Latest news with #Sahoo
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
India's Prime Age Faces Growing Threat of Acute Myeloid Leukemia
New Delhi: At 40, many envision a peak career phase, supporting families and shaping futures. But for a growing number of Indians, this milestone is being marred by an unexpected adversary — Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), an aggressive and fast-progressing form of blood cancer traditionally associated with older adults. Each year, the city reports at least 3,000 cases of AML, with doctors observing a worrying increase in diagnoses among individuals aged 30 to 40. The troubling shift in younger populations creates a complex interplay of clinical, financial, and psychosocial challenges. To explore this rise, Rashmi Mabiyan Kaur from ETHealthworld spoke to Dr. Ranjit Sahoo, Additional Professor, Medical Oncology, AIIMS, and Dr. Dharma Chaudhary, Vice Chairman – Haemato Oncology & BMT, BLK Super Speciality Hospital. AML originates in the bone marrow and rapidly crowds out healthy blood cells. While it has long been considered a disease of the elderly in the West, in India, a significant portion of AML patients are in their 30s and 40s — a working, earning demographic. 'This is a stem cell disease. The only cure remains a stem cell transplant,' said Dr. Chaudhary. 'If we just give chemotherapy without planning for a transplant or adequate diagnostics, patients will relapse.' This younger age group, though potentially more curable, faces hurdles such as delayed diagnosis, rapid disease progression, and a healthcare system unprepared for aggressive early intervention. Younger patients with AML, if diagnosed early, can be cured in up to 60 per cent of cases, according to Dr. Sahoo. 'Just by age, not even accounting for genomics, pediatric and young adult AML patients have a higher curability,' he emphasized. 'But we're often seeing them too late, wherein they are already infected or in poor general condition that reduces their odds significantly.' Timely diagnosis and treatment are crucial. Standard care involves induction chemotherapy followed by consolidation therapy and, in high-risk cases, a bone marrow transplant (BMT). Genetic profiling now enables doctors to determine whether chemotherapy alone is sufficient or if BMT is necessary. However, India's fragmented healthcare infrastructure means that not all patients get access to advanced diagnostics, proper chemotherapy regimens, or transplant centers — a combination vital for long-term remission. In India, the financial toxicity of AML treatment is staggering. As Dr. Chaudhary explained, the total cost from diagnosis to transplant ranges between ₹20 to ₹30 lakh in private settings. Government hospitals provide treatment between ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh — but have limited capacity and long waiting lists. Compounding the crisis is the lack of adequate insurance coverage. Most commercial policies provide limited payouts, often exhausted during the first cycle of chemotherapy. 'Patients either need to be self-funded or covered under government schemes like CGHS or ESI,' Dr. Sahoo noted. Experts stated that middle-class patients fall through the cracks. They often abandon treatment midway, not because it isn't working, but because it is unaffordable. AML is curable, especially in India's young but only if caught and treated in time. 'Every 40-year-old with AML is curable on paper,' Dr. Sahoo asserted. Beyond biology and bank accounts, AML in younger individuals poses stark social repercussions. At 40, many are sole breadwinners. A sudden diagnosis of AML means job loss, financial ruin, and emotional breakdown of the entire household. Moreover, the urgency of care needed, from rapid transfusions to complex therapies, requires family, community, and logistical support that is hard to marshal in the Indian context. Platelet donations, for instance, must be arranged quickly and repeatedly. As India battles a rising tide of non-communicable diseases, AML among younger adults demands urgent attention. It's not just a clinical challenge — it's a call for systemic reform, financial inclusion, and compassionate care, urged the experts. For now, hope rests on early diagnosis, integrated care, and stronger policy support because behind every AML diagnosis in a young adult is not just a patient, but a family, a future, and a life waiting to be saved. The experts were speaking at the AML awareness session organized by AbbVie India.
New Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
BJD, Congress seek announcement of modalities for caste census
BHUBANESWAR : The Opposition BJD and Congress on Monday demanded that the Centre as well as the state government announce the modalities based on which the caste census will be done the next year. Former minister and convenor of the BJD OBC cell Arun Sahoo said the Centre should first announce the criteria. 'The caste census should contain social, economic and educational status of the OBC people. This will allow the governments to find out the economic condition, and educational and social status of the OBCs,' he said adding, this way government intervention would be easier. Welcoming the decision of the Centre for caste enumeration, Sahoo said BJD had been demanding it from the beginning. 'But it took more than two decades for the BJP to realise that unless caste enumeration is done, there can be no real development,' he added. Echoing similar demands, former union minister and senior Congress leader Srikant Jena said, 'A caste census will justify the demand of the OBCs for 54 per cent reservation in jobs as well as education. The state government should also initiate steps for lifting of 50 per cent cap on reservation imposed by the Supreme Court.'
CNBC
21-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
UnitedHealth shares fall after HSBC downgrades rating, says shares not cheap enough
HSBC downgraded UnitedHealth shares, saying the recent rout has still not made the shares cheap enough to buy given the risks to earnings head. The firm slashed UnitedHealth's rating reduce from hold on Wednesday, and trimmed its price target to $270 per share from $490. HSBC's forecast implies roughly 16% downside from Tuesday's $321.58 close. Shares are down more than 36% in 2025, as UnitedHealth contends with multiple headwinds which include the exit of its CEO earlier this month as well as a Department of Justice investigation into allegations of fraud. UNH YTD mountain UnitedHealth stock in 2025. "[The] new CEO has opportunity to start on a clean(er) slate, but we see risk to earnings growth along with policy overhang," analyst Sidharth Sahoo wrote on Wednesday. "While the bulls point to a 30% discount to historical P/E as an attractive entry point, we highlight three key reasons that could spoil the recovery journey," added Sahoo, citing higher medical costs, political pressure on drug prices and lower overall profitability ahead, especially if there are cuts to Medicaid spending. The stock trades at a forward price-earnings ratio of just 13, near its lowest of the last 10 years, according to HSBC. UnitedHealth shares were down 6% premarket following the HSBC call. The stock had garnered some interest recently from traders because of how deeply oversold the shares had become. The stock was up 10% since last Friday through Tuesday's close. But HSBC thinks the fundamentals will deteriorate some more, further hitting the stock. "Regaining investor confidence by reminding of the vertically integrated value-based care offering can help UNH recover a part of the premium," wrote the analyst. "But any further downward earnings revision would weigh on ROE and multiples."
New Straits Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia's general insurance industry to grow at 6.6pct CAGR from 2025-2029
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's general insurance industry is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6 per cent from RM24.6 billion in 2025 to RM31.8 billion by 2029 in terms of gross written premium (GWP), according to data and analytics company GlobalData. In a statement, it said this growth is attributed to increased premium rates across lines, strong demand for natural catastrophe insurance, economic recovery, rising vehicle sales, and escalating healthcare costs. "Motor, property, and personal accident and health (PA&H) insurance lines contributed 82.6 per cent of the general insurance GWP in 2024," it said. Its senior insurance analyst Swarup Kumar Sahoo said regulatory initiatives to develop the insurance market and increase insurance penetration will drive the growth of the general insurance industry in Malaysia. "The rising traffic accident rate and increasing frequency of natural disasters will support higher policy uptake and premium growth in the industry," he said. The company also said the introduction of the new Risk-Based Capital 2 (RBC2) framework starting in Jan 2027 will strengthen the insurance industry, boosting customer confidence and supporting growth. Additionally, Sahoo said higher healthcare costs heightened health consciousness among consumers, supporting the demand for health insurance policies. "Premium rates will continue to increase in the presence of the ageing society, rising non-communicable diseases, and a strained public healthcare system. "PA&H insurance is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 7.6 per cent during 2025-2029," he said. Globaldata further said other general insurance lines, such as financial lines, liability, and marine, aviation, and transit, are estimated to account for the remaining 17.7 per cent share of the general insurance GWP in 2025. "The growth of Malaysia's general insurance market remains positive. Rising consumer awareness, regulatory developments, and the increasing frequency of natural disasters will play a pivotal role in shaping the industry's trajectory over the next few years. "However, the expected new reciprocal tariffs from the United States will create uncertainties and change the dynamics," he added.
Hans India
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
BJP OBC Morcha thanks Majhi for SEBC quota
Bhubaneswar: Hailing it as a 'landmark decision', BJP's OBC Morcha and other social organisations thanked Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for announcing 11.25 per cent reservation for students belonging to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) in higher education. On the other hand, both Opposition BJD and Congress announced that their parties will hit the streets, demanding 27 per cent reservation for SEBCs. The OBCs are called SEBCs in Odisha. They enjoy 11.25 per cent reservation in jobs but did not have similar reservation in higher education till now. While the BJD has announced it will stage an agitation on May 21 demanding 27 per cent reservation for SEBC students, the Congress said its activists would gherao the Chief Minister's residence on May 22 and 23. A statement issued by the CMO claimed that hundreds of members of BJP's OBC Morcha and caste-based organisations from different districts of the State met Majhi at the State Guest House and expressed their gratitude and appreciation for reserving 11.25 per cent of the seats for SEBC students in the education sector. The State Cabinet on May 14 decided to introduce 11.25 per cent quota for SEBC students in higher education. Majhi called it a 'landmark' decision as his government was the first to introduce quota for SEBC students in education. Senior BJD MLA and former minister Arun Kumar Sahoo, on the other hand, dubbed the reservation for SEBC students as 'fraud and deception' and rejected the BJP's claim of it being a 'historic decision.' The BJD demanded 27 per cent reservation for SEBC students across all educational institutions and has declared its intent to launch an agitation in support of this demand. Sahoo, also the BJD's OBC cell convenor, told reporters, 'Isn't it deceitful to claim such a move as historic when the reservation is only for vacant seats and not implemented in mainstream, professional or vocational education?' 'A massive peaceful demonstration will be held by the BJD near Governor House Square on May 21, and a memorandum addressing this demand will be submitted to the Governor,' Sahoo OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das had announced that Congress workers will gherao the Chief Minister's residence on May 22 and 23 demanding 27 per cent reservation for SEBCs in Odisha.
