A quack allegedly killed a 15-year-old boy by performing a botched gall bladder stone surgery, following instructions from a YouTube video on his cellphone, in Bihar's Saran district on Saturday. Although he initially felt better after receiving medication, doctor advised urgent surgery. Doctor sent boy's father to a local fuel station to fetch diesel. Meanwhile, he began the surgery without parents' consent while watching a video. As boy's condition worsened, doctor arranged an ambulance to transfer him to a Patna hospital, but by then boy died.

Digestive problems, including ulcers in food pipe or stomach, could increase the risk of Parkinson's disease by 76%, according to a new study. Analysing endoscopy reports of 9,350 patients, the authors found that people having upper gastrointestinal conditions - Specifically, ulcers or other types of damage to the lining of the oesophagus, stomach, or upper part of the small intestine -- were far more likely to develop Parkinson's disease later in life. These digestive issues can involve constipation, drooling, difficulty in swallowing and a delayed emptying of the stomach.

Days after approving it, the country’s apex drug regulator, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), suspended the manufacturing and marketing licence for PresVu eye drop, saying its makers Entod Pharmaceuticals had made misleading claims about it being the first eye drop which would replace reading glasses, that it was a non-invasive option for enhancing near vision without glasses and that it augmented near vision within 15 minutes. As Pilocarpine Hydrochloride — the active ingredient used in the eye drop is not a new drug, so the claim is not valid.

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) will provide health coverage to people aged 70 years and above, regardless of their income level. Currently, the scheme is income-based and provides Rs 5 lakh shared annual coverage to all members of eligible families — estimated to comprise the bottom 40% of the population economically. With the Cabinet clearing the extension of the scheme, Rs 5 lakh annual coverage per family will be provided to all citizens aged 70 years & above. An additional 6 crore people in this age group are expected to benefit, according to a government statement.

There is an almost 80% shortfall in community health centres (CHCs) in rural India, according to the Health Dynamics of India report on infrastructure and human resources released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The report for 2022-23 shows that only 4,413 specialist doctors, against the 21,964 needed in rural CHCs for March 2023, were available, indicating a shortfall of 17,551, or 79.9%. There are currently 5,491 rural CHCs in 757 districts across the country.

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay ₹35 lakh in compensation to each patient affected by a faulty hip implant. The commission also mandated an interest of 6% per annum on the compensation from the complaint filing date. The payment must be made within two months.

The Union health ministry has approved the introduction of the BPaLM regimen, a novel treatment for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) under its National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) as a highly effective and shorter treatment option. This regimen includes a new anti-TB drug namely Pretomanid in combination with Bedaquiline and Linezolid (with or without Moxifloxacin), the ministry said in a statement. Pretomanid has earlier been approved and licensed for use in India by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).

A young male patient, who recently travelled from a country currently experiencing mpox transmission, has been identified as a suspect case of mpox,” a communication from the ministry stated. The patient has been put under isolation in a designated hospital and is currently stable. Samples from the patient are currently being tested to confirm the presence of mpox. "The case is being managed in line with established protocols, and contact tracing is ongoing to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country,” the ministry added.

Chinese scientists claimed to have developed an advanced lubricating material that could help treat osteoarthritis in the early stages and slow its progression. A new material developed by the team can “precisely target damaged cartilage areas and provide lubrication protection”, a press release from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The newly developed material consists of “hydrogel microspheres”, tiny, hollow and round particles that are commonly used as injectable biomaterials for the repair of injured tissues, including cartilage, muscle and bone.

For those living with Parkinson’s Disease, deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy worked for a while. All that involved was implanting electrodes in affected brain parts, attaching them to a pacemaker under the skin near the collarbone and correcting irregular brain signals to control tremors and other physical movements in the patient. Now this is being powered by AI to sense when a person can experience their most bothersome Parkinson’s disease-related symptoms and cut them by around 50%.