An estimated 100 million people

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are paying special attention to the north-eastern States and all developmental projects will be taken up expeditiously, said Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss. He was addressing the staff of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) which had been taken over by the Central government. Mr. Ramadoss was accompanied by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Panabaka Lakshmi on his two-day visit to Manipur that ended on Wednesday.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) is at the eye of storm for its alleged move to endorse PepsiCo's Tropicana juice and Quaker oats. The IMA, an 80-year-old national organisation of doctors of modern scientific system of medicine, has risked the wrath of union health minister Anbhumani Ramadoss. The IMA, however, has paid scant attention to Ramadoss' criticism and sees no harm in promoting oatmeal, which is a cholesterol reducing food. The 1,76,000 strong body of doctors, has denied reports of receiving a payment of Rs 50 lakh for the endorsement.

The Union health ministry has taken strong objection to Indian Medical Association's move to endorse PepsiCo's Tropicana pure juices and Quaker Oats. Speaking to TOI, Union health minister A Ramadoss said IMA should focus more on irrational use of drugs and blood products rather than endorse Dettol and juices.

Objections raised by the health ministry over proposals made in the National Pharmaceutical Policy 2006 resulted in the meeting of Group of Ministers (GoM), formed to deliberate the draft, ended on an inconclusive note on Wednesday.

The government has decided to defer implementation of the new food labeling rules by another three months. The ministry of health had issued a draft notification regarding food labeling which was to be implemented by May 20, but has now deferred the implementation of food labeling notification by another three months.

Rule Out Fault In Cold Chain System All four children who died after being administered the measles vaccine in Tamil Nadu on April 23 suffered severe brain haemorrhage resulting from an anaphylactic shock, an inquiry has found.

For an outpost town with little hope, it's nothing short of a miracle. Just some 20 km away from the Nepal border, Narkatiaganj village is one of Bihar's dens of extortion and kidnapping. But a bit more reassuring picture emerges when you visit its primary health centre (PHC), buzzing with activity as seven doctors attend to nearly 300 patients a day.

The Union Health Ministry will procure vaccines from private manufacturers at less than half the market price for a two-year period. The procurement will be at no extra cost to the government, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told The Hindu. Written agreements were drawn up with private manufacturers to provide vaccines at a subsidised cost. For instance, a vial which costs Rs. 42 in the market would be sold to the government at Rs.16-17.

Four children, all below 10 months of age, died after being administered measles vaccine at Pennaloorpettai and Venkatapuram villages in Tiruvallur district near Chennai on Wednesday. Another 15 children have been hospitalised after developing anaphylaxis reaction after being administered the vaccine, sources in the Public Health Department said.