Author: Vividh Bharathi

123 regular Ayush, 221 e-Ayush visas issued to foreigners in one year: Centre

New Delhi, Dec 10 (IANS) About 123 regular Ayush visas and 221 e-Ayush visas have been issued to foreigners seeking treatment in India, between July 2023 and December 2024, said the Union government on Tuesday.

During the same period, 17 e-Ayush attendant visas have also been issued, said Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

On July 27, 2023, the Government introduced a separate category of Ayush Visa for foreigners visiting India for availing treatment under the Ayush system of medicine.

Ayush Visa is available under four sub-categories namely: Ayush visa; Ayush attendant visa; e-Ayush visa and e-Ayush attendant visa.

An Ayush Visa is granted to a foreigner whose sole purpose is to seek treatment through Ayush systems.

“A total of 123 regular Ayush Visa, 221 e-Ayush Visa and 17 e-Ayush Attendant Visa have been issued till December 4,” MoS Jadhav said.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare also has launched an official portal for Medical Value Travel (MVT), which is the Advantage Healthcare India portal.

The “one-stop” portal aims to facilitate information for those who want to avail medical treatment in India from abroad.

The Government aimed to sensitise the stakeholders like Ayush facility providers and others involved in MVT.

As part of it, the government organised the Ayush Medical Value Travel Summit 2024 in September in Mumbai to boost India’s position in Medical Value Travel (MVT) by integrating traditional Indian systems of medicine with modern healthcare systems.

The theme was ‘Global Synergy in Ayush: Transforming Health and Wellness through Medical Value Travel’.

Meanwhile, MoS Jadhav also informed that the government has adopted a strategy of co-location of Ayush facilities at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), and District Hospitals (DHs).

It will enable “the choice to the patients for different systems of medicines under a single window”, the MoS said.

–IANS

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Siddharth on landslide success of Allu Arjun-starrer ‘Pushpa: The Rule’: No big deal

Mumbai, Dec 10 (IANS) Actor Siddharth, who is known for his work in ‘Rang De Basanti’, ‘Jigarthanda’ and others, does not approve of the recently released Allu Arjun-starrer ‘Pushpa: The Rule’.

A clip from Siddharth’s recent interview has gone viral on social media in which the actor can be heard comparing the Allu Arjun-starrer to the roadside construction done by JCB machines.

He told the Tamil YouTuber Madan Gowri, “That’s all marketing. It’s not a big deal to gather a crowd in India. You bring a JCB for construction and crowds will gather automatically. So it’s not a big deal getting a crowd in Bihar. They (Pushpa 2) had a song and a film so OK. In India, there’s no connection between gathering a large crowd and quality”.

He further mentioned, “If that was the case, then all the political parties would be winning. In our days, these crowds used to be about getting biryani and a quarter packet (alcohol)”.

The actor was referring to the chaos erupted in Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan on November 17, where a massive crowd drew in to catch a glimpse of the film’s lead actors Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna who were in the city for the promotion of their film.

Meanwhile, ‘Pushpa: The Rule’, which was released on December 5, is racing on the box-office with the downforce of fan adulation and the legacy built by the film’s predecessor ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ which was released in December 2021.

‘Pushpa: The Rule’ picks up from where ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ ended. It sees the Telugu superstar Allu Arjun reprising his titular role.

Prior to its release, ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ just had a cold poster launch as the Indian cinema was struggling to get back on track with its wobbly feet owing to months of lockdown and slowing down of the economy following the devastating second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India with close to half a million casualties.

‘Pushpa: The Rule’ has so far collected Rs 880 crore worldwide.

–IANS

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Diagnostic platform Redcliffe Labs posts nearly Rs 250 crore loss in FY24

New Delhi, Dec 10 (IANS) Noida-based online diagnostic platform Redcliffe Labs has registered around Rs 250 crore loss in FY24, as its return on capital employed (ROCE) reached -544.68 per cent in the last fiscal year.

The company’s EBITDA margin stood at -57.55 per cent and on a unit basis, Redcliffe Labs spent Rs 1.6 to earn a rupee in FY24, as per its financials.

There was a substantial increase in laboratory test charges and depreciation costs which grew by 62.2 per cent and 3 times, respectively.

As per TheKredible data, Redcliffe Labs has secured $113 million funding to date, including from Leapfrog Investments.

Meanwhile, Redcliffe’s revenue from operations went up 11 per cent to Rs 348.38 crore in FY24 from Rs 313.86 crore in FY23. Its total income stood at Rs 353 crore in the last financial year.

The company’s total expenses stood at Rs 556.16 crore in FY24, from Rs 647.30 crore in FY23.

In September, it secured $42 million in a Series C funding round. IFU, Denmark’s Investment Fund for Developing Countries, led the funding round with $20 million, followed by existing investor LeapFrog Investments with $15 million. The remaining capital was committed by existing shareholders HealthQuad and Spark Growth Ventures.

According to Aditya Kandoi, Founder and CEO, Redcliffe Labs, “our aim is to democratise access to high-quality, affordable, accurate diagnostics for every Indian, with a particular focus on the underserved populations in Tier II and III cities”.

In FY24, Redcliffe clocked cash and bank balances of Rs 15.87 crore and had current assets worth Rs 89.64 crore.

Its services are available in more than 220 cities through its network of over 80 advanced labs powered by 2,000+ collection centres and home collection services, according to the company.

–IANS

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Divyenndu talks about mutual respect with Pratik Gandhi

Mumbai, Dec 10 (IANS) Actor Divyenndu, who is receiving a lot of positive response to his recently released streaming movie ‘Agni’, has heaped praise on his co-actor Pratik Gandhi.

The actor said that they both have mutual respect for each other since they come from theatre backgrounds.

Recalling their first meeting, Divyenndu shared, “It all started with Agni. We shot Agni first and then moved on to Madgaon Express. From the moment Pratik and I met on the set, there was an instant connection. Both of us come from theatre backgrounds, so there was a sense of mutual respect and understanding right from the start”.

This shared respect, combined with their easy rapport, translated seamlessly into their performances, even as their characters clash in the film.

‘Agni’ marks India’s first cinematic portrayal of the life and heroism of firefighters, serving as a tribute to their fearless spirit, honour, and sacrifices. The film is set against the backdrop of a city plagued by a mysterious series of fires, the film follows Vitthal and Samit as they reluctantly join forces to uncover the source of the escalating crisis.

Through its gripping narrative and emotionally charged moments, the film delves into Vitthal’s personal battle for respect within his community and family but also showcases the dramatic stakes of firefighting.

“Our characters are at odds on-screen, but it is important to have a secure and grounded actor like Pratik Gandhi opposite me who made all the difference. He is such a wonderful person and actor, with no ego or baggage. Working with him was a lot of fun. We share an effortless bond. In fact, as individuals, he and I got along so well that it made the entire process much easier”, he added.

‘Agni’ is streaming on Prime Video.

–IANS

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