Category: Medical

Acting on the TNIE exposé on unauthorised money collection at SL Diagnostics Private Limited in Kakinada Government General Hospital premises, the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) has constituted a three-member committee to probe the alleged Rs 40-crore CT scan scam.

The panel will inspect the records of the diagnostics centre, which operates under a public-private partnership.

The committee comprises GGH DCSRMO Dr Mehar Kumar, Hospital Administrator and Deputy Collector N Sridhar, and Radiology HOD Dr B Anuradha. Due to ongoing nursing supplementary examinations and the Vinayaka Chaviti festival, the inquiry is likely to begin only after August 27.

The scam came to light through the TNIE’s report “Rs 40 Cr Scam: Diagnostics firm accused, probe ordered.” SL Diagnostics staff are accused of charging patients Rs 300 per CT scan film since 2017, with those requiring multiple images forced to pay between Rs 600 and Rs 900.

Concerns have been raised over the committee’s composition, as all three members are from Kakinada GGH and have worked in coordination with SL Diagnostics. Hospital staff and associations argue the DME should have appointed an external team to ensure impartiality.

They also urged the State government to let the hospital manage the CT scan facility directly, pointing out that GGH already has a well-staffed radiology department with a head of department, two associate professors, four assistant professors, 12 PG students and four CT scan technicians. The New Indian Express

Egypt’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, met on Monday with Indian Ambassador to Cairo, Suresh K. Reddy, and his accompanying delegation to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and vaccine production, according to a statement from the Health Ministry.

Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said the discussions focused on current and future cooperation plans, particularly enhancing partnerships between Indian pharmaceutical companies and Egyptian manufacturers. Talks also explored joint projects aimed at supporting the African Union’s vision to increase local production of medicines and vaccines across the continent.

Minister Abdel Ghaffar highlighted Egypt’s growing capabilities in pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing, expressing the country’s readiness to deepen collaboration with Indian firms. He pointed to the existing partnership between Egypt’s Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (VACSERA) and India’s Serum Institute, noting that there is significant potential for expansion.

The minister extended an invitation to Indian companies and officials to participate in the upcoming World Conference on Population and Development, scheduled for November 2025, and encouraged them to visit Egypt’s pharmaceutical and vaccine production facilities to explore investment opportunities.

Ambassador Reddy praised Egypt’s leadership in Africa’s healthcare sector and affirmed India’s commitment to advancing strategic cooperation in pharmaceuticals and vaccine technology. He noted that enhanced collaboration would contribute to regional health security and support the achievement of sustainable development goals. ZAWYA

India’s outpatient department (OPD) spending reached $37.7 billion in FY24, yet insurance penetration for OPD remains below 0.1%. OPD insurance typically covers expenses during outpatient visits, including doctor consultations, diagnostics, pharmacy bills, and preventive check-ups.

Despite rising out-of-pocket costs, adoption of OPD coverage remains limited.

According to Dr Suman Katragadda, CEO of Heaps.ai, the low penetration stems from a misunderstanding of what ‘prevention’ in insurance truly means.

He explained that most current OPD products focus on diagnostics or health check-ups, but effective prevention requires continuous care, structured follow-ups, and interventions based on clinical needs. Without this, patients either underuse care, worsening conditions, or overuse benefits, leading to inefficiencies and skepticism among both customers and insurers.

Sarita Joshi, Head of Health and Life Insurance at Probus, said India’s insurance system has historically prioritised hospitalisation over OPD visits.

She noted that OPD care involves frequent, small-value expenses, which are difficult to standardise between urban and rural areas.

Policyholders often view doctor visits and medicines as routine expenses rather than insurable costs, while tedious claims processes and limited cashless networks further discourage adoption.

Chris George, Co-Founder and CEO of QubeHealth-Pay, added that administrative complexities, non-standardised clinic billing, and the perception that OPD costs are manageable have further limited uptake, despite the significant aggregate out-of-pocket burden.

Anand Bansal, Product Head (Health) at Square Insurance, noted that the underlying structure of Indian health insurance adds to the challenge.

“Health insurance in India was originally built to cover rare, high-cost hospitalizations, not everyday doctor visits. With OPD, claims are small but frequent, which makes premiums look disproportionately high. Fragmented provider networks, real fraud risk, and an 18% GST on premiums make OPD hard to scale,” he explained.

Making OPD insurance more relevant
Experts suggest that OPD insurance could become more appealing if structured as part of a broader care journey rather than a transactional payout.

According to Katragadda, plans should be personalised, factoring in disease severity, lifestyle, and risk factors, with clear follow-ups and timely medication adjustments.

Digital nudges and care coaches can help patients adhere to treatment plans.

Joshi emphasised that flexible, targeted plans could improve relevance. She suggested packages for chronic disease management, preventive health check-ups, and teleconsultations. Bundling OPD coverage with hospitalisation insurance and forming partnerships with hospitals, diagnostics labs, and online pharmacies can reduce out-of-pocket expenses.

George added that integrating prepaid care packages, subscription-based health plans, digital health tools, and collaborations with healthcare-payment companies can lower claim costs and improve perceived value.

Tiered plans balancing frequent, low-cost claims with preventive care benefits can also align premiums with customer expectations.

Bansal added, “The opportunity lies in restructuring OPD as a bundle of services rather than traditional indemnity coverage. Covering consultations, diagnostics, and medicines under a single cashless network would bring affordability and convenience. Co-pays, coverage caps, and pharmacy tie-ups—especially promoting generic medicines—can manage costs. With digital OPD networks emerging, fraud risk will drop, opening the mass market.”

Policy restrictions and adoption challenges
Several restrictions in OPD policies, such as waiting periods, limited networks, and low coverage caps, also hinder adoption. Katragadda said these limitations make the products less practical.

Joshi highlighted that for many families, affordability and convenience are critical, noting that annual OPD expenses of ₹15,000-20,000 often outweigh the perceived benefits of restrictive policies.

George added that waiting periods and narrow provider networks discourage use, particularly outside metro areas, while low caps make premiums appear disproportionate to benefits.

Bansal emphasised that these restrictions strike at OPD’s core appeal.

“Limited networks push customers into reimbursement mode, while low coverage caps make policies feel like coupons rather than protection. This leads to low satisfaction, weak renewals, and adverse selection.”

Future outlook
According to Katragadda, standalone OPD insurance rarely works because claims processing, coding, and hospital partnerships remain immature.

Integrating OPD with inpatient coverage, supported by digital platforms and automated claims processing, could make the model viable. While OPD insurance is still in early development, it could become an important complementary product, particularly for urban families.

Experts believe bundled OPD products tied to wellness, preventive screenings, and pharmacy benefits could transform OPD insurance from a niche offering into a mainstream solution within the next five years. CNBCTV18

The global healthcare IT outsourcing market size is expected to be worth around USD 153.3 Billion by 2034, from USD 73.8 Billion in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period from 2025 to 2034. North America held a dominant market position, capturing more than a 39.5% share and holds USD 39.5 Billion market value for the year.

Market demand drivers
Healthcare IT outsourcing is the delegation of IT activities to external providers. Scopes include EHR implementation and support, RCM and claims processing, application development, help desk, hosting, cybersecurity, interoperability, analytics, and telehealth. It is adopted to reduce cost, access specialized skills, and improve service levels. Budgets are shifted from capital to operating expense under SLAs and compliance controls. For example, vendor-managed services are used to accelerate digital programs while maintaining auditability.

The market denotes demand and supply for these services among providers, payers, and life-science firms. Segmentation is by service line, delivery model, end user, and geography. Growth is driven by digital transformation, interoperability mandates, cyber-risk management, cloud migration, and telehealth. Restraints include data-privacy concerns and vendor lock-in. According to industry assessments, nearshore and offshore models are favored for scale, while onshore partners are retained for regulated workloads and complex integrations.

Public policy is placing digital health at the center of care. According to WHO, more than 129 countries have adopted national digital health strategies. The agenda has been extended and operationalized. These commitments generate steady program budgets and multi-year build plans. For instance, ministries and payers are using framework contracts to deliver identity, consent, and data-exchange capabilities with external partners, creating resilient, recurring outsourcing demand across regions and care settings.

Electronic health record coverage has reached scale in major markets. In the United States, 96% of non-federal acute care hospitals and 78% of office-based physicians had adopted certified EHRs by 2021. By 2023, 70% of hospitals were exchanging information across all four exchange domains. Study by HHS/ONC indicates expanding integration, upgrade, and support workloads. These volumes are routinely handled through outsourced implementation teams and managed-service operations to ensure uptime, compliance, and performance.

Interoperability networks are expanding nationally. Under TEFCA, 10 Qualified Health Information Networks now operate, with more than 9,200 organizations exchanging under the framework. On the payer side, API mandates are widening. CMS finalized the Interoperability and Prior Authorization Rule in January 2024. Impacted payers must implement HL7 FHIR APIs for patient access, provider access, and payer-to-payer exchange. These specifications and reporting duties are commonly delivered with external engineering support and testing partners.

Utilization, Risk Landscape, Workforce, and Policy Programs
Virtual care has preserved remote workflows that depend on cloud and EHR integration. Medicare data show 14.83 million telehealth users in 2020, 10.25 million in 2021, 8.50 million in 2022, 6.97 million in 2023, and 6.73 million in 2024. The share of eligible users with at least one telehealth service was 48% in 2020 and 25% in both 2023 and 2024. Operations and security for these channels are outsourced to ensure scale, resilience, and user experience.

Cyber risk has risen sharply, shifting spend toward managed security. ENISA reports that 45% of analyzed EU health-sector incidents in 2024 were ransomware and 28% were data breaches. In the United States, OCR received 626 reports of large brea

Amid the ongoing global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, researchers have been diligently exploring its ramifications on various demographics, including children. A recently conducted study sheds light on the healthcare resource utilization and associated costs in pediatric patients suffering from Covid-19 in Germany. The investigation reveals pertinent information about how the pandemic has altered the landscape of healthcare, particularly in the case of younger patients.

The study, published in the journal “Advances in Therapy,” employs a comprehensive population-based approach, analyzing data across a wide range of pediatric patients who tested positive for Covid-19. The intent behind this multi-faceted research was to unveil not only the direct financial implications but also the broader context of healthcare resources consumed during this medical crisis. Such insights are crucial as they can inform healthcare policies and strategies in the enduring fight against Covid-19.

One critical aspect highlighting the study’s significance is its focus on the demographic challenges faced in pediatric care during the pandemic. Pediatric patients, though often less likely to experience severe symptoms compared to adults, have nonetheless required substantial healthcare resources. The research meticulously charts the types of services utilized by these patients, encompassing hospital admissions, outpatient consultations, and long-term follow-up care. The evolving needs of children during this period have compelled healthcare providers to adapt rapidly, impacting both the availability of resources and the cost structures involved. BIOENGINEER.ORG

Private hospitals in Haryana, which have halted treatment under Ayushman Bharat scheme since August 7, will continue their strike and will not resume treatment until the government clears all the pending dues, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Haryana said on Sunday.

Private hospitals across the state, including those in Panipat, have been on strike since August 7, halting treatment under the central government’s flagship health insurance scheme. The IMA claims that the total outstanding payment is Rs 490 crore, and the partial release has failed to resolve the deadlock.

In a strong show of dissent, IMA members in Panipat burned an effigy today, accusing the government of neglecting both healthcare providers and patients. “Neither the service provider nor the public is happy with the Ayushman Bharat scheme,” an IMA spokesperson said, adding that hospitals will not resume treatment until a robust and transparent payment framework is established in consultation with the association.

“The government should stop harassing the hospitals. The partial payment is not enough, and there has been no serious communication from their side,” the spokesperson added. The IMA has made it clear that unless meaningful dialogue takes place and a permanent solution is found, the protest will continue.

Despite Health Minister Aarti Rao’s criticism that hospitals acted prematurely in withdrawing services, doctors argue that the move was a last resort. “It is very difficult for hospitals to operate like this. We can’t wait for ages for the payments,” said Dr Kuldeep Mangla from Panchkula. “Patients are being affected, but the responsibility lies squarely with the government.”

With around 650 private hospitals across Haryana suspending Ayushman Bharat services, nearly 1.5 crore beneficiaries remain in limbo. The suspension has pushed a large number of patients towards overburdened government facilities, causing significant disruptions in care.

Chief Minister Nayab Saini had announced the formation of a committee to verify hospital claims, but the IMA says this process cannot justify prolonged delays in payment. The association reiterated its demand for direct involvement in creating a transparent and timely payment mechanism.

A final decision on the continuation or escalation of the strike is expected after scheduled talks between the IMA and the state government tomorrow. Until then, the standoff continues, leaving thousands of patients without access to the free healthcare promised under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. India Today

The World Health Organization is planning to relocate four units, will pull back from some work, and has seen more than 400 staff depart as it copes with budget cuts sparked by the US move to quit the agency, according to documents.

The documents propose relocating some functions from its Geneva base, including some of the health emergencies team to Berlin; some of the operations and logistics unit to Dubai; the health workforce and nursing department to Lyon in France by January, as well as traditional medicine functions to Jamnagar, India, by July 2026.

The agency has bases in those locations focused on those areas.

The relocations could save as much as $3.3 million annually, although there will be an initial outlay to make the moves happen, the WHO said in the documents. Around 31% of staff, or almost 3,000 people, were based in Geneva as of January 2025.

The agency’s funding squeeze was sparked by the US decision to leave the agency, announced on day one of Trump’s presidency in January this year.

The WHO cut its 2026-2027 budget by 21%, to $4.2 billion, in May, and has already halved its management team.

The documents, shared with member states and observers this week, also suggest pulling back on some areas of work in WHO regional offices.

The WHO Europe region would rely more on the team at headquarters for some non-communicable disease work, and the Western Pacific region will stop work on sexual and reproductive health, sanitation and adolescent health, with plans to leave it instead to other U.N. agencies such as the U.N. Population Fund or UNICEF.

A WHO spokesperson confirmed that 409 of the agency’s roughly 9,450 global staff had left the agency since January due to natural attrition, contracts not being renewed, and staff taking voluntary early retirement.

The spokesperson said that the WHO also expects 600 job cuts in Geneva on top of those who have left globally.

He did not comment specifically on the details in the documents, but said any relocations were based on making the agency more “agile and efficient” and to prevent the fragmentation of divisions in multiple locations.

“This is done in order to strengthen our core mission and activities, and at the same time capitalize on any efficiencies, including cost savings, that can be made,” he added by email. Reuters

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday said that life sciences, medical devices and medtech would play a pivotal role in transforming Telangana into a global innovation hub and achieving the state’s ambitious Telangana Rising 2047 goals.

Speaking at the Biodesign Innovation Summit 2025 (Asia-Pacific) held at AIG Hospital, Gachibowli, the Chief Minister said, “God is the great designer and nature is the best teacher. In life sciences and medicine, if we learn from nature, we will not make mistakes.”

He described artificial intelligence as an example of biodesign, where the natural brain inspired the creation of an artificial one.

Outlining his vision, Revanth Reddy said Telangana aims to become a USD 1 trillion economy by 2034 and a USD 3 trillion economy by 2047, when India marks 100 years of independence.

He said Hyderabad is already recognised as a hub for pharma, biotech, life sciences, and medtech, and the government is now working to shift from a manufacturing-driven sector to an innovation-driven ecosystem.

Highlighting infrastructure, he noted that the state had set up the country’s largest Medical Devices Park at Sultanpur, spread over 302 acres.

“More than 60 domestic and international companies are working here, with investments in diagnostic equipment, imaging technologies, implants, surgical equipment, and digital health solutions. Local startups and MSMEs are also collaborating with global players,” he said.

Praising AIG Chairman Dr D Nageshwar Reddy for his research to solve people’s health problems, the CM said Telangana would provide “full support” to innovators, including access to necessary data for medical research while ensuring confidentiality. “We will connect with Skill University, corporations, educational institutions, and research centres to strengthen this ecosystem,” he added.

Amid global uncertainties caused by wars, taxes, and trade barriers, Telangana, he said, offered the right platform for innovation. “We have used our intelligence for the benefit of other countries for many years. Now it is time to work for the good of our own people. Let us all try to make humanity healthier,” he urged. United News of India

In a significant move to enhance cancer treatment and care across Punjab, the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre (HBCH&RC), Punjab, and the Government of Punjab have officially extended their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the hospital’s Sangrur campus. This renewal strengthens their ongoing collaboration to boost healthcare infrastructure and services for cancer patients statewide.

The MoU extension was signed in the presence of Shri Balbir Singh, Punjab’s Health Minister, and Dr Ashish Gulia, Director of HBCH&RC Punjab. Shri Madho Singh, Director (Administration) of the hospital, and Dr Anil Kumar, Director of Punjab Health System Corporation, represented their respective organizations in formalizing the agreement. Since their first partnership in 2015, this marks the third extension of the MoU under mutually agreed terms.

This collaboration continues Tata Memorial Centre’s (TMC) role, through HBCH&RC Punjab, in assuming administrative and operational control of the Sangrur cancer hospital.

The signing ceremony was graced by dignitaries including Sangrur MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj, Deputy Commissioner Shri Sandeep Rishi, Dr S.D. Banavali (Director of Academics, TMC), Dr J.P. Aggrawal (HOD, Radiation Oncology, TMH), and Shri T. Anbumani (Ex-Chief Administrative Officer, TMC).

Expressing his vision, Dr Ashish Gulia said, “This renewed MoU reenergizes our mission to deliver holistic cancer care. It is a tribute to the dedication of our passionate team who have brought world-class cancer care to even rural patients. We sincerely thank the Punjab Government and leadership at Tata Memorial Centre and Department of Atomic Energy for their continued support. Together, we strive to uplift cancer care standards across North India.”

Health Minister Shri Balbir Singh highlighted Punjab’s progress in cancer treatment, stating, “There was a time when Punjab’s patients traveled to Bikaner for cancer care. Now, advanced treatment is accessible in multiple cities and medical colleges across the state. Patients from neighboring states like Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh also seek care here.”

He further emphasized the government’s commitment to healthcare accessibility: “Our farmers and rural citizens—who produce the grains, milk, and cotton we rely on—deserve equal access to healthcare. The Punjab Government will do everything possible to ensure improved access to quality care.”

Under the renewed MoU, Tata Memorial Centre will oversee all hospital operations including patient care, staff recruitment, financial management, and procurement of supplies. TMC will also lead public health initiatives such as cancer registries, awareness campaigns, and anti-tobacco drives. Technical support will be provided to formulate a comprehensive state palliative care policy and establish a strong palliative care network. Additionally, TMC plans to conduct medical education and training programs, foster research advancements, and build capacity among healthcare professionals.

The Punjab Government will support this partnership by funding state-of-the-art medical equipment including a new Linear Accelerator and MRI machines. Infrastructure improvements include constructing a new OPD block and expanding the patient guesthouse (Dharamshala), ensuring uninterrupted power, water, and supply of essential drugs and vaccines. They will also support the ‘Mukh Mantri Punjab Cancer Raahat Kosh Scheme’ through prepaid assistance, collaborate on public health data sharing for cancer registries, and enhance security with a dedicated 24/7 police outpost on hospital premises.

This partnership represents a major milestone in Punjab’s fight against cancer, combining Tata Memorial Centre’s specialized expertise with the state government’s resources and commitment. The collaboration aims to create a seamless, high-quality cancer care ecosystem, improving access and outcomes for patients throughout Punjab. Babushahi

A splintered US Supreme Court has let the administration of US President Donald Trump temporarily cut off potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in medical research grants that government officials say don’t align with his policies.

The justices partially put on hold a federal trial judge’s decision that the National Institutes of Health acted in an “arbitrary and capricious” manner when it terminated thousands of grants as part of Trump’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion.

The decision wasn’t a total win for Trump. The Supreme Court kept in place US District Judge William Young’s block on NIH guidance documents that bar funding for research connected to DEI, gender-identity, vaccine hesitancy, Covid-19 or climate change.

But the court indicated on a 5-4 vote that the Boston-based judge lacked jurisdiction to order reinstatement of specific grants. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court’s three liberals in dissent on that issue.

The court left open the possibility that grant recipients could sue in a different federal court to recoup wrongfully withheld funds.

The challengers, which include research organizations and states whose universities rely on NIH funding, said the cutoff would set back crucial research by years, if not decades. The administration told the Supreme Court the NIH was being forced to keep paying out $783 million, though the private challengers called that a made-up figure.

The high court said the government would risk “irreparable harm” if it were forced to disburse the money before the litigation was resolved. “The plaintiffs do not state that they will repay grant money if the government ultimately prevails,” the court said.

Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett each said in a separate opinion that claims over particular grants belong in the Court of Federal Claims, a specialized tribunal that handles cases involving contracts with the US government.

Barrett, the only justice who didn’t partially dissent, was the pivotal vote in the case. Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito all indicated they would have let the NIH guidance go back into effect.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, who led the state challengers, called the decision “wrong and deeply disappointing,” saying it would force funding recipients to “jump through more hoops” to get back wrongfully withheld funds.

Lawyers for the private challengers issued a joint statement saying the legal team “will work diligently to ensure that these unlawfully terminated grants continue to be restored.” The group said the part of Young’s ruling that remains in force means that “NIH cannot terminate any research studies based on these unlawful directives.”

An NIH spokesperson said the agency was pleased with the ruling but was still reviewing the implications.

NIH officials used templated letters to notify recipients that funding was being withheld. The letters that cited DEI said such studies “are often used to support unlawful discrimination on the basis of race and other protected characteristics, which harms the health of Americans.”

In blocking the cutoff, Young said the NIH never defined the prohibited research categories and relied on circular reasoning in templated letters to explain why specific grants were being terminated. Young called the cutoff “breathtakingly arbitrary and capricious” in violation of the federal law that governs the procedural workings at federal agencies.

Administration officials “in their haste to appease the executive, simply moved too fast and broke things, including the law,” Young wrote.

The Boston-based 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals voted 3-0 to keep Young’s order in place, prompting the administration to turn to the Supreme Court. The Japan Times