Agartala Govt Dental College gets Centre’s approval for 3rd-Year BDS Course Renewal

Agartala- In a major development for dental education in Tripura, the Central government has given permission for renewal of third year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) course at Agartala Government Dental College and IGM Hospital for the academic session 2025-26. This development is a positive step for the state’s dental education infrastructure, strengthening the commitment to quality standards.

The Tripura government has been officially informed of this decision through an order signed by the Under Secretary of the Government of India. As per the directive, renewal has been approved against the original admission capacity of 50 BDS seats. However, this is subject to compliance with the conditions mentioned in the undertaking submitted by the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), Tripura.

Also Read: Tripura plans to set up its first homeopathy college

The official communication has further clarified that admission of students for the 2026-27 academic session will be permitted only if the Central Government grants permission or recognition for renewal of the BDS degree. Any deviation from this guideline will be treated as irregular and action may be taken under the provisions of the Dentists Act, 1948 and the relevant regulations.

On this, speaking to NortheastToday, a senior health official from Tripura said that “This renewal not only ensures academic continuity for our dental students but also underlines the importance of maintaining regulatory compliance in medical education,”.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Dental Council of India (DCI) approved the Tripura government’s start of the Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) programme in the Agartala Government Dental College (AGDC).

Speaking on the MDS approval, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha stated, “Though I am the Chief Minister, I didn’t forget my roots as a dental surgeon. I have no hesitation to confess that there is a desperate need to improve the health service further. We bring a major change in the service delivery system. We had never thought of opening a dental college, but we did it”

Also Read: Tripura Allocates Rs 100 Crore for New Eye Hospital

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JIPMER has No Provision for 10-day Family Vacation to MBBS, PG medicos as recommended by Task Force, reveals RTI

Pondicherry: Despite the National Task Force on Mental Health and Well-being of Medical Students recommending a 10-day family vacation for MBBS and postgraduate medical students, till now no such provision is available at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), revealed a Right to Information (RTI) application.

Filing the RTI, the National President of the United Doctors’ Front (UDF), Dr. Lakshya Mittal raised the issue of family vacation. He pointed out the recommendations made by the National Task Force stating that medical colleges could consider granting a ten-day vacation at least once a year to both undergraduate and postgraduate medical students on a rotational basis. 

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that in its report, the Task Force mentioned, “Medical colleges could consider granting a ten-day vacation at least once a year to both undergraduate and postgraduate medical students on a rotational basis. This break is aimed at fostering family bonding. Addressing family-related stressors identified in surveys and discussions, this vacation ensures students return refreshed and better able to focus on their academic responsibilities.”

“However, this vacation should not interfere with completing the mandatory syllabus, clinical training, lab work, thesis, and curriculum. Any such interference will result in the mandatory training as per NMC guidelines taking precedence,” it further added.

Referring to this, Dr. Mittal in this RTI application sought to know about the action taken to comply with this suggestion till date, to include this provision for 10 days family vacation in PGMER 2023 for implementation of this suggestion.

Also Read: Mental well-being of doctors: Here are NMC’s complete recommendations

He also referred to Point 5.5 specifying the leave rules in PGMER 2023 and pointed out that as per these rules, every PG student will be given minimum 20 days of paid leave (casual leave) per year and academic paid leave of 5 days per year. He mentioned that despite such clear rules, many institutes are not following these rules. In this regard, he sought the information with related documents regarding action taken for implementation of the leave rules. Further, he sought to know the details of any action taken for violating the leave rules causing mental health issues to the students.

In response, JIPMER informed that undergraduate students are granted 30 days of vacation and 10-14 days of study leave every year. “Only 75% of attendance is mandatory to appear in the exam,” the institute added.

Further providing the details of leave granted to Academic Junior and Senior Residents (MD/MS/MDS and DM/MCh), JIPMER informed that Junior Residents are given 30 days of leave during first year, and 36 days of leave each in 2nd and 3rd year of their study. The days of leaves granted to the Senior Residents during their 1st, 2nd and 3rd year is 24 days, 36 days and 36 days respectively.

Apart from this, the institute informed that as academic leave (over 3 year), the JRs are given 9 days and SRs are given 7 days. The duration of maternity and paternity leave (SRs), granted as JIPMER, is 6 months and 15 days respectively.

Commenting on the matter, Dr. Mittal told Medical Dialogues, “An RTI filed by me has revealed that despite the recommendation in NMC- National Task Force Report to provide a 10-day family vacation to both undergraduate and postgraduate medical students, no such provision has been implemented yet at JIPMER, Puducherry—an Institute of National Importance under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.”

“According to the reply, undergraduate students get 30 days of vacation and 10–14 days of study leave per year, while PG residents have a structured leave format. However, the suggested 10-day family vacation aimed at promoting mental well-being and family bonding has not been incorporated, and many institutions continue to ignore NMC’s leave regulations. This issue again highlights the widening gap between policy and implementation,” he added.

“It’s high time for regulatory bodies and medical institutions to prioritize the mental health and work-life balance of medical students and resident doctors,” Dr. Mittal further mentioned.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the final Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (PGMER 2023), which were published in the official Gazette on 29.12.2023, lay down the rules and regulations regarding admission, counselling, and other details related to the postgraduate medical courses.

As per the leave rules, specified in PGMER 2023, the PG students will be given leave as per the following rules:

a. Every post-graduate student will be given minimum 20 days of paid leave (casual leave) per year.

b. Subject to exigencies of work, post-graduate students will be allowed one weekly holiday.

c. Female post-graduate students shall be allowed maternity leave as per existing Government rules and regulations.

d. Male post-graduate students shall be allowed paternity leave as per existing Government rules and regulations.

e. In addition to 20 days’ paid leave, the candidates will be allowed academic paid leave of 5 days per year.

Further, the regulations mentioned that if a “candidate avails leave in excess of the permitted number of days, his/her term of course shall be extended by the same number of days to complete the training period. However, one shall be able to appear in the examination if one has 80% (eighty per cent) of the attendance.”

Also Read: 20 days of Paid leave, weekly offs, reasonable working hours for PG medicos: NMC PGMER 2023

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Himachal allocates Rs 193.75 crore for 2 New Critical Care Blocks

Shimla: To strengthen the healthcare infrastructure and improve access to quality and affordable healthcare to the people of the State, the Government has allocated Rs 193.75 crore for the establishment of two Critical Care Blocks (CCBs) and five District Integrated Public Health Laboratories (DIPHLs) across the State.

In a recent cabinet meeting, the government approved the setting up of a 50-bedded Critical Care Block (CCB) at Primary Health Centre Swahan (Regional Hospital Bilaspur) and another 50-bedded CCB at Civil Hospital Rohru, Shimla district. These facilities will be equipped with advanced medical infrastructure including Emergency Services, Intensive Care Units (ICUs), High Dependency Units (HDUs), Isolation Beds, Dialysis Units, Labour Rooms, Operation Theatres and Point-of-Care Laboratories.

Each CCB will be integrated with the existing district hospital and will function as a regular facility under normal conditions. However, during health emergencies or outbreaks such as COVID-19, they can be physically isolated to ensure strict infection control. Each block will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 16.63 crore and equipment cost of Rs. 27.12 crore. 

Also Read:Himachal Pradesh Restructures Health Cadres

In addition, the cabinet has also approved the establishment of District Integrated Public Health Laboratories (DIPHLs) at Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College Chamba and District Hospital Hamirpur attached with Dr Radha Krishnan Government Medical College Hamirpur. These DIPHLs are aimed at improving diagnostic capabilities, enabling rapid testing and supporting effective outbreak management.

Each laboratory will be fully equipped with Clinical Pathology, Hematology, Cytology, Biochemistry, and Microbiology facilities under one roof to enhance efficiency and avoid resource duplication.

Every DIPHL will have a team of experts comprising of one Pathologist, one Microbiologist, one Biochemist, eleven Lab Technicians, one Data Entry Operator, and two Sanitation workers. The capital cost per DIPHL will be Rs. 21.25 crore with an annual recurring cost of Rs. 49.05 lakh per unit.

Furthermore, the cabinet has also approved the procurement of equipments for the under-construction Mother and Child Hospital wings of Kamla Nehru Hospital Shimla, Regional Hospital Una and Civil Hospital Sundernagar of Mandi district.

Also Read:New Nephrology, Neurology departments to be set up at Hamirpur Medical College

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GSK Arexvy recommended for adults aged 50-59 at increased risk for severe RSV disease by US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices

GSK plc has announced that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted in favour of recommending the use of RSV vaccines including GSK’s Arexvy (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine, Adjuvanted) in adults aged 50-59 who are at increased risk for severe RSV disease.

This includes people with conditions like COPD, asthma, diabetes, heart disease and those in residential care. This expands on ACIP’s previous vote in June 2024 to recommend RSV vaccines for adults aged 60-74 who are at increased risk and all adults aged 75 and older.

A systematic review of studies in the US shows that RSV is estimated to cause 42,000 hospitalisations each year in adults aged 50-64 years old. Adults with underlying medical conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, heart failure and diabetes are at increased risk from severe consequences from an RSV infection compared to those without these conditions. RSV can exacerbate these conditions and lead to pneumonia, hospitalisation, or death.

Tony Wood, Chief Scientific Officer, GSK said, “We are pleased with ACIP’s recommendation to expand the benefits of RSV immunisation to more than 13 million adults aged 50-59 who are at increased risk for the severe consequences of this virus. RSV can have a significant impact for those with underlying medical conditions. We look forward to helping protect more people with RSV vaccination.”

In making its recommendation, the ACIP considered positive results from a phase III trial [NCT05590403]6 evaluating the immune response and safety of GSK’s RSV vaccine in adults aged 50-59, including those at increased risk for RSV-LRTD due to certain underlying medical conditions compared to older adults aged 60 years and above where efficacy has been demonstrated after a single dose of GSK’s RSV vaccine.

The ACIP recommendations will be forwarded for review and approval. Once approved, the final recommendations will be published to advise healthcare providers on appropriate use of the vaccine and to inform insurance coverage.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine, Adjuvanted, contains recombinant RSV glycoprotein F stabilised in the prefusion conformation (RSVPreF3). This antigen is combined with GSK’s proprietary AS01E adjuvant.

The vaccine has been approved for the prevention of RSV-LRTD in individuals 60 years of age and older in 61 countries, including Europe, Japan and US. In addition, it is approved in the US, EU/EEA countries and Japan for use in individuals aged 50-59 who are at increased risk for lower respiratory disease caused by RSV due to certain underlying medical conditions. Regulatory reviews for this extended indication are ongoing in other countries.

The use of this vaccine should be in accordance with official recommendations. As with any vaccine, a protective immune response may not be elicited in all vaccinees.

The GSK proprietary AS01 adjuvant system contains STIMULON QS-21 adjuvant licensed from Antigenics Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Agenus Inc. STIMULON is a trademark of SaponiQx Inc., a subsidiary of Agenus.

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AIIMS Delhi Ranks 97th among World’s Best Hospitals in 2024, PGIMER and Medanta also featured

Altogether, three hospitals in India- the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, and Medanta-the Medicity in Gurgaon have been recognised among the top 250 best hospitals across the world.

Newsweek and Statista, in their “World’s Best Hospitals 2025” report, have recognised AIIMS, New Delhi, as the 97th best hospital in the world. Back in 2023, AIIMS earned the 122nd rank in the same report. Its position was further improved in 2024, when AIIMS ranked 113th in the list. Now the institute has moved up 16 spots as it has earned the 97th rank in the list.

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Chennai to hire 60 doctors on contract, councillors demand permanent posts

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has announced plans to recruit 60 doctors on a contractual basis to address critical shortage of doctors at Urban Health and Wellness Centres (UHWC) across the city. However, councillors have urged that the appointments be made on a permanent basis rather than temporary contracts.

The Urban Health and Wellness Centres, inaugurated two years ago by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin under the Union Government’s Ayushman Bharat scheme, were intended to enhance primary healthcare delivery in urban areas. Each centre was envisioned to have a full-time doctor, a nurse, and support staff to serve local communities. However, many centres in areas such as Manali, Madhavaram, KK Nagar, and Kodungaiyur still function without doctors, leaving patients to rely on overcrowded primary health centres and government hospitals.

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Sun Pharma Gets CDSCO Panel Nod To study Semaglutide solution for Injection

New Delhi: Considering the bioequivalence (BE) study report of the antidiabetic drug Semaglutide solution for injection (synthetic origin) 0.25mg /0.5ml, 0.5 mg /0.5ml, 1 mg/0.5 ml, 1.7 mg/0.75 ml and 2.4 mg/0.75 ml, the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) functional under the Central Drug Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has granted approval to the drug major Sun Pharma for conducting a Phase III clinical trial study.

This came after Sun Pharma presented the BE study report along with revised clinical trial (CT) protocol no. ICR/23/013 ver. 3.0 dated 16th Jan 2025 before the committee.

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist used to improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus, treat obesity, and reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in selected adults.

GLP-1 is a physiological hormone that promotes glycemic control via several different mechanisms, including insulin secretion, slowing gastric emptying, and reducing postprandial glucagon secretion. The homeostasis of glucose is dependent on hormones such as insulin and amylin, which are secreted by the beta cells of the pancreas. Semaglutide is 94% similar to human GLP-1. Analogs of this hormone, such as semaglutide, stimulate the synthesis of insulin by stimulating pancreatic islet cells and reducing glucagon secretion. They directly bind with selectivity to the GLP-1 receptor, causing various beneficial downstream effects that reduce blood glucose in a glucose-dependent fashion.

At the recent SEC meeting for Endocrinology and Metabolism held on 25th March 2025, the expert panel reviewed the BE study report along with revised CT protocol no. ICR/23/013 ver. 3.0 dated 16th Jan 2025.

After detailed deliberation, the committee recommended accepting the bioequivalence study report and recommended granting permission to conduct the Phase III clinical trial study as per the revised protocol presented.

Also Read: Cipla gets CDSCO Panel nod for Phase-III CT of Inhaled Itraconazole dry powder for inhalation 10 mg capsules

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Telangana medicos allege stipend Irregularities: Fake transfers, Unpaid stipend at private colleges

House surgeons and resident doctors at the private medical colleges in Telangana have alleged that most of the institutes do not pay any stipends to them.

Further, several colleges take stipend amounts from the students and show transfer of amounts to students using illicit means, Deccan Chronicle has reported.

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Rs 1500 went missing from hostel room! Allied Health Science Student Ends Life Amid Theft Inquiry

Tamil Nadu- In an unfortunate incident, an allied science course student committed suicide recently. The student took this drastic step as she was reportedly under inquiry by a private hospital management in connection with a theft complain,t and her parents were also asked to visit the hospital. 

The deceased was identified as G Anupriya (18) from Tiruvannamalai district. She was an 18-year-old girl who was pursuing a first-year allied science course at a private college of health and sciences in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. She took the step at a private hospital near Nav India on Avinashi Road, where she was attending a training session. Anupriya was on a three-month training at a hospital run by the same management in the same area.

Also Read: Renowned Neurologist Dr Shirish Valsangkar commits suicide

According to the Indian Express media, around 6.45 pm on Tuesday evening, Anupriya tried to take her own life and was seriously injured. After first aid at the hospital, she was taken to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH), where she took her last breath. After her death, the Peelamedu police were immediately informed, and the police started the investigation and sent the body for a post-mortem.

The investigations revealed that Anupriya was studying at a nursing college in the district and had come to the hospital for an internship, and was staying there. An amount of Rs 1,500 had gone missing from her hostel room, and the hospital authorities had questioned her about the money. She was reportedly depressed by the questioning, which allegedly led her to take the step.

In this regard, the college principal, R Manimozhi, who visited the CMCH, said that they conducted general inquiries with several students, including Anupriya, who was present when the money was said to have been stolen. She said that the hospital management questioned the student about the theft and sought a letter from her. The management also informed her family, asking them to appear in person.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, her classmates gathered at CMCH and alleged that Anupriya was framed for theft. They demanded a fair probe and legal action against the college management, including faculty, who allegedly forced the girl to commit suicide. The family members also refused to accept the body and reiterated the same demands.

On this, the police questioned the classmates for more than five hours on Tuesday evening. However, the police have assured to conduct a proper investigation into the death.

Apart from this, a compensation of Rs 5 lakh was given to the family of the deceased by the hospital management.

Also Read: Low Doses of 5-ARIs Linked to Higher Suicide Risk, Lower Cardiovascular Mortality: Study Finds

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HC denies relief to doctors missing Tamil Nadu Medical Council deadline

The Madras High Court recently denied relief to a group of doctors, who were termed ineligible for the post of Assistant Surgeons for not having the required registration with the Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC).

Relying on judicial precedent and noting that the candidates had registered with the medical Council after the deadline, the HC bench comprising Justice C.V. Karthikeyan observed, “The reasons stated therein would directly apply to these cases also wherein the Registration by the Tamil Nadu Medical Council/third respondent was after the crucial date on 15.07.2023.”

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