The Union Health Ministry implemented a ban on 156 "irrational" FDC medicines, effective immediately. These medicines, including widely used antibiotics, painkillers, and multivitamins, were commonly used to treat fever, cough, and infections. The ban was imposed due to the associated health risks and lack of therapeutic justification for the ingredients in these FDCs.

What are FDC medicines?

FDCs or fixed-dosed combinations, also known as "cocktail drugs," are medications that combine multiple drugs in a single pill. They are designed to treat multiple symptoms or conditions simultaneously. While they offer convenience, they can pose significant risks. These risks include the possibility of overdose, adverse interactions between the drugs, and the development of antibiotic resistance. Additionally, many FDC medicines lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and efficacy.

Expert opinions on FDC medicines

Experts have raised concerns about the use of FDC medicines. They believe that many of these combinations lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and effectiveness. Additionally, the combination of multiple drugs in a single pill can increase the risk of adverse side effects and interactions with other medications.

Experts have also found that FDC medicines may not be as effective as individual drugs in treating certain conditions. It is important to note that safer and more effective alternatives are available for most of the medical conditions that FDC medicines were used to treat. One particular concern is the inclusion of antibiotics in some FDCs. Overuse of antibiotics can contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance, a major public health threat.

The risks of FDC medicines

The use of FDC medicines can lead to adverse effects, including serious ones. Additionally, safer alternatives, tested in clinical trials, are available to treat the same medical conditions. Experts recommend prescribing drugs individually based on a patient's clinical symptoms rather than combining them in FDCs.

The ban on irrational FDC medicines by the Union Health Ministry can be seen as a positive step towards promoting rational drug use and protecting public health. The goal is to eliminate unnecessary and potentially harmful drug combinations. This is a step forward in reducing the risks associated with medication and ensure safer and more effective treatment options for patients.

A suspected plague case in Russia has triggered quarantine measures after a 28-year-old woman working at an anti-plague research facility died of severe pneumonia.

The incident occurred in the Irkutsk region of Siberia, where the woman, identified in reports as Daria Shipilova, worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute. Reports said she may have accidentally broken a test tube containing the bacterium that causes pneumonic plague while collecting samples on September 25. However, Russian health authorities have not confirmed that she contracted plague.

Nearly 200 people who may have had contact with her have been placed under observation, while quarantine measures have been introduced at healthcare facilities in the area.

The development has also caught the attention of the US government. A Trump administration official told Axios that the White House “is aware, monitoring the outbreak, and assessing options.”

What Happened At The Siberian Lab?

Also read: COVID-19 Disrupted Stroke Treatment, Care & Worsened Outcomes: Global Review Of 107 Studies

Shipilova reportedly became very ill after the laboratory incident and developed severe pneumonia. She was hospitalised and later died despite being placed on ventilator support.

Reports about the suspected exposure have come from Russian media and other outlets, but the exact cause of her death remains officially unresolved. So it cannot be concluded if she died due to the plague.

The head of the neighbouring republic of Buryatia, Alexei Tsydenov, said earlier that the 28-year-old woman died “possibly from the plague.” He also noted that “there are no plague outbreaks” in Buryatia.

On Friday, the governor of Irkutsk, Igor Kobzev, urged citizens to remain calm, saying that an extraordinary meeting of the regional anti-epidemic commission was held with Russia’s chief state doctor. The meeting was in connection with a “suspected case of a particularly dangerous infection affecting a resident of the region,” Kobzev said on Telegram, according to KCRA.

Russia's federal health authorities have described the illness as pneumonia of unknown cause, rather than confirming plague. An official, however, has already referred to the case as plague. That is alarming even though, at present, there is no confirmed evidence of widespread plague transmission.

“The sanitary and epidemiological situation in the Irkutsk region, the cities of Irkutsk and Shelekhov is stable,” Rospotrebnadzor, the national public health and consumer protection agency of the Russian Federation, said.

What Is Pneumonic Plague?

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Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It has historically caused devastating outbreaks. The deadly infection still occurs in parts of the world.

There are various forms of plague. Pneumonic plague affects the lungs and is the form that can spread directly from person to person through respiratory droplets.

It can cause fever, weakness, headache and rapidly developing pneumonia. Without prompt treatment, it can become life-threatening.

The good news is that plague is treatable with antibiotics, especially when treatment begins quickly.

Nearly 200 People Being Monitored After Lab Worker's Death

The medical observation measures are a precaution following the suspected exposure and death of the lab worker.

Monitoring people who may have had close contact with a suspected pneumonic plague patient allows health authorities to identify symptoms quickly and provide treatment if necessary.

Till now, the reports do not establish that these contacts have developed plague. The absence of secondary cases is enough to not describe the situation as a confirmed large-scale outbreak. Currently, there is also no evidence of international transmission from this incident as well.

The COVID-19 pandemic did more than overwhelm global healthcare systems. It also disrupted timely care for people experiencing strokes.

Published in European Medical Journal, a global review of 107 studies has found that patients delayed hospital visits, stroke-related hospital admissions fell and treatment became harder to access during the pandemic.

The review, which examined research published between December 2019 and September 2024, looked at how the pandemic affected stroke care from the moment symptoms began through hospital treatment and recovery. Researchers initially screened 1,405 studies before including 107 in their analysis.

Stroke Patients Delayed Going To Hospital

One of the alarming patterns among stroke victims was a delay in seeking medical help. People experiencing stroke symptoms were reluctant to go to hospitals because they feared catching COVID-19 or believed healthcare facilities were already overwhelmed.

The delay was particularly noticeable among people with milder stroke symptoms; some of whom reached hospitals after critical treatment windows had passed.

The findings are a cause of concern as stroke treatment is extremely time-sensitive. Delays can prevent patients from seeking timely treatments to restore blood flow to the brain.

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Stroke Admissions Declined

Several studies included in the review reported a decline in stroke admissions during the pandemic. One study found a 31% decrease in monthly admissions for ischaemic stroke, while another reported a 44% reduction.

The drop did not mean fewer people were having strokes. Instead, researchers found evidence that some patients may simply have avoided or delayed seeking emergency care.

When patients did reach hospitals, several studies found they were more likely to have more severe strokes than patients treated before the pandemic.

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Stroke Treatment Was Delayed Inside Hospitals

The disruption was not limited to patients' decisions about when to seek help. Hospitals had to reorganise resources and reassign staff towards COVID-19 response. These changes affected stroke services and contributed to delays in treatment.

The review also identified increases in both symptom-to-door time, the period between stroke symptoms beginning and reaching hospital, and door-to-treatment time, the period between arriving at hospital and receiving treatment to restore blood flow. Ambulance services also faced additional pressure during the pandemic.

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Delays Affected Stroke Recovery

The review found evidence that the disruption was associated with poorer outcomes for some stroke patients. One study reported significantly greater disability at discharge during the pandemic, with a median modified Rankin Scale score of 4 compared with 2 before the pandemic. The difference remained at three months after the stroke.

Another analysis reported higher mortality at discharge among patients treated during the pandemic, at 7.7% compared with 2.5% in a pre-pandemic group.

Role Of Telemedicine In Stroke Care During Pandemic

Telemedicine refers to seeking healthcare remotely using technology, without the doctor and patient needing to be in the same physical location.

Telemedicine helped maintain some continuity of stroke care during the pandemic, but access was not even everywhere.

The review found that younger patients were more likely to use remote healthcare services, while older adults didn't.

This raises concerns about whether telemedicine can adequately support people who may have greater healthcare needs but face barriers to digital access.

The researchers added that said future preparedness should focus on keeping stroke services accessible, ensuring equitable access to telemedicine and educating patients about the need to seek emergency care promptly.

A few extra minutes during an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy may help doctors detect more gastric cancers and precancerous alternations, according to research recently discussed at the World Congress of Gastroenterology (WCOG) 2026 in New Delhi.

At WCOG, it was discussed that the quality and duration of an endoscopic examination can influence the chances of finding early cancer. An inspection time of an additional at least seven minutes was linked with about 3.4 times higher detection of gastric cancer and dysplasia.

The finding comes as gastrointestinal cancers continue to increase, contributing to a growing global health burden. GI cancers currently account for around one in four cancer cases and one in three cancer deaths worldwide. The overall burden of the disease is projected to nearly double by 2050.

Dr. Pramod Garg, Professor & Head, Department of Gastroenterology and Human Nutrition, AIIMS, New Delhi; President, Indian Society of Gastroenterology and Co-Chair, Steering Committee, WCOG 2026, said, “Earlier detection depends on both identifying people at risk and ensuring that diagnostic procedures are performed to the highest possible standard. High-quality endoscopy can create an important opportunity to identify disease at a stage when intervention can make a greater difference.”

Could Endoscopy Time Affect Cancer Detection?

Also read: WCOG 2026: How Infections, Metabolic Disease Are Changing Digestive Health

An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy allows doctors to examine the lining of the oesophagus, stomach, and upper part of the small intestine using a flexible camera device.

Simply inserting the scope and looking quickly may not be enough to identify subtle abnormalities. A more systematic examination allows the endoscopist more time to examine the stomach lining, identify suspicious areas, improve mucosal visualisation and document findings accordingly.

The WCOG discussion therefore puts focus on not just whether endoscopy is performed, but also on how long and how well it is performed.

The reported 3.4 times association highlights the value of a careful, detailed examination that could help detect changes related to cancer early, prompting timely treatment.

Also read: Fatty Liver, Chronic Gut Diseases And Worm Infections: India’s Changing Disease Burden

India's GI Cancer Burden

The changes in India's gastrointestinal cancer burden were also discussed, including growing concern around early-onset colorectal cancer. Researchers are examining whether genetics, environmental exposures and changes in the gut microbiome could be contributing to colorectal cancer appearing at younger ages.

WCOG 2026 also included concerns related gallbladder cancer, liver cancer and the rising role of metabolic risk factors. Discussions also focused on the use of AI in gastrointestinal diagnosis and the importance of validating these tools before introducing them in standard practice.

Dr. Govind Makharia, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology and Human Nutrition, AIIMS, New Delhi and Chairman, Local Organising Committee, WCOG 2026, said, “AI has the potential to strengthen diagnosis and decision-making across gastroenterology, while advanced endoscopy is expanding what can be treated through minimally invasive approaches. The next step is ensuring that these technologies are supported by robust evidence and integrated responsibly into clinical practice.”

H. pylori was also addressed as a preventable risk factor for gastric cancer.

Dr Barry Marshall, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, said, “H. pylori is much more than an ulcer organism. If the infection persists for many years, it can cause chronic inflammation in the stomach and increase the risk of gastric cancer. That gives us an opportunity because this is a potentially preventable cause of cancer.”

Advances in minimally invasive procedures like POEM, endoscopic submucosal dissection and therapeutic EUS were also discussed, although access to advanced GI care remains uneven.