What if the next big war didn’t start with tanks or missiles but with a cough?

Sounds like science fiction, right? But this is exactly what makes bioterrorism such a frightening idea. It’s the use of viruses, bacteria, or toxins by people or groups to cause harm, chaos, or even mass death. And the scariest part? It’s nearly invisible until it’s already too late.

As our technology advances and pandemics like COVID-19 show us how fragile our world can be, the idea of bioterrorism has gone from something you see in movies to something experts are seriously warning us about.

A look back: Bioterrorism isn’t new

While the word bioterrorism might sound modern, using disease as a weapon has been happening for centuries.

• Back in 1346, during the siege of a city called Caffa, Mongol forces reportedly threw plague-infected bodies over the walls to spread disease. That might have even helped spark the Black Death in Europe.
• In World War II, Japan’s infamous Unit 731 experimented on prisoners and released deadly bacteria like anthrax and plague in China.
• Fast forward to 1984, a religious cult in Oregon poisoned salad bars with salmonella to try to rig an election. Over 750 people got sick.
• Then there were the 2001 anthrax letters in the U.S., where powdered anthrax spores were sent through the mail to journalists and senators. Five people died, and the whole country was on edge.

So no, this isn’t just a modern or movie-inspired threat it’s something that’s happened before.

Why Bioterrorism could be the next big threat

We’re living in a time where almost anyone can learn anything online. Combine that with powerful new biotech tools, and you start to see why experts are worried.

Here’s what makes the threat real:

• CRISPR and gene editing let scientists (or bad actors) twist  viruses or even build new ones.
• Biological equipment that used to only exist in government labs is now available for purchase online.
• Delivery methods have gotten sneakier think drones, air vents, or even contaminated food.

Unlike nuclear weapons, biological weapons don’t need millions of dollars or rare materials. They can be small, cheap, and very, very effective especially if no one sees them coming.

Was COVID-19 a Bioterrorism attack?

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room.

Since COVID-19 rocked the world in 2020, people have wondered: was it just a natural pandemic or was it something more sinister?

Here’s what we know so far:

• Most scientists believe it came from animals probably bats through a process called zoonotic spillover.
• Some researchers and governments are still investigating the idea of a lab leak, but that’s very different from a deliberate attack.
• There’s no real evidence that COVID-19 was a planned bioterrorist act.

But the fact that this question even exists shows how scared people are and how unprepared we were.

The Dark Web: where dangerous ideas can spread

The dark web is like the hidden underbelly of the internet places you can’t find through Google. And yes, it’s as shady as it sounds.

People have reported finding:

• Black market listings for biological agents like ricin or anthrax (though many turn out to be scams or law enforcement traps).
• DIY guides on how to make biological weapons.
• Online spaces where extremists look for people with biology skills.

Even if most of it isn’t real or usable, it shows just how low the barrier could be for someone determined enough to try.

What can we do about it?

This isn’t about fear—it’s about being ready. Here’s how we start:

1. Stronger Global Rules

We need better international agreements and more vigilant on undisclosed research especially when it could be used to create harmful viruses.

2. Better Early Warning Systems

We need to be able to spot and respond to outbreaks faster, with good diagnostics, rapid vaccine development, and global cooperation.

3. More Public Awareness

People working in labs need to understand the risks of dual-use science in the field of research that could help or harm humanity depending on its use.

4. Watch the Digital Space

Governments and cybersecurity teams should monitor the dark web for early signs of bioterror plots, just like they do for cyberattacks.

Final Thoughts: Are we ready?

Bioterrorism isn’t just about scary viruses or high-tech labs,it’s about how connected and vulnerable we’ve become. COVID-19 wasn’t an act of war, but it taught us a hard lesson: invisible threats can shut down the world faster than any army.

This doesn’t mean we should panic. It means we should be smart, stay informed, and take real steps to prepare for a future where the next big threat might come from a petri dish, not a battlefield.

The best weapon we have? Awareness and Action.

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In recent times, a novel type of viral infection has emerged in Wuhan City of China, with new genome sequence CoVs, which is called as novel CoV strain (2019-nCoV) or severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2)

It is imperative to vigilance the readers about COVID-19 virus which is transmitted through direct contact with respiratory droplets which produces through coughing / sneezing of an infected person or touching contaminated surfaces where viruses can survive for several days. Simple personal hygiene procedures can protect humans from COVID 19 infections. Promoting clean hand hygiene by use of soap or alcohol containing sanitizer are the most basic, cheapest and powerful tools to reduce risk of spread of such SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) a global pandemic. Here we cover the numerous personal hygiene practices, spreading pathway of COVID19 infection, classification of COVID 19 virus, details regarding hand wash techniques. We here summarize structural details of CoronaVirus like envelope composition, genetic composition and numerous classification aspects of the virus. Also basics of mechanism of soap for destruction of virus and importance / effectiveness of soap against COVID 19 virus. We address these important points regarding hand-wash techniques and necessary care for hand-wash. Parameters regarding selection of effective sanitizer.

The human body skin or other body cavities can provide a wide entry platform for disease-causing germs like bacteria, fungi, viruses and many more which further replicate, causing serious infection. In the past decades, numerous new diseases have emerged in different geographical regions, like Zika, Ebola, Nipah, and corona viruses (CoVs). Since December 2019, a novel type of viral infection has emerged in Hunan seafood market ,Wuhan City of China, with new genome sequence CoVs, which called as  novel CoV strain (2019-nCoV)or severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus outbreak has been affirmed a public health emergency of International concern by World Health Organization (WHO) as officially a pandemic situation. Since knowledge about COVID-19 virus is hastily evolving, readers are urged to modernize themselves recurrently for recent development and preventive measures.

Maintaining excellent hygiene is the foremost step to living a healthy life. These infections can be avoided by various good hygienic practices which are denoted in below Figure 1.

Here we discuss healthy hygienic practices and their implementation parametes along with various effective hand washing techniques. It also focuses on various aspects like details regarding structure of COVID-19 virus, classification of COVID-19 virus, spreading phenomenon, preventive measure. 

One significant mode to reduce the risk of infections is good hand hygiene. Clean hands can stop the spread of germs from one person to another. Washing hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses like SARS-CoV-2, the Corona Virus and which acts as an effective shield against COVID-19 infection.

Numerous spreading phenomenons for CoronaVirus (COVID-19)

• COVID-19 is assumed to be initiated from an animal host (Zoonotic origin) such as bats followed by human-to-human transmission.
• Coronavirus is a respiratory illness; which mostly spreads through virus-laden droplets from coughs and sneezes.
• Respiratory viruses like coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread when mucus /droplets containing the virus are exposed to eyes, nose or throat and cause infection. 
• COVID-19 virus consists of an envelope which is made up of lipid bilayer, which is shaped like a tadpole consisting of polar or hydrophilic head and nonpolar tail/ hydrophobic tail. It describes the structure of two layers piled to form a micelle-like structure as shown in Figure 2 as the hydrophilic head/ polar head part of the virus is very sticky which may be a vital  reason for spread of infection from contaminated areas.
• COVID-19 is spread through direct close contact with a person who is infected
• Virus can spread between people close contact with each other (about 6 feet)
• Virus can adhere on smooth surfaces such as tables, phones 
• Sars-CoV retain viable for five days at 22-25 degree centigrade and relative humidity at 40-50 % 
• This virus specifically attacks specific body parts like lungs, liver and small intestines because of Furin enzyme present Host. The sugars on the spike act as camouflage 
• RNA recombination in corona viruses is typically responsible for the evolution and emergence of novel coronaviruses and frequency of recombination is higher in the S gene which codes for viral spike (S) glycoprotein.

Washing hands with soap why protect against CoronaVirus (COVID-19)

• Washing hands with warm water and soap can prevent the spread of infectious diseases due to destruction of viruses. 
• COVID-19, are encased in a lipid envelope — basically, a layer of fat.
• Soap/ detergent molecules also have similar tadpole structure as virus (explained in Numerous spreading phenomenons for CoronaVirus) ; therefore lipid bilayer molecules attracted towards soap molecules which are responsible for breaking of virus shell/ envelope which are made up of bilayer.
• Soap can break that fat apart and make the virus unable to infect you as shown in below Figure 2.

• Corona viruses are Spherical or pleomorphic enveloped, non-segmented ,single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses that possess large viral RNA genomes, capsid and envelope with club-shaped glycoprotein projections

Classification of Corona viruses / Toro viruses as follows:

Clean hands can stop the spread of germs from one person to another. Washing hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses like SARS-CoV-2, the Corona Virus and which acts as an effective shield against COVID-19 infection.

Hand washing with soap is the only effective way to reduce the spread of COVID 19 virus, which is also able to destroy the virus particle (Figure 5). 

Important points related to hand wash technique:

• Using clean, running water is important. 
• After washing your hands with soap, use a new tissue to hold the faucet and turn off the water tap.
• Do not use common towels or do not touch door handles in the bathroom, toilet flush handles as they can re-contaminate your hands.
• Frequent washing of hands reduce the risk of infection
• Use of hand sanitizer/hand-rub (60% ethanol or 70% iso-propanol)

COVID-19 virus chiefly spreads through the respiratory droplet and contact transmission through contaminated surfaces by infected person. Thus, hands can spread virus to other surfaces like mouth, nose or eyes by touching. Hand Hygiene is one of the most effective practices that help to diminish the spread of virus and prevent COVID-19 virus infections.

Composed by: “Priyatama V. Powar and Devendra D. Shirode are professors from Dr. D. Y. Patil College of Pharmacy, Pune.”

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The development of the vaccine was supported by DBT and BIRAC under the aegis of Mission COVID Suraksha. DBT launched the mission, and BIRAC implemented it to reinforce and accelerate COVID-19 vaccine development efforts as part of the Aatmanirbhar 3.0 programme. This is the fourth success story for the COVID-19 vaccine under mission COVID Suraksha.

Named BBV154, it is an intranasal replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus SARS-CoV-2 vector vaccine. It consists of a replication-deficient ChAd vector expressing the stabilized Spike SARS-CoV-2 (Wuhan variant).

DBT’s Autonomous Institute, National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi, utilized its Human Immune Monitoring and T-cell Immunoassay platform to examine the vaccine-induced SARS-CoV-2-specific systemic and mucosal cellular immune responses in the trial participants. Interactive Research School for Health Affairs (IRSHA), Pune, completed the Plaque Reduction Neutralization Assay (PRNT) to quantify the titer of neutralizing antibodies for the virus from three trial sites.

Commenting on the development, Dr, Rajesh S Gokhale, Secretary, DBT, and Chairperson, BIRAC, said, “The Department, through Mission COVID Suraksha, is committed to the development of safe and efficacious COVID-19 vaccines. BBV154 COVID Vaccine is the first intranasal vaccine approved by DCGI for primary immunization against COVID-19 in the 18+ age group, for restricted use in an emergency situation. An excellent example of the Aatmanirbharta initiative of the Government of India. I congratulate our scientists for partnering with Bharat Biotech and providing scientific leadership throughout the development of the vaccine”. (India Science Wire)

ISW/SP/DBT/COVIDVACCINE/07/09/2022

Corona virus (credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org)

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There is a very intriguing relation between the two where a peaceful mind gives the solutions to a problem and a sustainable environment can only thrive with a balanced mindset. The amount of pollution created by us, the humans, has invariably led to the rise of various diseases and thus a chaotic situation as witnessed through the COVID-19 pandemic. The sedentary lifestyle, surrounded by concrete jungles and unhealthy consumption of food is often making a person sick, people are now in dire need for a healthy living and through Yoga this is often controlled. The self created environment of man has become the root cause of diminishing his very existence and one cannot escape the present lifestyle but a new lease of hope can be culminated through the practice of yoga. 

The best part of yoga is its existence in the environment. Meditation calms the mind and it gives the option to hear the music of nature (chirping of birds) which is otherwise lost in the honking of the horns. Research has shown that touching the soil with your hand elevates your mind as the microbes present in soil have effects on the brain in the same way as any antidepressant drugs. Our five senses as depicted in Yoga are connected to Nature and one of the most vital role is played by Water. The first pollution was witnessed in water and through the book ‘Silent spring’ written by Rachel Carson on the spread of harmful pesticides like DDT in water, this problem was known to mankind. The reason behind the celebration of June 5 as Environment day is the starting of the Stockholm Conference in 1972 for awareness about the environmental pollution to all the 152 and more participating nations. The first environmental law was the Water Act that came in force 1974. Water thus is the most integral part of our existence.

Yoga also depicts water in various forms like ‘touch’ witnessed by cold water therapy which controls the anxiety, improves the circulation, enhances the immunity and provides better emotional and physical resilience, uplifts the mood and clears the toxins from our body. The ‘taste’ of sweetness or salt is enhanced by the digestive juices secreted in our body and they are controlled by the drinking water. After a heavy shower the earthy smell of soil known as ‘Petrichor’ comes which enriches our smelling senses and uplifts our mood. After rainfall the trees and plants also liberate beneficial natural chemicals known as Phytoncides which have a very positive impact on our immune system and mood upliftment. Researchers have found that there is a strong correlation between the sound of the waves and serenity in the mind. 

The intermingling of both gives a clear picture that if we are causing harm to the environment it will cause an impact on our physical and mental well-being. The world Yoga day as witnessed on June 21 is also the same day when the sun appears at its highest elevation to mark the solar solstice and there are so many yogas related to sun hence this day was unanimously declared by the United Nations as ‘Yoga day’.

The five elements of Yoga like Air, Water, Fire, Earth and Space are connected to the Environment. The imbalance in any of them will cause problems for mankind. We need to preserve our earth by leading a sustainable lifestyle where the importance of Yoga is known to everyone. The answer to our good health lies in our environment and this reminds me of the lyrics of Bob Dylan that  says ‘The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind. The answer is blowing in the wind’. 

Composed by: “Dr Debleena Bhattacharya is presently Assistant Professor in Marwadi University (MU), Rajkot, Gujarat. Prior to joining MU, she has worked as Project coordinator for BIRAC-SRISTI PMU, a joint venture of Govt. of India and NGO located in Gujarat. She received her doctoral degree from IIT Dhanbad and her area of interest is wastewater treatment, environmental biotechnology, and molecular genomics. She has authored a book published by CRC Press, U.S.A alongwith scientific papers & book chapters.”

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It was the year 2019 when we (Medacsis Team- Ashish Sethia, Tashi Aggarwal, Sandeep Behl and me) hadstarted the noninvasive low-intensity NIR light therapy. A phone call from Mrs Nalini Ramesh Shah wasreceived about a girl of 7 years old. Upon understanding that in the year 2017 because of high fever herneuronal activities were hindered as many respective neurons degenerated. Since 2017 she was on a kind of vegetable state. Her parent who lives in a Chawl in south Mumbai visitedall the hospitals, but the results were in vain. With the reworked history, the baby girl was suffering from TBI due to a high fever causing

1. Severe cerebral and cerebellar atrophy, including atrophy of thalami. Apart from this, the white matterchanges in the bilateral periventricular white matter are of questionable significance
2. Large areas of restricted diffusions in almost the entire cerebral parenchyma. Bilaterally.
3. Mild leptomeningeal, with sever meningoencephalitis.

She had lost the movements of limbs, speech, controls, recognition and cognitive functions completely with severe neuronal damage. The parents and the respective doctors had done whatever was the best in their capacities and abilities.

Now after hearing all this, we had no clue how can we help them However, we know that somehow NIR therapy can be tried as there are no side effects if we restrict the time for which we had our respective physiologist and doctors.

We performed the therapy with the help of Mr Nalini Ramesh Shah for about six months. Then one fine day we received the call from her mother that our little angel could lift her neck (Along with our therapy the neurophysiology therapy was imparted by Mr. Krishna).

We all got goosebumps and started monitoringher other activities. However, for the next two months, we observed nothing. Then one day her father told us that she is audible and had started responding expressing her anger, smiling and other behaviours. It was a moment of joy.

Then suddenly Pandemic Covid-19 struck the world and we had to refrain from the therapy. After about six months we resumed the therapy and by the end of the year, 2021 on a lying down position started taking the flips.

Till now she can maintain those developed activities and no further improvements. However, our little angel motivated us to carry on with our conviction and to date, we have been able to heal insomnia, migraine, stress* and muscular atrophy.
We did try to manage the patients with Parkinson’s disorder and progressive supranuclear palsy, but the results were not motivating.

Influence of Low intensity light waves on neuronal based activities in TBI patient

www.medacsis.in www.theralicht.com
Author: Girish Bhardwaj – Theralicht™ LLP

Abstract:

Infrared light therapy is a form of light therapy, which involves getting exposed to sufficient intensity of infrared light to experience health benefits. NIR light therapy involves shining concentrated wavelengths of light between 810nm to 850nm onto bare skin. The treatment is based on the irradiance and radiance factors of the light photons interacting with light-sensitive molecules within each cell. As NIR light photons reach these molecules, this stimulates the cells’ mitochondria to produce more adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which fuels cellular energy production.

This, in turn, energizes all cells irradiated by the light. Cell-protecting factors such as antioxidants are released to counteract cell degeneration from inflammation. And, the cells are able to perform their functions more efficiently, including repair and regeneration. This heightened functionality has anti-aging benefits as well as the ability to treat the underlying causes of many diseases and disorders.

The infrared spectrum is between 700 nm to 0.1 mm in wavelength, which can be divided into near, mid, and far-infrared spectrum. The longer the wavelength, the lower the frequency and the further the light can penetrate tissues.

Different kinds of infrared wavelengths have different health benefits.

NIR- Near-infrared light, with wavelengths between 700 – 1400 nm, generates the most heat but does not penetrate deep into human tissues. In addition, the 760 – 895 nm range of infrared light can stimulate the mitochondria function, which can increase metabolism, improve tissue repair, and reduce inflammation9, 10.

mNIR- Mid-infrared light, with wavelengths between 1400 – 3000 nm. It penetrates deeper than near-infrared light and generates more heat than far-infrared light. Mid-infrared light can help expand blood vessels and increase circulation so that blood can reach injured or inflamed areas of the body.

Far-infrared light, with wavelengths between 3000 nm – 0.1 mm. Far infrared penetrates deepest into the tissues. Its health benefits come from both generating heat and other properties. Far-infrared light can potently reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. It increases circulation, improves blood vessel and heart functions, reduces pain and fatigue, and normalizes blood pressure11

Introductions:

The case of a baby girl aged 7 years (2019) with TBI with wear off year (2017) 2 years was to be dealt. With the reworked history the baby girl was suffering with TBI due to high fever causing

• Severe cerebral and cerebellar atrophy, including atrophy of thalami. Apart from this the white matter changes in the bilateral periventricular white matter of questionable significance
• Large areas of restricted diffusions in almost entire cerebral parenchyma. Bilaterally.
• Mild leptomeningeal, with sever meningoencephalitis

She had lost the movements of limbs, speech, controls, recognition and cognitive functions completely with severe neuronal damage. The parents and the respective doctors had done whatever the best in their capacities and abilities.

Aim:-

Our main aim was to trigger and normalise cerebral blood flow along with the regeneration of affected thalamic and respective regions. The aim was also to observe the retinal movements while reducing the Oculomotor Dysfunction which got developed coz of TBI.

Method:

The non-invasive low-intensity light therapy was considered for the next couple of months. The default mode network-DMN plays a critical central role in normal brain activities, presenting greater relative deactivation during more cognitively demanding tasks. After deactivation, it allows a distinct network to activate. This network (the central executive network) acts mainly during tasks involving executive functions. 

The procedure of red or near-infrared (NIR) light to stimulate or regenerate tissue is known as photobiomodulation. It was discovered that NIR (wavelength 710–940 nm) and red (wavelength 600 nm) (LEDs) can penetrate through the scalp and skull and have the potential to improve the subnormal, cellular activity of compromised brain tissue. 

Based on this, different experimental and clinical studies were done to test LED therapy for TBI, The patient was subjected to LILT (690~910 nm) on an alternate day basis with a head wrap around device for 20 minutes in the morning along with the spine cord subjected to (640~840 nm) on alternate day basis. Along with this, the patient was given thyme-leaved gratiola (Btahmi) and promising results were found. It leads us to consider developing different approaches to maximize the positive effects of this therapy and improve the quality of life of TBI patients.

Results:

The significant improvement in holding saliva, and reduction in Oculomotor Dysfunction were noticeable in 6 months. The therapy was continued and in a span of 14 months from the commencement of the therapy (still ON) the movement of the limbs, improvement in metabolism, speech, cognitive functions and recognition have been observed.

The Medacsis-LILT therapy is being continued with the hope that this baby girl will be back to some normalised condition in the next 1-2 years from now (March 2021

References

Corrigan JD, Selassie AW, Orman JA. The epidemiology of traumatic brain injury. J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2010;25(2):72–80. [PubMed] [Google Scholar] Selassie AW, Zaloshnja E, Langlois JA, Miller T, Jones P, Steiner C. Incidence of long-term disability following traumatic brain injury hospitalization in the United States. J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2008;23(2):123–131. [PubMed] [Google Scholar] João Gustavo Rocha Peixoto dos Santos, Wellingson Silva Paiva, and Manoel Jacobsen Teixeira

 Alway Y, McKay A, Ponsford J, Schönberger M. Expressed emotion and its relationship to anxiety and depression after traumatic brain injury. Neuropsychol Rehabil. 2012;22(3):374–390. [PubMed] [Google Scholar Schönberger M, Ponsford J, Gould KR, Johnston L. The temporal relationship between depression, anxiety, and functional status after traumatic brain injury: a cross-lagged analysis. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2011;17(5):781–787. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Donnell AJ, Kim MS, Silva MA, Vanderploeg RD. Incidence of postconcussion symptoms in psychiatric diagnostic groups, mild traumatic brain injury, and comorbid conditions. Clin Neuropsychol. 2012;26(7):1092–1101. [PubMed] [Google Scholar] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5653719/

Composed by: “Girish Bhardwaj is an Inventor, Author, Entrepreneur, Engineer, Lighting Therapist, Educationist, Lighting and Wellbeing Advisor with the experience of 25 years!”
www.girishbh.com

The post From Conviction To Confirmation appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

Rural children in general and, girl child in particular due to prevalent gender discrimination, tend to face worst health outcomes.

It is well-known that in India there exist substantial differences between the urban and rural areas, with poverty affecting lives of people starting from early childhood and increasing as one grows older. Living conditions aside, rural areas also suffer from the lack of social sector services in general. Rural children in general and, girl child in particular due to prevalent gender discrimination, tend to face worst health outcomes. The health disparities between rural and urban children, as well as interstate disparities in health status go hand-in-hand to projecting concerning scenarios for the country. Again, the rural and tribal areas have fewer movement and connectivity options than urban areas. The settlements are dispersed more than urban areas. This necessitates evolving location-specific healthcare service delivery systems for rural areas.

The first pandemic wave in the country affected health and social welfare aspects of women and children, belonging to poorer section of society, adversely. Many pregnant women, without access to proper medical care during childbirth, lost their lives; while some gave birth to underweight and stunted children. These children obviously got subjected to life-long health problems. As observed, in ordinary times, the Indian healthcare systems, more so rural health facilities, face operational challenges, and the challenges observably grew manifold during the pandemic causing catastrophic effects on socio-economic spheres.

The rural healthcare system in rural India, primarily developed on the suggestions of Bhore Committee Report, guided Government of India in adopting population-based norms for establishing the three-tier public health care facilities, as Sub-Centre (SC), Primary Health Centre (PHC), and Community Health Centre (CHC). The current status, of these rural health facilities, as obtained from latest Ministry of Health & Family Welfare statistical data upload in their website, indicate shortfall at the three-tier set up as, 18% at the SC level, that consist of 158417 SCs, 22% at the PHC level that consist of 25743 PHCs and 30% at the CHC level that total 5624 CHCs. According to the National Health Profile 2021, in government hospitals one allopathic doctor is available to cater to 11,082 people, one bed per 1,844 people is the current allocation, and one state-run hospital available for every 55,591 people.

In spite of the elevation in rural health facilities over the years, the manpower availability is notably underneath the wanted tiers, as per World Health Organization suggested levels.

In spite of the elevation in rural health facilities over the years, the manpower availability is notably underneath the wanted tiers, as per World Health Organization suggested levels. Of the sanctioned posts, at the SC level 14 per cent posts of Health Workers (Female)/ ANM, and 37 per cent of Health Workers (Male) were vacant, as Government Rural Health Statistics (RHS)2019-20 indicated. The RHS also stated that the number and post-wise shortage in rural health set up as, 1,704 posts of doctors in PHCs across the rural areas, as well as 5,772 posts of nursing staff, 5,066 positions in female health workers, 6,240 posts of pharmacists, and 12,098 posts of laboratory technicians. The report further added that- of the total 155404 Sub Centre across the country, only 5383 SCs was functioning as per IPHS norms, only 8514 PHCs were functioning on 24×7 basis out of existing 24918 PHCs, and just 4957 CHCs, of the sanctioned 20732 CHCs, were currently functioning in rural areas. An International Journal paper published in December 2020 found that rural India has 3.2 government hospital beds per 10,000 people and that some big states such as, Uttar Pradesh with 2.5 with beds, Rajasthan 2.4 with beds, Jharkhand 2.3 with beds, Maharashtra with 2.0 beds and Bihar with 0.6 beds respectively, stood below the national average. Evidently, the rural healthcare set-up does not provide assuring state of affairs, currently. Besides, there is among the states, dissimilarity as far as access to medical care, appropriation of public health expenditure as well as achieving health outcomes. Obvious therefore that even without the pandemic or unforeseen emergencies, the rural health infrastructure is always stressed, while historically having less access to health services as the figure below will indicate.

The rural public health service management, especially in preventing, controlling or eliminating major communicable diseases, such as Tuberculosis, Malaria, and in reducing the risk of deaths in maternal and perinatal diseases has remained a challenge. In India, endemic diseases caused by infection or lack of nutrition still account for over two-thirds of mortality and morbidity.  With rural areas lacking access to elementary healthcare, there remain abundant challenges to setting up strong emergency medical services, as well.

Both increases in government spending and private sector initiatives have improved the health infrastructure, but given the rising demographic pressure in India, this increase does not seem to make the desired difference. It is the extension of life expectancy that has a direct impact on many households. The rising healthcare cost exacerbates the problem for lower- and middle-class households, as well. The suggestive way forward, at this juncture, at empowering rural healthcare systems and building healthy rural communities, can be as follows-

Maximize the implementation of Health and Wellness at the Sub Centres and Primary Health Centres levels–

The health and wellness concept under Ayushman Bharat was an excellent start, as the same advocated a more comprehensive, well-equipped, and well-staffed model of primary healthcare in government sub-centres and primary health centers. Updating them in rural areas will undoubtedly enable in achieving the degree of readiness required in rural India in the event of a pandemic or other unforeseen emergency.

Extended public-private partnerships (PPP) to support healthcare inclusion-

PPP partnerships evidently have potential to revolutionize the rural healthcare system in India, while simultaneously ensuring a long-term viable solution. As the country’s population is growing, government efforts will not be enough to strengthen the healthcare system. PPP can assist in overcoming monetary, specialized, pedagogy, and human capital constraints. Private players can also ensure that Government policies at improving rural healthcare infrastructure are implemented appropriately. Continuing partnerships will improve access to healthcare, especially in the inaccessible rural areas, because individual actors’ extensive expertise, experience and financial resources may aid in the development of novel solutions.

Organise a supervisory committee on the ground–

a local supervision committee formation needed for developing a centrepiece masterplan for improving access to better healthcare and overseeing the implementation of rural healthcare projects. Though the majority of rural healthcare programs often get off to a terrific start, the outcomes are not always as anticipated. To revive rural healthcare service systems, through efficient monitoring of rural healthcare strengthening operations, the local supervisory committee is required.

Doctors working in rural areas encounter several problems when it comes to accessing training opportunities due to their location.

Continuous competency development and mentoring-

Another key concern in rural regions is skill development and mentoring. The CHCs, which acts as a referral of PHCs in rural areas, currently have a 76.1 percent shortage of specialists, as the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recent report indicated. Doctors working in rural areas encounter several problems when it comes to accessing training opportunities due to their location. In that scenario deployed Doctors can benefit from skill development courses, and ongoing learning programs to assist address the dearth of trained doctors in rural areas. A focused mentoring program, including online or offline sessions, skill upgradation and exchange programs could be extremely helpful in this situation. 

Coherent machine upgrade and paramedic training-

Essential amenities, such as most up-to-date medical equipment and skilled medical personnel to operate them, are lacking in rural areas. While medical equipment can still be upgraded on a regular basis, training courses for nurses and paramedical workers on how to handle, operate and manage these machines are also necessary. As new technologies become available, the requirement for training becomes more pronounced and required to be recognized.

In summing up, it needs to be pointed out that it is difficult to overhaul the country’s rural healthcare system within a short timeline, and that a piecemeal approach to improving rural healthcare facilities will be futile. But, with the ongoing dedication and regular efforts can a sturdy rural healthcare system be developed. Implementing the procedures outlined above will have positive benefits in the long run and will contribute to the development of a robust rural health care management system. Beyond COVID, the central objective should be to devise preparedness strategies for unforeseen emergencies, rather than focusing simply on short-term fixes that will return the system to its previous state once external help is withdrawn.

Composed by: “Dr. Gautam Kr Ghosh, is Ph.D in sociology with PG diploma in Reproductive and Child Health Management, and is research scientist at ICMR NICED, Kolkata, India.”

Composed by: “Aprita De, holds Masters in Public Health degree, and is working as Junior Consultant, NHSRC, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi.”

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The virus went on to become a global pandemic that led to the loss of human life and the breakdown of the entire health system worldwide.

This highly transmissible virus primarily affects the lungs and gets on to damage other organs such as the brain, heart and kidney. The contagious disease left a major impact on the physical as well as mental health of human beings and in no time COVID-19 became a major challenge of the lifetime. The virus went on to become a global pandemic that led to the loss of human life and the breakdown of the entire health system worldwide. However,  some people affected by the virus have recovered quickly through proper treatment, still, they continue to experience symptoms after their recovery as well. The virus has mostly affected the older age group or the person with many serious medical conditions leaving some great negative impacts on the health such as mental and physical exertion, breathing difficulties, body and joint pain, memory and sleep problems, loss of smell or taste, Depression or anxiety, Fever, Dizziness and unable to perform physical or mental activities.

But, there is always a positive side to everything. So does this pandemic! Doctors and researchers have found some positive side effects of the virus in human behaviour and nature.

1. Health concern becomes the primary thing for people.
2. keeping their issues aside people started interacting with each other.
3. A sense of gratitude has emerged in people which offered a new perspective towards life as nothing should be taken for granted.
4. Covid 19 has taught the importance of humanity and how a helping attitude towards each other can save a life.
5. People are spending quality time with their loved ones
6. People have started following their hobbies.
7. People have understood the importance of hygiene.

Other than this, some of the positive outcomes of the virus towards nature are:

1. environmental pollution has decreased excessively due to no traveling and no social activities 
2. road accidents have slowed down 
3. Rivers & lakes look cleaner.
4. Since the people have locked themselves in the houses the wildlife has filled the open space.

People have faced good and bad experiences after the COVID-19 attack. Although we have adapted to the new normal situation and the lives have come on track again, we can’t deny the fact that somewhere or the other, lives can never be the same as they were in terms of mentally and physically.

People have faced good and bad experiences after the COVID-19 attack. Although we have adapted to the new normal situation and the lives have come on track again, we can’t deny the fact that somewhere or the other, lives can never be the same as they were in terms of mentally and physically. Returning to normalcy in future will be quite difficult for those who lost their loved ones in this pandemic. The pandemic has left a strong message that we should move towards a green future. Certainly, the virus has upended the world for a while but it’s now deteriorating. However, the side effects of COVID-19  on human lives will last long.

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Composed by: “Riccha Arora is a homemaker and a mother of two year old. She has had a passion for writing from a very tender age and also writes in blogs on parenthood & travel.”

The post The ‘Pros’ of pandemic appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

We have progressed and brought innovations in fast track. India is home to 81 Unicorn with a total valuation of USD 279 billion of these 43 with USD 89 billion emerged last year. USA is top in number of Unicorn while India is fourth after China and UK. Media is reporting how we are added to every month’s list of Unicorn and soon we will surpass 100 Unicorns.

Let us innovate to improve quality, reduce cost and import. It would generate more employment and create a better economy.

In Jan 2022 there are 46 companies in the world having decacorn status out of which India has four: Flipkart, BYJU’s, Paytm and Swiggy. Let us not count on rosy pictures but to be successful analyse our failures too. IBM institute study finds that 90% of Indian startups fail within the first five years of inception. Innovation has become a buzzword lately but what we need to ensure the reduction in failure rate of innovations. Let us innovate to improve quality, reduce cost and import. It would generate more employment and create a better economy. As quoted in my book: Alexander Blass, CEO of Innovation Institute of America, Inc. and winner of Top Innovator of the Year award said “It is no secret that many of the world’s top innovators come from India. Within the past few decades, India has embarked upon an incredible transformation from an agrarian-based society to a knowledge-based economy. Along with the population growth came survival instincts and the need to be different, better and unique. One can see innovation everywhere in India, whether in large game changing innovations that garner lots of publicity, or in less obvious yet important incremental fashions”

We are celebrating 75 years of independence but simplified govt policies in the last few years and recent challenges have encouraged our younger generation of 11 to 12 years of age to innovate who have been awarded by the President/Prime minister every year. We also publicise their good work through our innovators’ club meetings and magazine to let the ecosystem know and motivate others. The Prime Minister always talks of “Naya Bharat”, it is our duty as citizens to make our country of 1.3 billion population the best in the world. It should not be a country known for snake charmers and beggars but rather a country of innovators showing way to others.

Credit: Photo by Unsplash

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Change is the law of nature. What is today shall be different from what it would be yesterday or tomorrow. When this ‘change’ happens on its own we see it as an opportunity. When ‘change’ hits us unexpectedly we can also consider it as an opportunity to improve what needs improvement & growth and ‘change’ what needs to be changed. 

Their endless efforts and selfless serving & caring attitude with a behavior of accepting the challenges with much more maturity as well as a prompt action is only found in media & papers rather than the actual scene from the clinical side.

Our nurses were deemed heroes and angels during this pandemic. Their endless efforts and selfless serving & caring attitude with a behavior of accepting the challenges with much more maturity as well as a prompt action is only found in media & papers rather than the actual scene from the clinical side. People frequently use the word -Angel to express gratitude to nurses.

However, the public is still unaware of the nurse’s journey, which begins with her continuous preparation to become a well-qualified nurse. By the great investment of their time & hard work, they achieve their expertise with great endeavor and commitment.  A nurse is that person whose expertise lies in the basic program of nursing and they are certified by the medical council to practice nursing in their country. 

The recognition that nurses should get is often hampered by their attitude that they are just a nurse. Additionally, there is a lack of public awareness about their role in healthcare, which needs to be made visible and explicit in the near future. The noble profession of nurses enriches them with etiquettes and develops the qualities of integrity, compassion and competence with which they can work confidently in any scenario. The COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened the discussions and people have started recognizing the effort of a Nurse with an evident public support. This will eventually break the stereotype against the nursing profession.

Numerous countries give a round of applause and send cards to express their gratitude. According to WHO, nurses are not only doctors’ assistants, but separate health professionals with their own policies and protocols. As a result of this kind of initiation, nurses may be able to distinguish the scope and boundary of the nursing profession and become independent practitioners in many areas. In day-to-day life, nurses began looking for opportunities in the media where they get highlighted for their skill, knowledge, and compassion alongwith a chance to reframe their own views about their careers. Pandemic has opened the doors of nursing knowledge, experience, and advice. The basic care and survival of patients with COVID-19 depends on practice and performance.

Even with the mental agony of seeing a huge number of patients suffering and dying in front of them, nurses overcome the situation and continue with the same care without fail.

Even with the mental agony of seeing a huge number of patients suffering and dying in front of them, nurses overcome the situation and continue with the same care without fail. This act of mental agility and strength makes this profession so endearing and thought provoking. Nurses themselves need rest and mental peace so it is important to balance the support among all the health care professionals. Ability to plan around professional commitments is the key strategy to nurse’s professional life balance. After overcoming this emergency, it could be both achievable and life-changing for many nurses around the world.

Even after COVID-19, nurses will continue to play a prominent role. Their expertise in handling crises is both legitimate and has influenced the public with a powerful voice for a better future for health care. In times of pandemics, nurses must adhere to protocols and standards that protect their professional obligations and ethics, and ensure that equity and fairness are maintained for all concerned. The government and private sectors need to plan now for a future where there are adequate nurses, all nursing positions are filled, and the nursing workforce is well-paid, and highly respected for the important services they are providing and being an important part of nurses’ lives.

Composed by: “Chandni Bhilwara works as Nurse Educator at Fortis Escort Heart Institute, New Delhi. Has received certification from various national and international institutes.”

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Healthcare entrepreneurship and innovation responds to unmet public health needs by creating new ways of thinking and working with a focus on the needs of populations.

Health innovation as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) is to develop and deliver new or improved health policies, systems, products and technologies, and services and delivery methods that improve people’s health and wellbeing. Healthcare entrepreneurship and innovation responds to unmet public health needs by creating new ways of thinking and working with a focus on the needs of populations. It aims to address these voids and add value in the form of improved efficiency, effectiveness, quality, sustainability, safety and affordability.

The healthcare sector is transforming by digital bytes, novel organisms and personalized genetic interventions.

With the COVID-19 pandemic hitting India hard especially in economic hotspots like Mumbai, and healthcare system struggling to cope, innovation and entrepreneurship could be the potential vital bridge to fill the gap in the healthcare system. Healthcare startups which are a reflection of the Indian healthcare innovation sector is the second largest startup sector in India and shown a high growth rate in recent years, and India has emerged as the third largest startup economy in the world. With favorable government policies, innovators in healthcare sector have identified ways to deliver effective healthcare at significantly lower cost, while improving access and increasing quality and contributing to the growth of healthcare sector. COVID-19 provides a unique opportunity to leverage this start up sector to address the current situation in India as well as for the future.

With social distancing norms and movement restricting protocols, direct face to face consultations between doctors and patients are going to be events of the past. Disruptive technologies driven by technology platforms linking doctors and patients, low cost medical devices, technology-enabled diagnostics, artificial intelligence and telemedicine will become the norm rather than exception in the future and will shape the future of healthcare in India. The potential and reach of technology is enormous and if tapped constructively and effectively could reach out to remote corners of India, plagued by shortages of healthcare work force. 

The SMART framework for HTA development is a useful tool in this context especially for low and low-middle income countries like India.

Unfortunately, healthcare can be a sectorally compartmentalized and local activity resulting in innovations which are not widely known across different systems or beyond sector boundaries. Hence, just identifying and promoting innovations isn’t enough, but it is important to understand whether, and how, these innovations are addressing health system challenges of access, equity and quality. In this context the role of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) for understanding the value of health innovations becomes important to inform policy decisions.While, HTA has become an established multi-disciplinary tool in the developed countries with well-established systems in place, its adoption in low-middle income countries like India needs to be contextualized. The SMART framework for HTA development is a useful tool in this context especially for low and low-middle income countries like India. The first HTA from South Asia on a COVID-19 diagnostic medical device was conducted on the innovative FELUDA diagnostic test, which showed the value of this innovation in terms of efficiency, equity, and sustainability of healthcare systems.

As health systems leaders and policy makers worry on their cost, quality, and access problems, the fact remains that at least some potential solutions already exist. Innovators around the globe including India have demonstrated effective ways to improve quality and lower costs through novel ways of preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and/or assistive care. The real challenge lies in implementing in local settings and subsequent scaling up. 

While epidemiologists and economists create models to try to predict the future of COVID-19, perhaps it is an opportune time for leaders to become ‘role models’ as ‘policy entrepreneurs’ and use effectuation principles and an opportunity based approach using episodic knowledge to make decisions for providing a coherent sustainable eco system for the large scale implementation of successful healthcare innovations. This would be a big step towards filling the chasm of institutional voids within healthcare. 

The healthcare sector is transforming by digital bytes, novel organisms and personalized genetic interventions. In such an environment, leadership in healthcare organizations requires entrepreneurial talent and healthcare organizations need to transform their administrative focus by restructuring themselves into opportunistic and innovative firms that build trusting relationships with their stakeholders. With the number of cases and deaths due to COVID-19 rising every day, it has become the face of a ‘destructive creation’ of nature. However, COVID-19 also provides an opportunity for application of innovation and entrepreneurship in healthcare to creatively destroy inefficiencies, inequity, poor quality and become a transformative tool for ‘creative destruction’.

Composed by: “Dr Kanchan Mukherjee is a medical doctor who specializes in public health, health policies and systems, economic evaluations, Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and health innovation research. He is professor at the Centre for Health Policy, Planning and Management at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.”

The post Destructive Creation to Creative Destruction: COVID-19 and Healthcare Innovation appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.