Red Cross Society to open Jan Aushadhi stores at all Andhra Pradesh govt general hospitals
VIJAYAWADA: In a move to make essential medicines more affordable and curb profiteering, the State government has permitted the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) to set up Jan Aushadhi medical stores in all 26 district Government General Hospitals (GGHs).
The decision follows concerns raised by the Director of Medical Education (DME), who noted irregular pricing and profiteering at generic medicine shops in teaching hospitals. Many of these outlets, initially allotted to Self-Help Groups, are now reportedly operated by private individuals offering inconsistent discounts.
The Jan Aushadhi outlets will operate under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), a Union government initiative that ensures quality generic medicines at affordable prices. The PMBJP model, overseen by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Union Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers, sources medicines directly from manufacturers through a transparent tendering process.
Drugs are sold at printed MRP with a fixed 15% margin, ensuring affordability and quality assurance.
Hospital Development Societies, in consultation with the Roads and Buildings Department, will finalise lease rates for the Red Cross-operated outlets. The initiative is expected to regulate access to essential medicines statewide.
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Business Standard
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Israeli forces open fire near Gaza aid site; 3 killed, several injured
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They say it violates humanitarian principles and cannot meet mounting needs in the territory of roughly 2 million people, where experts have warned of famine because of an Israeli blockade that was only slightly eased last month. In a separate incident Monday, an Israeli strike on a residential building in northern Gaza killed 14 people, according to health officials. The Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals confirmed the toll from the strike in the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp, saying five women and seven children were among those killed. The military said it had struck "terror targets" across northern Gaza, without elaborating. Israel says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militant group is entrenched in populated areas. Also Monday, the Palestinian Authority said a 14-year-old boy was shot and killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank in the Palestinian village of Sinjil. In a statement, the Israeli military said troops in the Sinjil area had opened fire and "neutralised" someone who threw two bottles containing a dangerous substance at them. Shooting in southern Gaza A Red Cross field hospital received 50 wounded people, including two declared dead on arrival, after the shooting in southern Gaza, according to Hisham Mhanna, a Red Cross spokesperson. He said most had gunfire and shrapnel wounds. Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis said it received a third body. Moataz al-Feirani, 21, who was being treated at Nasser Hospital, said he was shot in his leg as he walked with a crowd of thousands toward the aid distribution site. He said Israeli forces opened fire as they neared the Flag Roundabout at around 5:30 am. "We had nothing, and they (military) were watching us," he said, adding that drones were filming them. 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On Sunday night, the foundation issued a statement saying aid recipients must stay on the designated route to reach the hub Monday and that Israeli troops are positioned along the way to ensure their security. "Leaving the road is extremely dangerous," the statement said. Risking their lives for food Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza" on Sunday. "It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food." He called for an independent investigation into what happened. Israel and the United States say they helped establish the new aid system to circumvent Hamas, which they accuse of siphoning off assistance. UN agencies deny there is any systemic diversion of aid and say the new system violates humanitarian principles by allowing Israel to control who receives aid and by forcing Palestinians to travel long distances to receive it. Palestinians must pass close to Israeli forces and cross military lines to reach the GHF hubs, in contrast to the UN aid network, which delivers aid to where Palestinians are located. No end in sight to Israel-Hamas war The Israel-Hamas war began when Palestinian militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Hamas is still holding 58 hostages, around a third of them believed to be alive. Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The ministry is led by medical professionals but reports to the Hamas-run government. Its toll is seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts, though Israel has challenged its numbers. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants without providing evidence. 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Indian Express
18 hours ago
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Israeli forces open fire a kilometer away from Gaza aid site, killing 3, health officials say
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They say it violates humanitarian principles and cannot meet mounting needs in the territory of roughly 2 million people, where experts have warned of famine because of an Israeli blockade that was only slightly eased last month. In a separate incident Monday, an Israeli strike on a residential building in northern Gaza killed 14 people, according to health officials. The Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals confirmed the toll from the strike in the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp, saying five women and seven children were among those killed. The military said it had struck 'terror targets' across northern Gaza, without elaborating. Israel says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militant group is entrenched in populated areas. Also Monday, the Palestinian Authority said a 14-year-old boy was shot and killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank in the Palestinian village of Sinjil. In a statement, the Israeli military said troops in the Sinjil area had opened fire and 'neutralized' someone who threw two bottles containing a dangerous substance at them. A Red Cross field hospital received 50 wounded people, including two declared dead on arrival, after the shooting in southern Gaza, according to Hisham Mhanna, a Red Cross spokesperson. He said most had gunfire and shrapnel wounds. Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis said it received a third body. Moataz al-Feirani, 21, who was being treated at Nasser Hospital, said he was shot in his leg as he walked with a crowd of thousands toward the aid distribution site. He said Israeli forces opened fire as they neared the Flag Roundabout at around 5:30 a.m. 'We had nothing, and they (military) were watching us,' he said, adding that drones were filming them. On Sunday, at least 31 people were killed and over 170 wounded at the Flag Roundabout as large crowds headed toward the aid site, according to local health officials, aid groups and several eyewitnesses. The witnesses said Israeli forces opened fire on the crowds at around 3 a.m. after ordering them to disperse and come back when the distribution site opens. Israel's military on Sunday denied its forces fired at civilians near the aid site in the now mostly uninhabited southern city of Rafah, a military zone off limits to independent media. An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with procedure, said troops fired warning shots at several suspects advancing toward them overnight. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has denied previous accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites, said it had delivered aid on both days without incident. On Sunday night, the foundation issued a statement, saying aid recipients must stay on the designated route to reach the hub Monday, and that Israeli troops are positioned along the way to ensure their security. 'Leaving the road is extremely dangerous,' the statement said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was 'appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza' on Sunday. 'It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food.' He called for an independent investigation into what happened. Israel and the United States say they helped establish the new aid system to circumvent Hamas, which they accuse of siphoning off assistance. U.N. agencies deny there is any systemic diversion of aid and say the new system violates humanitarian principles by allowing Israel to control who receives aid and by forcing Palestinians to travel long distances to receive it. Palestinians must pass close to Israeli forces and cross military lines to reach the GHF hubs, in contrast to the U.N. aid network, which delivers aid to where Palestinians are located. The Israel-Hamas war began when Palestinian militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Hamas is still holding 58 hostages, around a third of them believed to be alive. Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The ministry is led by medical professionals but reports to the Hamas-run government. Its toll is seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts, though Israel has challenged its numbers. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli pullout. Israel has vowed to continue the war until all the hostages are returned, and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. It has said it will maintain control of Gaza indefinitely and facilitate what it refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its population. Palestinians and most of the international community have rejected the resettlement plans, viewing them as forcible expulsion.
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Food on wet floors, fungal growth, expired items: What FDA found inside Zepto's Mumbai warehouse
The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) has suspended the licence of a Zepto-operated warehouse in Dharavi, Mumbai, after finding several serious food safety violations. What did the FDA find? During an inspection, officials found: Fungal growth on food items Products stored near stagnant water Expired goods kept alongside fresh ones Some items placed directly on wet, dirty floors Cold storage units not meeting required standards Anupama Patil, assistant commissioner (Food), said the expired items were destroyed after the inspection. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like War Thunder - Register now for free and play against over 75 Million real Players War Thunder Play Now Undo Warehouse shut until further notice Joint Commissioner (Food) Mangesh Mane said, 'The warehouse will remain closed until Zepto clears all violations and follows proper food safety rules.' He added that inspections will also be carried out at other Zepto warehouses and similar quick-commerce platforms . Zepto responds According to a TOI report, Zepto has started an internal review. A company spokesperson said, 'We are working closely with the authorities and taking corrective steps to meet all legal requirements.' Live Events Not the first time Earlier in January, the FDA raided three companies, Foclo Technologies (Thane), Bhagwati Stores ( Kandivli ), and Scootsy (Malad), for allegedly selling medicines online without proper licences. Inputs from TOI
