Background: Following the imposition of the nationwide lockdown on 24th March 2020, many medical institutions adopted E-learning as a method to ensure continuity in medical education. Understanding perceptions and preferences of medical students and addressing their barriers are essential for a seamless learning experience.Methods: Data was collected using a semi-structured online questionnaire after obtaining informed consent. A total of 296 students of the second year MBBS and pre-final year were recruited using non probability sampling. Data pertaining to 286 students who returned the questionnaire was entered in Microsoft excel and analysed using SPSS version 21.Results: Majority of the participants 179 (62.5%) were female. Only 18 (6.2%) had advanced computer and internet usage skills. 138 (48.2%) students showed preference for blended mode of teaching. 203 (71.0%) of students showed preferences for non-interactive learning methods like slide share and YouTube videos. 180 (62.9%) cited that lack of personal interaction with the teacher followed by access to internet 67 (23.4%) and lack of hardware 53 (18.5%) as barriers in the e-learning. Significant differences were observed between female and male students in the teaching methods with regards to ease of understanding (p=0.009) and use of non-interactive platforms for e leaning (p=0.03).Conclusions: The study identified blended learning as an acceptable method of learning medical curriculum. Schedule flexibility, ease of understanding and absence of monotony of classroom teaching made e-learning more acceptable. lack of teacher-student interaction, lack of accesses to high speed internet and hardware were barriers perceived to e-learning among medical students.

In December 2019, SARS COV-2 which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan achieved pandemic proportions and spread rapidly to countries through International air traffic causing acute respiratory infection and deaths. Presence of International airports, demography, health financing and human developments factors were assumed to influence COVID-19 cases burden and case fatality rate (CFR). So, this study was undertaken to find a association between these factors and COVID-19 cases and deaths. The study used 48 districts using purposive sampling as proxy for cities and used secondary data analysis. Data was obtained for various variables like demographic, Health Financing, Indices and Testing infrastructure, COVID cases burden and case fatality from trusted sources. Descriptive statistics correlational statistics using Pearsons coefficient students T was used to describe, correlate and find significant difference in the data. The analysis found a significant difference between COVID cases burden in districts with International Airports (p<0.039) and those without it. Positive correlation of population density (r=0.65) with COVID-19 case burden and negative correlation of case fatality rate with NITI Aayogs health index (r=-0.12), human development index (HDI) (r=-0.18), per-capita expenditure on health (r=-0.072) and a correlation of r=0.16 was observed for gross state domestic product. Decongestion of cities through perspective urban planning is the need of the hour. Stricter quarantine measures in those districts with international airports can help reduce the transmission. Negative correlation of HDI and NITI Aayogs health index with CFR emphasizes the importance of improvements in social determinants of health.

Background: Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) among adolescents in rural India is negatively influenced by myths and taboos which predispose them to infections which can be dispelled by health education by experts or peers. The study aimed to demonstrate the relative effectiveness of direct health education over peer led health education on MHM.Methods: A longitudinal follow up intervention study recruiting 486 school going adolescent females divided in three groups I, II and III was conducted. Group I received peer led, while group II received direct health education and group III was control. Pre and post intervention scores of participants were compared.Results: Direct intervention group demonstrated highest improvement in number of participants having good MHM scores (p<0.05). Mean MHM scores of direct intervention group participants were the highest among all the three groups (p<0.05). Knowledge score of direct intervention group was significantly higher than group 1 (p=0.001) and group III with no difference in practice scores between group I and II (p=0.147).Conclusions: Direct health education as an intervention is more relatively effective than peer led in MHM of adolescent females.

Background: India is home to 20% of the world’s adolescent population, with 1 in 10 children currently experiencing puberty. Menstruation, a physiological process in females is influenced not only by race, nutrition and heredity but also by the socio-cultural milieu. In Indian society, the social and cultural restrictions influence the knowledge, attitudes and the practices of adolescent girls towards menstrual hygiene. The present study was carried out to find out the level of knowledge, attitude and practice and the restrictions they face during the process of menstruation.Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study where 489 adolescent school going females of the age group of 13-15 were recruited using simple random sampling from a cluster of schools and interviewed using a semi structured questionnaire for their knowledge, attitudes, practices and the restrictions they face during menstruation. A scoring system was adopted and categorised as poor, average and good.Results: 423 (88.6%) participants demonstrated average to poor knowledge scores, while 279 (57.1%) participants demonstrated average to poor practice scores. There was a significant difference observed between the educational status of mother (p=0.041) and the knowledge scores of study participants. There was no correlation observed between the monthly per capita income of households and the knowledge (r=0.097) and practice scores (r=0.0034). 375 (76%) study participants faced multiple restrictions during menstruation like not allowed to pray or visit temples (93.6%), total seclusion (74.6%), wash clothes separately (74.6%), sleep on floor (74.6%), restriction on leisure (70.4%), eat out of separate utensils (70.4%), and restriction on consumption of food items (49.8%).Conclusions: Knowledge and practices regarding menstrual hygiene was low among study participants and was influenced by various prevalent socio-cultural restrictions.

Background: In case of a CBRNE catastrophe, junior doctors (first responders) will be the first to respond to the CBRNE disaster, so they should be fully equipped with the knowledge and skills of managing CBRNE casualties and preventing the endangerment of lives. Objectives: To assess the awareness and preparedness of first responders in medical institutions regarding CBRNE casualties’ management and to explore the perceptions of first responders towards CBRNE disaster management. Materials and Methods: The present study was a mixed methods study which was conducted during the months of January to March 2020 among 153 study participants. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted along with free listing and pile sorting till data saturation. Data entry was done in an Excel sheet and data analysis was be done using SPSS software v. 21. Results: Out of the 153 participants only 37 participants (24.1%) had ever heard about the term “CBRNE” (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear disasters) or “hazmat” (hazardous material). At the end of FGDs, participants could answer affirmatively that they had heard the term “decontamination” of CBRNE casualties. Very few participants could ambiguously explain the meaning of the term “decontamination” in the context of CBRNE casualty. Conclusion: There is an imperative need for enhancing not only knowledge and awareness, but also proper training for first responders to utilizing simulation sessions. This is particularly important as health care professionals are the first line of defence when it comes to identifying and treating patients that have come into contact with CBRNE hazards.