Chennai has vaccinated most people with both doses among top 5 metros

Chennai has vaccinated most people with both doses among top 5 metros

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:  22.07.2021 

This southern metro has vaccinated the highest percentage of eligible population with two doses of Covid-19 vaccine, compared to other top metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Hyderabad, an analysis done by the GCC based on data collected from Co-Win portal showed. As on July 20, 9.11 lakh people have received both doses of Covid vaccine in Chennai. This forms 15% of the eligible population

(59.45 lakh) and 12% of the total population (78.53 lakh).

In comparison, in Mumbai, the corresponding figures of eligible population and total population vaccinated with both doses are 11% and 8%, respectively.

Bengaluru is second best after Chennai, with 15% of eligible population and 10% of the total population vaccinated with both doses. The corresponding figures for Delhi are 10% and 7%, while Hyderabad vaccinated 8% and 6%, respectively.

A senior official from Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) said this was because of dedicated measures taken by the civic body. “Through our tele-counselling centres, we called up those who were due for their second dose. Fever survey workers also visited vulnerable citizens to inform them about their second dose. Special camps were held for those whose second dose was due,” the official said.

However, in Bengaluru, 60% of the eligible population has been vaccinated with a single dose, while in Chennai this figure stands at 45%.

Dr Subramanian Swaminathan, infectious disease expert, said this shows the level of awareness about vaccination in an urban centre like Chennai. He said the TN government must work harder to have similar success in rural parts of the state.

Dr Swaminathan said we are nowhere near where we need to be. “We must go faster. Moreover, there is a sharp drop in the number of people coming to vaccination centres in Chennai. Authorities must change their approach to vaccination awareness now,” he said.

Bengaluru comes second with 15% of eligible population and 10% of the total population vaccinated with both doses

New cashless med cover for govt staff

New cashless med cover for govt staff

BV.Shivashankar@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:22.07.2021 

After the 11 per cent hike in dearness allowance (DA), the state government plans to provide a new cashless insurance scheme with broader coverage to its employees. The Karnataka State Government Employees’ Association said that the proposal for the new scheme, Arogya Siri, was in the advanced stage and might be approved during a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

The health cover will benefit 24 lakh people, including the dependents of staffers. “The government has told us that the departments of law and finance have cleared the proposal. We expect that the scheme will be implemented shortly after the cabinet clears it on Thursday,” said the association’s secretary, JG Patil.

There are about 6 lakh government employees, 4.5 lakh pensioners and 3 lakh workers of boards and corporations. Arogya Siri will cover all severe and minor diseases, unlike the current Jyothi Sanjeevini scheme that includes only tertiary treatment and emergency care for broad specialities such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, renal diseases, neurological conditions, burns, polytrauma cases and neonatal cases.

“Currently, if employees or their family members have any condition apart from these, they have to pay from their pocket and claim reimbursement later under Jyothi Sanjeevini. At most, they get back 50 per cent of what they spend. There is no such burden in the new scheme, which makes the treatment of all diseases cashless without any financial cap. We welcome it,” said the association’s president, CS Shadakshari.

The present scheme allows employees and their dependents to seek treatment at around 500 empanelled hospitals.

The new one permits them to get treatment in any hospital, be it government or private.

According to a senior official in the finance department, the burden on the exchequer is estimated to increase by at least four times, and the government is getting quotations from various hospitals to work out the costs.

Employees, meanwhile, have urged the government to switch back to the old pension model from the National Pension Scheme (NSP). Association members say that NPS is not beneficial as it also requires employees to contribute a portion of the basic salary towards the pension fund. In the old scheme, only the employer was required to contribute.

“The government invests the pension fund in the share market and the amount a retired employee gets is marketlinked. There is a risk in this. There have been instances in which an employee entitled to get Rs 30,000 received only Rs 3,000. Also, the NPS does not have the provision for inclusion of the revised dearness allowance,” Patil said.

24 lakh  People scheme will benefit

Medicos protest over unpaid allowance

Medicos protest over unpaid allowance

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:22.07.2021 

Members of the Karnataka Resident Doctors’ Association (KRDA) sported black armbands at workplaces to protest non-payment of Covid-19 risk allowances. The protest has been going on since Monday.

During the second wave, the government had passed an order providing a sum of Rs 10,000 per month as Covid risk allowance. The order kicked in from April.

Dr Namratha C, president, KRDA, said when they ask medical colleges authorities, they pass the buck to the government saying they have no funds to pay. “It’s more than three months since the order was passed,” Dr Namratha said. “While the government says colleges have to pay the allowance from their stipend fund, colleges say it is the government’s responsibility.”

According to the state government’s order dated May 5, a total 5,427 medicos working in government medical colleges are eligible for the allowance. This includes 327 junior residents, 910 senior residents, 2307 post-graduates and 1730 interns.

Deans of government medical colleges TOI spoke to, said the government has not yet released funds, despite assurances. “This issue has been discussed with the finance department too. If we don’t pay these incentives for the medicos, we may not have their support in managing the third wave,” said a dean.

When contacted, TK Anil Kumar, principal secretary, medical education, said the matter will be looked into. “Medicos will get their Covid allowance from April onwards,” he said.

Calls to restore MTC’s daily passes get louder

Calls to restore MTC’s daily passes get louder

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 22.07.2021 

Three years after the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) had stopped issuing daily concessional passes, regular bus users have called upon the government to restore the passes. In 2017-18, citing ‘security reasons’, the state transport department had stopped distributing these passes worth ₹50 each, promising that it would be restored within months. However, till date there is no official word on resuming distribution of these passes. Back then, MTC's footfall was close to 35 lakh per day, and nearly onefourth travelled using these daily and monthly passes. But some of the commuters started taking photocopies of these passes and started selling duplicate copies in black. "We had planned to fix this issue by adding QR codes or barcode on these passes with photos of the passengers on it. But works were delayed due to the pandemic," said an MTC official, requesting anonymity.

Rama Rao from Traffic and Transportation Forum (TTF), Chennai in his letter to the government last week, reiterated the need to restore it soon as it would be of help to people who travel to four of five different locations in MTC buses for work.

Not all can afford to pay ₹15-₹20 per trip. Besides, it will also help passengers travelling to different religious places within city limit, he said. Even Chennai suburban residents demand immediate restoration of the scheme now. "Local train services are restricted to nonpeak hours. So, people residing in areas like Avadi, Tambaram, Kancheepuram and beyond depend largely on MTC buses for buying things, school/college admission and hospital visits," said T Sadagopan, a Pattabiram-based activist.

Also, with these passes there was no need to wait for conductors, who expect passengers to tender exact fare. Reintroducing these Rs 50 passes, the MTC can boost its patronage and revenue. They can even increase the rate by Rs 5 to 10 to meet their present expenses, he said. MTC is currently facing poor patronage, as less than 10 lakh people travel in 2,700 buses per day.

Professor jailed for ‘derogatory remarks’ against min Smriti Irani

Professor jailed for ‘derogatory remarks’ against min Smriti Irani

Deepak.Lavania@timesgroup.com

Agra:22.07.2021 

A senior professor at a UP college, who had allegedly made derogatory remarks against Union minister Smriti Irani in a Facebook post, has been sent to jail after he surrendered in a court in Firozabad district.

On a complaint filed by the BJP’s district vice-president and nominated municipal councillor Uday Pratap Singh, the Firozabad police had registered an FIR against Shaharyar Ali, head of the history department at SRK College, in March for an alleged “obscene” Facebook post against Irani.

Professor Ali was booked under IPC’s section 505 (2) (promoting enmity/hatred) and section 67A of the Information Technology (Amendment) act, 2008. On Tuesday, Ali had surrendered in the court of additional sessions judge Anurag Sharma and had also filed an interim bail plea.

The court, however, cancelled his bail plea and sent him to jail. Meanwhile, his college served him a suspension notice.

According to sources, the professor had posted a comment on Facebook denigrating Irani, which was later deleted.

Colleges in four TN districts to merge with Annamalai University

Colleges in four TN districts to merge with Annamalai University

He said measures will be taken to develop Annamalai University into an affiliated university soon.

Published: 21st July 2021 05:10 AM 

Annamalai UniversityAnnamalai UniversityBy Express News Service

CHENNAI: Colleges in the four districts of Villupuram, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi and Mayiladuthurai, including Dr J Jayalalithaa University started during the AIADMK rule, will be merged with Annamalai University, which will be developed into an affiliated university, said Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi.

He said measures will be taken to develop Annamalai University into an affiliated university soon. And the decision of merging colleges in four districts and JJ University will ensure better functioning of the institutes economically as well as academically.

The move holds significance as earlier it was alleged by few AIADMK leaders that a concerted effort is being made by DMK to scuttle the formation of the J Jayalalithaa University in order to settle political scores.

However, Ponmudi said AIADMK had announced the university without creating necessary infrastructure for it. “Neither funds were allocated nor registrar or any officials were appointed. The university existed only for namesake,” said Ponmudi.

Unable to bear pain following sex reassignment surgery, Kerala transwoman ends life

Unable to bear pain following sex reassignment surgery, Kerala transwoman ends life

Ananya Kumari Alex, the first transgender radio jockey in Kerala, was found dead at an apartment near Edapally on Tuesday evening.

Published: 21st July 2021 06:33 AM 

Ananya Kumari Alex

By Express News Service

KOCHI: Ananya Kumari Alex, the first transgender radio jockey in Kerala, was found dead at an apartment near Edapally on Tuesday evening. Police said it is suspected to be a case of death by suicide. There were reports that she was suffering from severe physical discomfort for the last one year after undergoing sex reassignment surgery at a private hospital in the city.

Ananya, 28, was living in the apartment for the last few months. Police said the body was found hanging from the fan in the bedroom. A team from Kalamassery police station conducted the inquest and shifted the body to Kalamassery medical college for post-mortem.

Ananya, who underwent a sex reassignment surgery in June 2020, had recently come out against the hospital and the doctor complaining that she was under tremendous pain following the surgery and could not even do her routine job. She had blamed the doctor for the surgery failure. Ananya was the first transgender person to contest the Assembly elections when she became a candidate of Democratic Social Justice Party in Vengara in Malappuram district in 2021 polls. She was also a news presenter and a make-up artist.

Ananya, who hailed from Perumon in Kollam, rose to fame as a trans rights activist after facing bitter experiences from a young age. “Her death is really sad and shocking. She was in terrible pain for the last one year after undergoing sex reassignment surgery. She went for the surgery with much hope for living a life of her choice,” said Kerala State Transgender Justice Board member Anil A.

He said there was no rule to monitor sex reassignment surgeries in the state. “Many private hospitals claim to have expertise in conducting the surgery. But there are no rules to monitor it. The state needs to frame a protocol for conducting such surgeries and also put in place an ethics committee to monitor and evaluate sex reassignment surgery,” he added.