Amit Srivastava

Lloyds Kali Ammal Memorial Hospital in Hedri, Gadchiroli, has recorded its 500th birth since being established in 2023. The hospital provides free maternal and neonatal healthcare to remote and economically disadvantaged communities and has treated high-risk pregnancies, premature births and complicated multiple pregnancies.

Mumbai recorded a 612% rise in H1N1 cases and a 20.1% increase in malaria between June and August, BMC data up to August 31 shows. H1N1 cases rose to 441 from 62, while malaria cases reached 4,485. Dengue, chikungunya, leptospirosis, gastroenteritis and COVID-19 cases declined.

The Mumbai FDA has suspended the licences of Eat Club Brands in Goregaon and Rani Creators in Kurla after inspections found serious food safety and hygiene deficiencies. Licence suspension has also been proposed for Goodluck Bakery in Chembur and Ashfaq Bakery over issues involving storage, pest control, employee hygiene and temperature control.

Ophthalmologists have urged India to make eye-donation consent mandatory during driving-licence applications and renewals. India needs around 2.5 lakh corneas annually but receives only about 50,000 eye donations. Doctors say recorded consent could help eye banks retrieve corneas faster and reduce six-to-nine-month waits for transplant patients.

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has introduced a year-long Standard Operating Procedure for food distribution during festivals, including mahaprasad, iftar meals, annachhatra, langar and bhandara. Organisers must inform the FDA seven days before events and use licensed caterers. The SOP includes inspections, sampling and action against food safety violations.

Ahead of Dahi Handi celebrations in Mumbai, the BMC and state-run hospitals have activated emergency preparedness plans. More than 150 beds have been reserved across major and suburban hospitals, with trauma, orthopaedic and emergency teams placed on standby. Hospitals have stocked medicines and medical supplies amid concerns over fractures and injuries during Govinda pyramid formations.

Maharashtra has recorded more than 20,000 organ transplant surgeries, with Health Minister Prakash Abitkar urging citizens to pledge organ donation and dispel myths around the process. Since 1995, the state has witnessed 17,325 living-donor transplants and 3,373 deceased-donor transplants. However, thousands of patients continue to remain on waiting lists for life-saving organs.

A popular Re 1 Ayurvedic digestive tablet has been declared Not of Standard Quality after a Maharashtra FDA quality check, with the product also listed in CDSCO's July surveillance report. The tested batch had 120 tablets, of which 13 were broken with powder inside the container. Authorities said NSQ status applies to the tested sample and does not confirm all units are defective.

The Integrated Doctors Association will hold a peaceful Hanuman Chalisa recitation outside the Maharashtra Medical Council office in Mumbai on September 8 over alleged delays in BHMS-CCMP doctor registrations. IDA said 11 registrations have been issued so far but claimed the process has slowed. Police issued preventive notices to two office-bearers over assembly restrictions.

A seven-year-old boy died after a brick column collapsed during Dahi Handi preparations in Malvani. More than 200 Govindas were injured across Mumbai while forming human pyramids, with several treated at BMC and private hospitals. KEM reported 29 injured, including 14 still under treatment.