A RERUN OF 2020

A RERUN OF 2020

As curbs kick in, city turns into ghost town

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.05.2021

Crowded shopping hub Ranganathan Street fell silent around 12.30pm on Thursday when the last of the shops and vegetable vendors closed up for the day as the government’s stringent restrictions to control spread of Covid-19 kicked in.

By 6pm, only a handful of commuters who alighted from suburban trains at Mambalam station were found on the street. Similar was the scene at pedestrian plaza on Pondy Bazaar.

The deserted pavement turned into a play ground for homeless children, who rocked away on the toy ducks as bored auto drivers looked on.

The sparse traffic and shuttered shops brought back memories of the complete lockdown imposed last year when the pandemic was at its peak.

Arterial roads like Anna Salai, Poonamallee High Road and 100ft Road did not see heavy traffic. “Around 50% of vehicles were off the road in most places in the evening,” said a motorist.

“It’s not a full shutdown yet. But it looks like we are headed there. This is not a good sign,” said Muthu, an auto driver.

Suburban stations only saw railway staff and frontline workers, while metro trains had a moderate occupancy as people used them to get back home.

Railway staff deployed on the platforms checked identity cards of commuters at suburban stations and at MRTS stations to ensure that they are eligible for travel.

Railways has also cancelled its unreserved special trains to small towns including services from Tambaram to Villupuram and Chennai to Puducherry following a request from the state government.

Police were back on patrol, warning owners at markets and crowded areas like Mylapore, Royapettah and Anna Nagar. “We moved around to ensure that traders followed the noon deadline. No action was taken as it’s the first day. People who took time to close the shops were given a warning,” said an officer.

T K Pandian, who travelled by bus to Parrys Corner said the occupancy was moderate. “The frequency was also good from Anna Nagar. I took a metro train to return home. I saw around 12 to 14 people walking into the station at high court,” he said.

“The government should allow plumbing, auto repairs, electrical and electronics servicing centres to work. These are essential,” he added.

Few buses, crowded share autos could turn hotspots

Few buses, crowded share autos could turn hotspots

And Drivers Use Curbs To Fleece Commuters

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.05.2021

With the state limiting options for public transport, share auto-rickshaws are cashing in on the demand. People too seem to prefer travelling in share auto rickshaws, unmindful of the risk involved. The drivers ferry more than eight to 10 passengers at a time without adhering to Covid guidelines, putting everyone involved at risk.

Share autos are in great demand on major routes like Koyambedu to Madhavaram Koot Road, Nugambakkam to Anna Nagar, Chennai Central to Vyasarpadi and Washermenpet areas. In Chennai alone, there are as many as 61,000 share autos. Usually at least four lakh use MTC buses during peak hours. “With buses being operated only with limited seats, it is tough for me to reach my workplace. Once the seats are full, buses don’t stop. So, I am forced to take autos. They are also charging more than the usual amount,” said Parimala, who is employed at a private company.

Drivers cruise the city withouta a care as police and transport department officials turn a blind eye to this blatant violation. As per the health department’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), only three people, including the driver, are allowed in autos at a time.

Auto driver Palanivel said they strictly follow Covid guidelines. “We never allow passengers to board autos without masks. Before they boad the share autos, we give them sanitisers. With only limited seats in MTC, sometimes passengers themselves beg us to ferry them over the stipulated capacity,” he said.

An official said the transport department came across complaints that some autos were ferrying more than permissible limit of passengers. “We will ensure that all the drivers strictly adhere to SOP while ferrying passengers. If drivers continue to violate the SOP, an enforcement drive would be done to ensure safety of the passengers,” he said.

JUST GET ME THERE! More than 10 people are crammed inside an auto when the SOP says only 3, incluing the driver are allowed

Veteran Tamil actor Pandu dies of Covid-19 at 74

Veteran Tamil actor Pandu dies of Covid-19 at 74

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.05.2021

On Thursday, Kollywood lost yet another of its veterans as actor Pandu, best known for his performances in ‘Pammal K Samandham’, ‘Kadhal Kottai’ and ‘Kanchana 2’, passed away after being hospitalised for Covid-19. He was 74.

Pandu, who was born in Namakkal, made his acting debut in 1970 with the Tamil film ‘Maanavan’. He went on to act in more than 100 films with roles alongside superstars such as Rajinikanth, Vijay and Ajith. Most recently, he acted in films like ‘Itly’ (2018) and ‘Indha Nilai Maarum’ (2020). The actor’s passing drew condolences from the film fraternity, with many expressing their shock and disbelief over the loss.

“When actors like Goundamani uncle and Senthil sir were ruling the 90’s, he held his own with his unique style, expressions and dialogue delivery,” tweeted actor Sibi Sathyaraj. “He was very close to our family and a kind man,” said actor-choreographer and politician Gayathri Raghuram.

In previous interviews to news and television channels, Pandu spoke of how he felt proud to have shared the screen with three generations of Sivaji Ganesan’s family – Sivaji himself, his son Prabhu and his grandson Vikram Prabhu – in one lifetime.

In addition to acting, Pandu was known for his art and design sense and ran a company called ‘Capital letters’ that designed name boards. He is also famously credited with designing the AIADMK’s two-leaves logo and also the party flag, following his association with party founder and former chief minister M G Ramachandran.

“He used to design shields and trophies for various Tamil cinema anniversary programmes,” says actor and director Manobala whose film ‘Naina’ starred Pandu. “He easily became friends with the big stars he worked with, and always bought gifts for everyone when he went on his travels.”

Pandu’s demise also drew condolences from AIADMK leaders Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam, who remembered his contributions to the party, as well as his prowess as an artiste. Pandu is survived by his wife Kumudha, who is also undergoing treatment for Covid, and three sons.

Remdesivir vials go missing in Salem

Remdesivir vials go missing in Salem

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Salem:07.05.2021

Police here have initiated an inquiry with doctors and nurses of Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital (SGMKMCH) on Thursday evening after the hospital management lodged the complaint with them about 29 Remdesivir vials missing from the hospital.

According to a senior doctor of the SGMKMCH, a pack of Remdesivir injections, being used for Covid-19 treatment, was kept with the staff nurse on Tuesday night. “The next morning, the nurse reported to the hospital management that the vials were found missing,” the doctor said. He also said that the hospital management, after conducting an inquiry with doctors and nurses of the Covid-19 care centre, was not able to find how the vials went disappeared.

Hospital dean Dr R Murugesan then lodged the complaint with Salem GH police, who forwarded it to Shevapet police.

An official from Shevapet police said, “We also were checking the CCTV footage that is functioning on the hospital premises.”

IN DEMAND: Police are scanning CCTV footage at the Covidcare centre in Salem to find out how the Remdesivir vials went missing

State govt advises pregnant women not to get vaccines

State govt advises pregnant women not to get vaccines

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:07.05.2021

Tamil Nadu Department of Public Health (DPH) has advised pregnant and lactating women not to get vaccinated as they were not a part of the vaccine trial.

“Vaccines at present in use are contraindicated in pregnant and lactating women. Moreover the Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech vaccine literature also does not recommend such vaccination,” the DPH said in its internal circular to all health authorities on Thursday.

The advisory comes a week after the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI) recommended Covid-19 vaccines for pregnant and breastfeeding women, but with precautions to manage adverse events.

“It is a risk worth its benefit,” said Ramani Devi, vicepresident of FOGSI said, referring to international research studies. Due to an acute viral infection during the antenatal period, particularly when they are nearing the term, the baby might go into a sudden death. So they should be prioritized during vaccination along with other high-risk groups, she said.

In case pregnant women missed getting vaccinated during the antenatal period, FOGSI strongly advises lactating women to get vaccinated as there is a chance that antibodies might get transmitted to the newborn through mother’s milk.

In contrast, a senior doctor from the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Egmore, said that there was no solid data about the adverse reactions to the newborn and mothers, who were already in an immunocompromised state. “It is better not to take any risk,” she said.

Meanwhile, K Vinay Kumar, Joint Director of DPH, on Thursday requested all districtlevel health authorities to escalate the matter with their respective collectors and has advised pregnant and lactating women, working in government and private sector, not to get vaccinated now and highrisk among them to avail leave as per rules in force.

DPH in an advisory said the Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech vaccine literature does not recommend vaccination for pregnant and lactating women

TN registers close to 25K cases of Covid-19, 197 deaths

TN registers close to 25K cases of Covid-19, 197 deaths

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.05.2021

Tamil Nadu logged 195 deaths and 24,898 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, when all districts barring Ariyalur and Perambalur reported more than 100 cases. The surge left the state with 1.3 lakh active cases as the case tally crossed 12.9 lakh. The cumulative death toll reached 14,974.

In the last one week, the state has added 1,041 Covid -19 deaths and 1.4 lakh new cases. This includes 319 deaths and 42,727 new cases in Chennai. The city now has 33316 active cases in its registry.

On Thursday, four districts reported more than 1000 new cases, a dozen of them had more than 500 cases each. Chennai continued to report the maximum number of cases in the state, followed by Coimbatore, Chengalpet and Tiruvallur. While Chennai had 6,678 new cases, Coimbatore recorded 2068, Chengalpet registered 2039 and Tiruvallur had 1560. Madurai added 996 and Kancheepuram had (826). Ariyalur and Perambalur reported 88 and 60 cases respectively.

Together the four districts in the Chennai region reported 11,113 cases and 110 deaths, leaving 54,847 still under treatment – just about the same number of active cases the entire state had on April 14. The other districts in the north reported 2376 new cases followed by 2072 in the central zone. While the western districts together reported 4770 new cases, 4565 Meanwhile, among 29 districts reported deaths, Chennai had 69 deaths, Chengalpet reported 16, followed by 14 in Kanyakumari, 13 in Kancheepuram and 12 in Tiruvallur. The Chennai region reported 110 deaths and the rest of the north added another16. The ten districts in the south reported 35 deaths, followed by 20 in the central zone and 14 in the west.

1,510 cases in Pondy

Puducherry reported1,510 fresh cases on Thursday even as 779 patients recovered, taking the total number of active cases to12,430. Of them,10,394 patients are in home isolation and treatment. The number of patients succumbing to the infection crossed 900 on Thursday. Eighteen patients including six women died of the infection in the last 24 hours ending at10am on Thursday taking the death toll to

901. Puducherry headquarters reported17 deaths while Yanam one. Puducherry headquarters has the maximum fatalities with 737 followed by Karaikal (96), Yanam (54) and Mahe (14). The fatality rate of the infection stood at 1.4%. TNN

Vaccination drive stutters in city as vials in short supply

Covaxin Used Only For Administering Second Dose

Komal Gautham@timesgroup.com

Chennai:07.05.2021

The Greater Chennai Corporation that was vaccinating more than 25,000 people on an average daily has, for the last four days, been vaccinating only around 9,000 a day. All those seeking covaxin are sent back and with Covishield doses also in short supply, vaccination numbers dipped sharply.

“We had placed orders with two vendors, 7.65 lakh vials from one and 2.65 lakh vials from another. We will start receiving the order from today (Thursday). Apart from that we are working on placing more orders,” said J Radhakrishnan, state health secretary.

However, districts such as Madurai have been continuing the same number of vaccinations despite the shortage. “Only Covaxin is in short supply. We are administering only Covishield so we don’t have much issue,” said an official from Madurai.

In Coimbatore and Chennai, however, with both being administered in corporation hospitals and UPHCs, people are being turned away.

“We are prioritizing only the second dose of Covaxin and are not administering it as first dose to anyone. Covishield supply remains the same,” said a senior health official in Chennai corporation.

Roopa R, a resident of Saidapet, said she isn't able to get Covaxin anywhere even in private hospitals. “We preferred Covaxin over Covishield though experts have said both vaccines have the same results. But because of the lack of availability, we have delayed the vaccination now,” she said.

Many like Satish G of Sholinganallur are waiting for the second dose. His was due on May 4, but he is still waiting for the corporation to give him a call. “They have said a delay of a week won’t make any difference but I am not too sure and am trying private hospitals,” he said.

Health experts said that with vaccination the only option, the government should work on getting vaccines from open market and place big orders.

“A day of lockdown will cost them more than paying for the vaccinations. They can use the money to vaccinate people at a faster pace to avoid a crisis like in Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi,” said a senior epidemiologist in the city.

‘Madras HC remarks on EC inappropriate’

‘Madras HC remarks on EC inappropriate’

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Thursday termed the Madras high court’s “murder charge” remarks against the Election Commission “harsh” and the “metaphor inappropriate” as it walked a tightrope between praising the role of HCs during the pandemic and advising judges against making off-the cuff remarks during hearings, reports Dhananjay Mahapatra.

In a 31-page judgment on the EC’s plea against the HC’s remarks, a bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah achieved three objectives — assuaged the EC’s hurt, ensured that judges did not feel restrained from questioning the actions of constitutional bodies and the executive during the pandemic, and expanded the media’s right to cover court proceedings.

Can’t gag media on court matters

Moving away from a nine-year-old order over curbs on court proceedings to protect the rights of the accused, the SC on Thursday said the media had an unfettered right to report exchanges during hearings. It rejected the EC’s plea to make media publish only orders and judgments.P 8

Oral remarks not part of judicial record: Bench

Writing the judgment, Justice Chandrachud said, “The remarks of the high court were harsh. The metaphor inappropriate.”

However, it was quick to clarify that it was not blaming the HC for remarks that could have been made during the flow of dialogue process intrinsic to judicial scrutiny of actions of constitutional bodies and the executive during the pandemic.

“The HC, if indeed it did make the oral observations which have been alluded to, did not seek to attribute culpability for the Covid-19 pandemic in the country to the EC. What it would have instead intended to do was to urge the EC to ensure stricter compliance of Covid-19 related protocols during elections,” the bench said.

It further clarified that oral observations by judges of superior courts during a hearing did not form part of court records and were at best meant to elicit a studied response from the authorities for reaching a just conclusion. “These oral remarks are not a part of the official judicial record and, therefore, the question of expunging them does not arise. It is trite to say that a formal opinion of a judicial institution is reflected through its judgments and orders, and not its oral observations during the hearing,” it said.

However, the bench appeared worried about an emerging trend of judges making needless caustic observations against litigants during hearings, be it constitutional bodies, governments or individual litigants. “We must emphasise the need for judges to exercise caution in off-the-cuff remarks in open court, which may be susceptible to misinterpretation,” Justice Chandrachud said.

The SC also advised judges to be careful in choosing the words and the language they use and said if the Madras HC had exercised restraint, the grievance of a constitutional body against another would not have arisen. “Language, both on the bench and in judgments, must comport with judicial propriety. Language is an important instrument of a judicial process which is sensitive to constitutional values. Judicial language is a window to a conscience sensitive to constitutional ethos,” the bench said.

NEED FOR CAUTION

Rly cancels premium trains citing low bookings

Rly cancels premium trains citing low bookings

New Delhi:07.05.2021

The Northern Railways on Thursday cancelled two Rajdhani, eight Shatabdi, two Duronto and one Vande Bharat trains from Delhi effective from May 9 till further orders citing low bookings and surging Covid cases. This is the first time when these premium trains have been cancelled after the railways had restored the train operation post the nationwide lockdown last year. TNN

Kerala govt announces total lockdown from tomorrow till May 16

Kerala govt announces total lockdown from tomorrow till May 16

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Thiruvananthapuram:07.05.2021

The Kerala government on Thursday announced a total lockdown in the state from May 8 to 16 in view of the worsening Covid-19 situation and the rising test positivity rate (TPR).

Though lockdown-like restrictions have already been in force since May 4, the government decided to go for stricter curbs after public health experts said the present restrictions are not yielding desired results. The health department has been demanding a total lockdown ever since the daily cases went beyond 30,000.

The daily cases being reported in Kerala have gone above 40,000 over the past two days — 41,953 cases on Wednesday and 42,464 on Thursday. The TPR also rose to 27.28% on Thursday, with the total number of active cases reaching 3,90,906. As many as 63 fatalities were reported on the day. Most districts have a TPR above 20% for the past two weeks while hospital beds are filling up at an alarming rate.

All central and state government offices, including the autonomous bodies but except those in active Covid-19 duty, will not function during the lockdown. The government has, however, given more exemptions than the national lockdown last year, apparently in consideration of the hardships being faced by the public in a total shutdown.

Full report on www.toi-.in

SHOT OF HOPE: People wait to receive Covid-19 vaccine doses outside a centre in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday

Second wave has launched deadly attack on lungs

Second wave has launched deadly attack on lungs

Parth.Shastri@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad:07.05.2021

Prakash Chandra, 59, did not have any symptoms of Covid-19 but got himself tested after his son tested positive. His report came positive. When his doctor insisted for a CT scan after his blood tests revealed high sugar levels and inflammatory markers, it was found that 50% of his lung was involved. His oxygen saturation too had dipped to 85. All this on Day-1! He is now admitted in the hospital with his son whose scan has revealed nearly 60% damage to his lungs by the virus.

Even as the debate on importance of HRCT rages on after the statement of AIIMS-D director Dr Randeep Guleria that HRCT did not serve any purpose in mild and home isolated Covid-19 patients, city-based radiologists are busy with high number of infected and suspected patients lining up for high-resolution CT (HRCT) of thorax (chest and lungs) to understand lung involvement and severity of the infection. Doctors say CT score of lungs is helping save many lives especially in the current wave when the strain seems to be attacking lungs more ferociously than ever.“Current strain seems to attack lungs more furiously. More young patients are found to have moderate to severe lung disease compared to earlier waves,” said senior radiologist Dr Hemant Patel.

 PROMISE DASHED

‘Stressed’ MBBS student on Covid duty hangs to death

Long Note Makes Cops Suspect It’s Pre-Planned

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Vadodara:

The medical fraternity in Vadodara was left in a deep shock after a 22-year-old MBBS student committed suicide, reportedly due to stress.

Siddharth Bhadrecha, a third-year-student of GMERS Medical College and Hospital, Gotri, was found hanging in his hostel room early on Wednesday morning.

Siddharth, a native of Mangrol taluka of Junagadh, left a suicide note written in English wherein he said that he was ending his life due to stress.

“The first few lines of the note said that he was committing suicide due to stress. But there was no mention of the reason behind the stress. We are trying to ascertain why he was so stressed. His friends had no idea of his condition and neither his parents knew anything,” said R C Kanamia, Gorwa police inspector.

Siddharth had been doing Covid duty at Gotri GMERS hospital. Kanamia said, “His Covid duty was over on April 30 and he was off duty. We are not sure if his suicide was due to any work pressure. His mobile phone is locked but we will go through the call details to get more clues.”

Siddharth’s room partner had a brief chat with him on Tuesday night and then left for his duty. Police claimed that his room partner told them that Siddharth didn’t appear tense or in any problem. When he returned from duty and knocked on their hostel room’s door, Siddharth didn’t answer. The door was locked from inside so he put his mobile phone camera through the window to check and saw Siddharth hanging from the ceiling.

“He ended his life between 1.30am and 7 am. In his three-page suicide note, Siddharth wrote that he couldn’t be a good son and brother. He thanked his parents and even mentioned his friends as well as lecturers. The deceased said that he was lucky to have good friends and teachers who taught him a lot,” Kanamia told TOI.

He also wrote about his dreams of buying a car and a motorbike, and how he wanted to live his life as a good person. Siddharth’s father is into fishing business.

Investigators said that he may have planned to commit suicide as he wrote a long note.

Resident doctors and interns are reeling under severe work pressure. Sources said they also complained of relentless work without break or leave.

On April 23, the death of 22-year-old physiotherapy student had sparked massive outrage among the students who had alleged that she was forced to work in the Covid-19 ward despite her comorbidities.

Siddharth Bhadrecha was a third-year student

‘Donate my organs’

In his suicide note, Siddharth Bhadrecha mentioned two wishes. He said that his body organs should be donated to the needy. “Siddharth’s second wish was that the police shouldn’t waste their time and investigate his suicide case,” said R C Kanamia, Gorwa police inspector.

Madurai: Family made to sign Rs 1.5 lakh bond for Covid patient's body

Madurai: Family made to sign Rs 1.5 lakh bond for Covid patient's body

The relative said, “When we admitted him, they demanded us to pay Rs 2 lakh as a deposit amount to treat him. However, we were able to pay only Rs 90,000 initially.

Published: 06th May 2021 04:52 AM 

By Express News Service

MADURAI: Private hospitals fleecing patients during a pandemic is the curse of profiteering. One such hospital operating in the Pudur region of Madurai has allegedly made members of a family sign on a Rs 100 bond paper, with a promise to remit the pending dues in a month’s time, before handing over the body of their kin, who died of Covid-19, here on Wednesday. The hospital has also reportedly charged exorbitant fees to treat coronavirus patients.

After a three-member family, including the husband, the wife and their daughter, tested positive for the virus two weeks ago, they have been undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Pudur. A relative, speaking on anonymity, said the wife and daughter were admitted for two days at the hospital and they were charged around Rs 4.5 lakh in total. The amount was paid at the time of their discharge. While the husband was said to be in a serious condition, he was undergoing treatment for 14 days.

The relative said, “When we admitted him, they demanded us to pay Rs 2 lakh as a deposit amount to treat him. However, we were able to pay only Rs 90,000 initially. At the end of Day 14, he was declared dead. The bill amount was given as Rs 7 lakh for him alone, for those 14 days of treatment.

The hospital authorities denied us his body saying the dues were pending. He was the breadwinner of the family and neither did we have so much money. We requested them and brought down the bill to Rs 3.5 lakh. We paid Rs 2 lakh and signed a bond promising to remit the remaining Rs 1.5 lakh in a month’s time.” he said.

All bills would be verified and appropriate action taken: Collector

However, denying the allegations, hospital authorities, on condition of anonymity, said, “As there is a demand for oxygen supply in Madurai, we have to bring it in from other districts, for which, we pay double the amount. We are risking our lives to treat each and every patient. For the past 14 days none of the relatives of the deceased Covid patient came to the hospital. It was our staff, who took care of him completely. When asked for the fee, they took offence and started using foul language.”

Commenting on the incident, District Collector T Anbalagan said that an enquiry was underway. Answering to a question if the government has a mechanism to monitor the fees collected by private hospitals, he said, “Each patient’s condition may differ depending on the comorbid conditions. If they are being treated for such conditions, they would require certain medicines which might be of higher cost. It is inevitable.

However, in the said incident, all the bills would be verified along with patients’ chart and an appropriate action would be taken if the hospital is found to have charged an exorbitant fee.” The Tamil Nadu government on June 5, 2020 issued orders to cap the charges for Covid-19 treatment in private hospitals.

It may be recalled that Spain nationalised all of its hospitals when the coronavirus set in during the start of 2020, to provide equal preference and treatment to every citizen.

KK Shylaja the globally-acknowledged Health Minister from the neighbouring State of Kerala, recently in an interview, stated that, “If we are in power at the Centre, we would nationalise the healthcare system.” Because, that can be the only way forward to indiscriminately save human lives to prevent profiteering and prioritisation of haves over have nots.

வேலையை விட உயிர் முக்கியம் கதறும் வங்கி ஊழியர்கள்

DINAMALAR

வேலையை விட உயிர் முக்கியம் கதறும் வங்கி ஊழியர்கள்

Added : மே 05, 2021 23:00

சென்னை:வங்கி ஊழியர்கள், அதிகாரிகளுக்கு கொரோனா வந்தால், வங்கி கிளை முழுதும், கிருமி நீக்கம் செய்யப் படுவதில்லை; இதனால், மற்ற ஊழியர்களுக்கும் தொற்று பரவுவதாக புகார் எழுந்துள்ளது.

வற்புறுத்தல்

கொரோனா இரண்டாவது அலை, மிக வேகமாக பரவி வருகிறது.இதில், வங்கி ஊழியர்கள், வாடிக்கையாளர்களுடன் நேரடி தொடர்பில் இருப்பதால், அதிகம் பாதிக்கப்படுகின்றனர். 'வங்கிக் கிளைகளில், கொரோனா தடுப்பு முன்னெச்சரிக்கை நடவடிக்கைகள் பின்பற்றப்பட வேண்டும்; அரசின் நிலையான வழிகாட்டு நெறிமுறைகளை பின்பற்ற வேண்டும்' எனக் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.ஆனால், பெரும்பாலான வங்கிகளில், அதை பின்பற்றுவதில்லை. இதனால், ஊழியர்களிடையே தொற்று பரவல் அதிகரித்துள்ளது.

வங்கி அதிகாரிகள் கூறியதாவது:ஊழியர்களுக்கு சளி, காய்ச்சல் இருந்தால், விடுமுறை அளிப்பதில்லை. அவர்களை பணிக்கு வருமாறு, கிளை மேலாளர்கள் வற்புறுத்துகின்றனர்.

நடவடிக்கை

மேலும், ஒருவருக்கு தொற்று உறுதி செய்யப்பட்டாலும், கிளை முழுதும் கிருமி நீக்கம் செய்யப் பட வேண்டும்.ஆனால், பெரும்பாலான வங்கிகளில், கிருமி நீக்கம் செய்யப்படுவது இல்லை. இதனால், அந்த வங்கிக் கிளையில், பலருக்கு தொற்று பரவுகிறது. ஊழியர்களுக்கு உடல்நிலை சரியில்லை எனில், அவர்களுக்கு முதலில் விடுப்பு வழங்க, அனைத்து மேலாளர்களுக்கும், வங்கி நிர்வாகம் அறிவுறுத்த வேண்டும்.

பணிக்கு, 50 சதவீத ஊழியர்கள் வருகையை உறுதி செய்ய வேண்டும். அவற்றை பின்பற்றாத வங்கிகள் மீது, அரசு நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும். பணி முக்கியமானது தான், ஆனால், அதை விட உயிர் முக்கியம் என்பதை, வங்கிகள் உணர வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு, அவர்கள் கூறினர்.

Hospital chasers: These families drove hundreds of kilometres to find beds

Hospital chasers: These families drove hundreds of kilometres to find beds

With beds scarce in cities, desperate relatives have been hiring expensive ambulances to take patients to smaller towns, sometimes in another state

Ketaki Desai & Sarfaraz Ahmed | TNN

06.05.2021

Nagpur resident Abhimanyu Pagade, a 22-year-old who works in an IT firm, drove his critically-ill Covid positive father Ramesh Pagade, a vegetable vendor, 460km to Warangal in Telangana in the intervening night of April 7 and 8. “He started having trouble breathing that night and his oxygen saturation was at 71. I tried all the numbers for hospitals in Nagpur and we almost got admission in one also but by the time I came back with the documents, someone else had used contacts to get the bed,” says Abhimanyu. His uncle who lives in Telangana arranged an ICU bed at a private hospital for Ramesh who was transported there in a life-support ambulance. A couple of days later, the Nagpur district administration too had shifted 12 patients to Amravati Super Speciality hospital, 150kms away, as the city faced acute bed shortage.

As Covid envelops most of the country’s big cities, residents are venturing to smaller cities and satellite towns in the hope of getting hospital beds — particularly ICU and ventilator beds. Sometimes, they travel hours in ambulances even when there is no guarantee that a bed awaits them.

Prabhdeep Singh, co-founder and CEO of StanPlus, one of the country’s major players in the ambulance space, says long-distance travel for beds has become increasingly common, particularly in Delhi NCR. “Every day we get phone calls with such requests. Because Delhi has immense capacity shortages, we are getting requests to go to Jhajjar, Panipat, Sonipat and Panchkula in Haryana, and Amritsar in Punjab,” he says, pointing out that this is a reversal of the ways in which healthcare has traditionally worked in India where people from smaller towns flock to big cities in hopes of specialised care. “If Bangalore and Hyderabad go the same way as Delhi, I think we will immediately see people rushing out of big cities,” he adds. In some cases, people also leave in order to go to their hometowns where they have family support.

Delhi-based Mayank Garg got a call from a close friend Rahul last week because his mother’s oxygen was at 85. Garg, who belongs to Bathinda, recommended that they go there. “Rahul convinced his mom, put the oxygen cylinder in the car and the three of us came to Bathinda and got a bed in five minutes. She’s now improving without a ventilator and is maintaining saturation of 95,” says Garg. He was talking to the family member of a patient at the hospital who asked where they had come from, remarking, “First people used to go to Delhi for treatment, now they’re coming to Bathinda.”

Sometimes, even this form of intervention is not enough. Even after trying for three days, Sanju Srivastava, 62, a resident of Jankipuram Extension, could not get a bed in any Covid hospital in Lucknow. The family rushed her to Etawah in a critical condition. “We couldn’t get any beds in a Covid hospital in Lucknow so with the help of a family doctor, we rushed her to a hospital in Etawah but she could not be saved,” says a relative of Srivastava.

People running helplines and Covid support groups have also noticed an uptick in this kind of movement. Vibha Pandey who runs Cases Gurgaon, a volunteer group, says she’s sent people to Pataudi, Rohtak and Sonipat. “Ambulances are charging as much as Rs 70,000 but people pay anything to save a life,” she says. Deepthi Sharma, who helps people get access to beds and other resources in Delhi NCR, recalls getting a phone call from a 10-year-old girl, begging for help to save her mother. “I pleaded with a doctor in Panipat who helped admit her there. She managed to recover.”

While the doctors were not too optimistic about the condition of Abhimanyu’s father, he has made a recovery. Dr Abhijan MPS, pulmonologist at Max Care Hospitals in Warangal, said their aim was to improve him without a ventilator. “Since he came from Nagpur, our responsibility was even greater. He had a very narrow chance but he made it,” says the doctor.

Abhimanyu, whose family is still in Warangal for follow-up treatment, estimates they’ve spent anywhere between Rs 4.5-5 lakh. “All that’s important is that he is okay.”

— With inputs from Pervez Siddiqui

Woman who gave birth before joining service gets maternity leave

Woman who gave birth before joining service gets maternity leave

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Jaipur:06.05.2021

In an important judgment, the Rajasthan high court has ruled that a woman who joined service just after delivery is entitled to maternity leave. The recent order of the single bench of Justice SP Sharma followed the state education department’s refusal to grant a woman maternity leave, claiming that such a leave is applicable to only in-service government servants.

Petitioner’s counsel Anoop Dhand said that his client was selected for appointment to the post of school lecturer (physics) on March 18 this year. The appointment letter directed her to join service before April 10. The petitioner joined service on March 22 at the government senior secondary School, Badgaon, in Jalore district. After joining service, she applied for maternity leave as she had given birth to a baby on January 4 this year through caesarean.

The recent order of the single bench of Justice SP Sharma of the Rajasthan high court followed the state education department’s refusal to grant a woman maternity leave, claiming that such a leave is applicable to only in-service government servants

Doctor’s guide for Covid-19 patients recovering at home

Doctor’s guide for Covid-19 patients recovering at home

With Scarcity Of Hospital Beds, Telemedicine Consultations On The Rise

Kamini.Mathai@timesgroup.com

06.05.2021

Don’t start on steroids too soon as it may worsen the infection ... No, antibiotics will not help with Covid-19 ... All day long, Dr Subramanian Swaminathan, director, Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Gleneagles Global Hospitals, fields phone calls from anxious Covid positive patients.

With cases mounting and hospitals running out of beds, several of those infected by the virus have no option but to stay at home. “At least 90% of those who are positive do not require hospitalisation. A teleconsultation with a doctor can help identify the 10% who require further management,” says professor K Ganapathy, past president of Telemedicine Society of India.

In the past couple of months, the number of 1800 helplines, government and private telemedicine facilities, and at-home care services have increased exponentially to deal with the rising number of cases. At virtual medical consulting service Myhealthcare, the average number of calls received in a day is 2,000 — most of them related to Covid. The demand is such that they just launched a “virtual central command centre”, from where patients in home isolation across the country can be monitored through their smart phones. “Patients have access to a panic alert button, which triggers an immediate mobile consult,” says Shyatto Raha, founder of Myhealthcare.

Dr Subramanian’s first word of caution to those at home with Covid19 is: “Unless you are a considered a high risk individual (someone with comorbidities such as diabetes) it is better to wait for three or four days before you seek medical help. Until then, just take paracetamol and multivitamins.”

He also does not recommend administering steroids in the first few days. “If steroids are given in the phase when the virus is multiplying, it will stimulate the virus.” Inappropriate use of steroids in the early phase, he adds, may convert someone with a mild version of Covid into someone with a more severe infection. “We are sometimes forced to start steroids for people at home with borderline oxygen saturation and no hope of a hospital bed, but it is critical that the right dose is given,” says Dr Subramanian.

It is imperative that teleconsultation facilities follow recommended protocols from the Union health ministry and institutions like the Indian Council of Medical Research, says Dr Ganapathy. “The protocol that was in place a few months ago is not the same now. Patients shouldn't be afraid to question and clarify.”

In the case of antivirals and antibiotics which are being recommended, Dr Subramanian says, “None of the antivirals have been proven to save lives and there is no role for antibiotics in the treatment of Covid.” Monoclonal antibodies, which can help limit the progression of the infection, have to be administered within 48 hours of its onset, he says. The vaccine, he says, is the best armour against the virus.

At ₹6 lakh for 3 days, city hospitals bleed patients dry

At ₹6 lakh for 3 days, city hospitals bleed patients dry

Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com

Chennai:06.05.2021

Anil Kumar Gupta, 66, spent ₹6 lakh for three days treatment of his Covid-positive son in two small private hospitals in the Nanganallur area. But his son couldn’t be saved. The patient had a heart issue too and the smaller hospitals weren’t equipped to deal with it. They told Gupta to take his son to a bigger hospital, but not before both hospitals made him pay ₹1 lakh deposit and another ₹1.5 lakh as treatment charges. All they did was give him a bed, Gupta told TOI.

“Another son is recovering in one of the private hospitals. I understand the situation is bad but hospitals and doctors I met behaved very rudely. One even pushed me out of his hospital,” Gupta said.

Sathish M* from Pursawalkam said two of his family members were admitted to a small private hospital. “They spoke about packages and said they would charge from insurance for eight days. Though my son could have been discharged on the seventh day, they delayed it. At a time when people are searching for beds, I didn’t find this humane, “ he said.

“Also, they charged separately for rooms, PPE kits and doctors fees though my son and my mother were in the same room. This came to more than ₹1 lakh extra,” he added.

Radhika R, of OMR, said she was charged for oxygen though she didn’t require it. “Moreover, they make us run around to buy medicines,” she said.

Sathish G, a social activist from OMR, said his friend in Adambakkam paid ₹1.5 lakh as miscellaneous charges for three days of hospitalization. “It wasn’t even an oxygen bed,” he said.

When TOI tried to contact the five private hospitals mentioned by these patients, three didn’t respond. Representatives of two hospitals, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they had no choice but to charge more as they had stopped all other surgeries and converted almost 80% of their beds for Covid patients. “I agree paying ₹1 lakh a day is too much. That needs to stop. But hospitals are desperate to earn. The government fixed ceiling of ₹15,000 a day will not cover our expenses. We cannot run at a loss,” said one of the doctors of a private hospital.

Director of public health Dr T S Selvavinayam and state health secretary J Radhakrishnan told TOI that they would take action on complaints that are formally lodged.

A senior health official told TOI that they were walking a tightrope. “We cannot crackdown on hospitals like we did last year as we don’t have enough beds. If we have 10,000 beds ready for patients, we can act. But we want private hospitals to increase their facilities and create more oxygen beds. So it is a tricky situation,” he said.

Suburban trains only for frontline, essential workers

Suburban trains only for frontline, essential workers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:06.05.2021

As lockdown restrictions have been made stringent, Southern Railway has decided not to allow the general public, including students, to travel by suburban trains till May 20. Frontline workers and those employed in essential services sector are allowed to board the trains after showing their identity cards. The move will affect several people who work in nonessential sectors and depend on suburban trains to reach their workplaces in Chennai.

The railways has decided to restrict the category of people who can use the trains as the state government has announced that buses and trains should be run with 50% of occupancy.

A statement from the railways said railway staff, authorized essential services staff such as health, law and order, sanitation workers, municipal corporation workers, staff of all Centre, state government departments and PSUs, staff of the Madras high court judicial bodies and quasi-judicial bodies including lawyers, travel and logistics workers including those in Chennai Port Trust, Kamarajar Port Trust, staff of e-commerce companies on duty, print and electronic media, staff of nationalized, private and co-operative banks, and staff of private security agencies will be allowed to travel by the trains.

Students and staff of educational institutions, which remain closed, will not be permitted to take the trains.

Counters will be set up to sell reserved and unreserved tickets with 50% of staff, though people are encouraged to book tickets online.

K Baskar, former member, divisional rail users consultative committee, said this move puts jobs at risk. “People who work in private companies will lose their jobs if they cannot reach office. Those Many passengers who live in the suburbs use suburban trains to reach Arakkonam, MGR Central, Egmore and Tambaram stations to board mail/express trains. They should be allowed to use the services.”

BARE MINIMUM: All frontline workers, essential services staff will have to show their identity cards to board trains

New Covid restrictions in force from today

REINING IN COVID

New Covid restrictions in force from today

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:06.05.2021

The state government’s new set of restrictions to contain the spread of virus will come into force from 4am on May 6. Public transport, railways, metro rail, public and private buses and cabs will be allowed to operate at a maximum capacity of 50%.

The standalone grocery and vegetable shops will be permitted till 12 noon without air conditioning facility. Only 50% customers will be allowed at a time. A separate order issued by the government said the differently-abled will be fully exempted from attending office during the 15-day period.

All other shops, other than grocery and vegetable shops will remain closed. The big format shops in an area of 3,000sq ft and above, shopping complexes and malls have already been prohibited to function since April 26 onwards. The grocery and vegetable shops in shopping complexes and malls are also not permitted.

As per the order issued by the state government on Monday, the state government/public sector undertakings-run outlets will be permitted between 8am and 12 noon, while pharmacies, supply of milk and other essential services will continue as usual. Take away service alone will be permitted in all restaurants, hotels, bakeries, and mess from 6am to 10am, 12 noon to 3pm and 6pm to 9pm. Tea shops will be permitted to operate till 12 noon. The government also prohibited social/political/sports/entertainment/academic/cultural/festival gathering in open and closed spaces. Cinema theatres will remain shut.

In an order on Wednesday, chief secretary Rajeev Ranjan said that all offices of governments will function with 50% workforce for a fortnight beginning Thursday. The secretaries to governments, heads of departments, the district collectors will have to have an attendance schedule, either on alternate days or once in three days or as per the requirements based on the workload. “Notwithstanding the above alternate working system, the staff on off-duty will attend office if called for any point of time,” the order said. Private offices also will have to function with 50% workforce.

TN reports 23,310 new cases of Covid-19; 6,291 in Chennai

TN reports 23,310 new cases of Covid-19; 6,291 in Chennai

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:06.05.2021

All districts in the state reported more than 100 cases on Wednesday, when Tamil Nadu added167 deaths and 23,310 new Covid-19 cases. This is the highest number of cases and deaths reported by the state since the beginning of the pandemic.

There were 1,28,311 patients in the active registry after hospitals discharged 20,062 patients. The case tally since March 2020 moved to 12.7 lakh and the cumulative death toll touched 14,779.

While hotspot Chennai reported 6,291 new cases (the highest in the state), Ariyalur and Perambalur -- the two districts that were reported fewer than 50 cases a day so far -- reported 112 and 114 cases respectively (the lowest ) on Wednesday. With 2,029 new cases Coimbatore, reported the highest number of cases after Chennai. There were 1755 new cases in Chengalpet and 1385 cases in Tiruvallur. Madurai reported 914 cases.

Overall at least 20 districts reported deaths. Chennai reported 58 deaths – also the maximum in the state, and Chengalpet district followed with 10. This included 10 from the Chengalpet Medical College and Hospital but these excluded the 13 deaths reported between Tuesday and Wednesday following dip in oxygen was not reported in the media bulletin. While Kanyakumari, Ranipet and Madurai reported two deaths each, Salem reported seven and Vellore reported six.

Health department officials said that the centre has still not revised the 280 MT of oxygen allotted to the state although the state’s requirement has increased to 420MT. The state has a capacity of producing 400 MT and has been drawing about 50MT from Puducherry and diverting another 50MT from industries, officials said. “We are pushing the centre to increase allocation to the state. This is something they agreed to do more than a week ago,” a senior official said.

While there were 52,992 active cases in the Chennai region, the other districts in the north reported 1874 new cases. The eight districts in the west together had 25634 active cases followed by 24054 cases in the South. The central region together reported 2,226 cases. Deaths in all the four zone have also gone up –north districts together had 107 deaths while south reported 27, West had 12 and Central districts together logged 27. Meanwhile, 56203 people took the vaccine on Wednesday. The daily vaccinations have been steadily coming down despite increase in cases.

Stalin bats for more Covid-19 beds in pvt hospitals

Stalin bats for more Covid-19 beds in pvt hospitals

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:06.05.2021

DMK president and chief minister- designate M K Stalin on Wednesday appealed to private hospitals in Tamil Nadu to increase bed facilities to treat Covid-19 patients.

At present, private hospitals have allocated 50% of the beds exclusively for Covid-19 treatment. “Since it is a medical emergency, I request private hospitals to add more beds and consider subsidizing the Covid-19 treatment cost,” Stalin said in a statement.

Stalin noted that he had suggested to the chief secretary that a war room be established for better coordination. It would be helpful in monitoring and maintaining the availability of beds, oxygen, and vaccines in all districts.

He applauded frontline workers for their “massive service” for the community.

How a nightmare unfolded at midnight

How a nightmare unfolded at midnight

There Were Not Enough Docs, Nurses To Save Everyone

Pushpa Narayan & Ram Sundaram TNN

Chennai:06.05.2021

Did the authorities at the Chengalpet Medical College Hospital ignore warning signs? Eleven patients died within two hours after the volume of oxygen flowing in the pipelines fell from about 70 litres per minute to 10 litres per minute after midnight on Wednesday.

“It was something that we had warned the management about,” said a duty doctor, a postgraduate medical student. “Oxygen supply had dipped on Tuesday afternoon and two people died,” the doctor said.

The hospital, which had more than 300 patients on oxygen support in Covid-19 and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection wards, consumes an average of 4.2 kilolitres (KL) of oxygen a day. Dean Dr J Muthukumaran said the hospital filled up about 4 kilolitres of oxygen on Tuesday evening, two hours after he received the first complaint. The hospital has five oxygen tanks —two of 10-KL capacity and three 1-KL tanks.

“Our biomedical engineers replaced a coil near the main valve, which created trouble a week ago. It was replaced with a temporary coil (with the help of oxygen manufacturer INOX) to maintain the pressure levels. Ever since the substitute coil was installed, oxygen consumption almost doubled even when the patient count was almost the same. So, we had to refill the main oxygen tank much more frequently,” he said.

On Tuesday, there were no problems once the tank was refilled, but things went horribly wrong by midnight, when the pressure dropped once again.

Patient attenders cried for help in vain. In the children’s ward, doctors and nurses pulled out ambu bags – handheld devices commonly used to provide positive pressure ventilation – to save their tiny patients. In other wards, technicians dragged oxygen cylinders to bedsides.

But there were too many patients and too few healthcare providers. For instance, in the comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care ward there were 150 patients including pregnant women and new mothers. This ward had two doctors, two nurses and one technician. The neighboring admin block with more than 200 patients had four doctors, two nurses and two technicians. “When patients choked, there was chaos. Their relatives panicked. Some threatened us even as we were running between beds to save patients,” said a doctor.

“An investigation will be carried out and action will be taken against those who were responsible for the technical fault,” said collector John Louis.

By Wednesday afternoon, director of medical education Dr R Narayanababu, who led the inspection team, said there was “no oxygen shortage”.

In Salem, three Covid-19 patients die in ambulances

In Salem, three Covid-19 patients die in ambulances

Senthil.Kumaran@timesgroup.com

Salem:06.05.2021

Three Covid-19 patients died while undergoing treatment in ambulances parked on the premises of Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital (SGMKMCH) on Tuesday night.

Doctors said they did not have sufficient beds to treat the patients, due to which they had treated them in ambulances that brought them to SGMKMCH from private hospitals.

The deceased were a 30-year-old woman and two men aged 42 and 45, who had comorbidities. “They died in the ambulances not responding to treatment,” SGMKMCH dean R Murugesan told TOI. “They were brought at the eleventh hour after their condition became critical.”

Of the 800 beds in SGMKMCH, 550 are oxygenequipped, Murugesan said. “At least 500 new cases are reported from the district every day. We also get patients from neighbouring districts. We can’t accommodate everyone. We have taken steps to set up an additional 200 oxygenequipped beds.”

Critically ill patients from Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Kallakurichi, Villupuram and Tiruvannamalai are referred to SGMKMCH, which is a multispecialty hospital. “We try our best to take care of all Covid-19 patients,” Murugesan said.

Following the deaths, the hospital management set up a monitoring committee consisting of Dr Sureshkanna, Dr Pon A Rajarajan, Dr P Kannan, Dr T Sampathkumar and Dr Nagarajan. “The five-member committee will monitor oxygen usage, audit deaths and give suitable advice to the floor monitoring committee,” the dean added.

Meanwhile, a senior doctor at SGMKMCH said primary health centres and government hospitals are referring Covid-19 patients with mild complications.

WAITING FOR THEIR TURN: Ambulances lined up at the Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday

'No more' PILs from Traffic Ramaswamy at Madras High Court

'No more' PILs from Traffic Ramaswamy at Madras High Court

Traffic Ramaswamy was a familiar figure at the Madras High Court, often spotted clad in his trademark white shirt and khaki trousers, darting between courts, his Personal Security Officer in tow.

Published: 05th May 2021 12:02 AM 

Traffic Ramaswamy (Photo | EPS)

By Harish Murali

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Prakasam Salai road in the buzzling Parry's locality that housed the office cum residence of Traffic Ramaswamy will no longer be the same after the passing of the social activist at age 87. The High Court premises neighbouring his office was a frequent visiting point for Ramaswamy.

Traffic Ramaswamy was a familiar figure at the Madras High Court, often spotted clad in his trademark white shirt and khaki trousers, darting between courts, his Personal Security Officer in tow.

S Ganesan, a long time associate and advocate for the hundreds of Public Interest Litigation petitions filed by the crusader since the early 2000s, recalled the 2002 incident that spurred Ramaswamy to regularly file cases of public interest.

"He had filed a PIL to regulate fish carts and a section of fish cart owners beat him up and left him bleeding on the road. The then Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Subhashan Reddy in 2003 provided him with a personal security officer," he emphasised.

Since then there has been no turning back for the activist who took up several cases of public interest in Chennai.

Ganesan recalls that there was an instance where Ramaswamy attended the wedding of a close friend's son, however, the moment he saw posters outside on the road leading towards the marriage hall, he left the place without attending the function. He later called up his friend and informed him that the posters were erected illegally and that it was a violation.

"Nothing bogged down the activist, even the several contempt charges he had faced in court," says Ganesan.

In 2014, Ramaswamy was imposed with a Rs 25,000 fine by a division bench of the Madras High Court for filing a vague PIL stating that party functionaries who swore allegiance to criminals cannot form the government.

On most of the occasions, Ramaswamy's PILs were dismissed by the court which found them vague.

However, the octogenarian kept filing them, with the most recent one being a PIL filed against the use of unregistered battery-run cars by the Chennai corporation for collecting garbage.

Following the court direction, all the vehicles were then registered and brought under the Regional Transport Authority for compliance.

Just in the last week of April, the Madras High Court ordered the Chennai corporation to file a report on GNT road encroachments after a PIL by Ramaswamy. Unfortunately the activist will no longer be a witness to its proceedings.

ICMR: Do away with must RT-PCR test for inter-state travel

ICMR: Do away with must RT-PCR test for inter-state travel

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:05.05.2021 

The Indian Council for Medical Research in its advisory for Covid-19 testing during the second wave of the pandemic has recommended that the need for RT-PCR test in healthy individuals undertaking inter-state domestic travel may be completely removed to reduce the load on laboratories. As part of the measures to optimise RT-PCR testing, ICMR advisory makes it clear that the test must not be repeated in any individual who has tested positive once either by RAT or RT-PCR. Also no testing is required for Covid-19 recovered individuals at the time of hospital discharge in accordance with the discharge policy of the ministry of health and family welfare.

The advisory emphasises that non-essential travel and interstate travel of symptomatic individuals (Covid-19 or flu like symptoms) should be essentially avoided to reduce the risk of infection and all asymptomatic individuals undertaking essential travel must follow Covid appropriate behaviour.

It pointed out that mobile testing laboratories are now available on GeM portal and states must augment RT-PCR testing through mobile systems. “To meet the overwhelming testing demand, it will be prudent to upscale testing using Rapid Antigen Tests,” the advisory recommends.

Explaining the need for a detailed advisory on testing for Covid-19, ICMR cites the “unprecedented upsurge of Covid-19 cases and deaths currently being witnessed across India”. The overall nationwide test positivity rate is above 20%. In this backdrop testing-tracking-tracing, isolation and home-based treatment of positive patients is the key measure to curb transmission of SARSCoV-2. As of today, India has a total of 2,506 molecular testing laboratories including RTPCR, True-Nat, CBNAAT and other platforms. The total daily national testing capacity is close to15 lakh tests considering a three- shift operationalisation of the existing laboratory network.