Health

From COVID Comeback to Heart Risks in Women: What India’s Health News Is Really Telling Us

A new COVID variant claims 135 lives, a celebrity’s death sparks heart health debate, and the Centre pushes back on child vaccination data.

New Delhi, June 30: It’s been a strange kind of Sunday in India’s health circuit — unsettling numbers on COVID-19, a quiet but firm rebuttal from the Health Ministry, a heartfelt shoutout to public health milestones by the Prime Minister, and a high-profile death that’s got doctors sounding alarms about heart risks in women. There’s no single thread tying it all together, but each development leaves you with the same uneasy takeaway: we’re doing better, sure, but not by as much as we’d like to think.

COVID Is Still Killing — Quietly, But Consistently

Let’s start with the thing we thought we were mostly done with: COVID-19. According to Bhaskar English and Fox News, India logged three more deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the one-month death toll to 135. It’s not a spike, but it’s enough to feel the floor wobble a little.

The number of active cases, ironically, is low — just 2,086 across the country. Thirty new infections cropped up, 252 people recovered. So why the deaths? That’s what no one has answered yet.

Doctors are hinting at a more aggressive variant, something that might be targeting vulnerable patients harder than before. But official details are scarce. No new restrictions, no formal variant classification, just a quiet uptick in deaths. It’s a weird place to be — not panicking, but not entirely at peace either.

One senior virologist told us off-record, “We’re not flying blind, but we’re flying without radar in some pockets. We need sequencing data, and we need it now.”

Health Ministry Fires Back at Lancet

Over on another front, the Union Health Ministry isn’t mincing words. They’ve pushed back against a Lancet report that flagged India for having a significant number of unvaccinated children. Not true, says the ministry.

In their data, the proportion of zero-dose DTP children — those who haven’t received even the first shot of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine — has dropped to 0.06% in 2024, down from 0.11% last year.

The officials argue it’s reckless to compare India to, say, Denmark or New Zealand when India’s dealing with a scale that dwarfs entire continents. “You cannot compare a district in Bihar to a city in Norway and expect coherence,” said one government epidemiologist. He’s not wrong.

Still, it’s not just about defending numbers. The ministry seems keen to assert that India isn’t playing catch-up anymore. It’s pushing a narrative of competency — maybe even quiet leadership — in the global public health space.

Modi’s Global Health Chest-Thump

Right on cue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to the stage on Sunday to underline just that. From WHO declaring India trachoma-free to expanded social security schemes like Ayushman Bharat, he painted a picture of a country pulling itself up from its health-care bootstraps.

As covered by DD News, Modi’s tone was triumphant. And to be fair, the numbers back some of that confidence. India’s healthcare investment, especially in preventive and rural medicine, has come a long way in the last decade. But there’s also a risk in overselling.

“Yes, we’ve eliminated trachoma, but we still have district hospitals running without a single anesthetist,” said a former AIIMS faculty member. “Milestones are good. Systems matter more.”

Shefali Jariwala’s Death Sends A Wake-Up Call

And then there’s the one story that cut through the policy noise like a gut punch — the death of Shefali Jariwala.

Her passing, reportedly due to sudden heart failure, has reignited a deeply under-reported crisis: the growing rate of cardiovascular issues among young Indian women. She was 40-something, well-off, not exactly someone you’d expect to be at risk. And yet here we are.

Doctors are now raising alarm bells. Not new ones — just louder. Fatigue, chest tightness, irritability, even unexplained anxiety — all early signs that often get brushed off in women. “We still assume heart attacks are a man’s problem. That’s a deadly mistake,” said Dr. Sujata Dey, a Mumbai-based cardiologist quoted by The Times of India.

This isn’t just about one celebrity. It’s about what her death reveals: a blind spot in both diagnostics and awareness. The kind that thrives in silence — and kills in it, too.

A Health Report That’s Neither Black Nor White

So where does all this leave us? Somewhere in the middle.

The numbers on COVID-19 are technically encouraging, but there’s a pattern in the deaths that’s hard to ignore. Vaccination data looks strong on paper, but it’s being used to fend off international critique rather than guide future outreach. The Prime Minister’s speech is part self-congratulation, part legitimate celebration. And Shefali’s death? That’s the kind of thing that makes you look up from your news feed and ask what else we’re ignoring.

India’s health story today isn’t one of triumph or tragedy. It’s a mixed bag — progress tempered by gaps, achievements shadowed by new threats. In a way, that’s the most honest picture we’ve seen in a while.


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Author Profile
Rohit Khatri
Travel & Lifestyle Editor at 

Rohit Khatri is a travel and lifestyle editor with a flair for storytelling, digital trends, and cultural exploration. With a background in digital marketing and a strong grasp of entertainment, he crafts engaging content that inspires modern journeys and connects with today’s experience-driven audience.

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