PG resident doctors protest hike in fees, non-payment of pandemic allowance

PG resident doctors protest hike in fees, non-payment of pandemic allowance

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:08.10.2021

Resident doctors pursuing post-graduation courses in various medical colleges in Karnataka boycotted elective work on Thursday, while seeking reduction in academic fees and payment of Covid-19 allowances. However, they called off the protest by the evening after the medical education minister assured them that their allowances will be paid soon.

Doctors said that although the Covid allowance was announced in May, none have received it yet. The allowance amounts to Rs 10,000 a month per resident doctor.

Emergency services, ICUs and Covid-related services were unhindered by the strike since doctors only boycotted only elective services. Authorities at Victoria Hospital said faculty, staff, senior residents and fellowship persons of all departments managed OPDs on Thursday.

The resident doctors’ other demand — reduction of tuition fees — is yet to be addressed. “The minister said it will take time to decide as there are technical issues involved,” said a Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors office bearer.

The association revealed the state government had hiked fees from Rs 23,000 to Rs 1.3 lakh in 2019. There are around 5,000 resident doctors in the state. The association says fees for PG courses in the neighbouring state of Kerala is only Rs 11,500, while Rajasthan charges Rs 12,000. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh charge no fees. In Maharashtra, it is Rs 90,000. At the same time, the stipend is the lowest in Karnataka amongst these states at Rs 45,000-Rs 55,000. In Delhi and Gujarat, it is as high as Rs 85,000.

“Although the government and public glorified us as Covid warriors, it is of interest to note that, as young doctors, have in reality paid the government a hefty sum of money to do this thankless job,” the association said. “Umpteen representations were made to the government and administration in the past year to waive fees for the year 2021-22 in view of the fact that the past academic year was solely spent on Covid-19 care with near nil academics and clinical exposure in our chosen specialities. Government has no explanation for the hefty fee hike from thousands to lakhs.”

About 65-75% of patients in state-run hospitals are managed by resident doctors and one-fifth of them had contracted Covid-19, they said.

WARRIORS IN THE LURCH: Members of Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors during their demonstration on Thursday

Demand for travel bookings surges beyond pre-Covid levels

Demand for travel bookings surges beyond pre-Covid levels

Swati.Mathur@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:08.10.2021

A steady increase in Covid vaccination, combined with easing of travel restrictions and the ensuing festive season, have led to a surge in demand for travel that service providers say is even higher than pre-Covid levels.

TOI spoke to multiple players including Thomas Cook India Ltd (TCIL), SOTC Travel Ltd, MMT, Booking.com and Yatra and each said bookings for travel in the last quarter of 2021 have been witnessing a big surge.

A joint survey of 2,500 customers by TCIL and SOTC, showed the UAE, particularly the ongoing Dubai Expo 2020, to be the biggest drivers of demand for international travel in the coming months. A similar assessment of travel appetite by Booking.com, on the other hand, found the UAE, France and UK, Switzerland and Italy were the top five international destinations picked by Indian travellers between October 1 and November 30.

The TCIL survey also said that almost 77% of its surveyed customers were keen on international travel, and that apart from the Dubai Expo 2020, venues of IPL and T20 World Cup matches have been good crowd pullers too.

The pent-up demand for travel also seems to be impacting holiday durations and budgets, with most willing to loosen their purse strings for a chance to set out again. A majority of travellers appeared keen to take week-long breaks at least, while budgets, TCIL said, ranged for anything between ₹70,000 (for a four-night trip) to upwards of ₹2,50,000 per person for luxury packages.

TCIL’s Rajeev Kale said customer response has also prompted his company to tailor demand-based curated products.

Full report on www.toi.in

India to issue tourist visas from Oct 15

India to issue tourist visas from Oct 15

Bharti Jain & Saurabh Sinha TNN

New Delhi:08.10.2021

Announcing the opening up of the country to international tourists almost 19 months after tourist visas were suspended due to outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the home ministry on Thursday said it will begin issuing fresh tourist visas in a phased manner, starting with foreigners arriving on chartered flights, from October 15 onwards.

While fresh tourist visas will be granted to foreigners entering India via chartered flights with effect from October 15, 2021. The facility will be extended to foreigners coming in flights other than chartered ones from November 15, 2021. An officer explained that ‘other than chartered flights’ meant that fresh tourist visas may initially be granted to foreigners coming in from countries with which India has an ‘air bubble arrangement’. As and when demands builds up and commercial flights also start operating, tourist visas will be issued for those entering India by commercial flights.

All due protocols and norms relating to Covid-19, as notified by the ministry of health & family welfare from time to time, shall be adhered to by the foreign tourists, carriers bringing them into India and all other stakeholders at landing stations, the home ministry said in a statement.

During a virtual event with a cross-section of people from Goa last month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the central government was taking steps to welcome back foreign tourists.

Full report on www.toi.in

BOOST FOR TRAVEL INDUSTRY

UK yes to Indian vax, junks 10-day quarantine order

UK yes to Indian vax, junks 10-day quarantine order

Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:08.10.2021

From October 11, Indians who have been fully vaccinated with WHO-approved Covishield will not be required to undergo the mandatory 10-day quarantine on arrival in the UK, ending a standoff between the two countries.

The travellers who have had their second doses — of Covishield or another UK approved vaccine — at least 14 days before landing in the UK will not be required to take a pre-departure Covid test or the day 8 test following their arrival.

It said cleared travellers only needed to take a Covid test on day 2, which also can be the less expensive “lateral flow” test instead of an RTPCR test. The decision came hours after MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi described the UK’s earlier decision to quarantine fully vaccinated Indians as “discriminatory”.

Visas for foreign tourists from Oct 15

Almost 19 months after suspending tourist visas, the Centre said it will begin issuing tourist visas for foreigners arriving on chartered flights from October 15. P 14

We’ll have 4,000 O2 plants: Modi

India will soon have 4,000 oxygen plants, said PM Modi on Thursday while digitally inaugurating 35 pressure swing adsorption oxygen plants set up under the PM Cares Fund across the country. P 14

Sero positivity in TN above 60%

Barring four districts, the sero positivity rate across Tamil Nadu was above 60%, shows the results of the third sero survey study by the directorate of public health. P 6

British high commissioner calls for more Britain-India flights

It said cleared travellers only needed to take a Covid test on day 2, which also can be the less expensive “lateral flow” test instead of an RTPCR test. The decision came hours after MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi described the UK’s earlier decision to quarantine fully vaccinated Indians as “discriminatory”.

British high commissioner to India Alex Ellis tweeted on Thursday night: “No quarantine for Indian travellers to UK fully vaccinated with Covishield or another UK-approved vaccine from October 11. Thanks to Indian government for close cooperation over last month.” In a video message, Ellis said, “We have been actually open for Indian travellers for months. We have been issuing thousands of visas to students, business travellers, tourists.… Some of the noise about this issue over the last few weeks just shows how keen people are to travel to the UK.”

He added, “Let’s open up more flights between the two countries. Let’s get British tourists able to come into India, they are desperate to do so. Let’s facilitate business travellers who are trying to come into India with e-visas.”

UK’s secretary of state for transport Grant Shapps tweeted: “I’m making changes so travellers visiting England have fewer entry requirements by recognising those with fully-vaccinated status from 37 new countries and territories, including India, Turkey and Ghana.” The UK had so far not accepted India’s Covishield certification due to which travellers were treated as unvaccinated and required to undergo 10-day quarantine with expensive Covid tests on day 2 and 8 of arrival. India had from October 4 reciprocated by imposing similar conditions from arrivals from the UK.

SC: What is basis of fixing income limit of ₹8L for EWS category?

QUESTIONS APPLICATION OF SAME INCOME CRITERIA

SC: What is basis of fixing income limit of ₹8L for EWS category?

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesgroup.com

New Delhi  08.10.2021

: Questioning the Centre on the basis for fixing an annual income limit of ₹8 lakh for the economically weaker sections (EWS) category, which is the same for determining the creamy layer for OBCs, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked if it had conducted a study or exercise before taking the decision.

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, Vikram Nath and B V Nagarathna, which is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Centre’s decision to implement OBC and EWS reservation in the All India Quota for medical admission, raised the question on how the same income criteria could be applied across the country. How can a person’s earning in a small town or village be equated with those earning the same income in a metro city, it asked. The petition said per capita income of states are different and applying the same criteria may not be reasonable as the bar should be linked with cost of living or per capita income.

“What is the basis of fixing of ₹8 lakh criteria? Whether there was any study done before taking the decision. You have to demonstrate on what was the data or statistics on the basis of which it was done,” the bench said. It said even House Rent Allowance given to a government employee is not same and depends on place of posting and suggested that income criteria for EWS reservation should be linked to cost of living of a place instead of making it uniform across the country.

It said the income limit fixed for the OBC category for determining creamy lawyer could not be mechanically implemented in the EWS category as well. It said that there was no concept of social backwardness for the EWS category who are from forward classes and the creamy layer criteria for the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes may not be an automatic fit.

Senior advocate Arvind Datar, appearing for the petitioners, contended that a scientific system needs to be adopted by the government while determining economically weaker sections. His view was supported by senior counsel Shyam Divan who was appearing for a group of MBBS doctors who approached the court against the Centre’s decision.

Full report on www.toi.in

Can’t cancel SC certificate as person went to church: Madras HC

Can’t cancel SC certificate as person went to church: Madras HC

Court pulls up officials for assuming woman had changed religion just because she married a Christian

Published: 07th October 2021 05:44 AM 

By Express News Service

MADURAI: Criticising a scrutiny committee for cancelling the community certificate of a Scheduled Caste woman on the assumption that she converted to Christianity, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court quashed the cancellation order, and advised the committee to deal with such matters with a broad mindset in the future.

Hearing the petition filed by a woman doctor from Ramanathapuram, a Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice M Duraiswamy, noted that the committee had assumed that she converted to Christianity, because she had married a Christian and also displayed a ‘cross’ symbol at her clinic.

“It is possible that the petitioner accompanied her husband and children for Sunday matins, but the mere fact that a person goes to church does not mean that he or she has altogether abandoned their original faith. The conduct of the officials reveals a certain degree of narrow-mindedness which our Constitution does not encourage. Nothing may be presumed upon a member of a particular community respecting another community or another religion and, indeed, that is the Constitutional mandate and not otherwise,” the Chief Justice observed.

Holding that the officials took the decision without proof, the judges quashed the cancellation order and ordered restoration of the petitioner’s community certificate. Earlier, the government counsel had cited a notification passed in 2015, and argued that the petitioner could have moved an appeal before the government department concerned instead of approaching the High Court.

However, the judges pointed out that as per a G.O. passed by the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department in 2007 for formation of the scrutiny committee, the petitioner was right in approaching the High Court. According to the G.O, appeal against decisions taken by such committees could only be filed before the High Court and Supreme Court.

Kerala woman gives birth on board Air India London-Kochi flight

Kerala woman gives birth on board Air India London-Kochi flight

Giving birth on a flight is not something unheard of, but the state of mind of each individual on board witnessing the event, especially the fellow travellers, is beyond imagination.

Published: 07th October 2021 06:29 AM 

By Aishwarya Prabhakaran

Express News Service

KOCHI: Giving birth on a flight is not something unheard of, but the state of mind of each individual on board witnessing the event, especially the fellow travellers, is beyond imagination. But, rest assured, there will be nurses and doctors nearby, given the famed Malayali presence in the healthcare sector, especially nurses, globally. And hence, there’s always help at hand, even if an emergency arises midair.

Air India crew and health workers

with the woman and baby after the

delivery | Source: Twitter

A similar incident took place on Tuesday morning on Air India’s flight from London to Kochi. A Keralite woman who boarded the flight with her family experienced labour pain after the flight took off from London and was crossing over the Black Sea, a large inland sea situated at the southeastern extremity of Europe. The 29-week pregnant woman was lucky enough as the Kerala-bound flight had two doctors and four nurses to help her deliver the baby boy.

Shinu Suresh, a Kollam-based co-passenger on the flight, shared on his Twitter handle how the Air India cabin crew, health professionals and passengers extended all help they could offer to the mother and newborn.

“The flight turned into an operation theatre in a short span. All passengers were trying to help them in one way or another. Indeed, teamwork,” he tweeted.

An Air India spokesperson said the doctors informed the crew that both the mother and newborn needed medical care at the earliest. “The situation was intense. We took the necessary steps and arrangements for the flight to land in Frankfurt and arrange a medical team at the airport to carry the mother and newborn to the hospital safely,” the spokesperson.

The spokesperson told TNIE that the woman complained of stomach pain after she had her meal on the flight. She informed the cabin crew that she was seven months pregnant and was going into labour. The flight had sufficient medical supplies (first aid kits and universal precaution kit (UPK) and physician kit) to perform the delivery. Hence, the baby was born prematurely, both the mother and baby needed medical care at the earliest, the doctors informed the crew. Thus, the flight was diverted to Frankfurt.

“The mother, newborn and a family member of the woman were deboarded at Frankfurt airport,” he added.

The flight reached Kochi airport at 9.45am on Wednesday. “The AI-150 crew members were felicitated at the airport for their timely action,” said an official at CIAL. “The flight was supposed to reach Kochi at 3.45am. It had more than 170 passengers on board,” he added.

The Kollam-based passenger tweeted an update on the mother and baby he got from the medics who helped with the delivery. “Spoke to the medics who helped deliver the baby. Both mom and baby are doing well,” he tweeted.