. It is the only AIIMS in the country to receive this recognition.

Expressing gratitude, Biswas said the award reflected the commitment and teamwork of transplant teams, intensive care specialists, nursing staff, coordinators and support personnel. He also acknowledged donor families whose decisions had saved lives.

“AIIMS Bhubaneswar remains committed to expanding transplant services and strengthening organ donation awareness across Eastern India,” he said.

Since the inception of its transplant programme, AIIMS Bhubaneswar has successfully performed 78 kidney transplants, including 61 living donor and 17 deceased donor kidney transplants. The institute has also facilitated six successful organ donations, four living donor liver transplants and one deceased donor liver transplant.

In a short span, the institute has achieved significant milestones in organ retrieval, transplantation and post-transplant care, while promoting organ donation through sustained awareness campaigns and community outreach.

--IANS

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