Lifestyle

New Delhi, Aug 26 (IANS) The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Wednesday said that it has issued a notice to five-star hotel Andaz Delhi in Aerocity after an inspection uncovered multiple food safety and hygiene violations, including nearly 87 kg of expired sweets.

During the inspection, food safety officials found expired sweets along with an expired cake base and packets of bread. The expired sweets were discarded on the spot, according to the food safety regulator.

"FSSAI has issued notices to Juniper Hotels Pvt Ltd (Andaz,Aerocity, Delhi) and JW Marriott, Delhi following inspections that uncovered serious food safety violations. Regulatory samples were collected, with further action to follow based on compliance and sample analysis," it said.

The inspection also revealed concerns over the handling of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian cutting boards were found immersed together in the same water container, while vegetarian burners in the room-dining kitchen were being used to prepare non-vegetarian food.

Officials further found active cockroaches near freezers, along with houseflies, mosquitoes, and spider webs on the premises. The inspection report also flagged poor sanitation, inadequate hygiene among food handlers, improper food storage and insufficient temperature monitoring of food items.

The authorities also detected duplicate date-marking on expired bread packaging and found that supplier verification procedures were inadequate.

Andaz Delhi, operated by Juniper Hotels Pvt Ltd, has been directed to take immediate corrective measures and submit a compliance report along with supporting evidence. FSSAI said further regulatory action would depend on the hotel's compliance and the results of sample analysis.

The action against the hotel comes amid intensified enforcement by the FSSAI against food businesses over food safety, misleading claims and labelling violations. Last week, the regulator said it had issued more than 150 notices to food and beverage companies in recent months for misleading advertisements, false claims and violations related to labelling.

The FSSAI also said that more than 30 notices had been issued to food-service establishments, including KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Domino's and Costa Coffee. The regulator added that five Domino's licences had been suspended as part of its enforcement action.

--IANS

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Jaipur, Aug 25 (IANS) The Rajasthan government has taken stringent action against Neelkanth Fertility and Women Care Hospital Private Limited following prima facie violations of provisions governing Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and surrogacy services, officials said on Tuesday.

Nine registration certificates covering the hospital's ART clinics, ART bank and surrogacy clinic have been suspended with immediate effect until further orders.

Rajasthan Medical and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said that the state government is ensuring strict compliance with prescribed standards and legal provisions in the delivery of health services.

In this context, stringent action has been taken against Neelkanth Fertility and Women Care Hospital Private Limited following the detection of prima facie violations relating to the regulation of ART and surrogacy services in Rajasthan.

Rajasthan Principal Secretary (Medical and Health), Gayatri Rathore, said that the action was taken in view of alleged violations of the provisions of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021.

She added that an advertisement for an IVF, fertility and test-tube baby centre, published in the Jaipur edition of an English-language newspaper, depicted a fetus in blue.

The department viewed the depiction as a prima facie indication of the promotion of sex-selection services, as the colour blue is commonly associated with a male child, and accordingly initiated action against Neelkanth Fertility and Women Care Hospital Private Limited. Under the Act, sex selection and sex-selective ART procedures are prohibited.

Rathore said that the registrations of nine ART and surrogacy facilities operated by Neelkanth Fertility and Women Care Hospital Private Limited have been suspended.

These facilities are located across Jaipur, Bhilwara, Udaipur, Kota, Jodhpur and Ajmer.

The suspended registrations include ART Clinic Level-1 facilities in Bhilwara, Kota, Udaipur, Ajmer and Jodhpur, ART Clinic Level-2 facilities in Bhilwara, Kota, Udaipur, Ajmer and Jodhpur, Two ART Clinic Level-2 facilities in Jaipur, one surrogacy clinic in Jaipur and one ART bank in Jaipur.

The department said that ART and surrogacy services in the state must operate in strict accordance with applicable laws, regulations and ethical standards.

Any direct or indirect promotion of prohibited practices, including sex selection, will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

The state government reiterated that strict action will continue to be taken against institutions found violating statutory provisions.

The state government remains committed to ensuring safe, transparent and high-quality reproductive healthcare services while strengthening compliance with legal and ethical standards across all institutions providing ART and surrogacy services.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) Pakistan’s strained public healthcare system has come under renewed scrutiny after a woman reportedly gave birth in a washroom at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in Karachi, highlighting concerns over overcrowding, delays and gaps in basic patient care, a report has said.

The incident, which was captured on video and widely circulated on social media, has triggered questions over the treatment provided to the woman during labour, according to The Pak Observer report.

An inquiry reportedly found shortcomings in the care extended to her, including concerns that she was asked to “walk around” despite being in labour before eventually delivering her baby in the hospital washroom.

The incident has raised serious questions about whether the woman was assessed promptly and whether basic maternity-care protocols were followed, the report said.

Labour can progress rapidly and may require immediate medical intervention, making timely assessment and continuous monitoring particularly important for the safety of both mother and child.

The episode has also drawn attention to a broader problem facing Pakistan’s public healthcare system. Large government hospitals receive huge numbers of patients, many of whom depend on public facilities because they cannot afford private treatment or lack access to adequate healthcare in their local areas. Doctors, nurses and paramedical staff often work under intense pressure, while overcrowding and shortages of personnel and resources add to the challenges.

However, healthcare experts and observers have long stressed that difficult working conditions alone cannot explain failures in basic patient care. Effective hospital management, adequate supervision, clear procedures and accountability are equally important to ensure that patients receive timely and appropriate treatment, as per the expert.

The challenges are particularly acute outside major cities, where access to qualified doctors, diagnostic facilities and specialist services remains limited. Patients with serious illnesses or pregnancy-related complications may have to travel long distances to reach tertiary-care hospitals, sometimes arriving when their conditions have already become more difficult to manage.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) The Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) of Symbiotec Pharmalab showed that the company is facing multiple legal proceedings, including six tax proceedings and one material civil litigation, with the aggregate amount involved against the company standing at Rs 1,507.92 million.

Symbiotec Pharmalab’s Rs 1,757 crore initial public offering opened for subscription on Monday and will remain open until August 27. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology company has fixed the price band at Rs 938-988 per share.

According to the DRHP, there is one criminal proceeding by the company and six tax proceedings against the company. It also faces one material civil litigation, with the aggregate amount involved in proceedings against the company disclosed at Rs 1,507.92 million.

The company said its outstanding legal proceedings are pending before various courts and authorities. It cautioned that an unfavourable decision in such proceedings, individually or in aggregate, could adversely affect its reputation, continuity of management, business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

The DRHP also highlights legal proceedings involving the company’s directors, subsidiaries and promoters. Directors, excluding promoters, face two criminal proceedings and 11 tax proceedings, with the aggregate amount involved disclosed at Rs 4.12 million.

The company’s subsidiaries are also involved in legal proceedings. One criminal proceeding is reported against the subsidiaries, with an aggregate amount of Rs 3.67 million involved. The DRHP also discloses one material civil litigation by the subsidiaries.

Among promoters, one criminal proceeding, one tax proceeding and one material civil litigation are disclosed against them.

One of the subsidiaries, Knovea Pharmaceutical Private Limited, is involved in a material civil litigation before the High Court of Madhya Pradesh. The subsidiary had filed a writ petition challenging the validity of the Draft Pitampura Master Plan, 2035 and related notifications concerning land acquired for a research and development centre and a manufacturing facility.

The High Court, in its orders dated April 6, 2023 and August 22, 2023, stayed the operation of the relevant notification and issued notices, with the matter remaining pending, according to the DRHP.

The company has classified the disclosed proceedings in accordance with its materiality policy and noted that the amounts stated are to the extent ascertainable and quantifiable.

--IANS

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Balaghat, Aug 24 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh’s Health Department teams have screened 3,811 people in three villages of Balaghat district affected by various illnesses, including malaria and diarrhoea, as authorities stepped up surveillance amid a controversy over child deaths in the tribal belt.

The Opposition Congress criticised the the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government’s handling of the situation, alleging that it was concealing facts about the deaths and that the actual toll could be significantly higher.

A total of 798 cases of malaria, diarrhoea, fever with rashes and skin diseases were detected during the door-to-door health survey in Kundeksa, Korka and Bondari villages of Birsa block.

According to the government report till Sunday, 320 people were found suffering from malaria, 155 from diarrhoea, 146 from fever accompanied by body rashes and 177 from skin diseases.

Of the 798 patients identified, 569 were treated at home while 229 were admitted to hospitals. Among those hospitalised, 201 have recovered and returned home, while 28 remain under treatment.

“Twelve new patients were admitted to hospital on Sunday, while five were discharged after treatment. All the hospitalised patients were admitted as a precautionary measure and their condition is stable and out of danger,” district authorities said.

Door-to-door health surveys and treatment are continuing in the three villages, with health teams maintaining surveillance and arranging hospitalisation wherever required.

The latest figures come against the backdrop of reports of child deaths in Baiga-dominated villages in the district. The Health Department has confirmed eight child deaths in the villages.

The deaths have triggered a political controversy, with Opposition Congress leaders coming down heavily on the state government and claiming that the toll is significantly higher.

Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar had last week alleged that 19 children had died and accused the government of concealing the toll.

The exact cause of the illnesses has not yet been conclusively established. Health officials have reported symptoms linked to multiple infections, including malaria-like fever and skin infections, besides nutritional deficiencies. Blood and water samples have been sent for further examination.

Authorities said surveillance and treatment would continue as officials monitor the health situation in the villages.

-- IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) The government proposed amendments to the Medical Devices Rules, 2017, to simplify regulatory requirements, standardise testing fees and facilitate faster market access for eligible medical devices, an official statement said on Monday.

"The government has undertaken key regulatory reforms in the medical device sector to promote Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) by simplifying regulatory requirements, enhancing transparency and facilitating timely access to advanced and innovative medical technologies in the country," the statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said.

The amendments focus on three areas—simplification of provisions relating to outsourced sterilisation of medical devices, introduction of uniform testing fees and inclusion of the European Union among recognised jurisdictions for waiver of clinical investigation requirements.

Under the amended provisions of Rule 44 of the Medical Devices Rules, 2017, manufacturers availing outsourced sterilisation facilities will no longer be required to obtain a separate loan licence under Rule 25, provided that the sterilisation facility holds a valid licence under the Medical Devices Rules, 2017.

Earlier, manufacturers without an in-house sterilisation facility were required to obtain a separate loan licence for sterilisation activities, the MoHFW said.

The amended provision is expected to reduce regulatory compliance requirements, documentation, approval timelines and associated costs, while enabling manufacturers to efficiently avail specialised sterilisation facilities.

Further, a Ninth Schedule has been inserted in the Medical Devices Rules, 2017 prescribing uniform fees for the testing of medical devices by Medical Device Testing Laboratories, the statement noted. The measure will establish a standardised and transparent fee structure across laboratories, reducing ambiguity and variations in testing charges.

The standardised fee structure is expected to provide greater predictability to manufacturers and importers, minimise disputes, ensure equitable treatment of stakeholders and further strengthen transparency and efficiency in the medical device regulatory framework.

Rule 63 of the Medical Devices Rules, 2017 has also been amended to include the European Union (EU) among the recognised stringent regulatory jurisdictions for waiver of clinical investigation requirements for medical devices without predicate devices.

The provision presently recognises the United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Japan. The inclusion of the European Union will facilitate faster access in India to eligible medical devices that have already been approved in the EU, while reducing regulatory burden and timelines for importers and manufacturers.

—IANS

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Seoul, Aug 24 (IANS) The number of attempts to illegally import weight-loss medications, such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, from abroad in the first half was more than triple those caught for the whole of 2025, customs data showed on Monday.

A total of 4,155 cases involving the illegal import of Wegovy and Mounjaro through overseas direct purchases and other illicit channels were detected in the January-June period, far exceeding the 1,189 cases tallied last year, according to data compiled by the Korea Customs Service.

By contrast, 391 cases of Wegovy and Mounjaro were legally cleared by customs in the first six months of the year, compared with 191 cases in all of 2025, reports Yonhap news agency.

Most of the illegal imports involved mail, as an increasing number of people purchase the weight-loss medications from overseas online malls and have them delivered via international shipping.

The customs agency detected 3,489 illegal mail shipments containing Wegovy and Mounjaro in the first half of this year, more than triple the 1,046 cases recorded in all of 2025.

Meanwhile, 656 cases involved the medications being carried by individual travelers, up from 134 cases last year.

Wegovy and Mounjaro are banned from being brought into the country in travelers' hand luggage.

"Unauthorised imports of Wegovy and Mounjaro are a serious violation of the Customs Act and are subject to punishment," a customs official said. "We will thoroughly block the illegal inflow of harmful pharmaceuticals at the border."

Meanwhile, South Korea's major pharmaceutical companies spent around 100 billion won ($72.13 million) each in the first half for the research and development (R&D) of new drugs, data showed, in an apparent bid to secure future growth engines.

Yuhan Corp., famous for its anti-inflammatory ointment Antiphlamine, said in a regulatory filing that it invested a total of 122.2 billion won in R&D during the January-June period, up 13.8 percent from the same period last year.

The amount accounts for 10.5 percent of sales generated during the first half of this year, according to its regulatory filing.

Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp., known for its household pain reliever Penzal, injected 113.5 billion won, or 12.3 percent of its first half sales, into new drug development.

The amount is up by 36.6 percent compared to its R&D spending in the first half of 2025, the company's regulatory filing showed.

—IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS) The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has mandated medical device manufacturers that outsource sterilisation to disclose the licence number of the facility carrying out the process on the labels of their devices, in a move aimed at strengthening traceability and accountability in the medical device sector.

The ministry has amended Rule 44 of the Medical Devices Rules, 2017, through a gazette notification to make the disclosure mandatory where a manufacturer outsources sterilisation to another facility holding a valid licence to undertake the sterilisation of medical devices.

The amended provision states that in cases where a medical device manufacturer outsources sterilisation to a licensed facility, the licence number of the sterilisation site must be mentioned on the label of the device.

Sterilisation involves eliminating or reducing microbial contamination to a level that ensures medical devices are safe for use in healthcare settings. The government’s move is aimed at improving the traceability of devices and identifying the facility responsible for the critical sterilisation process.

However, domestic medical device manufacturers have raised concerns over the new requirement, arguing that it could add to their compliance burden without addressing their broader concerns around outsourced sterilisation.

Rajiv Nath, forum coordinator of the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD), said the requirement could create particular difficulties for export shipments by limiting manufacturers’ ability to shift production between approved sterilisation facilities based on turnaround time and available capacity.

“Depending on cobalt strength and backlog, shipments could be delayed by two to three weeks, instead of being dispatched within a week,” Nath said.

AiMeD argued that quality and traceability are generally placed on manufacturers in global regulatory frameworks, with documentation maintained by companies providing batch-level accountability. The industry body claimed that no other jurisdiction requires subcontractor details to be printed on medical device packaging.

According to AiMeD, the requirement could therefore put Indian medical device manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage in international markets.

The latest amendment comes nearly a year after the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) informed drug authorities across states and Union Territories that a loan licence may not be required for medical technology companies outsourcing sterilisation to another facility that holds a valid licence for the process.

--IANS

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Seoul, Aug 23 (IANS) South Korea's alcoholic beverage production plunged to below 3 million kiloliters (kl) for the first time in 27 years in 2025, data showed on Sunday, signalling a structural decline in the industry with more South Koreans turning to healthy lifestyles.

Shipments of beer and soju have fallen for three consecutive years since 2022, while those of takju, or traditional Korean rice liquor, have dropped for five consecutive years as of 2025, according to the data from the National Tax Service.

The total output of alcoholic beverages stood at slightly below 2.99 million kl last year, marking the first time since 1998 that it hovered below 3 million kl, reports Yonhap news agency.

By type of drinks, shipments of beers stood at about 1.52 million kl last year, down 7.2 percent from a year earlier. Shipments of soju and takju also showed consistent declines, recording 793,000 kl and 318,000 kl last year, respectively.

The prolonged decline in shipments of the three popular alcoholic beverages appears to signal a structural shift in drinking trends, driven by growing health consciousness, population decline, aging of the population and changing attitudes toward late-night gatherings.

A report by the agriculture ministry showed both the volume and frequency of alcohol consumption have slowed recently, with many consumers turning to specific types of drinks or trying out new drinks instead.

In one instance, domestic shipments of fruit wines amounted to 17,000 kl last year, surpassing the 17,000 kl mark for the first time since 2021.

The alcohol industry has been introducing new non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beverages, as well as products with a variety of flavours and scents, to offset the decline in shipments of traditional alcoholic drinks.

The decline came as a growing number of people focused on health and wellness, alongside shifts in corporate culture following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Separate data showed that shipments of alcoholic beverages in South Korea reached 3.15 million kiloliters in 2024, down 17.3 percent from a decade earlier.

—IANS

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Seoul, Aug 23 (IANS) South Korea's major pharmaceutical companies spent around 100 billion won ($72.13 million) each in the first half for the research and development (R&D) of new drugs, data showed on Sunday, in an apparent bid to secure future growth engines.

Yuhan Corp., famous for its anti-inflammatory ointment Antiphlamine, said in a regulatory filing that it invested a total of 122.2 billion won in R&D during the January-June period, up 13.8 percent from the same period last year, reports Yonhap news agency.

The amount accounts for 10.5 percent of sales generated during the first half of this year, according to its regulatory filing.

Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp., known for its household pain reliever Penzal, injected 113.5 billion won, or 12.3 percent of its first half sales, into new drug development.

The amount is up by 36.6 percent compared to its R&D spending in the first half of 2025, the company's regulatory filing showed.

Hanmi Pharm Co. also spent 125.5 billion won, or 14.6 percent of its half-year sales, on R&D this year, its regulatory disclosure showed. Hanmi Pharm launched an initiative in 2023 to develop a new pipeline of obesity drugs, according to a company official.

Other mid-sized pharmaceutical companies showed a similar trend, spending around 10 percent of their first half revenue this year on new drug development.

GC Biopharm Co. spent 85.9 billion won in R&D, while Daewoong Pharma invested 115.7 billion won.

Meanwhile, South Korea's exports of biopharmaceutical products are expected to post the highest level on record in the first quarter this year, government data showed recently.

The product category's estimated exports for the first six months of the year was US$4.5 billion, up 15.3 percent, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

They accounted for 86.5 percent of all pharmaceutical exports of $5.2 billion in the first half.

Biopharmaceutical exports have risen from $4.9 billion in 2023 to $7.6 billion in 2025. Should the trend continue, the ministry expects this year to post the highest amount of exports on record.

—IANS

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