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New Indian Express
a day ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Coimbatore Medical College Hospital goes paperless with lab, blood bank data integration into HMIS
COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) has successfully integrated its own laboratory and blood bank data into the Lab Management Information System (LMIS), a part of the State's Health Management Information System (HMIS). The system has around 200 laboratory and blood sample data required for medical services, making the entire process paperless and efficient. This advancement provides significant relief to both patients and doctors by delivering test results within 20 minutes to a maximum of two hours. "Patients who previously waited days for test results can now receive them in just hours. We have incorporated all lab and blood bank-related data for inpatients, and we are working to extend these services to outpatients. This allows us to initiate major surgeries without delay." Dr A Nirmala, Dean of Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH), said. While the government has been conducting trials with the Health Management Information System (HMIS) at Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, CMCH has effectively revived it for its own laboratory operations. HMIS had been in use at CMCH for outpatient entries for several years, but was left unused during the pandemic and has now been re-launched more effectively to coordinate laboratory and blood test results, sources said.
New Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
289% jump in 7 years: preterm births on the rise in Kerala
KOLLAM: Kerala, which is praised for its robust healthcare system, is now facing a troubling trend: a steep surge in preterm births. The number of preterm newborns in the state jumped from 6,916 in 2017-18 to 26,968 in 2023-24, a staggering 289% increase over seven years, according to data from the Health Management Information System (HMIS). The rise comes even as the total number of live births has declined — from 4.93 lakh in 2017-18 to 3.74 lakh in 2023-24. Also, the increase has been steady. Preterm births climbed to 13,077 in 2018-19, marking an 89% increase in just one year. Since then, the upward trend has continued. Health experts link this alarming increase to deteriorating lifestyle patterns, which have led to a rise in conditions such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes among women of reproductive age. According to experts, advancements in neonatal care technology have made preterm births more acceptable to both doctors and patients. However, they caution that while such interventions can save lives, they come with significant risks.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
AI, Modern Tech & the evolving dynamics of Patient Care in India
New Delhi: As healthcare professionals in India increasingly adopt digital tools in clinical practice , advancements such as genomics, AI, and data analytics are transforming patient care—enabling personalized treatments and accelerating timely, effective interventions. While adoption is steadily increasing, it faces significant challenges—including inadequate infrastructure, rising costs, and unresolved data privacy concerns. Delving into this space the inaugural edition of ETHealthworld FutureMed X - The Smart Patient Care Summit convened a panel discussion on Reengineering Patient Care- A Changemakers Perspective. The experts who shared their insights at the session included Prof Anurag Agrawal, Head-Koita Center for Digital Health & Dean - BioSciences and Health Research, Ashoka University, Dr. Raj Shankar Ghosh, Senior Advisor, Environmental Health, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Dr Chandrakant Lahariya Founder -Director, Foundation of People Centric Health System; Leena Menghaney, Lawyer/Consultant, Public Health, Pharmaceuticals & Access; and the discussion was moderated by Vikas Dandekar Editor ETHealthworld, The Economic Times. AI diagnostics drive and the mid way challenges Radiology services in India stands as a frontrunner in AI adoption, where its integration is helping them to cut down time lines of analysing millions of scans, However Prof Agrawal, noted, 'while radiologist have increasingly adopted AI these tools are not yet advanced enough to be fully relied upon for clinical decision-making and the coming age of medical professionals is facing entering a field where technological integration presents both promise and pressure.' Citing examples like Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)--a technology used to track glucose levels in real-time round the clock—Lehariya stressed that such innovations have shown their potential but their adoption is yet to scale up in India and the growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare should prioritise expanding access, reaching underserved communities, and improving outcomes on the ground.' 'We will keep evolving and innovating new things but from the very beginning we should focus on taking those innovations to a broader section of society and unless that is achieved it will be partial success,' Dr Lehariya stressed. 'The advent of AI is steadily making its mark in healthcare. To develop a comprehensive, integrated solution for diverse health challenges, stakeholders must unite their efforts toward the concept of One Health—linking environmental, animal, and human health, Dr Ghosh, said 'Empowering communities to build trust is essential, so AI becomes part of daily life and effectively addresses a range of healthcare issues,' he added. Policy Efforts On the policy front, Menghaney emphasized the introduction of HMIS (Health Management Information System) reflects some potential; the absence of ethical frameworks hinders accountable use of digital tools, and introducing strong data protection provisions is essential to unlock the benefits of digitization in public health decision-making. To counter misinformation Prof Aggarwal suggested that, 'there should be constant level of high-surveillance all the time, creation of trusted voices with continuous release of information to counter various misleading information and myths While India's healthcare system has long been oriented toward treating infectious and acute diseases, the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) demands a shift in approach. Clinicians and healthcare providers must rethink existing models and adopt innovative strategies to meet this emerging challenge. Dr Lehariya added that, while India's healthcare system has long been oriented toward treating infectious and acute diseases, the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) demands a shift in approach.
Deccan Herald
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Family planning: The future is in gender justice
In June 2025, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released a comprehensive report reframing global demographic concerns by shifting the narrative from population control to reproductive autonomy. The report emphasised that demographic debates must now prioritise individuals' access to reproductive health services, bodily autonomy, and informed choice, particularly in countries like India, where fertility patterns reveal stark regional contrasts. Northern states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh continue to register fertility rates above replacement level, reflecting persistent disparities in access to healthcare, quality education, and entrenched patriarchal norms. Meanwhile, urbanised and southern states such as Delhi, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu have sustained fertility rates below replacement levels for several years, raising concerns about future labour shortages and ageing dual demographic reality has begun to influence state-level policy decisions. In November 2024, the Government of Andhra Pradesh repealed a three-decade-old law that barred individuals with more than two children from contesting urban local body elections. Originally enacted to discourage high fertility, the law was rendered obsolete by the state's current Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 1.6, significantly below the national average of 2.1. The legislative amendment aims to arrest further demographic decline and recalibrate the population policy in line with emerging socio-economic needs. This development reflects a broader national trend: while some states are still grappling with high fertility, others are confronting the economic and social implications of declining birth contextualise India's current demographic crossroads, we must revisit the foundational trajectory of its population policies. The National Programme for Family Planning, launched in 1952, was the first state-led population control programme in the world, introduced to stabilise population growth and improve reproductive health. In its early years, the programme relied heavily on male sterilisation (vasectomy) as a central strategy. However, the momentum shifted dramatically following the Emergency period of the mid-1970s, during which millions of men were estimated to have been subjected to forced sterilisations under coercive state-led campaigns. The socio-political backlash from this period was profound and enduring, embedding a deep mistrust of vasectomy that persists across 1966 and 1970, vasectomies accounted for 80.5% of all sterilisations performed in India. However, by 1981-85, this figure had fallen to 14.8%, and according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), vasectomy now comprises merely 0.3% of modern contraceptive use. Data from the Health Management Information System (HMIS) reveal that in 2019-20, only 55,324 male sterilisations were conducted nationwide, compared to over 34 lakh female sterilisations. The disparity is particularly significant given that vasectomy is a safer, simpler, more cost-effective, and more easily reversible procedure than female sterilisation (tubectomy), a more complex surgical intervention involving general or spinal anaesthesia, longer recovery periods, and a significantly higher risk of vasectomy can often be reversed successfully within a specific time frame, tubectomy is generally considered irreversible, placing a permanent burden of contraceptive responsibility on women. According to data released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in 2017, 33 women in Mumbai died after undergoing tubectomy procedures over ten years. Such outcomes highlight the urgent need to reassess the gendered division of sterilisation in India's public health these disparities, female sterilisation continues to dominate India's contraceptive landscape, driven not by clinical efficacy but by a convergence of patriarchal social norms, systemic neglect of male involvement, and the enduring historical trauma associated with male sterilisation campaigns during the imbalance reflects a broader societal failure to promote equitable reproductive responsibility and to prioritise the safer and more sustainable one-third of Indian men believe contraception is a woman's responsibility. NFHS-5 further shows that 20% of men suspect contraceptive use may make women promiscuous, amplifying stigma and reducing male accountability. These beliefs are intensified in child marriage settings, where women married young have limited autonomy and are often subject to controlling and even violent behaviour from their spouses. This power imbalance reinforces tubectomy as the default choice. Ironically, while socio-cultural resistance persists, the government offers greater financial incentives for vasectomy (Rs 1,500) than for tubectomy (Rs 1,000)..Informed choice is 2015-16 and 2019-21, modern contraceptive use by married women rose from 48% to 56%, with sterilisation leading the trend. Still, large unmet needs for contraception persist, especially in rural and marginalised communities where poor transport and inadequate facilities worsen maternal now the most populous country in the world, stands at a critical demographic juncture. This population scale offers both potential and peril. While the youth demographic is often hailed as a growth engine, it risks becoming a demographic burden if reproductive responsibilities remain unequally shouldered and access to informed, voluntary family planning continues to be Indian states have already recorded total fertility rates (TFR) below the replacement level of 2.1, signalling an impending shift towards a shrinking workforce and an ageing population. In the absence of strong social security systems, this trend could severely strain public resources. A contraceptive policy that disproportionately places the burden on women is not only unjust but economically myopic, undermining the long-term sustainability of health and welfare systems. Addressing these imbalances requires strengthening grassroots health systems. ASHA workers, as the backbone of India's reproductive health outreach, play a pivotal role in educating communities, countering misinformation, and promoting male participation in family planning. However, challenges such as inadequate training, overwhelming workloads, and delayed remuneration limit their effectiveness in shifting entrenched gender we observe World Population Day today, the imperative is clear: the focus must shift from population control to a rights-based, gender-equitable reproductive health framework. Policy measures must prioritise informed choice, shared responsibility, and regional parity, drawing from international models that have successfully promoted male involvement and community future of the world's largest population will not be determined by its size, but by how fairly and effectively its people are empowered to decide their reproductive lives..(Pavithra is a UG student and Maya is an assistant professor at the Department of Economics, CHRIST Deemed to be University, Bengaluru)
New Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Sterilisation gender gap widens in Kerala: Only 457 men opted NSV in 2023–24
KOLLAM: Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Idukki, and Palakkad districts reported some of the lowest male sterilisation figures in the state, underscoring a persistent gender gap in permanent family planning. According to the latest Health Management Information System (HMIS) report of the state health department, only 457 men underwent non-scalpel vasectomy (NSV) in 2023-24, while 51,740 women underwent sterilisation procedures — including laparoscopic, mini-lap, post-partum sterilisation (PPS), and post-abortion sterilisation (PAS). Pathanamthitta had the lowest uptake with only eight male sterilisations, while Kollam and Palakkad each reported just 11 NSVs. Idukki followed with 15. The data highlights how the burden of permanent contraception continues to fall overwhelmingly on women despite years of awareness drives and cash-incentive schemes. In 2014-15, the state conducted 91,471 sterilisation procedures, including 1,262 NSVs. Since then, numbers have steadily declined. The sharpest fall came during the Covid pandemic in 2020-21, when just 53,461 sterilisation procedures were performed — just 73 of them NSVs. In 2021-22, 299 NSVs were recorded out of 54,788 procedures. The number rose slightly to 635 in 2022-23 before dipping again to 457 in 2023-24. While the overall decline is attributed to a growing preference for temporary methods like oral pills and intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs), experts say the entrenched gender imbalance remains unaddressed. 'The stigma around male sterilisation continues to persist in society, despite it being a quick and safe procedure. NSV is a minimally invasive method that doesn't require incisions or stitches. It takes just 10-15 minutes, and neither erection nor ejaculation is affected. But many men still refuse, believing they'll lose their virility or ability to remarry,' said Dr Sasi Kumar, a senior gynaecologist with over three decades of service in the health department.
