Patient Financial News

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.A nationwide pharmacy strike planned for 20 May has been severely weakened after retailer associations in 12 major states, including West Bengal, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, withdrew their support. The pullout followed a decision by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), the national drug regulator, to review retail and online pharmacy operations, according to two officials familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity.The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), representing over 1.2 million retailers, had called for the shutdown to protest the unregulated growth of e-pharmacies.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Bengaluru: For Bengaluru-based techie Sumukh S, blood tests used to be a transactional matter. He would compare prices across apps, check availability and book whichever lab seemed cheapest or quickest that day. That changed about two years ago, after a friend recommended Orange Health Labs.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.My phone and I, usually joined at the hip, were recently separated on a forest safari where mobile phones were not permitted. Sans a camera, I had to experience Satpura Tiger Reserve without capturing it through a lens. Freed from digital distractions, I gradually found my attention sharpening.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: Roche Pharma India has launched Tecentriq SC (atezolizumab), the country’s first subcutaneous, or under-the-skin, immunotherapy for lung cancer, the company said on Thursday. This breakthrough formulation marks a significant shift in oncology care, reducing treatment administration time from several hours of conventional intravenous (IV) infusion to just seven minutes.Approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) around two months ago for adjuvant and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), Tecentriq SC is now available across India with more than 100 patients already on immunotherapy.The launch comes at a time when India grapples with a rising cancer burden.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: Relief may be in sight for those weary of steep doctor fees and billing discrepancies at private hospitals. India is looking to regulate fees for consultation and common medical procedures at private healthcare facilities with range-bound limits, said two government officials in the know.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.STOCKHOLM, Sweden—This paragon of collectivism is pivoting toward rugged individualism.For decades, Sweden was shorthand for the brand of high-tax, high-spend government that managed people’s lives from cradle to grave through state-run hospitals, schools and care homes.No longer. With little fanfare, this Nordic country of 11 million has embraced capitalism.Today, nearly half of primary healthcare clinics are privately owned, many by private-equity firms.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: The apex drug regulator has directed all licensed blood centres to enrol in a national digital portal, as part of a crackdown after cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections in children due to contaminated transfusions across multiple states, according to two government officials and a document reviewed by Mint.The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation issued a directive ordering all 4,153 licensed blood banks to complete registration on the Online National Drug Licensing System portal by 13 May, a single-window platform that centralizes licensing, tracks donor histories, and provides hospitals and patients visibility into verified blood supplies.“In order to strengthen regulatory oversight, enhance transparency in blood services, and ensure easy public access to blood and its components across the country, it has been decided to generate a database of all Blood Centres on the Online National Drug Licensing System (ONDLS) portal www.Statedrugs.gov.in,” the CDSCO directive to all State Licensing Authorities (SLAs) said.CDSCO has categorized this mission as a ‘priority’.“...all State Licensing Authorities (SLAs) are requested to direct all Blood Centres within their respective jurisdictions to complete this registration latest by 13.05.2026. Action taken may be informed to this directorate for submitting to the MoHFW (ministry of health and family welfare),” the letter said.The e-RaktKosh digital backbone for blood services and National Informatics Centre (NIC) teams are involved in the information flow to manage the technical rollout.The move, authorized by drugs controller general Dr.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: The Centre is preparing to crack down on the illegal sale, distribution and misuse of sexual enhancement medicines, with the drug regulator warning that it has become a threat to both public safety and social dignity, according to two government officials and a document reviewed by Mint.This regulatory action against unauthorized products sold without valid prescriptions has been ordered by Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Initially, Navin Israni, 36, didn’t treat his back pain as much as he furnished around it. A back-support cushion for his work chair, then a medicine ball he tried sitting on and returned for being too large—both ordered online. The cushion on his sofa moved up to act as back support, then a sheet of plywood affixed to provide a firm seat.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: India has issued guidelines defining and classifying intensive care units (ICUs), a regulatory step that will affect 71,000 hospitals and over 1.38 million registered doctors in the country, as the government aims to eliminate hospital-acquired infections and address uneven critical care standards, according to an official familiar with the matter and a document reviewed by Mint.The directorate general of health services (DGHS), operating under the health and family welfare ministry, has categorized ICUs into three levels. The standards start at Level 1 units that are intended for basic stabilization with a minimum of six beds and one ventilator, to Level 3 units equipped for advanced multi-organ failure support with bedside portable CT and mobile digital radiography.The norms set round-the-clock physician coverage, nurse-to-patient ratios and require Level 2 and Level 3 doctors to hold a Doctorate of Medicine or a Doctorate of the National Board in intensive care.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India’s weight-loss frenzy is under the scanner, with the blockbuster drug semaglutide facing fresh scrutiny after hundreds of suspected complications were flagged, said two government officials in the know, with medical experts noting that about half the users report some side-effects. The ongoing review could lead to tighter norms, including label changes, safety warnings and stricter prescription rules.Amid the hype surrounding these glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors' efficacy for weight loss, the government has documented around 400 reports of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) potentially linked to the medication that is now being clinically evaluated, the officials said.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: India is set to implement a new framework for fire and life safety across all healthcare facilities, moving beyond general building codes to address the specific vulnerabilities of patients and critical care units.The ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) has released a comprehensive manual titled “National Guidelines on Fire and Life Safety in Healthcare Facilities (2026)” in the backdrop of recurring tragedies that highlight systemic safety failures in Indian healthcare.The manual provides a technical and operational roadmap to identify high-risk zones such as ICUs, operation theatres, and oxygen storage areas for targeted interventions. Under these guidelines, all major structural elements in new hospitals must be non-combustible, and existing buildings must maintain compartmentation to limit the spread of fire and smoke.The updated framework responds to a history of tragic incidents where electrical faults—specifically short circuits and malfunctioning equipment—were identified as the primary cause of hospital fires, exacerbated by high oxygen concentrations and limited patient mobility.In 2021, an oxygen leak at Dr.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.A viral narrative on social media last week casts Sam Bankman-Fried as “a genius at picking generational winners.” The figures cited are eye-catching. An 8% stake in Anthropic, acquired for $500 million, is now said to be worth over $30 billion.A $200,000 investment in a tiny AI startup, Cursor, is framed as having grown into a multibillion-dollar stake. Add in Solana, SpaceX, and Robinhood.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Lose weight quickly, and it often shows up on the face first. As fat disappears, the skin can sag, accentuating signs of ageing.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Kongara Ramesh is a man of many obsessions. A self taught homeopath, like scores of practitioners in India, he has treated tens of thousands, free of cost. A school dropout, he is also the creator of a handful of unique varieties of mangoes, India’s most beloved fruit.Ramesh is, what you may call, a seasoned plant breeder.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The Centre plans to mandate that doctors and specialists display their consultation fees in English and regional languages, along with their qualifications and registration numbers, according to two government officials and documents reviewed by Mint.The plan also involves mandating a minimum consultation room size of 70 square feet and requiring clinics to stock emergency drugs, including aspirin, adrenaline injections, isosorbide dinitrate for angina (chest pain), diazepam for anxiety and seizures, dexamethasone for inflammatory conditions and severe allergies, and atropine for slow heart rate, among others, through amendments to the Clinical Establishments Rules.The plan covers a broad range of facilities, outlining minimum standards for consultation clinics, clinics with dispensaries, establishments with diagnostic support services, and those offering observation or short-stay care, as well as collection centres and mortuaries.To be sure, there are approximately 43,486 private healthcare facilities and 1,386,136 doctors in India, according to the National Medical Commission (NMC).Every clinic and polyclinic must display a prominent signboard at its entrance, showing operating hours and a clear list of services offered, according to the draft Clinical Establishments Amendment Rules, 2026, reviewed by Mint.The draft calls for strict spatial requirements to ensure patient safety and comfort. For a standard consultation clinic, the government has proposed a minimum carpet area of 35 square feet for the reception and waiting area.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.“Don’t underestimate the power of the common man.” These words were popularized by Shah Rukh Khan with a slight twist in his film Chennai Express.I wonder why the common person’s power is visible exclusively during the elections, religious functions and marriage celebrations? Why don’t they rise in defiance?However, I was pleasantly surprised by an unknown woman from Mumbai.Last Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was rallying against the defeat of the Nari Shakti Vandan (Amendment) Bill in Parliament.The local police, despite adequate arrangements, couldn’t avert a traffic jam. Many were stuck. Resentful people were surprised to see a woman suddenly appearing and directly confronting Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.In an effort to make health insurance pricing more transparent and claims processing more predictable, the Centre plans to build a public ‘Health Claims Index’ using data flowing through the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), according to two officials aware of the development and documents reviewed by Mint.Such an index would help consumers make more informed choices by offering visibility into how insurers handle claims. For insurers, it would create a common data framework to improve underwriting, reduce inefficiencies, and enable more consistent, risk-based pricing.The index will use aggregated data flowing through the NHCX—a digital platform for processing health insurance claims—to publish industry-wide benchmarks on claims processing timelines, approval rates and cost patterns across insurers.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The old pharma order anchored around cutting-edge advances in the West has quietly disappeared. What we have now is a bipolar industry centred on the US and China—with implications for patients and policymakers worldwide. China has closed the gap on the number of research studies being conducted and in certain cases even moved ahead of the West on developing new treatments.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India's apex drugs regulator has directed state governments to enforce uniform medicine standards to eliminate regional variability in regulatory compliance.In its February directive, reviewed by Mint, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), chaired by the Drugs Controller General of India, Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, wrote that concerns have been raised regarding inconsistencies in the enforcement of drug standards across the country, low conviction rates in cases of drug adulteration, and the need for stringent scrutiny of adulteration in imported pharmaceutical products."All states are advised to take proactive measures to effectively address the issues. You are also requested to strengthen the necessary infrastructure, including the provision of adequate manpower under the State Health Regulatory Excellence Index (SHRESTH),” the letter said.The development assumes significance for India’s $50 billion pharmaceutical market, which is facing a quality crisis after Indian-manufactured cough syrups were linked to over 140 deaths globally, including in Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Cameroon, due to ethylene glycol poisoning.Mint's emailed queries to the health ministry spokesperson and the DCGI office on 15 April remained unanswered.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.There is a particular kind of Indian investor I have come to admire over the years—disciplined, patient, and largely immune to fads. They began a few SIPs decades ago, quietly added to them, never panicked during crashes, and never chased the hot sector of the moment.They built real wealth—not through brilliance, but through consistency and time. Their family will be materially better off because of what they did.And yet, when such a person dies, what often follows is a scene their careful investing was never meant to produce.A spouse who knows money exists somewhere but cannot say where.