Healthcare News Monitor

Modi govt’s generic drugs scheme doubles sales to Rs 200 cr as branded variants see a fall

ThePrint

New Delhi: Sales of generic medicines have doubled under the Narendra Modi government’s flagship affordable drugs scheme, suggesting a growing preference among Indians for the cheaper variants of branded drugs. According to government data accessed by ThePrint, the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PM-BJP) posted a revenue of Rs 200 crore in the last four months (from April to July), against Rs 100 crore in the same period last year. The government is looking at total sales of Rs 500 crore in 2020-21, approximately 15 per cent higher than last year’s Rs 433 crore.

Amazon India to pilot online pharmacy in Bengaluru; chemist body says ‘illegal’

The Indian Express

E-commerce giant Amazon India is foraying into the country’s online pharmacy space with plans to pilot offerings of medicines in Bengaluru. The move is being met with opposition from a body of brick and mortar chemists, which has written to the company’s global CEO calling the move “illegal”. “As a part of our commitment to fulfill the needs of customers, we are launching Amazon Pharmacy in Bangalore allowing customers to order prescription based medication in addition to over-the-counter medicines, basic health devices and Ayurveda medication from certified sellers,” stated an Amazon spokesperson, adding, “This is particularly relevant in present times as it will help customers meet their essential needs while staying safe at home.” According to India’s drug regulations, retailers require a licence to dispense medicines from the state in which they are being sold, said two senior government officials. As Amazon operates as a marketplace for various vendors and is not allowed to own inventory, it may be exempt from these requirements. Instead, the vendors on its platform would require such a licence, said experts.

Independence and the lack of it: In 2020, hear it from COVID warriors

The Indian Express

Three months into the new year, the country announced it was going into a state of lockdown for a temporary period, which eventually got extended to several more weeks. As of August 2020, India has gone through many phases of lockdown and unlockdown, with several restrictions, new guidelines and policies, all to make sure it deals with the ongoing global health crisis effectively. The COVID-19 pandemic waged an unprecedented war, which is being fought unceasingly by the country’s healthcare sector. The efforts of the frontline warriors have been nothing short of heroic, but they also come at a cost. Since March 2020, doctors, nurses and other healthcare officials have been fighting night and day to keep patients alive, to contain the spread of the virus — often getting infected themselves — to educate people on proper hygiene and social distancing norms, to allay their fears and doubts, and to offer both physical and psychological support.

Last doctor standing: Pandemic pushes Indian hospital to brink

The Japan Times

BHAGALPUR, INDIA – Guards armed with rifles escort Dr. Kumar Gaurav as he makes the rounds at his hospital on the banks of the Ganges River. The guards are there to protect him from the relatives of patients, including those suffering from COVID-19. The relatives keep barging into the wards, even the ICU, to stroke and feed their loved ones, often without wearing even the flimsiest of masks as barriers against the novel coronavirus. "If we stop them, they get angry," he says. "They want to give homemade meals to their patients, and some even want to massage their patients. And they are taking the infections from our ICUs to the other people in the society." He stops to tell the wife of a patient in the ICU she must leave. She obeys, only to return after a few minutes from another entrance.