Green spaces good for mental health and well-being

Living within 300m of urban green space such as parks, nature reserves or play areas is associated with greater happiness, sense of worth and life satisfaction, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Warwick, Newcastle University and the University of Sheffield and published in the August issue of Applied Geography.

The study applied new geospatial research techniques to create an accurate measure of the relationship between green space and the 3 different aspects of mental wellbeing (life satisfaction, worth, happiness). Survey responses from 25,518 participants in the UK governments Annual Population Survey (APS) were combined with data on the shape, size and location of Londons 20,000 public green spaces. Researchers were able to more accurately model green space distribution in relation to where each of the 25,518 survey participants lived, and explore how that influenced their mental well-being as revealed in their survey answers.

Key findings of the study were:

• Overall there is a very strong relationship between the amount of green space around a persons home and their feelings of life satisfaction, happiness and self-worth
• Green space within 300m of home had the greatest influence on mental wellbeing
• An increase of 1 hectare within 300m of residents was associated with an increase of 8 percentage points in a life satisfaction, 7 in worth and 5 in happiness.
• Green space was less important for mental wellbeing in Central London and East London

Healthcare News Monitor

Union Health Minister seeks amendment to laws discriminating against persons affected by leprosy

The Hindu

Dr. Harsh Vardhan writes to Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad and Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has written to Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad and Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot, seeking amendment to existing discriminatory laws against persons affected by leprosy. “It will be a befitting tribute to the Father of the Nation on his 150th Birth Anniversary if we can expedite the process and introduction of the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons Affected by Leprosy (EDPAL) Bill, which was drafted by the Law Commission of India and annexed in its 256th Report,” Dr. Vardhan wrote in his letter to the two Ministers. He added that even though the disease is now fully curable, it is disturbing to learn that there still exists 108 discriminatory laws against persons affected by leprosy, including three Union and 105 State laws. He has also written to the Chief Ministers of 23 States/UTs to amend such laws in their States. The National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) has achieved enormous success in leprosy control, particularly in the last four decades, noted a release issued by the Ministry. “In addition to the routine activities, more than a dozen innovations were introduced from 2016 onwards in a phased manner to address the issues being faced by the programme. Majorly, Leprosy Case Detection Campaign [SPECIFIC FOR HIGH ENDEMIC DISTRICTS], Focussed Leprosy Campaign [for hot spots i.e., rural and urban areas], special plan for case detection in hard to reach areas, ASHA based Surveillance for Leprosy Suspects have contributed to early case detection,’’ the Minister said.

Indian-US researchers develop biosensor-based method to detect heart disease

The Hindu Business Line - M Somasekhar

Detecting heart disease in a person is just a sensor and seconds away, thanks to a promising technique developed by Indian and US researchers. Biomarker-based biosensors is what the Consortia of Institutes has used for the instantaneous detection of heart attack and other cardiac diseases. Their target is to ultimately develop a device for the purpose. Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) are collaborating with the Delhi Technological University, IIT Kanpur, the Zoological Survey of India and Iowa State University, US, on the study. They have published their work in the Journal of Materials Chemistry B. The consortia tested the performance of microfluidic biosensors using the blood samples of cardiac patients. They compared the results with the conventional method called Chemiluminescent immunoassay. The result showed that the microfluidic devices could detect the CVD biomarker -- cTns levels as low as 0.000000000005 grams in one millilitre of blood -- which makes this technique a useful tool for the detection of cardiovascular maladies.

R’sthan tops free medicine supply scheme: NHM

India Tribune- IANS

Rajasthan has topped the 16-state chart detailing implementation of the free medicine scheme, being run under the National Health Mission, according to NHM Secretary Manoj Jhalani. According to an NHM letter, the DVDMSA (Drugs and Vaccine Distribution Management System) coverage in Rajasthan is 77.26 per cent and proportion of online drug distribution counters, 96.03 per cent. The expired quantity proportion, including breakage, wastage and loss, is just 7.43 per cent. Congratulating people associated with the scheme, Medical and Health Minister Raghu Sharma said, “This comes as a great achievement for the medical and health department of Rajasthan. The scheme is the dream project of our government, which is being strengthened each day.” “Medicine for cancer, heart and kidney ailments were too expensive for the poor. Hence working on our manifesto, we ensured that people get free medicines for 104 serious diseases,” Sharma said. During the earlier Congress government, 608 medicines were being distributed free, he said and added, 104 medicines had been added to the list taking the total to 712, the highest in the country.

Union health ministry to soon notify e-pharmacy rules based on DTAB recommendation

Pharmabiz India - Shardul Nautiyal

Union health ministry is all set to notify online pharmacy rules based on Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) recommendations. It has recommended to finalise draft online pharmacy rules on priority based on suggestions and comments from the stakeholders. DTAB during its 83rd meet in Delhi on June 11, 2019 was apprised that a large number of comments have been received in response to the online pharmacy rules draft notification. State drug controllers, representatives from Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), government analysts from national drug testing laboratories, Member Secretary, DTAB under the chairmanship of S Venkatesh, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) deliberated on the agenda of draft online pharmacy rules based on previous DTAB recommendations. DTAB was apprised that Department of Health and Family Welfare had issued a draft notification dated August 28 2018 to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics (D&C) Rules, 1945 by incorporating separate part for the regulation of online pharmacies in the country. However, a number of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) have been filed in various High Courts of the country at Delhi, Madras, Mumbai, Patna etc.

Most patients are dissatisfied with Indias healthcare system, says EY-FICCI report

Business Today- PB Jayakumar

There is a growing mistrust among patients against healthcare providers and the Indian healthcare system needs to tailor its current model for inclusion and mass healthcare to deliver true care with a focus on primary care, wellness and health outcomes, says the EY- FICCIs report Re-engineering Indian Healthcare 2.0, released today. The report, based on an online survey of 1,000 patients across six geographical zones in India, reveals that 61 per cent patients believe that hospitals did not act in their best interests, as against 37 per cent patients from a similar survey by EY in 2016. While 63 per cent of patients indicated that they were not happy with hospital responsiveness and waiting times, about 59 per cent patients felt the hospitals were not concerned about feedback and do not actively seek it. India needs to re-engineer the healthcare ecosystem with systemic and structural changes, keeping the ground realities in mind, through innovative and sustainable models of care delivery as well as business processes, says the report. It said private providers too have generally demonstrated far greater enterprise in pursuing the growth agenda than efficiency (both capital and operational), resorting to price increase as a default response for managing bottom line agenda.