Latest news with #TB
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Gadkari inaugurates daycare facility for infectious diseases at city hospital
1 2 3 4 Nagpur: Ishra Health, formerly known as Tayade's Clinic, has introduced a daycare facility for infectious disease treatment at its newly upgraded facility in Nagpur. The facility was inaugurated by Union minister Nitin Gadkari recently. The centre is equipped with modern amenities, and well-trained staff. Dr Ashwini Tayade heads the department of infectious diseases. Tayade specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of complex infectious diseases including HIV, Tuberculosis (TB), and infection-related cancers. Ishra Health also offers advanced cancer care services under the leadership of Dr Ramakant Tayade, onco-surgeon with a career spanning over two decades. Dr Ramakant Tayade specialises in the surgical treatment of breast cancer, oral, head and neck cancers, thyroid cancer, gastrointestinal and colorectal cancers, esophagus and pancreatico-biliary cancers, and gynaecological malignancies.
Forbes
12 hours ago
- Health
- Forbes
How AI Powered Med-Tech Can Scale Accessible Healthcare In India
Dr. Ashwini Kumar, Founder, CliniExperts. Helping Global Med-Tech Brands Navigate Indian Healthcare Landscape. In India, every eleven seconds, someone is diagnosed with tuberculosis. Every eight minutes, another case of cervical cancer claims a woman's life. These are more than just numbers; these are people with stories we cannot ignore. But what if technology could hear even what we cannot? Today, artificial intelligence (AI) is not just scanning slides or reviewing scans. It's doing something far more human—it's listening. It's noticing. It's learning from millions of data points and drawing conclusions with breathtaking speed. How AI-Enabled Innovation Is Rewriting The Rules Of Diagnosis Let's look at some of the tools that are already changing how we diagnose, detect and treat these critical health conditions: • Swaasa: A cough analysis tool developed for TB screening, capable of identifying distinct acoustic signatures of respiratory illnesses. It's enabling frontline health workers to screen large populations with nothing but a smartphone—no sputum, no X-ray. • qXR by An AI-driven chest X-ray solution designed to spot signs of TB, pneumonia and lung nodules quickly and reliably. Already deployed in government TB programs and mobile vans across India. • qTrack by A companion system to qXR that allows seamless integration of teleradiology workflows in underserved areas—scaling quality diagnostics to remote districts. • iBEX by Ibex Medical Analytics: A clinical-grade AI platform that supports pathologists in identifying breast cancer with high sensitivity, particularly useful in high-volume, resource-limited environments. • Arogya Arohan: An AI-based app that helps detect early oral cancers via smartphone images—vital for rural and underserved populations where regular screening is a challenge. • CerviSCAN: A visual AI-based cervical cancer screening platform, eliminating the need for complex lab-based pap smear testing in field settings. • TxGNN: An advanced graph neural network used in rare disease drug discovery and repurposing. With 49% higher precision in drug match identification, it's accelerating treatment development for conditions often left behind. • Watson For Oncology by IBM Watson Health: IBM's AI that assists oncologists by reviewing patient records and global literature to recommend personalized treatment plans—bringing world-class cancer expertise to every hospital. • Varian's AI-Enhanced Radiotherapy: AI integrated with imaging to optimize radiation dosage in real time, reducing side effects and improving outcomes. Each one of these tools acts as a second set of eyes, ears and clinical intuition—designed to empower doctors, not bypass them. As a result, AI is pushing 'early detection' into a new paradigm—preemptive healthcare. It's not just about catching diseases early; it's about forecasting risk, personalizing interventions and tracking real-time treatment responses. Whether it's adjusting radiation doses mid-session with Varian systems or designing treatment blueprints with Watson for Oncology, AI is becoming the quiet, indispensable co-pilot in some of medicine's most critical decisions. Where Do We Go From Here? For healthcare and technology leaders, the question is no longer whether to innovate—but how to innovate with intention. The gap between a promising AI prototype and meaningful patient impact is filled by decisions made today in boardrooms, clinics and policy circles. I believe India is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation, set an example for the world to follow suit and improve their healthcare at the same time. They possess a vast, diverse population, deep AI talent and a public health system ready for digital augmentation. But with great speed must come great scrutiny. As the tools evolve, so must the regulatory frameworks, validation mechanisms and ethical guardrails that govern them. Leading The Transformation First, build responsible partnerships. Companies must engage not only data scientists but also clinicians, regulators and public health experts from day one. Co-developing AI solutions alongside end users ensures that the final product is usable, explainable and implementable at ground zero. Second, treat regulatory strategy as an enabler, not a hurdle. Healthcare and tech leaders looking to invest in India's potential must understand India's CDSCO pathways, stay informed on global frameworks like the EU MDR for SaMD and invest early in local clinical validation. Working with experts who understand both innovation and compliance can mean the difference between a pilot that stalls and a product that scales. Finally, never lose sight of patient welfare. AI must serve people, especially the millions who rely on India's public health systems. Leaders should champion solutions that strengthen PHCs, rural diagnostics and community health—where these tools can save the most lives. Putting Patients At The Center If we embed transparency, ethics and real-world training into every stage of development, we will not just build smarter devices—we will build trust in the systems that deliver them. When innovation meets intention, technology becomes more than code. It becomes care. Because the real future of medicine isn't just AI. It's AI, access and accountability. And the entire med-tech industry will reinvent itself when we see innovation meet intention. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Indian Express
a day ago
- Health
- Indian Express
ICMR recommends tests for TB, hepatitis at PHCs: How will this improve public health?
From rapid diagnostic tests for Hepatitis B, point-of-care tests for thalassaemia and sickle cell disease, to sample collection for molecular testing for tuberculosis (TB) at the sub-centre level — the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has updated its National List of Essential Diagnostics with the aim of bringing clinical testing closer to people. The National List of Essential Diagnostics — first released in 2019 — is a list of all the tests that must be available at different levels of health facilities, such as sub-centres, primary health centres or district hospitals. One of the key changes in the second iteration of the list is the inclusion of several rapid diagnostic and biochemical tests at lower levels of health centres, keeping in mind the expanding infrastructure over the years. The government's healthcare delivery mechanism provides primary care through sub-centres, primary healthcare centres (PHCs) and community healthcare centres (CHCs), secondary care through sub-district hospitals, tertiary care through district hospitals and super-speciality care through medical colleges. Why was the list revised? 'In the six years since the first list was released, there have been significant changes. Take, for example, the government investing in semi-auto analyzers at the PHC level. This means the tests can be performed at the PHC itself, instead of the samples being sent to a higher centre for analysis in a hub-and-spoke model,' said Dr Kamini Walia, senior scientist at ICMR, who was behind the compilation of the list. 'There have also been changes to the Indian Public Health Standards and the Integrated Public Health Laboratory Standards, so it was a good idea to revisit the list,' she added What are the new tests in the 2025 list compared to the one released six years ago? Several rapid diagnostic tests that have been added include those for sickle cell anaemia, thalassaemia, Hepatitis B and syphilis at the sub-centre level. Many of these are priority diseases for the government. The new list also recommends collecting samples for dengue testing at the sub-centre level. Over the years, the spread of the mosquito-borne disease has expanded to all states of the country, making it a bigger public health challenge. Many of the blood tests — such as those to check for blood glucose levels, liver enzymes, and cholesterol — which could not be performed at the primary health centre level earlier, are now recommended at that level, with semi-auto analyzers (machines for conducting chemical and biological analysis of samples with minimal human intervention) becoming available. What do the new tests mean for public health? The updated list, once implemented, will have significant public health implications. Experts point out that the list has been updated keeping in view the ambitious targets set for specific diseases. For instance, the government runs a national mission aimed at eliminating sickle cell anaemia by 2047 by screening people and making them aware of whether they are carriers of the faulty gene. The mission also focusses on quick and accurate diagnosis of the disease and providing quality care to patients. The government runs the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme, which focusses on reducing cases and deaths due to the various hepatitis infections. How this is likely to enhance sample collection for critical diseases at the sub-centre level The 2025 list recommends collecting samples for molecular TB testing right from the sub-centre level. For sub-centres and primary health centres, it recommends collecting sputum samples and sending them to a higher centre. From the community health centre level onwards, it recommends performing these tests in-house. This has been made possible due to the penetration of cost-effective molecular testing machines even in smaller centres during the pandemic. The country's National TB Elimination Programme recommends that molecular diagnosis become the first line of testing, instead of the less sensitive microscopy. The burden of the pathogen has to be much higher for it to test positive using microscopy, meaning the use of molecular tests can detect many more cases, including asymptomatic ones. It can also determine if a person is resistant to commonly used medicines. . The list calls for samples for sophisticated tests — such as HbA1c, which shows average blood glucose levels over a period of three months — to be collected at the PHC level and sent to a higher centre. The government has been focusing on controlling and caring for people with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer. At the CHC level, the new list has also added tests such as the TB skin test, which can detect the presence of the pathogen even in people who do not have an active infection. Dental X-rays have now been added at the CHC level. This is important, considering the government's goal of ensuring these tests are available at its centres. 'This list is important because it is implemented in the health centres under the Free Diagnostics Service Initiative, which ensures that these tests are available at all health centres and, in turn, reduces people's out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare,' said Dr Walia. In addition, the 2025 list has also merged the diagnostic lists for sub-district hospitals and district hospitals. This is because sub-district hospitals are being upgraded to district hospitals, while district hospitals are being upgraded to the level of medical colleges across the country, Dr Walia explained.
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Nurses' strike stalls health services at state-run hosps
Pune: Non-emergency admissions and planned surgeries, among other services, remained suspended at Sassoon General Hospital as the nurses' strike demanding equal pay and nursing allowance continued at 50 state-run health hubs in Maharashtra for the fourth day on Monday. The nurses have demanded a meeting with CM Devendra Fadnavis, health minister Prakash Abitkar and medical education minister Hasan Mushrif to secure a written assurance on their demands. The strike would only be called off once this assurance was provided, they said. Sumitra Tote, secretary of the Maharashtra State Nurses Association (MSNA), said: "We have been demanding a meeting with the three (Fadnavis, Abitkar and Mushrif) for a long time, but did not get an appointment. When our members tried to meet with the ministers, we were given only two minutes, that too unofficially." You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune TOI's calls to Mushrif and Abitkar remained unanswered till going to press. Latur-headquartered MSNA, which has 50,000 registered members, has been on a statewide agitation since July 18 (Friday) to protest persistent pay discrepancies under the 7th Pay Commission and the recent govt resolution regarding the contractual recruitment of nurses. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas Prices In Dubai Might Be More Affordable Than You Think Villas In Dubai | Search Ads Get Quote Undo Over the years, multiple committees continued to ignore the injustices done to ground workers, MSNA president Manisha Shinde said. "Despite Bakshi committee's part 2, assistant nursing superintendents, sister in-charges, clinical instructors and paediatric nurses in the health department were excluded in the revised pay scales for equivalent positions," she alleged. At Sassoon hospital, hospital staff confirmed of receiving instructions to discharge patients who no longer required hospitalisation. Arifa Shaikh, MSNA president (Pune Chapter) at BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospitals, said, "The workers, including nurses, are directly involved in patient care. They are in direct contact with HIV and TB patients, risking their own lives. Clinical instructors also play a crucial role in educating future nurses. " "Nurses now feel consistently neglected," Shaikh said, citing ongoing pay discrepancies as evidence of the neglect. "This disregard has fuelled demands for equal benefits," she added.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Qure.ai equipped to resist the Grim Reaper? : Qure.ai takes on the Diagnostic gaps with its Deep Learning Model.
How does qXR work? Live Events How does qER work? The qXR was launched in 2017, having been trained on millions of scans and subsequently earning a CE certification (a regulatory approval mark that shows a product meets European Union health and safety standards), WHO endorsement for TB triage, and FDA clearance, breaking ground for AI tools validated by real-world medical as mentioned prior, is an AI-powered chest X-ray interpretation tool curated by It inculcates deep learning to analyze chest radiographs and detect abnormalities such as tuberculosis, pneumonia (not excluding COVID-19), lung nodules, fibrosis, and functions by processing the image first, wherein the model analyzes the X-ray, cleans it, and then standardizes it. It then adjusts the brightness and contrast so that images from different machines are easily comparable. The model then resizes the images and crops them so they focus on the chest region. The AI model also removes artifacts such as text labels, ECG leads, or any noise that may interfere with also uses convolutional neural networks (CNN), a type of deep learning model that is able to automatically identify patterns in the chest X-ray that are linked to the diseases. This process is referred to as 'feature extraction.' CNN learns features such as opacities (the cloudy areas in the lungs), cavities (hollow areas commonly found in TB patients), consolidation (fluid-filled lung sections), and pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs).Upon having these features extracted, the deep learning model interprets if the image shows any sign of a disease. It runs the image through pre-trained classification models to garner a numerically derived result, for example, '92% chance of tuberculosis.'The platform, to make the results easily explainable, overlays a heatmap on the X-ray to show which areas are the most likely to be severely affected and which are not. The heatmap tool used for this purpose is called a 'saliency map.' This visual tool highlights regions that the AI focused on, garnering results that claim 'AI saw pneumonia in this area,' proceeding to paint that area in last step involved in this procedure is having to generate a report. The AI model is enabled to automatically generate a report in the appropriate 2018, Qure fulfilled its ambition to extend into CT-based diagnostics, subsequently introducing qER for urgent cases that involve hemorrhages, strokes, and fractures, scanning and triaging results in under ten seconds, proving itself to be an essential tool when entering the time-critical window for stroke intervention. As COVID-19 struck the world silent, Qure's qXR was used for early detection of pneumonia and viral lung patterns, helping fill the accessibility-related gaps in RT-PCR testing, particularly in resource-limited procedure begins with image acquisition and processing, where a non-contrast head CT scan is captured and the images are standardized using preprocessing, much like how qXR does chest X-rays, which are 2D, CT scans are 3D data volumes wherein multiple image slices are placed atop one another. Therefore, in contrast to qXR, qER uses 3D CNN to process the scan in full. The model then identifies patterns across the multiple layers, aiming to spot signs of bleeding within the brain tissue (intraparenchymal hemorrhage), bleeding between the brain layers (subdural/epidural hematoma), and bleeding in the brain's surface vessels (subarachnoid hemorrhage and cranial fractures).Further, there exists the process of abnormality detection, where each abnormality is scored based on probability, localization (highlighting the exact region in the brain), and urgency (how quickly a radiologist or ER team should be intervening). The abnormal areas, upon being identified, are then highlighted using the previously mentioned saliency maps, giving radiologists visual cues about what the AI saw and qER detects the critical issues and instantly alerts the radiologist or the ER team for momentary its product suite proving clinical value in both routine screenings and emergency care, 's technological strides soon began translating into significant investor interest and global company's financial backing has fueled its expansion and also global outreach. In September 2024, closed a $65 million Series D round to deepen its presence in the United States and advance AI foundation models and acquisitions. As of November 2024, it had raised $125 million, with the company now worth around $264 million in the market, backed by major investors. The company portrays strong growth wherein its revenues are skyrocketing at 60–70% annually, and now serves approximately 15 million patients each year, with around 25% of its revenue coming from the US climbed up the pedestal in the industries and geographies. Today, its solutions are deployed at over 3,100 sites in more than 90 countries, including NHS hospitals in the UK, major centers in the US, mobile X-ray vans in the Philippines, and even equine ambulances in Lesotho, supporting around 25 million people worldwide. Investors believe this global footprint highlights the company's relevance across markets. 'Qure is making quality healthcare accessible in the US and Europe as well as globally in Asia, Africa, and Latin America," added Dev Khare, Partner, startup has also made clinical partnerships with industry giants and public health services, embedding tools into public health programs, screening drives, and pharmaceutical ahead, is working toward profitability in the next financial year, with plans for an IPO within two years, throwing light onto its ambition to bring AI into mainstream healthcare diagnostics. As global healthcare costs rise, diagnostic backlogs grow, and workforce limitations persist, product line featuring qXR, qER, stroke triage tools, and patient management apps is becoming a pivotal offering in modern shift is especially relevant amid widening diagnostic gaps and rising demand for radiology services across both developed and underdeveloped regions. 'AI helps to overcome healthcare bottlenecks, from imaging reporting backlogs to workforce shortages, not only in Western societies like the US and Europe but also in developing nations,' said Prashant Warier, co-founder and CEO of conclude, stands not just as a startup but as a healthcare infrastructure builder: democratizing radiological expertise, enabling early diagnosis of life-threatening diseases, and empowering clinicians worldwide. Its trajectory from AI-powered X-ray and CT tools to near-term IPO ambitions marks it as one of India's most significant contributions to global healthcare innovation.
