Government News

PathShodh Healthcare, a start-up incubated at the Society for Innovation and Development (SID), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has made a significant breakthrough in developing a first-of-its-kind, semi-quantitative electrochemical ELISA test for COVID-19 IgM and IgG antibodies.

A sudden increase in demand has been observed in some states for Amphotericin B which is being actively prescribed by the physicians to patients suffering from Mucormycosis, a post COVID complication. The Government of India is therefore engaging with the manufacturers to ramp up production of the drug. The supply position is expected to improve with extra  imports of this drug and  increase in its production domestically.

Indo UK Clinics an integral part of one of the largest healthcare projects in the world encompassing 5000 clinics and 11 medicities pan-India using NHS expertise, equipment and suppliers gets started with first Indo UK Clinic becoming operational in Ludhiana, Punjab. The objective of setting up 5000 diagnostic centers and clinics is a part of inter-governmental discussions between India and the UK at Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) level in 2018.

In the middle of the havoc wreaked by second wave of the pandemic, AYUSH-64 has emerged as a ray of hope for the patients of mild and moderate COVID-19 infection. The scientists of reputed research institutions of the country have found that AYUSH 64, a poly herbal formulation developed by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush is useful in the treatment of asymptomatic, mild and moderate COVID-19 infection as an adjunct to standard care.

Drugs Controller General of India, DCGI, is notified that all implantable devices are treated as Drugs in the country. All the rules and regulations liable on the drugs are applicable on all implantable devices and other medical devices.

Dr. VG Somani, DCGI, is informed that all implantable devices and various medical devices like CT Scan equipment, MRI equipment, Defibrillators, PET equipments, Dialysis machines, Xray machines and Bone marrow cell separator are also regulated as drugs from April 1st 2021.

Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed SpO2 Blood Oxygen Saturation supplemental Oxygen Delivery System for soldiers posted at extreme high-altitude areas. Developed by Defence Bio-Engineering & Electro Medical Laboratory, Bengaluru of DRDO, the system delivers supplemental oxygen based on the SpO2 levels and prevents the person from sinking in to a state of Hypoxia, which is fatal in most cases, if sets in. This automatic system can also prove to be a boon during the current Covid-19 situation.

Vaccine Discovery Programme supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India under the Mission COVID Suraksha- The Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission, implemented by BIRAC, moves into clinical trials. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technologyhas announced that it has approved additional funding towards clinical studies of India's'first of its kind' mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine - HGCO19, developed by Pune-based biotechnology company Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd.

Pharmacist India is following a comprehensive approach to tackle COVID-19 pandemic in a proactive and pre-emptive manner. In this context, as early as May 2020, India constituted a Task Force headed by Principal Scientific Advisor to encourage R&D for vaccine manufacture & constituted in August 2020 an Expert Group headed by Member, NITI to assist in roll out of the Covid vaccination programme. It was because of these strategies that India became the first country to have two “Made in India” Covid vaccines for domestic vaccination drive.