Dubai-New York flyers may have caught flu

New York: times 07.09.2018

Eleven people on an Emirates flight were taken to a New York City hospital suffering flu-like symptoms on Wednesday after scores of passengers and crew complained of feeling sick during a 14-hour trip from Dubai, officials said.

Laboratory tests on respiratory samples from the patients have yet to confirm the illness, but their histories and symptoms — fever, cough and vomiting — indicate influenza, said Dr Oxiris Barbot, New York City’s acting health commissioner.

Some passengers in recent days had attended the annual Haj pilgrimage to the city of Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula, a region where the flu virus was circulating, and could have contracted the illness there, Barbot said. It was also possible the virus was transmitted between passengers during the lengthy flight, she said. All who were hospitalised were in stable condition and none was in need of “extreme” medical attention, Barbot said. The flu’s incubation period typically is one to seven days, Barbot said, and people who are infected can be contagious before showing signs of illness.

The airliner, with at least 521passengers, landed at John F Kennedy International Airport and was surrounded by dozens of emergency vehicles as passengers waited to be evaluated by health officials. The airline and the mayor’s office said 19 people were confirmed ill. Three passengers and seven crew members went to a hospital, and nine other passengers medically evaluated at the scene were released afterward, Emirates said. The rest were allowed to leave and clear customs, the airline said.

Dr Demetre Daskalakis, New York’s deputy commissioner for disease control, said it was rare for so many people aboard a single commercial flight to fall ill at once. REUTERS


Eleven flyers were hospitalised in what Emirates called a ‘precaution’

RAJIV CONVICTS’ RELEASE CASE

TN govt to take decision after studying SC order

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.09.2018

The Tamil Nadu government will take a decision on the release of convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case after going through the Supreme Court’s order based on a plea by one of them. The government said it is for the release of all seven convicts currently in jail.

“It is our stand and desire of Amma (Jayalalithaa) that all the seven convicts should be released. Chief minister (Edappadi K Palaniswami)

will take a decision after going through the Supreme Court’s order,” law minister C Ve Shanmugam told reporters here on Thursday.

He was reacting to the court’s order directing Tamil Nadu governor to consider the mercy petition of A G Perarivalan, one of the seven life convicts in the case. An apex court bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Naveen Sinha and K M Joseph disposed of the Centre’s petition on the Tamil Nadu government’s proposal for the release of the convicts.

Earlier in the day, Perarivalan’s mother Arputhammal appealed to the state government to initiate steps for the early release of her son. She expressed hope that her son could be set free within the next one week.

Welcoming the order, DMK president M K Stalin urged chief minister Palaniswami to convene the state cabinet meeting at the earliest, to take this forward. DMK’s alliance partner Congress was cautious in its reaction. “Whatever measures legally allowed in this, should be legally followed,” TNCC president S Thirunavukkarasar told reporters in New Delhi.

While PMK youth wing president Anbumani Ramadoss urged the state government to release all the seven convicts immediately, CPM state secretary R Balakrishnan asked the state government to avoid any further delay in releasing all the convicts. “I request the chief minister to immediately convene a cabinet meeting, pass a firm resolution to release all the seven convicts and recommend the same to the governor,” MDMK general secretary Vaiko said in a statement.

HC asks doctor to honour contract with hosp or pay up


TIMES NEWS NETWORK


Madurai  07.09.2018

 Terming the petition of a doctor urging a Madurai-based ophthalmology institute to return his MBBS and postgraduate provisional certificates without serving his contract unreasonable, the Madurai bench of the Madras high court directed the doctor to complete his contract of two years at the hospital or pay up the ₹20 lakh as per the agreed terms.

Dr J Praveen had moved the bench seeking directions to Aravind Eye Hospitals, Madurai to return his original certificates. After completing MBBS in 2011, Praveen applied for postgraduation in ophthalmology in 2014 and was allotted the three-year course at Aravind institutions. At the time of admission, Praveen executed a bond with the institution to the effect that he would serve in the hospital for two years after completing the course, failing which he would pay ₹20 lakh to the institution. However, on completing the course in July 2017, Praveen requested the institution to return the original certificates and since it did not consider his representation, he approached the court.

The doctor’s counsel submitted that when the bond was executed, he was under the impression that he was required to serve only in government service and not Aravind institute. The institution’s counsel submitted that the doctor having used the institution for academic pursuit, cannot be allowed to contend that he was under no obligation to abide by the bond conditions.

Scam overhead: 1 roof, many tenders

‘Anna Varsity Discovers New Way To Favour Contractors’

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com  07.09.2018

Chennai:

When Anna University had to renovate the ceiling of Vivekananda Auditorium at a cost of ₹28 lakh in 2015, it floated three separate tenders, one for the VIP area, one for the student area and another for the stage, despite all three being under one roof and one contractor eventually executing the work.

This was to keep each tender estimate under ₹10 lakh and thus avoid placing an advertisement in newspapers, thereby favouring a select coterie of contractors, says Jayaram Venkatesan, social activist. Such tender notices were put up only on the estate office notice board.

This modus operandi was followed for almost every civil work tender from 2013 till date. In 2017, authorities began to put up notices on the website.

“This has cut down on competition, leading to inflated costs, over-invoicing and loss of public money,” said Venkatesan.

Venkatesan and another whistle-blower have given a complaint to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, vice-chancellor and Governor. The complaint is based on replies by the university to dozens of RTI applications.

Around 20 contracts awarded in this manner were worth ₹13 crore. The university awards at least 100 such small contracts every year.

For instance, Anna University issued five separate tenders (less than ₹10 lakh each) in the last one week for renovation of the corridor in the AC Tech main building. This was split as renovation on west wind, north west corner, north wing, north wing outer and inner quadrangle.

In another case in 2013-14, provision of electrical fittings, fans and power plugs for the three-storied ladies hostel was divided into eight separate tenders, all won by the same contractor.

Work for laying storm water drain and roofs for staff quarters was divided into houses in the A, B and C block and tendered separately, despite the work being the same. In 2014, the university floated separate tenders to paint the front and rear wing rooms of the international student hostel, executed by the same contractor.

Vice-chancellor V K Surappa, who has received a copy of the documents, told TOI that he would inquire into the issue. For work up to ₹6 lakh, the estate officer issues tenders; the registrar issues tenders for work up to ₹10 lakh.

Documents show that for most such work, there was an excess payment of up to 10%, which can be approved only by the vice-chancellor.

The estate officer, Professor V K Stalin, who has occupied the post since 2013, said the tenders were floated based on requests by individual departments. But he did not elaborate on why the same work was being divided into smaller tenders.

“There is no irregularity in this,” he said.

Govt docs protesting for pay hike boycott MCI inspections
‘Will Face Disciplinary Action If They Bunk Today’

Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com

Chennai: TIMES OF INDIA 07.09.2018

The ongoing strike by government doctors seeking a pay hike became more intense on Thursday when faculty members of the Madurai and Tirunelveli medical colleges refused to appear before the Medical Council of India’s inspection committee for a head count ahead of an increase of 100 seats each in the two institutions.

The joint action committee of the government doctors’ association spearheading the strike told director of medical education Dr A Edwin Joe on Thursday that they would not be attending the mandatory head count before the inspection committee. The two-member panel inspected hospitals, classrooms and labs at the two colleges and waited with the dean for the faculty members to turn up but there was a no-show.

“Head count is a mandatory part of the inspection and we may lose these seats if the doctors don’t appear. Fortunately, the team has agreed to stay back tomorrow as well. We have told the doctors that disciplinary action will be taken if they skip the inspection,” said Joe.

The committee chairman Dr K Senthil, who also heads the government doctors’ association, said doctors will skip the head count on Friday if the government did not meet their demands.

Government doctors have not entered classrooms of medical colleges across the state since Monday. They have also stopped signing attendance registers, boycotted all government meetings and audits, refused to sit on the medical board or send daily reports, and stopped signing papers for pregnant women to get money from the Muthulakshmi Maternal Benefit Scheme.

“We will continue the stir until our demands are met. But we have promised that treatment of patients will not be affected,” he said.

The salary for doctors in state and central services is the same when they join duty, but doctors in central government services receive promotions in four, nine, 13 and 20 years, compared to eight, 15, 17 and 20 years in the state government.

“We start with the same salary but there is a difference in our basic pay from the fourth year. We understand we won’t get the allowances as we are allowed to do private practice, but we are demanding parity in basic pay,” he said.

Doctors in government service also get a salary that is lower than lecturers or professors at arts/science colleges, although government doctors work for at least 50 hours a week compared to 32 hours of the teaching faculty.

On Tuesday, members of the committee met health minister C Vijayabaskar and senior department officials including health secretary J Radhakrishnan to press their demands.

“We have been demanding this for more than a decade. Even this boycott happened after three months’ notice. Neither the minister nor officials promised a hike. We will withdraw our strike if they come out with an announcement on revised pay,” said Dr A Ramalingam from the Stanley Medical College and Hospital.

Deadline nears, but 50-plus BDS seats in govt quota go abegging

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: Times of india 07.09.2018

With less than a week’s deadline for the state to complete admission formalities for the undergraduate dental course, the selection committee has received only 207 applications for the 264 BDS seats in government quota. According to the tentative mop-up counselling schedule for BDS released by the selection committee, counselling will be held on Monday.

This year nearly 50% of BDS seats — including 23% under the government quota — were vacant at the end of counselling. With 833 out of 1,993 seats vacant, the selection committee called for fresh applications on Friday after it exhausted the rank list. Several self-financing colleges are wooing students by slashing the tuition fees from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh. “We will complete counselling by Wednesday,” said selection committee secretary Dr G Selvarajan.

The last date for joining dental courses for 2018 fixed by Dental Council of India is September 15. The selection committee will handover the remaining seats to college managements after September 12. Colleges will have to admit students before the deadline. “We have asked colleges to reduce fees so they can fill seats,” he said.

Last year, 265 management quota seats in self-financing colleges remained vacant. Many students told TOI that they would appear for NEET 2019 to better their scores and apply for MBBS than taking up a seat in BDS this year.

TN Dr MGR Medical University governing council member Dr Yashwanth Kumar Venkataraman said DCI should close down dental colleges with poor infrastructure and less patients, after giving them six months time to correct inadequacies. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu should also ensure it has more government dental colleges and departments in other medical colleges, so jobs can be created. “It will also create awareness among people on the need for good oral health and hygiene,” he said.

Dentists said a separate university for dentistry should be set up and students with the right aptitude taken in. “As of now most students choose dentistry either because their family owns a clinic or a hospital or because they did not get an MBBS seat,” said Dr Venkataraman.

10K seekers for 2K nursing seats

Chennai:

More than five students will compete for every diploma seat in nursing this year, with toppers having a cut-off touching 98.75 in Class XII examinations.

For about 2,000 diplomas in nursing seats in government colleges, the state selection committee has received 10,500 applications. There are two reasons for the rush, said officials. The government will start sale of applications for four-year paramedical degree courses, including nursing, only on Monday. Hence, students have applied for diploma which is a three-year course. “Also, students are accommodated in secure hostels. They get good food and education and are paid a small stipend,” said S Senbarithi, a nurse working for a private hospital. TNN

Aircraft aborts landing after pilot spots vehicle on runway
Driver Took It For Airport Rd, Zipped Across

Ayyappan.V@timesgroup.com

Chennai: Times of india 07.09.2018

The pilot of an IndiGo aircraft had to abort his plan for landing and pull up after he spotted a vehicle crossing the runway at Chennai airport. The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon, when planes were being routed to land on the second runway as the main runway was closed for operation.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) has kept the main runway closed for taxiway work daily, between 12.30pm and 6.30pm, and flights are handled by the second runway during the period.

“The IndiGo A320 aircraft was on its final approach to touch down on the GST Road end of the second runway (03 end), when the pilot spotted the vehicle on the runway. He made a quick decision to not land and revved up and flew away,” said a source. Planes glide down from 1,000feet to 550feet during final approach. AAI and the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) are investigating the incident.

Sources said the vehicle belonged to a contractor engaged for soil test in connection with the ongoing work to link the rapid exit taxiways to the main runway. The pilot reported the incident to the air traffic control and filed an incident report.

An official said the driver drove the vehicle across the second runway thinking it was part of a road inside the airport, to pick up a few workers on the other side. Work is underway on both sides of the runway.

Drivers engaged by contractors undergo a classroom training on speed limits and no-go zones before an airfield driving permit (ADP) is issued. A senior official said, “We stopped the runway work and did an investigation on the driver violating rules on driving inside an airfield.”

Airport director G Chandramouli said, “A watch-andward stopped the vehicle immediately. This incident happened despite drivers engaged by contractors undergoing training. We have adopted remedial measures.”

Sources said the incident points to poor coordination between the projects wing, which is in charge of the construction work, and staff in charge of operations at the airport.

QUICK THINKING: 1. IndiGo A320 aircraft on final approach for touchdown on 2nd runway around noon, as main runway is closed for work. The plane was gliding down from an altitude of 1,000ft to 500ft 2. The vehicle belonging to a contractor enters 2nd runway to pick up workers near it 3. The pilot spots the vehicle on time, lifts up and goes around