Social distancing: Carrying capacity of buses to come down by 25%

Social distancing: Carrying capacity of buses to come down by 25%

The carrying capacity of buses are set to come down by 25 per cent from Saturday with the State government imposing restrictions on travelling while standing.

Published: 09th April 2021 04:28 AM |

By B Anbuselvan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The carrying capacity of buses are set to come down by 25 per cent from Saturday with the State government imposing restrictions on travelling while standing. The maximum number of travellers on buses will be regulated according to the seating capacity of the vehicle. The move will empty the aisles in buses and allow commuters to comply with social distancing norms, said official sources.

However, on the flip side, the move is likely to have an adverse impact on transport corporations as well as commuters. The transport department has been reeling under financial crunch with mounting debts of over Rs 15,000 crore for the past few years. Each government bus had been charged from Rs 9,500 to Rs 10,000 at every toll gate on the National Highways for 50 trips. As a result, Villupuram and Salem corporations brought down the number of trips on many routes.

The recent curbs will reduce the carrying capacity of buses from 25 to 30 per cent, thereby further taking a toll on the revenue of corporations. However, operational expenses will remain the same. Even as the government is yet to resume more than 40 per cent of bus services post the Covid-19 lockdown since last year, the new restriction on standing will increase the demand for buses.

However, transport secretary C Samayamoorthy maintained that over 70 per cent of the fleet of eight transport corporations was being operated. “To meet the additional demand, we will increase services after studying the demand,” he said. A large section of daily-wage labourers and office goers depends on public transportation, particularly the Mofussil buses outside Chennai city.

K Baskaran, who works at a biscuit manufacturing company near Tiruvallur, said many workers employed in smaller industries relied on government buses for their daily commute. “If commuters are not allowed to stand and travel, the government should increase the number of buses,” he said. The government said buses will be operated to neighbouring Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry.

King Institute’s popularity among Covid patients worries officials

King Institute’s popularity among Covid patients worries officials

Covid patients delay treatment as they wait to get admitted at King Institute Covid hospital

Published: 09th April 2021 04:33 AM 

By Sinduja Jane

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Covid patients queuing up at the King Institute in Guindy to get admitted while refusing to go to other government hospitals has worried health department officials. Their wait for admission since as early as 5 am could result in a delay in treatment, the officials fear. Some patients are ready to wait for even two days to get admitted at the exclusive Covid hospital at King Institute.

On Thursday, the hospital almost ran out of beds. As per data from the Directorate of Medical Education, of the total 525 beds, 479 had been occupied till evening on the day. A woman, who was waiting to get admitted at the institute, was told that the beds were almost full as many people were already waiting before her. She still managed to get admitted through her contacts.

She refused to go to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), where 1,618 beds were vacant. In another case, a man, whose grandmother had taken a Covid test, wanted to wait for the results as King Institute admitted only confirmed Covid patients. He refused to admit her at the RGGGH, which has a separate ward for suspected patients, thus delaying treatment for the woman.

Dr R Narayana Babu, Director of Medical Education, said, people should make use of other government facilities as well. “We still have plenty of beds. In Chennai alone, there are 10,568 beds in government hospitals. Among them, only 1,943 were filled on Thursday. They should not delay treatment by waiting to get admitted at King Institute,” he said.

Another senior doctor pointed out that when it comes to all critical care management, the RGGGH is the mother of all institutions. “Any patient with comorbid conditions can be treated there as the hospital has all specialties,” he said.

People prefer the King Institute because it is a new building and the premises is clean and well-maintained. Some even prefer Government Omandurar Medical College Hospital, which has set up an exclusive Covid-19 hospital, he said. He noted that many other government hospitals have dedicated new buildings for Covid treatment.

3 dead, 39 injured as govt bus, truck collide head-on

3 dead, 39 injured as govt bus, truck collide head-on

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Cuddalore:  09.04.2021

Three people including the driver of a TNSTC bus were killed and 39 others were injured when the bus collided head-on with a truck on Thursday near Chidambaram in Cuddalore district. A case was registered against the truck driver, who was said to be in a critical condition.

The deceased people were identified as 38-year-old D Sivakumar of Villupuram district, the bus driver, and passengers A Anbarasan, 36, and R Vairavan, 19, from Nagapattinam district.

Police said the TNSTC bus from Velankanni left for Chennai in the wee hours of Thursday. When the bus crossed Mettupalayam near Chidambaram, it collided head-on with a truck bound for Chidambaram from Cuddalore. Teh front portions of the bus and truck were completely mangled and the bus was flipped to its side in the impact.

While the three were found dead on the spot, 39 others were injured and rushed to government general hospitals in Cuddalore and Chidambaram.

A police team led by DSP (Chidambaram) T A J Lamech reached the accident spot and recovered the bodies.

The condition of the truck driver, identified as Iyyappan, was said to be critical. He was later shifted to Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) in Puducherry for advanced care and was subsequently referred to a private hospital in Chennai.

The Puduchatram police registered a case against Iyyappan under Sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304 A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and began investigations.

BATTERED: The TNSTC bus was heading from Velankanni to Chennai

Friends beyond faith, only death could part

Friends beyond faith, only death could part

Deepak.Karthik@timesgroup.com

Trichy: 09.04.2021

A life-size obituary banner with portraits of two elderly men sprung up on Jubilee road in Jayankondam town in Ariyalur on Wednesday afternoon as many residents gazed in disbelief. K Mahalingam, 70, and P Jailabudeen, 66, thick friends for 40 years, had passed away within a space of 30 minutesjustthepreviousnight.Bothfamilies haderectedthecommon banner astestimony to a friendship that transcended religious and professional barriers.

Mahalingam was priest at the Mariamman temple on Vriddachalam road andhadbeen running a tea stallnear the temple. Jailabudeen was a rice mill owner staying opposite his house on Jubilee Road. Their families recall that the two addressed each other as mama-mapla (used between close friends).

Being a priest, Mahalingam was a staunch believer in Hindu rituals and wasoften seen withholy ashsmearedon hisforeheadwhileJailabudeen followed Islam. “No function or festival in our house happened in the absence of Jailabudeen thatha (grandfather). They used to tellusthatthey wereneighbourseven as young boys and hung out together,” says S Guru, Mahalingam’s grandson. “My family always consulted Mahalingam thatha whilehosting any function.Wish wehada snap of thetwowhilethey were alive, the deaths were sudden,” Abdul Rashith, grandson of Jailabudeen, said.

Family members say Mahalingam who had hypertension complained of uneasiness on Tuesday noon. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital by his family in an autorickshaw. They werenotawarethatJailabudeen wasalready atthehospitalafter healsoshowedsome discomforts. Both were referred to Jayankondam GH and admitted to the same ward.

Jailabudeen had chest pain, according to his grandson, and he fell unconscious and died around 4 pm. When Mahalingam wasinformedaboutthedeath of his friend, the families said he was already slipping away, but tears welled in his eyes. He breathed his last half an hour later. Mahalingam was cremated at the cremation ground in Jayankondam town while Jailabudeen was buried at the Muslim burial ground on the outskirts on Wednesday.

BOND OF LOVE: P Jailabudeen and K Mahalingam (right)

HC asks TN to reserve med seat for RTE student next year

MAKING AN EXCEPTION

HC asks TN to reserve med seat for RTE student next year

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:  09.04.2021

Madras high court has directed Tamil Nadu government to ‘reserve’ one medical seat next year for a girl student ‘on priority basis’ under 7.5% quota provided for students who studied from Class VI to Class XII in government schools. She, as an RTE quota student, had studied in a private school till Class VI.

It is, however, not clear whether she would be eligible for a medical seat next year, on the basis of her performance in NEET this year. NEET score is valid for the current year only.

The case relates to a case filed by Sabhana’s father, stating that she had studied in a private school under RTE quota, Noting that she did Class VII to Class XII in a government school, he said she is eligible for admission under 7.5% quota. He, however, said that while filling the application form, she had marked ‘no’ against a column which asked if she had studied in a government school from Class VI to Class XII.

Justice V Parthiban, deciding the case in her favour, said the state ought to have had a separate column for students who studied in private schools under RTE quota.

Due to the absence of any specific column for RTE category students, the valuable right of Sabhana for being consideredunder 7.5%quota hadbeen denied to her, said Justice Parthiban, adding: "No amount of consolation from the state authorities could compensate the loss suffered by the petitioner's daughter at the crucial stage of higher educational pursuits.”

The judge observed that the dream and hope of the student to pursue medical education should not be shattered on account of a fault of the authorities who had not clearly framed or formulated the application form.

Observing that the state government is under moral and legal obligation to consider her admission, Justice Parthiban asked the state to explore the possibilities to accommodate the student in this academic year in any leftover vacancy due to the candidates non-joining the course.

After being informed of the closure of the admission process, the judge directed the state to reserve a seat for the student andprovideher admission next academic year on a priority basis in medical courses in terms of her overall standing in the merit list under 7.5% quota, if she is interested in taking up the course to be offered to her.

It was the state’s case that had the student approached the counselling authority immediately, her name could have been included for extension of 7.5% preferential admission this year.

Explain action against internal corruption, court tells DVAC

Explain action against internal corruption, court tells DVAC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.04.2021

The Madras high court has directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to explain as to whether the agency is functioning independently without political influences.

The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy also wanted the DVAC to report action taken by it in the past three years against corrupt officials of the agency.

The court issued the directions on a public interest writ petition moved by Karuppu Ezhuthu Kazhagam seeking to quash a government order dated July 5, 2020 transferring various officials.

Counsel for the petitioner P Vijendran claimed that corruption was rampant in the registration department and alleged that highly corrupt officials in the department were being allowed to peacefully retire from service and go scotfree, while those facing comparatively less serious charges were being subjected serious punishment.

Pointing out a particular case of district registrar K Gopalakrishnan, who was transferred from Chennai to Tuticorin after a DVAC raid in March 2019, the petitioner said, the officer did not join service at the transferred location.

However, he was transferred back to Chengalpattu within four months, he added.

Further, stating that the official’s name had been included in a general list of transfer of various other officers in July 2020, the petitioner urged the court to quash the entire GO and consequently direct the state government to effect the transfers in a transparent manner.

Microsurgery by city doc corrects ringing in ears of man, 26

Microsurgery by city doc corrects ringing in ears of man, 26

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.04.2021

The continuous ringing sound in the ears of a 26-year-old man for two years affected his work, sleep and daily life. But when a city-based doctor performed a rare microsurgery to move a blood vessel away from the auditory nerve, the patient was able to smile again.

Venkat Narayan was referred to the MGM Healthcare by a senior ENT surgeon because the ringing sound diagnosed as a rare form of tinnitus did not go away with medication and other therapy.

Further tests including a brain MRI in January 2020, showed no abnormal tumours or vascular malformation. “After a detailed examination, it was diagnosed that the artery abutting the auditory nerve was creating this problem,” said senior neurosurgeon Dr K Sridhar, director and group head, Institute of Neurosciences and Spinal Disorders, MGM Healthcare.

The team of doctors then decided to do a microvascular decompression of the cochlear nerve. While the procedure is regularly performed to treat shock like pain over the face due to compression of nerves, it is not used to treating tinnitus. “We moved the artery away from the nerve and the problem was gone,” he said. “We had to be very careful while doing this procedure as the risk of deafness and facial weakness were high,” he said.

Venkat said he will carry on with his higher education as he had planned earlier.