Allied Healthcare (GAHC)

Do you have the nasty habit of staying glued to your desk for hours at a stretch, barely standing up as you burn through meeting upon meeting, answering emails, entering spreadsheets and putting pitch decks together for presentation? There's always something, something bigger to fry, that keeps you tied to your desk. On certain days, you may even have lunch there, rarely managing to get time to shift from it.

Dr Jeremy London, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon who shares advice on improving cardiovascular health and creating awareness regularly on Instagram, on 8th August, proposed 4 methods to healthify your desk job.

Will exercising later reduce the damage of sitting for long hours at desk?

Most of the time, most individuals have the notion that prolonged sitting can be compensated for with physical exercise later in the day, as long as one is physically active. Nevertheless, Dr Jeremy referenced a broad study in 2015 which showed that prolonged sitting even while exercising can lead to many diseases.

He said, "There was a seminal paper in the Annals of Medicine that showed that sitting for long periods, even if you do exercise, increases your risk for type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and an increase in all-cause mortality that we have now referred to as the sitting disease."

4 tips to render desk jobs healthy

When you are working towards your career goals and pinpoint, your work must not be on the cost of health conditions lowering your life expectancy, especially from sitting for long periods. Simple habits can help you put your health first when working. Four simple habits to add to your work schedule were indicated by Dr Jeremy London:

Stand up and take a few minutes of walking every hour

Take a break and get up every 30 to 60 minutes and walk for two or three minutes.

Do 10 air squats, this will decrease cortisol and increase circulation.

Cook your own lunch

Prepare your own lunch by meal prepping one or two times per week.

Decreases remaining on the nutritional plan and fighting the temptation of ultra-processed food.

Stay hydrated

Keep a water bottle with you and drink throughout the day, even if you are thirsty. Even slight dehydration will cause a decrease in concentration and an increase in fatigue.

Break time

Take a break for your brain, find breathing exercises that you're comfortable with, a mindfulness class or just go outside.

This will restart the nervous system.

Born and bred in Odisha's Sambalpur district, in the impoverished tribal interior where dreams usually get buried under poverty, 19-year-old Leeza Majhi has forged a trail few can even dream of. The apple of every villager's eye Leeza has not just cracked the extremely competitive NEET exam but also bagged a seat at Sundargarh Government Medical College and Hospital—a dream that now seems elusive, even fragile.

To Leeza, the free hostel at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), Bamra,, disciplined routine, and caring environment didn't merely provide an escape from distress—they provided direction. "At KGBV, I wasn't a mere student. I was someone whom people had faith in," she remembers. The school became her compass, transforming mute dreams into a steadfast quest for a white coat and stethoscope.

"Having a dream to be a doctor was still in my mind at that time," Leeza says. "But I was doubtful, then teachers believed in me even before I did."

She moved to OAV Iconic in Bhubaneswar with 82% marks in Class 10 from Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya (OAV) to pursue science studies. There too, she battled beyond textbooks. Home-distance, coping with competitive syllabus, and maintaining show on pocket money wasn't easy—but she managed. All the battles were worth it as she got 81.6% in Class 12 and cleared NEET just a few months later.

What is surprising about Leeza's success is not the result—but her determination in the face of institutional problems. One of the bureaucrats at KGBV summed up her success as a "collective victory." "Leeza's narrative shows that poorest of girls are able to dream big with good guidance. She is a role model for other girls awaiting her village and beyond."

Now on the verge of becoming the first-generation doctor in her family, Leeza longs to go home and care for her people. "Lots of folks where I come from still think old-fashioned medicine is good. I want to give them good health care," she whispers.

In an era when faces so easily get washed out of the headlines, Leeza's is a soft reminder: at times the greatest heroes can be discovered in the most overlooked of areas.

Medical education seats in India are expected to rise significantly this academic year, with the National Medical Commission (NMC) anticipating a combined increase of close to 8,000 undergraduate and postgraduate seats nationwide. As per NMC chairperson Dr Abhijat Sheth, the Assessment and Rating Board had already initiated inspections on institutions that have applied for increased capacity, and the process was still on track despite a recent corruption investigation.

NEET-UG counselling has already started, with the first phase completed and the second phase likely to start from August 25. There were fears of the total seats available this year reducing, following the discovery by the Central Bureau of Investigation of a purported group of officials of the Union Health Ministry, members of the NMC, intermediaries, and representatives of private institutions who engaged in illegal manipulation of the regulatory environment of medical colleges.

The NMC then put on hold all proposals for developing new courses and increasing seats until the time when the agency carried out its investigations. The FIR filed in July implicated 34 people, eight of whom were Union health ministry officials, a National Health Authority official and five doctors who worked on NMC inspection teams.

"Along with my appointment, the president of Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) also has been appointed. We have taken on board completion of inspection of UG medical seats on a priority basis and the assessments are underway," Dr Sheth stated. "We expect an addition of approximately around 8,000 seats (UG and PG seats combined) based on the applications we have received in this academic year," he added.

Currently, the nation has 1,18,098 undergraduate seats, with a half-and-half division between government (59,782) and private (58,316) colleges. 53,960 postgraduate seats are available, of which 30,029 are in public colleges and 23,931 in private colleges.

Even as Dr Sheth accepted that some UG seats might have been cut back in response to the CBI inquiry, he underlined that the general availability was poised to grow after inspections are completed. "Due to the continuing (CBI) inquiry, numbers of UG seats might have decreased. But overall, the number of seats is ultimately going to go up by 8,000 or even more after the final inspection process ends," he added.

The NMC has also started inspection of colleges that had applied for new postgraduate seats and is sure these will be included in the counselling round in September. "We are hopeful that new seats will also be included in the PG counselling process," said Dr Sheth.

Coming to the National Exit Test (NExT) for final year MBBS students, Dr Sheth stated the NMC supported the proposal in principle but stressed consensus-building prior to implementation. "NExT is a new idea no doubt but there are so many questions left unanswered. We must make sure that this model is compatible with the medical education that we are offering to our students," he said.

He further said that the ministry had been pursuing the issue for the past two years and that the concerns of students had to be addressed in a complete manner. "Students' fear has to be removed and their confidence level for this exam has to be developed. It has to be made aware that this exam is not going to be tough to them but it is going to be a fair test to them," he added.

Dr Sheth also spoke of concerns regarding the quality of medical graduates during the steep increase in medical colleges since 2014, emphasizing that quantity and quality have to go together. "As we increase the number of colleges, we will have to see to it that the quality of the education does not get diluted," he said.

The NMC, he added, was making its accreditation system robust to ensure faculty, infrastructure and clinical material standards. "In addition, we have undertaken a process of phydigital model where we are pushing our institution to embrace a new solution beyond physical education involving skill and virtual education to deal with competency based training and digital and e-learning solutions in order to achieve uniformity in medical training across the board," Dr Sheth explained.

He further stated that integration with private and public hospital networks was being sought for broadening access to clinical material. "We want to take this chance. to ensure that we are able to access improved clinical resources for the budding medical students," he continued, further stating that the NMC aimed at sticking to its plan of implementing the expected reforms.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has instructed all higher education institutions (HEIs) to discontinue the offering of programmes in healthcare and allied fields through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) or online mode from the July-August 2025 academic session. The directive is a follow-up to the suggestion made by the 24th Distance Education Bureau Working Group meeting that was convened on April 22 this year and passed during the UGC's 592nd meeting on July 23.

The prohibition is effective on courses under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021. These include Microbiology, Psychology, Food and Nutrition Science, Biotechnology, Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics.

As per the circular, institutions already having the approval to operate these programmes will have it withdrawn by UGC. Universities and colleges have also been directed to not take in students into these programmes from the academic session of 2025-26.

Where a programme has more than one specialisation, like a bachelor's in arts with majors in English, Hindi, History, Political Science, Philosophy, Sociology or Psychology, only the healthcare specialisation will be phased out. Other non-healthcare topics under the same degree will not be affected.

The decision comes amid concerns over quality standards in professional training. Former Professor and head of the Psychology Department of the University of Mumbai, Satishchandra, said, “The demand for psychology has gone up in recent years, leading to many private and public institutions offering it. But in several parts of the country, they have failed to maintain the quality of education. This decision will help check such practices.”

Welcoming the move, Vivek Belhekar, who heads the Psychology Department in the MU, said, "This is a step in the right direction and will benefit society as a whole. Clinical psychology needs intensive practical training. According to the guidelines of the Rehabilitation Council of India, we must have a 2:1 ratio between students and teachers. We cannot deliver such training in distance education mode.

But he also referred to the issue of there not being enough seats available nationwide. "Given the growing need for clinical psychology, the UGC or the top-most body needs to devise a plan which can enable public universities to increase opportunities, perhaps through a systematic online model," he said.

Demanding the re-establishment of federal balance in healthcare administration, DMK MLA and state planning commission member Dr. Ezhilan Naganathan has suggested that medical education be re-reserved in the State List of the Constitution. In a comprehensive report presented to the high-level committee on Centre-State relations, Ezhilan contended that the 1976 transition of medical education to the Concurrent List has substantially eroded state autonomy in health policy and administration.

Unveiling the report on Saturday in front of committee members — retired IAS officer K Ashok Vardhan Shetty and former vice-chairman of the planning commission M Naganathan — Ezhilan pointed to increasing "overt centralisation" in healthcare, particularly following the enactment of the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act.

The report emphatically suggested the revocation of the NMC Act and the reinstatement of the Medical Council of India (MCI) as a statutory institution with more state representation. "The NMC undermines the constitutional role of states in regulating medical education, making healthcare governance less participatory and more bureaucratic," Ezhilan said.

He also reaffirmed the DMK's long opposition to NEET as a centralised hurdle which unfairly penalises students of regional boards and those with weaker economic backgrounds.

The report also faulted the increasing trend of Union-funded health programmes overstepping into core state domain. "National health programmes should be co-designed with robust state consultation to make sure equitable distribution of resources and proper implementation," it said.

The suggestions seek to reinstitute a healthier federalism in health administration — one that honors India's states' diversity while maintaining the right to accessible, locally controlled medical education.

A touching photo of medical dedication has spread on the web after the story of Dr. Oğuz Basut performing surgery with an IV line in his foot was posted and shared on the web. 

Dr. Oğuz Basut, the skilled surgeon, was busy with a complex operation to excise a tumor from a young woman's salivary glands. The operation was risky, the tumor having brushed against an extremely important facial nerve, which is why precision and unbroken focus were absolutely necessary.

Halfway through the surgery, Dr. Basut fell sick, suffering from low blood pressure, a lingering effect of food poisoning that had afflicted him the previous day. Observing the critical juncture of the surgery and unwilling to compromise the safety of his patient, Dr. Basut took an unheard-of and unexpected step: he asked colleagues to put in an IV line in his right foot so that he could continue operating while seated, stable, without having to exit the operating theatre.

In a matter of minutes, the IV had stabilized his blood pressure, and he was able to get through the intricate surgery unscathed. Through the whole ordeal, his focus was only on the patient.

When the news of what happened went public, a picture of Dr. Basut continuing with the operation unflustered (IV in his foot, sitting down for added support) began going around in full force on social media sites. The picture moved people, and it became one symbol of outstanding dedication and professionalism in the face of adversity.

Ahmet Saim Kılavuz, the head of Bursa Uludağ University (to which Dr. Basut is affiliated), recognized the excellent work of the surgeon publicly. He posted the photo and thanked Dr. Basut for his courage and dedication, placing the position of medical professionals who go above and beyond expectations, even in their own health complications.

Despite the flood of accolades, Dr. Basut modestly replied that he didn't put himself in the roster of heroes. "I'm sure all professionals would have done the same," he said, emphasizing the medical profession's code of responsibility and empathy.

The Dr. Oguz Basut story is an epitome of the relentless perseverance of doctors and the tough decisions they have to make. For all those searching up on "Dr. Oguz Basut surgery viral photo,” "doctor works through illness," or "surgical dedication stories," this story is a touching reflection of commitment to patient care that has touched hearts around the world.

Dr. Basut's action shows the level to which the ethical standards and sense of responsibility of surgeons are. The photo is real and has been authenticated by various credible news organizations as well as the president of Bursa Uludağ University itself. Dr. Basut's selfless act has revived respect for hospital staff around the world, reminding us of the tough, frequently unnoticed sacrifices behind hospital walls. 

Dr. Oğuz Basut's story of commitment is not a heroic tale but an everyday heroism occurrence in the health care system. Because being a doctor means playing the role of a god in the operation theater which is the toughest part. While the internet continues to spread and popularize the moment going viral, it is the enduring documentation of how passion and responsibility can in fact alter people's lives, even in the worst of situations.