Mumbai, Feb 7: Mumbai reported it’s first case of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) on Friday as a 64-year-old woman was diagnosed with the rare nerve disorder, civic officials said.

GBS is a rare condition in which a person’s immune system attacks the peripheral nerves, resulting in muscle weakness, loss of sensation in the legs and/or arms, as well as problems swallowing or breathing.

Talking to Press, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s commissioner and its state-appointed administrator Bhushan Gagrani confirmed that the 64-year-old female GBS patient was currently undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a civic-run hospital.

BMC officials said the woman, who resides in Andheri east area of the city, was hospitalised with a history of fever and diarrhoea that was followed by ascending paralysis.

Further details about the patient are awaited.

In GBS, severe cases can result in near-total paralysis. The prevalence of this disorder is more common among adults and in males, though people of all ages can be affected.

The number of suspected GBS deaths in Maharashtra’s Pune district stood at six, while the count of suspected cases there was 173.

Kolhapur: More than 250 persons fell ill due to suspected food poisoning after attending a village fair in western Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district, police said on Wednesday.

About 50 persons were undergoing treatment at hospital at Shirol at present and the condition of all of them was said to be stable, said an official of Kurundwad police station.

A fair had been organised at Shivnakwadi village on Tuesday where `kheer’, a sweet preparation made from milk, was served as `prasad’, he said.

Statement Of A Police Official

“People started complaining of diarrhoea, nausea and fever since today morning. So far, 255 people have fallen sick due to suspected food poisoning. Most of them are claiming that they had `kheer’ at the fair. But there were food stalls too,” the police official said.

More than 50 persons were undergoing treatment at the hospital and the rest were discharged, he said, adding that all the admitted patients were stable.

“Food samples from the fair have been sent to the forensic laboratory to ascertain if it was food poisoning,” said the official.

New Delhi, Feb 1: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced exemptions on basic customs duty on 36 life-saving drugs and also gave a big boost to medical tourism.

“Basic customs duty exempted for 36 life-saving drugs, while 6 life-saving drugs will have 5 per cent customs duty,” the FM said, as she presented her eighth consecutive budget and the NDA government’s second full Union Budget of its third term.

“This will provide relief to patients, particularly those suffering from cancer, rare diseases, and other severe chronic diseases,” the FM said.

In a significant move for Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs), the FM waived off customs duty on medicines provided through the programme, expanding access to essential drugs for those in financial distress.

About 13 more patient assistance programs have been added to significantly benefit underprivileged patients.

Further, in a bid to boost medical tourism in the country, the FM announced, a ‘Heal in India’ campaign in partnership with the private sector.

Visa procedures have also been simplified for patients seeking treatment in India to enhance the country’s medical tourism sector.

Medical Tourism in India is estimated to be around $9 billion.

On the Global Medical Tourism Index, India stands at number 10.

The country has seen significant growth in medical tourism in the past year, especially due to the rise of the AYUSH system (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy).

In 2023, the government also implemented medical visa provisions to facilitate the entry of international tourists seeking health and wellness treatments in the country.

Announcing the Union Budget, FM Sitharaman also announced 10,000 additional seats in medical colleges as well as daycare cancer centres in all district hospitals.