India on brink of health crisis, surge in diabetes, heart disease and cancer: Doctors sound alarm
New Delhi (PTI): India is on the cusp of a health crisis, with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer reaching epidemic proportions, a group of Padma awardee doctors has said.
At a session hosted recently by Pacific OneHealth, the doctors warned that without immediate action, India will be overwhelmed by this NCD epidemic.
Padma Shri Dr DS Rana, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, underlined the need for universal access and ethical regulation.
"Our ultimate goal should be universal healthcare. While India has progressed, disparities persist. We need strong ethical practices and regulatory courage, particularly in drug pricing and hospital costs, to make healthcare equitable," Dr Rana said.
On the rising burden of heart disease, Padma Shri Dr Praveen Chandra, Chairman, Interventional and Structural Heart Cardiology, Medanta, said the heart is the common pathway for multiple diseases.
"Emergency angioplasty within the golden hour can save countless lives, and advanced cardiac interventions are now accessible even to patients in their 80s and 90s," he said, even as emphasised the importance of preventive health.
Endocrinologist and diabetologist Dr Anoop Misra, a Padma Shri awardee, raised his concerns over diabetes.
"One in three Delhi residents is diabetic, with another 30 per cent pre-diabetic. This is nothing to be proud of -- prevention and early control are critical. Drugs like Ozempic may show promise, but lifestyle and awareness remain the strongest tools we have," said the Chairman, Fortis C-DOC Hospital for Diabetes and Allied Sciences, and a former Professor (Medicine) at Delhi AIIMS.
Padma Shri Dr Mohsin Wali, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, stressed the importance of trust-based care, and cited his own hospital's non-profit model that, he said, embodies the motto 'Healthcare As It Should Be.'
"By adopting such models, we can effectively address the growing burden of NCDs and make significant strides towards a healthier India," Dr Wali said.
Dr Swadeep Srivastava, President and Co-Founder, Pacific OneHealth, observed that healthcare must evolve from a privilege to a promise, rooted in ethics, powered by innovation, and centred on the patient.
"At Pacific OneHealth, we believe the future lies in bridging preventive, primary, and tertiary care seamlessly, while ensuring no one is left behind," Srivastava said.
The experts said that though India has achieved significant progress in medical technology and treatment, the unchecked rise of lifestyle diseases and lack of preventive screening are pushing it towards a health emergency.
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41 lakh illicit liquor seized, 1.84 lakh arrested in major drive: K'taka Minister tells Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.
As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.
The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.
"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.
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He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.
According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.
The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.
Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.
Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.
At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.
The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.
