Veteran actor and comedian Atul Parchure, known for his roles in Hindi and Marathi films, passed away on Monday. He had been battling with oral cancer for the past few years. In an interview earlier, the actor had revealed that accepting his cancer diagnosis was something that came easily to him. He said that he was mentally prepared that something was wrong with him and emphasised how important it was to have health insurance and savings.

He had also revealed that doctors had found a 5 cm tumour in his liver. "After visiting many doctors, I was asked to get ultrasonography done. When the doctor did it, I saw fear in his eyes and I felt there was something wrong. I was told I have a tumour about 5 centimetres long in my liver and that it is cancerous," the actor had added, noting that the doctors were confident about his recovery.

What Is Liver Cancer?

Liver cancer is a disease that occurs when cells in the liver grow out of control and form malignant tumours. Unlike many other cancers, liver cancer presents few or no early symptoms, making its early detection ery tough. It also metabolises drugs, supports the immune system, and controls blood clotting. When cancer cells develop in the liver, they disrupt these vital processes, leading to significant health problems. When symptoms do appear, they may include unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and yellowing of the skin (jaundice).

What Are The Signs Of Liver Cancer?

• a hard lump on the right side just below the rib cage
• discomfort in the upper abdomen on the right side
• a swollen abdomen
• pain near the right shoulder blade or in the back
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
• easy bruising or bleeding
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• nausea and vomiting
• loss of appetite or feelings of fullness after eating a small meal
• weight loss for no known reason
• pale, chalky bowel movements and dark urine
• fever

A resident of New York has tested positive for the chikungunya virus, marking the first local transmission of the mosquito-borne illness in the United States in six years, according to state health officials. The New York State Department of Health confirmed Tuesday that the case was detected in a person from Nassau County, Long Island.

The county’s health department stated that the individual began showing symptoms in August after traveling outside the region but not leaving the country. Officials have not disclosed the person’s identity or the exact source of infection.

What Is Chikungunya?

Chikungunya (CHIKV) is a viral disease spread to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes, primarily Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Infection occurs when a mosquito carrying the virus bites a person. It does not spread from one person to another through touch, saliva, or airborne particles, although transmission through blood is possible in rare cases.

The illness is known for causing high fever and severe joint pain, often intense enough to affect mobility. The name “chikungunya” originates from a word meaning “that which bends up,” describing the stooped posture people often develop due to the pain. There is currently no antiviral treatment for the infection, and care mainly focuses on relieving symptoms. Most individuals recover within a week, though some experience lingering joint discomfort for weeks or months.

What Are The Symptoms Of Chikungunya?

Symptoms typically appear three to seven days after an infected mosquito bite, though in some cases they can develop as early as two days or as late as 12. The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain, which may be mild for some but extremely painful for others. The fever often starts suddenly, and some people mistake their symptoms for another illness or may not seek medical attention.

Other signs of chikungunya include:

• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Joint swelling
• Rash
• Fatigue
• Nausea

Is Chikungunya Contagious?

The virus spreads only through the bite of an infected mosquito. A person with chikungunya cannot pass the virus directly to another person through saliva, touch, or respiratory droplets. The risk of transmission to another mosquito is highest during the first week of symptoms, when the virus is present in the blood.

While New York has recorded three other cases of chikungunya earlier this year, all were linked to international travel. Local mosquitoes, however, are capable of carrying and spreading other viruses such as West Nile, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and Jamestown Canyon virus.

Times Now Network conducted a survey where different hospital chains were ranked to understand how well the hospitals and healthcare institutions in India work and if the services offered by them adhere to the benchmarks given by NABH, under the Quality council of India.

The parameters on which these hospitals were judged were VFM or value for money, quality of treatment, team of consultants and doctors, infrastructure, hygiene and cleanliness, faculties and public convenience, and innovation and research facilities. The factual scores were submitted by the institutions and held 60% weightage, while the perceptual scores held a weightage of 40% weightage.

The institutes were asked to submit details and information including verification and validation by a research agency. The scores were also based on the perceptual survey, with a sample size of 3000, conducted across 16 cities, and then the final scores were calculated based on the weightages of the different parameters. Word of mouth is also considered in the survey as it holds a critical point in decision making. The results were announced in the latest India Health Summit, held at Taj Palace, Delhi on October 4, 2025.

The Ranks Are As Followed

The survey covered various critical care specialties, including cardiology, neurology, nephrology, oncology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, urology, gastroenterology, and emergency and trauma. Among the lifestyle categories were dental health, orthopedics, diabetes care, IVF & fertility, and cosmetic and plastic surgery.

The sample size was across 12 cities, which included 3300 doctors and patients with the ratio of 40:60. It was as followed:

• Delhi NCR had a sample size of 300
• Mumbai had a sample size of 300
• Chennai had a sample size of 300
• Kolkata had a sample size of 300
• Bengaluru had a sample size of 300
• Hyderabad had a sample size of 300
• Ahmedabad had a sample size of 250
• Pune had a sample size of 250
• Bhubaneswar had a sample size of 250
• Jaipur had a sample size of 250
• Lucknow had a sample size of 250
• Kochi had a sample size of 250

In addition to this, for Factual Survey, over 1500 hospitals across India were targeted and connected.

The main objective of this survey was to provide clarity that usually lacks in other ranking as they do not detail out on how the hospitals is performing better than others and on what parameters and hence it is difficult for patients to take an informed decision.

"My brain seems to be sorta lowkey rebelling against me," says the General Hospital star Kristen Storms who revealed that she will soon be undergoing a surgery to treat her brain aneurysm.

The 41-year-old ABC soap opera star on October 14 shared her healthy journey in a candid Instagram post, revealing that she had discovered about her condition in a recent medical scan.

A New Discovery During A Typical Scan

She explained that while doing a follow-up scan for the cyst she had removed from her brain in 2021, she discovered aneurysm on the right side. “While undergoing a follow-up scan for the cyst, my neurosurgeon discovered an aneurysm on the right side,” she wrote.

In January, she underwent a procedure in which doctors threaded a tiny camera from her leg up to her brain, a process she humorously described as “insane.” “It’s a routine procedure, but the path inside your body that they lead the camera through is wild,” she said. “THE CAMERA GOES THROUGH YOUR ARMPIT, guys. Your. Armpit.”

However, due to the complexity of her case, the doctors did not perform the surgery.

What Is Coiling? How Does It Treat Brain Aneurysm?

A brain aneurysm is a weak, bulging area on the wall of a blood vessel in the brain that can resemble a balloon or blister. Most brain aneurysms cause no symptoms until they rupture, which can lead to a life-threatening hemorrhage (bleeding) called a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Rupture can result in stroke, brain damage, coma, or death, making a ruptured aneurysm a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, coiling is a minimally invasive procedure used to block blood flow to an aneurysm. By placing soft platinum coils, which are thinner than a strand of hair, into the bulging artery, doctors can prevent it from rupturing. If left untreated, a burst aneurysm can lead to brain damage or even be fatal.

Storms shared that her coiling procedure is now being scheduled within the next two weeks. To calm her nerves while she waits, she’s been spending time with her close friend and former co-star Emme Rylan (who played Lulu on General Hospital), “crocheting the most beautiful sweaters,” as she put it.

A Life Changing Moment

"Aneurysms (obviously) can be caused by stress. It was clear I needed to change some things in my life asap. For my own personal reasons, no longer living in Los Angeles was very important to me. The biggest reason was Harper, but also for my physical and mental health. And my overall happiness," she wrote.

Earlier this year, Storms took a break from General Hospital and relocated to Nashville with her 11-year-old daughter, Harper.

In her post she also addressed false rumor around her hospital visits when someone had spread a rumor that Storms was hospitalized for a suicide attempt. "I couldn’t understand why a person would make up something that terrible when they had no idea why I was really there,” she said.

However, despite all this, she keeps a positive and a hopeful attitude, which also showed in her message that read: “There are a few really bad apples out there. But there are people in my life who I am truly thankful to know. One of those individuals just made a sh*t load of sweaters with me. They are glorious.”

She ended the note with: "“Even though my brain seems to be sorta lowkey rebelling against me, we’ve all got times when things aren’t great. If we can, we’ll do our best for ourselves and our loved ones.”