New cases below 5,000 for second day - The Times Of India

New cases below 5,000 for second day - The Times Of India

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.10.2020

Fresh cases in Tamil Nadu dropped below 5,000 for the second consecutive day and deaths too dropped below 60 on Tuesday. The 4,666 new cases pushed the case tally to 6,65,930. The 57 deaths took the cumulative death toll to 10,371. Active cases too dropped to 43,239.

Chennai, the worst affected district, reported 1,164 cases, the highest in the state, followed by Coimbatore (398) and Salem (277). Two other districts that reported cases above 200 were Chengalpet (252) and Tiruvallur (236). Seven districts reported less than 50 cases – Ariyalur and Karur reported 36 cases each, Kallakurichi and Tenkasi 31 each, Ramanathapuram 17, Sivaganga 16 and Perambalur five.

While 17 districts reported zero deaths, Chennai reported 13 and Coimbatore five. Three districts, Chengalpet, Tiruppur and Tirupattur, reported four deaths each; three others, Cuddalore, Krishnagiri and Salem, had three deaths each. Five districts reported two deaths each and six districts reported one death each.

The average case fatality rate was 1.6% in the state, but four districts had death rate above 2% -- Tiruppur (2%), Ramanathapuram (2.1%), Sivaganga (2.2%) and Madurai

(2.3%). The lowest rates were in Nilgiris (.6%), Villupuram (.8%), Tuticorin (.9%) and Dharmapuri (.9%).

The 11 districts in the north together reported 49% of the fresh cases and 33% of deaths. They reported 2,311 new cases and 33 deaths including 1,781 fresh cases and 21 deaths in the Chennai region.

The western districts reported 1388 fresh cases, while the south and central zones reported 492 and 475 cases each. The west reported 18 deaths compared to four in the south and two in the central zone.

The eleven northern districts together had 22,237 active cases, including 18,100 in the Chennai region. There were 12,786 patients under treatment in the west, 4,421 in the south and 3,778 in the central districts.

MBBS quota: Guv still awaits legal opinion -

MBBS quota: Guv still awaits legal opinion -

The Times Of India

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:14.10.2020

It is nearly a month since the state assembly unanimously passed a bill carving out 7.5% of available MBBS seats for government school students, and this year’s NEET results are just a couple of days away. Yet governor Banwarilal Purohit is yet to give his assent to the proposal.

Sources told TOI that Purohit is awaiting legal opinion on the matter. “Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami made specific requests to the governor during his recent meeting. The governor is said to be expecting legal opinion from Delhi to enact the law. The government is positive to get assent by this week,” said a source. Palaniswami, his colleagues, C Ve Shanmugam (law) and K P Anbalagan (higher education) along with officials visited Raj Bhavan on October 5 and briefed him about the Bills. Another key academic initiative of the state government — the bifurcation of the Anna University into two institutions — too is awaiting the governor’s nod.

The state has been pushing for the NEET quota for government school students to ensure about 300 seats to them this year. Under the NEET regime only 0.15% seats in the state quota of 4,043 seats went to government school students, bringing enormous discomfiture to the EPS dispensation. The state cabinet had cleared a proposal in June to provide horizontal reservation following retired high court judge justice Kalaiyarasan commission’s report on the huge disparities between private and government school students gaining access to medicine. Due to cognitive gap created by socio economic factors the committee had concluded that “government school students form a separate class and are in a disadvantageous position as compared to private school students.” It recommended 10% of seats in the medical admission on a preferential basis to students who studied from Class VI to higher secondary in government schools. After sending the proposal to the governor to promulgate ordinance, the state cabinet met in July and tweaked the original proposal. The revised proposal allowed RTE students, who studied in government schools from Class XI onwards also eligible to avail the quota. Attempts to contact governor’s secretary Anandrao Vishnu Patil were futile.

12 MBA students of MKU get placement

12 MBA students of MKU get placement

15/10/2020

Staff Reporter

Twelve Masters in Business Administration students of Madurai Kamaraj University got placed in ICICI Bank at a campus recruitment.

A total of 40 students attended the recruitment process. Three levels of evaluation process — an online exam, group discussion and personal interview — were held. Twelve students were selected, a release said.

Vice-Chancellor M. Krishnan congratulated the students and gave away offer letters to them.

V. Chinnaiah, Professor and Head, Department of Management Studies, MKU, thanked the bank for conducting the campus recruitment.

Nodal Placement Officer P. Kannadas and other faculties of MBA department coordinated the conduct of the recruitment process.

HC issues guidelines for conducting post mortem

HC issues guidelines for conducting post mortem

15/10/2020

B. Tilak Chandar MADURAI

Passing a series of directions with respect to conduct of post mortems and issue of certificates, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ruled that doctors should follow Article 621 of the Tamil Nadu Medical Code by sending the post mortem certificate, as soon as it is over, to the judicial magistrate concerned.

A copy of the certificate should be sent to the head of the department on the same day, failing which departmental proceedings should be initiated against them, the court said, and directed the Health Secretary to issue a circular directing the doctors to strictly follow Article 621.

The court directed the State government to appoint Scientific Officers at all Government Medical College Hospitals for providing assistance. Biometric attendance for staff should be followed at hospitals. A web-based medico-legal examination and post mortem reports system should be followed at all hospitals from January 1, 2021, the court said.

The court was hearing the public interest litigation petition filed by advocate R.M. Arun Swaminathan, who complained of lacuna in the procedures followed in conducting post mortem at government hospitals. There was no transparency and the procedure prescribed under the Tamil Nadu Medical Code was not followed, he said.

A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and S.S. Sundar took cognisance of the fact that there were several irregularities in the conduct of post mortems, and sometimes even unauthorised people were conducting them. Also, preparation of the certificate was not in the format prescribed by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The court said there was a failure on the part of the doctors and forensic experts to send the post mortem certificates immediately to the Judicial Magistrate and to the head of the department. These were the reasons to suspect malpractice and meddling with the findings of the autopsy at the instance of third parties.

Besides, these post mortem reports were handwritten and not legible. Unless they were legibly written, it would not be possible for non-medical people to understand the writings of the doctors and forensic experts. The certificates had to be read and understood for conducting investigation and deciding cases.

The court said the NHRC format should be followed in issuing post mortem certificates. The post mortems should be videographed whenever requests were made by families or friends of the deceased, it said.

Minister rules out re-opening of schools anytime soon

Minister rules out re-opening of schools anytime soon

15/10/2020

K. A. Sengottayan

Special CorrespondentDharmapuri

Minister for School Education K.A. Sengottaiyan ruled out the possibilities of re-opening schools anytime soon. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Mr. Sengottaiyan said as long as the pandemic continued there was no possibility of re-opening schools. Citing the Andhra Pradesh experience of re-opening schools causing infection to over 26 students, the Minister said any plan of re-opening schools will be a consultative and a collective decision at a later stage. According to the Minister, 60% of the syllabus was being covered through online classes without any glitches.

Cops register case against brother of man kept in freezer

FAMILY ISSUES

Cops register case against brother of man kept in freezer

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Salem:15.10.2020 

A day after 73-yearold man was rescued at Old Housing Board at Kandhampatty in the city, the Suramangalam police on Wednesday registered a case against the man’s younger brother for keeping him in the freezer presuming that he was dead. However, police did not arrest Saravanan, 70. Balasubramaniya Kumar,

73, was rescued by police and health officials after they found him alive but kept in a freezer by his brother at their residence on Tuesday.

According to the Suramangalam police, Balasubramaniya Kumar was working in a private company and was retired 15 years ago. His wife Usha died of age related ailments two years ago. He doesn't have any children and he moved to his brother Saravanan’s house.

“Saravanan has been living with his sister’s daughters including Jayasri and Sudha,” a police officer said.

Saravanan was mentally ill and a bachelor. Similarly, his sister’s daughters Jayasri and Sudha were spinsters. Two days ago, Sudha went to Coimbatore for her treatment and she got admitted in a private hospital while the other three were in the house.

The Suramangalam police registered a case against Saravanan under sections of IPC including 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others).

“We will take necessary action against Saravanan after inquiry,” the police officer added.

Salem government Mohan Kumaramangalam medical college and hospital dean Dr R Balajnathan said condition of Balasubramaniya is stable. “He's responding to treatment and cooperating,” he said.

Khushbu in soup over Cong remark, apologises

Khushbu in soup over Cong remark, apologises

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

Chennai:15.10.2020  

Actor-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar on Wednesday apologised for using the words “mentally retarded”.

On Wednesday, a day after joining the BJP, Khushbu called the Congress a “mentally retarded” party, which cannot think for itself. Mental health activists criticised her for denigrating psychosocial disabilities while criticising the Congress.

“Apologies. I should not have said that,” the actor told TOI. “It was a response to the Congress to what they said about me being non-brainy and thus easily brainwashed by my hubby,” she explained.

She had made the remark when reporters at Chennai airport asked her about Congress leaders’ allegation that she was brainwashed by her husband to join the saffron party.

On Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu Association of the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers filed a complaint with the St Thomas Mount police station against the actor for her remark denigrating people with disabilities. TARATDAC issued a statement condemning the for her statement. “We have filed a complaint in St Thomas Mount police station today. The actor is residing in Raja Annamalaipuram police station limit. So, we will file a complaint against her in that police station. We have also asked the office bearers of our district units to file complaints in their respective area,” general secretary of the association S Nambirajan told TOI.

“In her attempt to portray her political opponents in a poor light and to humiliate them, she has intentionally insulted persons with disabilities,” S Nambirajan said in a statement Such an intentional insult constitutes an offence under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. “We request police to register a case under the act and take suitable action,” he further said. December 3 Movement has demanded that the actor tender an apology for her remark and asked her to refrain from using such terminology.

Stating that she had struggled with mental health concerns in her own family, Khushbu said, “I am terribly sorry for the incorrect use of a couple of phrases in a moment of hastiness, deep distress and anguish. I am disappointed by the inadvertent distress that I have caused many, equally I am now determined to ensure that I do not repeat this ever, whatever the motivation. I also dedicate myself to ensure that the voices of those with psychosocial disability are valued and heard, as they should be.”

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