docTLDR

The Supreme Court will soon hear a plea demanding full disclosure of NEET PG 2025 exam questions and answer keys, as the Medical Counselling Committee prepares to start counselling on or after September 5, 2025. Petitioners argue that the current plan to release only question IDs with answer keys undermines transparency and prevents candidates from verifying results. The outcome could impact future exam protocols and candidate rights.

Dr Kantheswar Bordoloi, a senior gynaecologist at Morigaon Civil Hospital, Assam, performed 21 emergency C-section operations within 10 hours, prompting authorities to issue a notice demanding detailed reports on case preparation, sterilisation protocols, and documentation. Concerns were raised over infection control and patient safety due to inadequate pre- and postoperative notes. Dr Bordoloi defended his actions, stating most mothers and newborns were discharged in stable condition.

The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission has mandated that hospitals must release the bodies of deceased patients within five hours, regardless of pending bill payments or insurance claim approvals. Non-compliance will attract penal measures. Hospitals may document reasons for delays and inform the commission, but administrators are concerned about recovering dues and propose mechanisms such as undertakings from families or exigency cells for bill settlements in death cases.

The Supreme Court on September 5, 2025, acquitted Dr. Rakesh Dutt Sharma, overturning his life sentence for shooting an armed assailant in his clinic. The Court held that the right of private defence cannot be judged with mathematical precision, especially when facing imminent danger, and emphasized that self-preservation is a basic instinct. This landmark ruling clarifies that doctors and others under deadly attack are entitled to robust self-defence under Indian law.

JIPMER Puducherry may soon offer India’s first integrated MBBS-BAMS programme, aiming to train doctors in both modern medicine and Ayurveda. However, RTI documents reveal that key regulatory bodies—the National Medical Commission and National Commission for Indian System of Medicine—were not consulted, raising legal and academic legitimacy concerns. The Indian Medical Association has condemned the move, warning of risks to patient safety and professional boundaries.

The Telangana government has inaugurated 34 day care cancer centres at government medical colleges across all districts, aiming to decentralize cancer care. These centres will provide chemotherapy, palliative care, and cancer screening, reducing the need for patients to travel to Hyderabad for every treatment cycle. Staff have been specially trained, and senior oncologists will oversee operations. Only select patients will be referred initially to monitor performance.

Testosterone therapy is increasingly prescribed, but clinicians must assess for underlying causes of hypogonadism, screen for contraindications like prostate cancer, and monitor for adverse effects. Guidelines recommend confirming low testosterone levels on two separate mornings and evaluating cardiovascular risk. Patient counseling on realistic benefits and risks is essential before initiating therapy.

A new study highlights that even the lowest levels of air pollution can damage respiratory health, challenging the notion of a 'safe' threshold. Researchers found that exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) triggers inflammation and impairs lung function, increasing the risk of asthma, COPD, and lung infections. The findings underscore the urgent need for stricter air quality standards and public health interventions, as any exposure—regardless of how minimal—poses measurable risks.

India’s Tele-MANAS helpline, launched by the Union Health Ministry, now connects patients nationwide to trained mental health professionals 24/7. With over 900 crisis calls in Chandigarh alone last year, the initiative is scaling up suicide prevention, rapid intervention, and referral pathways—especially for students and high-risk groups. Doctors can refer distressed patients to this service for immediate support.

A large cohort study reveals that women with complications in their first pregnancy—such as preterm delivery, low birthweight, perinatal mortality, or gestational diabetes—face a significantly higher risk of developing preeclampsia for the first time in their second pregnancy. The findings highlight the importance of using first pregnancy outcomes to identify women at risk and guide preventive care in subsequent pregnancies.

A meta-analysis comparing dapagliflozin and empagliflozin in type 2 diabetes found both SGLT2 inhibitors offer similar protection against major adverse cardiovascular events, cardiovascular mortality, heart failure hospitalization, and myocardial infarction. However, dapagliflozin demonstrated a lower risk of atrial fibrillation, which may guide therapy choices for patients with or at risk for AF. These findings support flexibility in prescribing either drug for T2DM patients.

India’s drug regulator is considering mandatory braille cards and voice-assisted QR codes on medicine strips to aid visually impaired patients. The move, now open for public comment, could soon require manufacturers to add braille and audio features on packaging, improving medication safety and autonomy for millions.

Eculizumab, now available in India, is the first anti-complement therapy approved for treating paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). Doctors managing rare hematological or renal disorders can now offer targeted therapy, improving prognosis and reducing complications for these ultra-rare, life-threatening diseases.

India’s drug regulator, CDSCO, has achieved 97% digitization of regulatory processes, promising faster approvals, improved transparency, and global alignment. For doctors, this means quicker access to new therapies, streamlined clinical trial clearances, and more reliable regulatory oversight—potentially accelerating patient access to innovative treatments.

India’s decade-long drug traceability program has been officially withdrawn, raising concerns about the continued risk of counterfeit medicines in the supply chain. Doctors should be vigilant about sourcing and reporting suspected counterfeit drugs, as regulatory oversight on tracking pharmaceutical products has been significantly reduced.