New Delhi, August 22, 2018 :
Music in depression
Music-based therapeutic interventions can help improve mood — depression and perhaps also anxiety and emotional well-being overall, including quality of life — and they can also improve behavioral problems overall, but not in particular agitation or aggression (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, July 23).
NEET results show more students opting for non-clinical courses
NEET results over the years have shown more students are opting for non-clinical courses in medical and dental colleges. Sudhansh Pant, joint secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said this during a conference on the “role of biomedical scientists in New India” organised by the National M.Sc Teachers’ Association (NMMTA), a representative body of non-medical teachers in non-clinical departments of medical and dental colleges in India (TOI – PTI, August 21, 2018).
Tobacco quit-line on packs from 1st September
The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has issued a notification to print ‘QuitLine’ number on tobacco packets. The notification has been issued on April 03. Along with the Quit line – a helpline number to quit smoking, the government has asked the tobacco manufactures to put two set of pictorial warnings on the tobacco products as well
- The Health Ministry has amended the ‘Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008’
- During the rotation period, there shall be two images of specified health warning which shall appear consecutively on the package with an interregnum period of twelve months.
- ‘Tobacco causes cancer’ and the word ‘Tobacco causes painful death’ shall appear in white font colour on a red background
- The helpline number reading – ‘Quit today call 1800-11-2356’ shall appear in white font colour on a black background
Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS 2) findings
- Prevalence of tobacco use has reduced by six percentage points.
- The number of tobacco users has reduced by about 81 lakhs.
- 28.6% of adults aged between 15 and above (26.7 crore) use tobacco in any form.
- 19.9 crore adults in rural areas and 6.8 crore adults in urban areas use tobacco.
- Every fifth adult (19.9 crore) uses smokeless tobacco and every tenth adult (10.0 crore) uses smokeless tobacco.
- 3.2 crore adults resort to dual use of tobacco.
- 19.0% of men, 2.0% of women and 10.7% (99.5 million) of all adults currently smoke tobacco.
- 29.6% of men, 12.8% of women and 21.4% (199.4 million) of all adults currently use smokeless tobacco.
- 42.4% of men, 14.2% of women and 28.6% (266.8 million) of all adults currently use tobacco (smoked and/or smokeless tobacco).
- 55.4% of current smokers are planning or thinking of quitting smoking and 49.6% of current smokeless tobacco users are planning or thinking of quitting smokeless tobacco use.
- 48.8% of current smokers were advised by health care provider to quit smoking and 31.7% of current smokeless tobacco users were advised by healthcare provider to quit use of smokeless tobacco.
Prince Aly Khan Hospital’s Health Service Aga Khan survey of school-going children on cigarette smoking
- 27% children are addicted to cigarette smoking.
- 6.3% children consume hookah.
- 24% children are addicted to tobacco products.
- 9% children smoke cigarette currently.
- 16% children mix tobacco in supari and consume it.
- 71% boys and 20% of girls are addicted to smoking.
- 54% children of class 10 smoke.
- 94% were aware of the consequences. Yet still, continue to smoke
(Source: mymedicalmantra.com, December 2017)
Video to watch: TEDx Talk by Dr KK Aggarwal: Modern day doctor-patient relationship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri Awardee
Vice President CMAAO
President HCFI