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FM asks IRDAI to act against insurers for denying cashless claims

‘Reports are being received of some hospitals denying cashless insurance. Spoken to Chairman, IRDAI Shri SC Khuntia to act immediately. In March’20 #Covid included as a part of comprehensive health insurance. Cashless available at networked or even temporary hospitals,’ the minister said in a series of tweets.

The Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI), she added, has asked insurance companies to prioritise settlement of COVID claims.

`Insurer can’t invest more than 10% of their outstanding debt in a single InvIT/REITs issue’

-The cumulative Investments in Units and Debt Instruments of InvITs and REITs shall not exceed 3% of total fund size of the Insurer at any point of time.

– No investment can  be made in Debt instruments of an InvIT/REIT where the sponsor is under the promoter group of the insurer.
Investment in Debt Instruments of InvIT will form part “Infrastructure Investments”.

SC wants “national plan” on Covid-19 situation, including on oxygen supply; Del HC says “country being run by God”

While the top court ‘suo motu’ (on its own) took note of the “grim” situation in the country and the havoc caused due to shortage of oxygen cylinders in hospitals, the Delhi High Court observed, “We all know that this country is being run by God,” a day after it came down heavily on the Centre over the Covid-19 management.

Notified new policy on rare diseases, approved budget of Rs 25 crore for treatment: Centre to HC

Regarding funding of the treatment to be provided to the children suffering from rare diseases, the ministry said that funds allocated for the purpose in the financial year 2020-21 were unutilised and lapsed.

However, Rs 4.10 crore under the rare disease component of the umbrella scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) for 2020-21 has been remitted to AIIMS, the ministry said and added that the budget estimate for 2021-22 for treating rare diseases was Rs 25 crore and this amount can be enhanced based on its utilisation.

Covid vaccine-makers largely protected on side effects

While some governments will pay compensation due to sufferers, others assume it is the responsibility of the companies even after drug agencies back the vaccines.
In the US, the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act authorises the health secretary “to limit legal liability for losses relating to the administration of medical countermeasures such as diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines”.

Israel logs Indian Covid-19 variant, sees some vaccine efficacy against it

An initial seven cases of the Indian variant were detected in Israel last week among people arriving from abroad and who have since undergone preliminary testing, the Health Ministry said.

“The impression is that the Pfizer vaccine has efficacy against it, albeit a reduced efficacy,” the ministry’s director-general, Hezi Levy, told Kan public radio, saying the number of cases of the variant in Israel now stood at eight.

Covishield comprises over 90 pc of 12.76 cr COVID vaccines administered so far

The current production capacity of indigenously developed Covaxin vaccine will be doubled by May-June 2021 and then increased nearly 6-7 fold by July-August 2021 i.e increasing the production from 10 million vaccine doses in April, 2021 to 60-70 million vaccine dose per month in July-August,” said the ministry of science and technology in a statement on Monday.

China’s births may fall below 10 million annually in next five years – expert quoted

Although China abolished its decades-long one-child policy in 2016, couples have been discouraged from having larger families by the rising costs of healthcare, education, and housing. Economic uncertainties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have further weighed on decisions to have children. Separate data from the Ministry of Public Security shows the number of births last year plunged 15% to 10.035 million births from 11.79 million in 2019.

Twitter becomes platform of hope amid the despair of India’s COVID crisis

In response, people are bypassing the conventional lines of communication and turning to Twitter to crowdsource help for oxygen cylinders, hospital beds, and other requirements. People in need and those with information or resources share telephone numbers of volunteers, vendors who have oxygen cylinders or drugs, and details of which medical facility can take patients using hashtags like #COVIDSOS.