Cheyutha pension to 681 more dialysis patients in Telangana
Prior to the Congress government coming to power, the number of dialysis patients receiving pension was 4,011. The Congress government had earlier sanctioned pensions to 4,029 patients, and with this recent sanction, the total number has increased.
The pensions were sanctioned by the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) based on the details of patients receiving treatment in hospitals recognized by the Rajiv Aarogyasri Healthcare Trust. The majority of the newly sanctioned beneficiaries, 629, are availing treatment in hospitals in Hyderabad, while 52 are from other districts.
The government has taken this decision to support patients who are unable to work full-time due to health issues. The beneficiaries will start receiving a monthly pension of ₹4,000 from next month. Minister Seethakka said this move demonstrates the government's commitment to providing both health security and financial security to its citizens.
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The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Commitment to truth, authenticity vital as fighting fake news becomes a daily battle: Nirmala Lakshman
At a time when countering fake news has become a daily battle, commitment to truth and authenticity is the most cardinal virtue of journalism that needs to be practised, Nirmala Lakshman, Chairperson, The Hindu Group Publishing Private Ltd., said here on Saturday. Ms. Lakshman, who is the author of The Tamils: A Portrait Of A Community, was in conversation with Col. David Devasahayam, chairman and managing director of the Radiant Group of Companies, on the topic 'Re-imagining Tamil social fabric today' at the Radiant Wellness Conclave. To a question on social wellness and women, she said, 'Over the years, because of legislation, movements, and protests, there has been progress in terms of gender equality. But we have not really scratched the surface. Social and economic disadvantages still keep women in a much lower focus, both from the national point of view and from their own social wellness aspect. We have a long way to go.' She expressed concern over caste-based killings and violence against members of the Dalit community. On inclusivity and acceptance in Tamil Nadu, she said rural India was well exposed to the outside world. Several families honoured heroes they revered by naming children after them, such as Lenin and Stalin. 'It is a particularly wonderful Tamil characteristic to look at the world outside. It is not just about Tamil Nadu or Tamilians, contrary to the notion that Tamils are insular,' she added. Nine aspects of wellness In his keynote address, Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor spoke on nine aspects of wellness such as physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, social, environmental, occupational, financial and cultural. He expressed concern over the prevalence of obesity and diabetes, particularly among urban youth, and highlighted the negative correlation between screen time and mental health. In a conversation with journalist Barkha Dutt on 'Planetary care in crisis', Pasumai Thaayagam Foundation president Sowmiya Anbumani said though Tamil Nadu got enough rainfall, the State was unable to tap its potential due to inadequate storage facilities. She stressed the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and move towards alternative energy sources. During the conclave, veteran actor Shabana Azmi was honoured with the Radiant Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to Indian and international cinema.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
RFK Jr.'s vow to overhaul vaccine injury program echoes grievances of anti-vaccine movement
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is vowing to 'fix' the federal programme for compensating Americans injured by vaccines, opening the door to sweeping changes for a system long targeted by anti-vaccine activists Vaccine Injury Compensation Program history and purpose Health experts and lawyers say updates are needed to help clear a backlog of cases in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, created by Congress in 1986 as a no-fault payment system for presumed vaccine injuries. But they also worry Kennedy's changes will reflect his history as a leader in the anti-vaccine movement, which has alternately called for abolishing the program or expanding it to cover unproven injuries and illnesses that aren't connected to vaccines. Kennedy and other critics believe the programme is 'too miserly in what it considers to be a vaccine injury,' said Jason Schwartz, a public health expert at Yale University. 'That's created great concern that he could expand what's included.' Anti-vaccine groups have long suggested a link between vaccines and autism, despite scientific consensus that childhood vaccines don't cause the condition. Adding autism to the list of injuries covered by the plan 'would dramatically increase the number of compensable cases, potentially bankrupting it," Schwartz said. Signed into law under President Ronald Reagan, the compensation programme is designed to provide quick, efficient compensation to Americans who report known injuries associated with vaccines, such as rare allergic reactions. At the time of its creation, a number of vaccine-makers were exiting the business due to risks of class action lawsuits. In a recent social media post, Kennedy called the programme 'broken' and accused federal lawyers and adjudicators who run it of 'inefficiency, favoritism and outright corruption.' Kennedy didn't specify the changes he's seeking. But some of the people he's enlisted to help have a history of bringing vaccine injury cases. In June, the Department of Health and Human Services awarded a $150,000 contract to an Arizona law firm for 'expertise' in the programme. The firm's Andrew Downing, an attorney specialising in vaccine injury cases, was listed in the HHS staff directory for a time. 'We just brought a guy in this week who is going to be revolutionizing the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program,' Kennedy told Tucker Carlson shortly after the award. Revamping the program would be the latest in a string of decisions that have upended U.S. vaccine policy, including this week's cancellation of research funding for vaccines using mRNA technology. Potential impacts of Kennedy's proposed changes Downing has had a leading role in lawsuits against Merck alleging injuries from its HPV vaccine, Gardasil, including a rare movement disorder. 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Following questions about the agreement during his confirmation hearings, Kennedy agreed to give up his stake in the deal and transfer any future fees to 'a nondependent, adult son," according to his financial disclosures. One of Kennedy's sons is an attorney at Wisner Baum. Experts who study vaccine compensation say real changes are needed to modernise the 40-year-old programme. Existing gaps and proposed updates to the system The cap on compensation remains $250,000 for injury or death, the same as in 1986. Similarly, the program still has eight adjudicators, known as special masters, to review all cases before the government. On average, the process takes two to three years. The fund has paid out $5.4 billion, compensating about 40% of all people who filed claims. The U.S. has an 'ethical obligation' to promptly pay those harmed by government-recommended vaccines, says Dorit Reiss, a professor at the University of California Hastings College of the Law.'Plus, I think it increases trust in the vaccination program if you have quick, generous compensation,' Reiss said. As health secretary, Kennedy has broad powers to reshape the programme. One approach could be adding new diseases and illnesses to the government table of payable injuries. In the early 2000s, the program ruled against more than 5,000 claims from families who said vaccines led to their children's autism, citing hundreds of scientific studies discrediting the link. Critics of Kennedy say he could claim that he has new evidence of harm — perhaps from a large autism study he's commissioned — and add the condition to the program. In response, the federal government might have to increase taxes on vaccines to replenish the compensation fund, which would make the shots more expensive and less accessible. 'Then you will start to watch the vaccine programme infrastructure in this country disintegrate until someone steps in,' Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine researcher at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia who has clashed with Kennedy for years. A recent Senate hearing titled 'Voice of the Vaccine Injured' appeared to make the case for expanding the programme. Witnesses included two representatives from Children's Health Defense, the nonprofit group that Kennedy previously chaired and has repeatedly sued the government over vaccines. The group's chief science officer, Brian Hooker, told lawmakers he tried unsuccessfully for 16 years trying to get compensation for his son's autism, which he attributes to the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. Another approach would involve removing certain vaccines from the program, making it easier to bring lawsuits against vaccine-makers. Under current law, people claiming injuries from vaccines covered by the program must first pursue a compensation claim before they can sue. In cases where the science doesn't support a connection to vaccines, lawyers might be more successful before a jury. 'Jury trials take advantage of the fact that most jurors don't know anything about science or medicine,' Offit said. 'They are not going to be as easily moved by the data.' Still, attorneys who bring cases before the compensation program say the process has become more burdensome and adversarial over the years. Even small changes could improve things. For instance, the statute of limitations for claims could be extended beyond the current three years, which lawyers say cuts off many potential clients. 'I'm hoping there will be changes put in place that make the programme easier for petitioners to navigate' said Leah Durant, a vaccine injury attorney.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Centre, states must work together to implement scalable solutions to tackle air pollution: Tharoor
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