Month before wedding, techie dies without getting ventilator

Month before wedding, techie dies without getting ventilator

Kiran.Parashar@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:02.05.2021 

Had he been alive, he would have been happily married next month. For nearly a week, the software professional’s kin ran from pillar to post to find a ventilator, but lost him before they could get one.

Nagarabhavi resident Sagar AG, 28, was excited about getting married in June and wanted to keep it a low-key affair with minimal attendance. But the joyous occasion at his home turned tragic in 15 days after Sagar died of Covid-19 complications.

When he fell ill on April 12, Sagar gave his reports to a private laboratory and tested negative. But two days later, he had fever and cold. Sagar met his doctor and was told to get himself tested again. This time he tested positive and five days later, BBMP officials called him up to check his health status and suggested home isolation.

But his condition worsened and he complained of fatigue and dysentery. “We took him to a nearby hospital and got a CT scan done. Doctors said he was suffering from pneumonia and asked us to immediately shift him to the ICU,” said his younger brother Akshay AG. After several attempts and calls to at least 30 hospitals from April 21, Sagar’s family members were yet to get an ICU bed and ventilator even as his health deteriorated.

His friends appealed for help on social media and visited several hospitals to save Sagar. They said in each hospital they saw at least four patients in the waiting list for a ventilator. He succumbed to the virus on April 27.

LIFE CUT SHORT: Doctors said Sagar AG had pneumonia and needed an ICU bed

Uncle’s treatment can’t be ground for granting bail to murder accused: HC

Uncle’s treatment can’t be ground for granting bail to murder accused: HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:  02.05.2021 

In a heinous crime like murder, the family background as well as medical treatment being provided to the uncle of the accused-petitioner can’t be the grounds for granting bail.

The high court made this observation while rejecting the bail plea of Srinivasa Reddy, an agriculturalist from Thippareddyhalli, Challakere taluk in Chitradurga.

“When there are 10 eyewitnesses and they have categorically spoken about the petitioner’s overt act of having committed murder of an innocent woman, question of showing any sympathy to him in respect of his family background is not warranted. If the petitioner is granted bail, there is a possibility of him committing similar offences and tampering withwitnesses. Chances of the deceased woman’s son attacking the petitioner to take revenge are also not ruled out. I feel it is not a fit case for granting bail,” Justice K Natarajan noted.

Reddy is accused of murdering Meenakshamma on August 28, 2020. Her son Rajashekar is the complainant in the case. The case of the prosecution is that Reddy came on a motorcycle and attacked the woman with a machete and sickle while she was returning home after work, in the backdrop of a dispute between the two families.

Denying these allegations, Reddy’s counsel claimed the petitioner has been falsely implicated. Placing the genealogical tree, it was further claimed that since his father’s death, Reddy is the only male member in the family and has to take care of his 80-year-old uncle who is suffering from end-stage cancer and being treated in a Bengaluru hospital. Another argument was that the chargesheet has been filed after completion of investigation.

However, the prosecution claimed the weapons used for the crime along with blood-stained clothes recovered by police as well as statements of the 10 eyewitnesses connect Reddy to the crime.

Vacations: Govt, varsities not on same page

Vacations: Govt, varsities not on same page

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:02.05.2021 

There seems to be a lack of coordination between the universities and the state government over summer vacations.

Several universities have recently announced vacations on their own. So the government, it appears, was compelled to announce a common vacation schedule before more universities came forward with such announcements, said sources aware of the matter.

The Gujarat government announced vacations for all universities and colleges in the state from May 1to June 5 amid the prevailing Covid-19 situation.

A few universities had declared vacations ahead of the state government’s announcement due to the worsening Covid-19 situation. For instance, North Gujarat University announced its May vacation a few days ago. On Friday, ahead of the state’s announcement, Gujarat Technological University announced its vacation from May 3 to June 2.

“There was pressure from faculty and other staff members to announce the summer vacation from May,” said a source in GTU. “Since there was no such announcement till the last week of April, the universities began announcing vacations on their own.”

The decision by the state government came after concerns were raised by student bodies and faculty members against the instruction to staff and faculty members to work at colleges and universities. The government had made it compulsory for colleges and universities to continue running at half the staff strength on the rotational basis.

The government began reopening schools and colleges from January this year after they had remained closed for over nine months due to Covid-19. But soon the government decided to shut them down as Covid-19 cases began rising in the state. Online education resumed.

12-hour shift draining us: Madurai GRH nurses

12-hour shift draining us: Madurai GRH nurses

“What’s worse, during monthly periods, nurses could not change their sanitary pads for half a day, until they complete the duty and remove the PPE suits,” she said.

Published: 02nd May 2021 04:11 AM |

Doctors And Nurses seen working with Personal Protective Equipment PPE. (Representational Photo | A Raja Chidambaram, EPS)

By Lalitha Ranjani

Express News Service

MADURAI: Left high and dry in PPE suits for 12 hours in the night with no means to quench their thirst or to attend nature’s call, a group of nurses at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) have raised their voice against the night-duty system.

Sources said that for the past four weeks, GRH nurses on Covid duty work in three shifts – 7.30 am to 1.30 pm, 1.30 pm to 7.30 pm and 7.30 pm to 7.30 am. Terming the 12-hour night shift extremely exhaustive, one of the nurses who completed the duty last month said that they could neither eat, drink water nor to attend nature’s call wearing PPE suit. She also said that the suit leaves them dehydrated. “What’s worse, during monthly periods, nurses could not change their sanitary pads for half a day, until they complete the duty and remove the PPE suits,” she said.

Another nurse said that as per the present arrangement, senior nurses are posted in morning shift while junior nurses, especially those working for consolidated pay, are allotted the 12-hour night duty. “When we requested equal shift hours (three shifts of eight hours each), the matrons informed us that the senior nurses would find it difficult to have their breakfast as early as 5.30 am before starting work and thus eight-hour shifts were not feasible,” she pointed out.

A nurse, who, on Saturday, was assigned the night duty starting Sunday, claimed that the bias shown in duty allocation, forcing junior nurses to work for twice the number of hours than the senior nurses would affect their morale and directly hit patient care. She added that senior nurses are usually exempted from Covid duty due to age factor and comorbidities and regular wards continue to function simultaneously.

“Consequently, the number of nurses available on call for Covid duty is lesser and the number of Covid duty shifts has been brought down to three this time, until fresh recruitments are made,” the nurse added.

During the first wave of Covid-19 last year, GRH nurses worked at the Covid wards in four shifts, spanning six hours each – 7.30 am to 1.30 pm, 1.30 pm to 7.30 pm, 7.30 pm to 1.30 am, 1.30 am to 7.30 am.

When contacted, the Grade I Nursing Superintendent at GRH Kaleeswari said that a new duty roaster of four shifts of six hours each was being prepared. She assured that it would come into effect from Sunday.

Suspended staff getting full benefits, rues HC

Suspended staff getting full benefits, rues HC

The petitioner, Arockiyasamy, was caught taking a bribe of Rs 2,000 by Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corrupt ion sleuths in 2009.

Published: 02nd May 2021 04:15 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Observing that several corrupt government officials placed under suspension are being paid all monetary benefits, while many deserving candidates are engaged as contract workers and paid meagre salaries, the Madras High Court dismissed a plea moved by a Sanitary Inspector seeking to quash the proceedings initiated against him in 2009.

The petitioner, Arockiyasamy, was caught taking a bribe of Rs 2,000 by Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corrupt ion sleuths in 2009. A special court in 2020 convicted him and awarded him four years of rigorous imprisonment and Rs 5,000 fine. Arockiyasamy then moved the High Court challenging the disciplinary proceedings initiated against him by the State.

Dismissing the plea, Justice S Vaidyanathan said, “It is pertinent to mention here that even on conviction of an employee, departmental proceedings shall be conducted, as there is every possibility of the conviction being set aside by a higher forum. The corrupt employee or official should not be allowed to go scot free on the ground of non-initiation of departmental proceedings.” The court also made it clear that the DVAC enquiry against Arockiyasamy should not be stalled for any reason.

“It is painful to note that several talented persons are working on contractbasis, especially in the Public Works Department , under Non-Muster Roll for years together without regularisation. Deserving persons are paid meagre salary, whereas corrupt officials, who are placed under suspension, are paid all monetary benefits, including arrears of subsistence allowance on the ground of technical flaws,” the judge further observed.

US allows kin of its mission staff ‘voluntary departure’

US allows kin of its mission staff ‘voluntary departure’

New Delhi:02.05.2021

The United States has authorised “voluntary departure” of family members of employees posted in its diplomatic missions in India and encouraged other citizens who wish to leave the country “to take advantage of currently available commercial flights”.

From 9.30am IST on May 4, the US will “restrict and suspend” the entry of “non-citizens”, with some exceptions, who were in India during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into America.

“...US Embassy New Delhi and Consulates General Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai will remain open and continue to provide emergency consular services,” states the website of the US embassy and consulates in India. TNN

EC moves SC against Madras HC’s ‘murder charge’ remarks

EC moves SC against Madras HC’s ‘murder charge’ remarks

Observations Made By HC Uncalled For: EC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:02.05.2021

Smarting at being lambasted by Madras high court which observed that Election Commission “should be put up on murder charges” for failure to maintain Covid protocol during election campaigns, the commission has moved the Supreme Court against HC for making derogatory remarks against the poll watchdog.

The commission submitted observations made by the high court were “uncalled for, blatantly disparaging and derogatory”. It said the HC should not have passed such remarks against a constitutional body, reflecting its sense the remarks were over the top and lacked a sense of proportion.

In an appeal filed against the HC order, the commission said the Madras high court being an independent constitutional authority made “serious allegations of murder on another independent constitutional authority without any basis, which has ultimately dented both the institutions.”

The HC on Monday came down heavily on the EC for not enforcing Covid-19 protocol during poll campaigning for assembly elections and blamed the panel for the spread of pandemic during election time.

“You (ECI) are the only institution responsible for the situation that we are in today. You have been singularly lacking any kind of exercise of authority…You have not taken measures against political parties holding rallies despite every order of this court saying ‘maintain Covid protocol, maintain Covid protocol’ like a broken record,” the HC had said.

HC made the observations while hearing a public interest writ petition filed by Tamil Nadu transport minister M R Vijayabhaskar, who is AIADMK’s candidate in Karur constituency where 77 candidates are in the fray. He had sought directions to the ECI to follow measures aimed at ensuring fairness in the counting of votes on May 2 when Covid protocols will be in place.

“The significance of adhering to such protocol may have been lost on the EC going by the puerile silence on the part of the commission as campaigns and rallies were conducted without distancing norms being maintained and in wanton disregard of the other items of the protocol,” the court had said.

Election commission said the Madras HC being an independent constitutional authority made “serious allegations of murder on another independent constitutional authority without any basis, which has ultimately dented both the institutions”