Felicitated at home

02/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Senior MTC officials gave colleagues who retired on March 31 a pleasant surprise by visiting their homes and and presenting them pension certificates, work appreciation certificates and sweets.

The corporation said that it usually organises a meeting to felicitate retirees at Pallavan House. But due to the lockdown, officials were asked by the MD to visit the homes of 71 retired employees.

Why do people step out of their homes? Police collate reasons

Stern action on the cards, based on the data collected

02/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Lockdown farce The checks led to a jam on Padi flyover on Wednesday morning. M. Vedhan.

It looked like rush hour on Padi flyover on Wednesday morning as close to a hundred vehicles clogged the roads after the police conducted a surprise check on motorists flouting the lockdown.

The men and women in uniform stopped every vehicle and noted down registration numbers. “We wanted to find out how many people step out of their houses for essentials and medical emergencies and how many just to roam the streets. We are also checking to find out how many are going around the city with curfew passes,” said a senior officer.

Further action will be taken based on the data collected. “We will decide if we have to reduce the number of curfew passes or take measures to prevent people from leaving their locality,” the officer added.

The checking led to a jam on the flyover, a junction for vehicles coming from Villivakkam, Thirumangalam, Korattur and Retteri. “There were too many people. Since we checked each vehicle, there was a pile-up,” said an officer.

M. Balaji, a motorist who was on the way to a hospital with his mother, said: “They checked our papers and took down details. The police did their duty as people are roaming the streets without realising the seriousness of the pandemic.”

Donations pour into CM’s relief fund

Corporates, other organisations and the public contribute ₹36.34 crore

02/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

As of March 31, the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund has received contributions to the tune of ₹36.34 crore from corporates, other organisations and the public to aid the battle against COVID-19.

TVS Motor Company and Sakthi Masala have contributed ₹5 crore each; Asian Paints and Simpsons ₹2 crore each; DMK Foundation, Tamil Nadu Governor’s Office and Tamil Nadu News Print and Papers Ltd ₹1 crore each; and GRT Jewellers and DLF Foundation ₹50 lakh each, among others.

Former Union Minister M.K. Alagiri, Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham and Madras Talkies, among others, have contributed ₹10 lakh each, according to a press release.

IT major HCL will donate 500 ventilators worth ₹37.5 crore to the Tamil Nadu government to help treat those affected by COVID-19, another press release said.

Kanimozhi’s gesture

DMK MP Kanimozhi on Wednesday released ₹50 lakh from her MPLADS fund for setting up a lift in the government hospital in Thoothukudi.

“When I visited the hospital, the doctors told me that a lift was necessary for the ward for treating patients who tested positive for COVID-19. I met the district collectors and handed over the money to them,” said Ms. Kanimozhi, who was elected from the Thoothukudi Lok Sabha constituency.

She has already contributed ₹1 crore for combating the disease.

Earlier, Ms. Kanimozhi gave personal protective equipment and sanitisers to doctors, nurses and other medical staff.

Medicos write to Health Minister seeking adequate protective gear

Govt. urged to postpone exam for medical officers

02/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

With the one-year Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship (CRRI) having been extended by a month for interns of the 2014 MBBS batch, the Tamil Nadu Medical Students’ Association (TNMSA) has requested the State government and hospital administrations to provide them with, and ensure the availability of, adequate protective gear such as personal protective equipment, N95 masks and hand sanitisers to combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

In a memorandum to the Health Minister, the association requested the government to ensure the availability of necessary protective gear in the workplace without any compromise. They suggested that the 2014-batch interns could be kept as a reserve medical team for managing the disease.

Noting that the global pandemic may last a few more months, the association urged the government to postpone the upcoming Tamil Nadu Medical Services Recruitment Board exam for medical officers and recommend that the Union government postpones NEET PG 2021.

TNMSA also requested college and hospital administrations to issue the CRRI completion certificates at the end of the original period of posting without any delay, provided the candidates have received no negative remarks during their internship, get them registered with the State Medical Council and issue university degree certificates.

This is because any delay would affect their seniority when it comes to registration with the Tamil Nadu Medical Council as their counterparts in private medical colleges have completed their CRRI, the memorandum said.

The association also urged the government to sanction salaries and ensure that its members would benefit from the incentives announced for healthcare providers involved in COVID-19 management.