Judge wants to learn about same sex relationships before penning judgment

Judge wants to learn about same sex relationships before penning judgment

He requests psychologist to assist him in understanding the subject

29/04/2021

Mohamed Imranullah S. CHENNAI

In an unprecedented move, a judge of the Madras High Court has decided to undergo psychoeducation before penning a judgment on same sex relationships.

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh felt the words on the subject should come from his heart and not from his head. Therefore, he requested a psychologist to give him an appointment so that the professional could help him understand such relationships and pave the way for “his evolution”.

Passing interim orders on a petition filed by two young women with same sex orientation, the judge, on Wednesday, said, “Insofar as the request made by the learned counsel S. Manuraj, for the petitioners, to set out guidelines in cases of this nature is concerned, I want to give myself some more time to churn. Ultimately in this case, the words must come from my heart and not from my head, and the same will not be possible if I am not fully woke on this aspect.”

Hence, he wanted to subject himself to psychoeducation with Vidhya Dinakaran, a psychologist. “If I write an order after undergoing psychoeducation, I trust that the words will fall from my heart.”

The two women graduates from Madurai had approached the High Court last month fearing threat to their lives from their parents. They had fled home, taken refuge with a non-governmental organisation in Chennai and were looking for jobs. After holding in-camera proceedings with them and their parents, the judge found that they all required counselling by a psychologist and accordingly asked them to attend a session with Ms. Dinakaran.

After the first round of counselling, the psychologist submitted a report on Wednesday, stating that the petitioners perfectly understand the relationship between them and had absolutely no confusion in their minds.

After taking the report on file, the judge said the parents could not be expected to change their notions overnight.

Therefore, he directed them to attend one more counselling session before the case could be heard next on June 7.

Covaxin shields from B.1.617’

Covaxin shields from B.1.617’

People vaccinated with it protected against double mutant variant: study

29/04/2021

Safe bet: A health worker giving a shot of Covaxin in New Delhi. SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

R. PrasadCHENNAI

A study has found that people who have been vaccinated with Covaxin have protection against the double mutant (B.1.617) variant first found in India. A preprint of the study carried out by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Bharat Biotech researchers has been posted in biorXiv. Preprints are yet to be peer-reviewed and published in medical journals.

So far, 21 countries have detected the B.1.617 variant. Of those, the majority of cases has been reported from India.

The researchers used the sera collected from 28 people who had participated in the Covaxin phase-2 trial. They also collected sera samples from 17 people who were infected with older strains of SARS-CoV-2 virus and had recovered. “The study found that the neutralising capacity against the double mutant [B.1.617] variant was found to be good in both groups — people who have received the vaccine and those who have recovered from COVID-19,” say Dr. Samiran Panda, a senior scientist at ICMR and one of the co-authors of the preprint. “Compared with people who have recovered from COVID-19, the ability of the sera of vaccinated people to neutralise the B.1.617 variant was found to be two-fold less.”

An earlier study had found that Covaxin neutralises the B.1.1.7 variant first found in the U.K.

“The assurance of neutralisation of B.1.617 variant with sera of Covaxin vaccines and recovered COVID-19 sera will provide the much-needed boost for the COVID-19 vaccination programme in India,” the authors write.

Speaking to presspersons during a conference call on April 27, Dr. Antony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said: “Despite the real difficulty that we’re seeing in India, vaccination could be a very important antidote against this [variant].”

The B.1.617 variant has two mutations — E484Q and L425R — of concern. These mutations are found in the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein. Though how the two mutations behave individually is well-known, the combined effect of these mutations when present together is not known. “Further studies are needed to understand the transmissibility and infectivity of the B.1.617 variant,” the authors write.

AI Express suspends flight to Kuala Lumpur

AI Express suspends flight to Kuala Lumpur

29/04/2021

Special Correspondent Tiruchi

Air India Express suspended its service on the Tiruchi-Kuala Lumpur sector from Wednesday.

The move by the State carrier followed restrictions imposed by Malaysia on incoming flights from India in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation.

Airport sources said Air India Express had been operating flights to the Malaysian capital from Tiruchi under the Vande Bharat Mission.

However, the service was suspended in view of the restrictions imposed by the Malaysian government on flights coming from India.

Air India Express, however, continued to operate daily flights to Singapore from Tiruchi, the airport sources further added

CMCH nurses stage protest over manpower shortage

CMCH nurses stage protest over manpower shortage

29/04/2021

Nurses staging a protest at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on Wednesday.

Staff Reporter COIMBATORE

Nurses working at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on Wednesday staged a protest, seeking attention of the government into severe manpower shortage. Organisers of the protest said that 320 nurses were currently working at the hospital of which 100 of them are from the Government Medical College and ESI Hospital, Coimbatore, on deputation.

According to them, the nurses were working in three shifts, taking care of the COVID-19 wards and other wards at the hospital. “The normal inpatients range from 1,100 to 1,200 at the hospital. In addition, COVID-19 patients are being treated. The current strength is insufficient and nurses are working under tremendous stress now,” said a representative. Of the existing strength, a few nurses will be on leave, including those who get tested positive for COVID-19 infection, she said. “More than 50 nurses had COVID-19 last year. Nurses are getting tested positive for the disease in the second wave, too,” a nurse said.

CMCH had 514 COVID-19 patients as per the data shared by the district administration as of Wednesday evening. CMCH Dean A. Nirmala held talks with the nurses. They said that the Dean has assured to represent their demands.

Private hospitals bear the brunt of vaccine shortage

Private hospitals bear the brunt of vaccine shortage

29/04/2021

Wilson Thomas COIMBATORE

Many private hospitals in Coimbatore have complained of shortage of COVID-19 vaccines as they are unable to administer doses to people who come for first and second jabs alike.

Some hospitals had to send back people who had come from faraway places after making registrations through the CoWIN portal.

One of the directors of a private hospital told The Hindu that it was unable to give first and second shots to people who came for vaccination on Wednesday.

“We had to return people who took the first dose of Covaxin from our centre and came for the second shot on Wednesday due to lack of supply. Covishield also ran out of stock.

The Health Department is not giving clear information regarding the supply due to which we are unable to give assurance to people,” said the director-cum-doctor.

He added that if the shortage of supply persists, the crisis will escalate from May 1 when vaccine rollout for all aged above 18 starts.

An administrative official from a private hospital in Coimbatore said that private hospitals were not getting proper communication about the registrations done through CoWIN portal.

“People come to private vaccination centres after making registration through the CoWIN portal. However, the centres are not getting details of the registrations from the central portal. The portal allows registration for vaccination from a centre when it is not having vaccine stock.

We had to send back people who had come from faraway places,” said the official.

According to the official, the hospital had returned vaccine doses to the Health Department after it demanded and they were not allotted again.

“We are having minimal stock. We have not been informed about the next allotment though we are constantly contacting the Health Department,” said a spokesperson of another hospital.

An official in the know of vaccine supply in Coimbatore district said that the stock at the main walk-in cooler of the Health Department was minimal. He added that all the districts in the State were in the wait for adequate stock of vaccines.

HC upholds enhancing minimum age for recruiting doctors to govt. service

HC upholds enhancing minimum age for recruiting doctors to govt. service

29/04/2021

Special Correspondent

The High Court of Karnataka has upheld enhancement of minimum age to 26 years from 21 years for recruiting doctors to posts of senior medical officers, specialists, and general duty medical officers in the Department of Health and Family Welfare.

“There is reasonable classification and a rational nexus exists with the object sought to be achieved by amending the minimum age criteria from 21 to 26 and it is not violative of Article 14 or Article 16 of the Constitution of India,” the court held.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Pradeep Singh Yerur passed the order while dismissing the petitions filed by Vikas Gowda K.P and others who are working in government service on contract basis.

The petitioners had questioned the constitutional validity of Directorate Health and Family Welfare Services (Recruitment of Senior Medical Officer/Specialists, General Duty Medical Officers and Dental Health Officers) (Special) (Amendment) Rules, 2020.

The court said that enhancement of minimum age is based on the intelligible differentia of experience and rural service with the object to provide experienced medical service to the public.

Pointing out that a candidate joining MBBS course would be around 25 years when completing MBBS course of four-and-a-half-years, and the internship and the compulsory rural service of one year each in Karnataka, the Bench said that fixing of 26 years of age for appointment cannot be termed as arbitrary in nature.

Stating that it is the prerogative of the State government to fix age criteria for recruitment to a particular post and the courts cannot interfere, the Bench also said that one of the reason for enhancing minimum limit was to absorb doctors having rural work experience into government service.

Coimbatore couple pledges jewellery, donates 100 fans to Covid ward

Coimbatore couple pledges jewellery, donates 100 fans to Covid ward

It was a sultry Tuesday afternoon when Radha* and Chandran* visited the hospital and offered to donate 100 pedestal fans to the Covid ward.

Published: 29th April 2021 04:32 AM 

Though the couple requested to avoid publicity, Express decided to carry the photograph released by the dean as they were anyway wearing masks

By Express News Service

COIMBATORE: Humanity is all that counts in these times of darkness and uncertainty. While most people are actively arranging oxygen cylinders and Remdesivir drug for needy patients through social media, one couple from Coimbatore is providing relief to infectees at the ESI hospital here.

It was a sultry Tuesday afternoon when Radha* and Chandran* visited the hospital and offered to donate 100 pedestal fans to the Covid ward. The hospital administration was elated at not just their generosity, but their way of offering, for the couple had pledged their ornaments to make this donation.

M Raveendran, the dean of the hospital, told Express, “We were initially reluctant to accept the offer. But they just wouldn’t leave the premises without making the donation.” The couple had in fact, pledged gold ornaments worth Rs 2.20 lakh to buy the fans. Since Radha and Chandran were so certain about their decision, Raveendran contacted District Collector S Nagarajan, and got a go-ahead to accept the offer.

“The good samaritans also requested us to avoid publicising their contribution as they called it a favour they did for Covid patients,” said the dean. The fans donated by the couple are kept on the third floor where Covid patients are being treated.

The dean said they had recently purchased about 300 fans to be equipped in Covid wards as they are not supposed to turn on air-conditioning. “We have also requested philanthropists to come forward and donate fans,” he added. When Express contacted the couple, they said the contribution was made for patients’ welfare and refused to comment further.

However, the ESI hospital on Tuesday night, came out with a letter stating that a city-based couple had sponsored 100 pedestal fans by pledging jewellery. The couple did not have cash in hand and that is why they pledged the ornaments, the statement said.

(*Names changed)