Healthcare

EPW analyses a ground-level survey of the PMJAY in Jharkhand that reveals that the scheme has been “rolled out prematurely” and it was left to the whims of the hospitals to determine which of the beneficiaries receive free treatment. It brought out that the ambiguity in the scheme was being used by the hospitals to nudge the patients towards private hospitals who were charging exorbitant costs.

Imphal Free Press reported on the acute shortage of medical professionals and healthcare centres across the state, and the limited number of MBBS seats in Manipur's medical college. This reportage led to the Manipur High Court directing the state government to increase the number of seats for MBBS courses in the medical colleges from the academic year 2021-22.

A 24-year-old student took his life after failing to appear for the main examination of the Maharashtra State Service Commission. Kartavya Sadhana published a detailed three-part series focusing on the mental pressures experienced by MPSC & UPSC aspirants. This began a public discourse on the toll such competitive exams take on the mental health of aspirants.

Down to Earth's investigation into the adulteration of honey with sugar syrup, supported by laboratory testing and extensive field reporting on the state of bee-keeping in India – found that most of top honey processors were diluting the nectar with sugar. The investigation was extensivley cited in mainstream media.

During the Pandemic, Live History India covered an important story of how India managed to eradicate Smallpox through a united effort of the central and the state governments. This was at a time when there was a sharp national debate on the role of the Central government on procuring vaccines. The story was instrumental in intervening in, and nudging, a critical debate at the time and received significant response from the readers.

The report by The Bastion from Yamuna Khadar, an informal settlement in the northeast of Delhi, exemplified the barriers in access to Covid vaccination in India by the marginalised sections of society. The findings of this report are being used in a petition in the High Court against the CoWin app.