March 2019 digital v1

India and Norway extend
cooperation on child health
The governments of
India and Norway have
extended cooperation within
the health sector for a period
of three years starting from
2018 to 2020.
A memorandum of
understanding (MoU) between
the Norwegian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Government of
Norway and Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare, India has
been signed to this effect,
recently.
The extension of the
Norway India Partnership
Initiative (NIPI) will include
areas related to maternal,
newborn, child health etc. The
cooperation will continue to
focus on innovative, catalytic
and strategic support.
The best practices in
maternal and new-born child
health carried out under the
National Health Mission and
NIPI shall be shared for global
dissemination and learning.
In the recent World Health
Assembly, Family Participatory
Care, an initiative of NIPI was
showcased as an India case
study.
Norway and India had
agreed in 2006 to collaborate
towards achieving Millennium
Development Goals 4 (MDG 4)
to reduce child mortality.
cancer and respiratory
medicine.
SC frees Saridon
from list of
banned FDCs
The Supreme Court of India
has exempted Saridon
from the list of banned fixeddose
combinations (FDCs) in
the country.
FDCs contain more than
two active ingredients in a
fixed proportion.
Saridon, which
is a combination of
propyphenazone, paracetamol
and caffeine, is a popular
analgesic brand promoted by
Piramal Enterprises Limited
(PEL), Mumbai
PEL had challenged the
ban of Saridon in the SC
listing it under the irrational
combination of drugs. In
September 2018, SC allowed
the company to continue
manufacturing, distribution
and sale of the FDC through
an interim order staying the
ban.
Now with the lifting of the
ban, Saridon will be available
across the country.
Last year, India’s health
ministry slapped a ban on
over 300 FDCs as an
expert committee set up of
for the purpose concluded
that there was no therapeutic
justification for such
combinations.
Saridon is one of the
leading brands in India›s
analgesics market, which
is estimated to be worth
around Rs 2,050 crores as of
December 2018.
Haryana revises
NPA to stop
private practice
The government of
Haryana has decided to
increase the non-practicing
allowance (NPA) for medical
officers to 20% of the basic
pay, in accordance with the
recommendations of the 7th
Pay Commission. The revised
NPA will be implemented with
retrospective effect from May
1, 2018.
The decision is expected
to benefit 272 medical
PRIVATE
PRACTICE
officers, assistant medical
officer, senior medical officer,
dental surgeon and director of
ESI healthcare department.
Medical officers who will
be eligible for NPA include
government employees
posted against a clinical post,
reports said.
NPA is aimed at
prohibiting the private
practice of government
medical officers in public
interest and the allowance
would be admissible only in
such cases and circumstances.
The total pay combined with
NPA should not exceed Rs
2,24,550 per month.
The government medical
March 2019 / FUTURE MEDICINE / 9