Centre for early use of HCQ

Centre for early use of HCQ

‘It must be avoided in severe cases’

14/06/2020

The Health Ministry on Saturday said the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) should be used as early as possible in the course of COVID-19 treatment to achieve meaningful effects and should be avoided in patients with severe disease. A 22-page national clinical management protocol provides for the management of cases based on the clinical severity of mild, moderate or severe, the Ministry said.

The new protocol includes use of remdesivir and off-label use of tocilizumab and convalescent plasma therapy on specific groups of patients. Also, while HCQ will continue to be in use, antibiotic azithromycin is no longer a part of the treatment protocol. The Ministry said patients are reporting symptoms like fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, among others.

“Loss of smell (anosmia) or loss of taste (ageusia) preceding the onset of respiratory symptoms has also been reported,” the protocol said. It added that older people and immune-suppressed patients in particular may present with atypical symptoms such as fatigue, reduced alertness, reduced mobility, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, delirium, and absence of fever. Children might not have reported fever or cough as frequently as adults.

RGGGH dean goes on ‘medical leave’

14/06/2020

R. Jayanthi, dean of Madras Medical College (MMC) and Rajiv kGandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), has “proceeded on leave”.

K. Narayanasamy, director and professor of Hepatology, MMC, will hold full additional charge with immediate effect until further orders and has been vested with all financial and administrative powers hitherto exercised by the dean, according to an official communication from R. Narayana Babu, Director of Medical Education. It refers to a telephonic message received from the dean on June 12. An official said that Dr. Jayanthi is on medical leave and it was not related to COVID-19.

Several doctors and postgraduate students tested positive for COVID-19 in the last few days. This included senior doctors of the Institute of Anaesthesiology and PGs residing at the MMC’s Men’s Hostel. Nearly 65 persons affiliated to the institution were isolated at ESI Ayanavaram.

Salaries of MLAs cut by 30% in Gujarat

Salaries of MLAs cut by 30% in Gujarat

Ahmedabad:

In a significant decision, the Gujarat government on Monday decided to effect a 30% pay cut in the salaries of the chief minister, other ministers and MLAs for a period of one year.

The state government has also decided to suspend the dearness allowance (DA) of government employees for the period from January 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021.

The revenue of the state government is expected to fall by between ₹24,500 crore and ₹26,000 crore in the ongoing financial year because of the lockdown, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel said in Gandhinagar on Monday.

As an austerity measure, the government has announced a pay cut of 30% in the salaries of the chief minister, ministers and MLAs for a period of one year to reduce the burden on the state exchequer, Nitin Patel said. TNN

HC permits airlines to allow passengers on middle seats

Mumbai: 16.06.2020

The Bombay high court on Monday permitted all flightoperatorsto allow passengers to occupy middle seats in flights, but said they should strictly comply with guidelines of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

A division bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and S P Tavade refused to accept the contentions raised in a petition filed by Air India pilot Deven Kanani, who said the middle seats of all international and domesticflightsshouldbekept vacant to preventthespreadof coronavirus. “We are of the prima facie view that the safety and health of passengers on board the aircraftqua (with regardto) Covid-19 virus is adequately taken careof even if the middle seat of the aircraft is not kept vacant on account of passenger load and seat capacity, the courtsaid.Thecourt permitted air carriersto allow passengers to occupy the middle seat in flights, but said they should strictly comply with DGCA's guidelines on measures to be taken to prevent spread of the coronavirus.

The DGCA in its May 31circular said flight operators should try to keep the middle seat vacant but if it has been booked, then the passenger shall be provided with a wraparound gown in addition to the mask and face shield. If possible, passengersfrom onefamily or those travelling in one group could be allotted seats along with the middle seat, it said in the circular. The court in its order said it has not seen any material to show wrongdoing on partof theAir India andAir India Express or violating circulars issued by the DGCA on March 23 and endangering the lives of passengers travelling back to India from abroad in the Vande Bharat flights. The bench noted that all precautionary measures, asstipulated with regard to passengers and the crew, are complied with by all flight operators. TNN

People in containment zones may have to pay six months’ power bill at one go

People in containment zones may have to pay six months’ power bill at one go

Sivakumar.B@timesgroup.com

Chennai:16.06.2020

As citizens struggle to stave off the virus threat, they may have to get ready for another shock from the state power utility, Tangedco, which has decided to postpone assessment of power bills to August in containment areas across the state.

The decision may jack up power bills of consumers, and a household that pays ₹2,000 once every two months may end up paying ₹10,000 to ₹12,000 for six months, without any significant increase in consumption.

Tangedco’s financial wing has instructed superintending engineers (a copy of the circular is with TOI) not to send assessors to containment areas to take EB meter reading and had asked consumers to make payments in June as per their last bill (April bill) and reading will be taken only in August.

Though the state government has asked consumers to pay their bill as per their last meter reading, the power utility has decided to consider these interim payments only as advances against their final bill which will be calculated on a later date.

In TN, power tariff on domestic or household consumers is dynamic and not fixed. It keeps changing depending on the units consumed. For example, while power consumed up to 200 units is charged at ₹2.50 per unit, it is ₹3 per unit between 200 and 500 units when the total bimonthly bill is up to 500 units.

When the total bimonthly consumption goes beyond 500 units, the tariff would be ₹4.60 per unit from 200 to 500 units and ₹6.60 per unit for consumption above 500 units.

This variable component will push a normal consumer who may be in the ₹2.50-perunit bucket under bimonthly billing to the top slot of Rs.6.60 per unit if his consumption is clubbed and calculated for three bimonthly periods in August. This will increase the payment burden of consumers manifold, depending on how early or late the final billing will be done by Tangedco.

According to M Annamalai, a resident of Anna Nagar whose normal bimonthly payment is ₹3,410, “Our consumption since February would be 3,400 units if the reading is taken now and we may have to pay ₹15,000. But if another two months’ consumption gets added to the bill, our final bill will be more than ₹23,000 even if we make an interim payment as per our last bill. I am a private sector employee. It will be difficult for me to pay such huge amount il at one go in August,” Annamalai said.

“Tangedco must allow self-assessment by consumers and they must be allowed to pay as per meter reading taken by them. The reading can be shared with local assistant engineer who can then raise the bills,” he said.

But Tangedco officials defended the discom’s decision. “Regulation 10 of TNE supply code deals with rules to be followed when meters are not accessible for calculating consumption. The Covid-19 outbreak has created an extraordinary situation, and there is no specific relief allowed in the code for containment zones,” they said.

But official promised to take up the issue with senior officials to save consumers in containment zones from ending up paying six months bill together.

Tangedco’s financial wing has instructed superintending engineers not to send assessors to containment areas to take EB meter reading

PIL to declare lockdown illegal

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:16.06.2020

A city resident has moved the Madras high court seeking to declare lockdown announced by the central and the state governments to contain Covid-19 outbreak as illegal. M Immanvuel of Kovilambakkam argued that the lockdown had no legal sanction and the government did not have power to implement such lockdowns either under the Epidemics Act or the Disaster Management Act.

Recording the submission, a division bench of Justice R Subbiah and Justice Krishnan Ramaswamy ordered notice to the state government and said it would pass orders on June 17.

The petitioner wanted the court to direct the government to lift the lockdown immediately as it restricts basic movement of people. “Restrictions on the movement of people like curfew are no way relatable in containing the spread of Covid-19 as long as social distancing and wearing a mask is adhered. These restrictions have only affected the livelihood of 93% total workforce of the country,” he said.

Though the restrictions have been liberalised, there are many unreasonable restrictions which are in total violation of the fundamental rights, he added.

Stop issuing certificates for EWS quota, TN tells collectors

Stop issuing certificates for EWS quota, TN tells collectors

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:14.06.2020

In a major policy decision, the state government has instructed revenue officials not to issue income and asset certificates for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in general category. It has also withdrawn circulars issued last year permitting officials to issue certificates for reservation under EWS. The government circular dated June 4 has been sent to all district collectors asking them to instruct tahsildars not to issue such certificates for EWS applicants.

“The state insists the certificates need not be given since it has not adopted the EWS quota. It has not taken a policy decision yet,” said a senior official. A section in the government, however, expressed concerns about the prospects of EWS beneficiaries getting affected in accessing central government jobs and admission to professional courses.

Incidentally, the state cabinet led by Edappadi K Palaniswami will meet on Monday to give its nod for promulgation of an ordinance providing for 10% horizontal reservation for government school students in medical courses.

No mention of reservation for poor in Constitution: DMK

The BJP government at the Centre introduced the quota for the poor in the general category, hitherto not covered by any reservation, under 103rd constitutional amendment, the validity of which has been challenged in the court. In its affidavit before the Supreme Court in January, the Centre said the states were free to decide on implementing the quota system. “The state government need not give EWS quota because it is enabling constitutional amendment and not a mandatory fundamental right as such to be enforceable in the court of law. This is the discretion of the state to do or not to do,” senior advocate K M Vijayan said. The state government has taken note of the open category, which is less than 4% of the population in the state.

It was only on Thursday did the Supreme Court refuse to hear a batch of petitions from political parties in Tamil Nadu seeking 50% OBC quota for medical courses under All India Quota (AIQ), on the ground that no fundamental right had been violated entitling parties to move the Supreme Court directly.

In its guidelines issued in May last year in line with the constitutional amendment, the state government said persons not covered under the existing scheme of reservations for the SCs, the STs, and the socially and educationally backward classes and whose family had a gross annual income below Rs 8 lakh are to be identified as EWSs for the benefit of reservation.

An all-party meeting convened by the AIADMK government in July turned inconclusive, as parties like Congress, BJP and CPM supported the quota and DMK and the regional parties opposed it. The government decided to seek legal opinion on the issue. “ The Constitution talks of reservation only for socially and educationally backward, and there is no mention of economically backward,” DMK MP and spokesperson T K S Elangovan said.