This 1,100-yr-old Chola hosp had beds, docs, surgeons and a protocol in place

This 1,100-yr-old Chola hosp had beds, docs, surgeons and a protocol in place

Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com

Chennai:19.05.2021

As a raging pandemic befuddles governments of even the most advanced nations on how best to use their resources, inscription on the walls of a Chola temple, built more than 1,100 years ago, shows how the visionary kings had operated a 15-bed hospital complete with doctors and surgeons. The inscriptions give details on medical procedures, salary paid to doctors in the form of paddy — proportionate to their work, the kind of herbal drugs used, and the method to ration food among inmates.

The comprehensive engravings on the granite wall of Venkatesa Perumal Temple at Thirumukkoodal near Kancheepuram, located 70km south of Chennai, on the medical centre established by Virarajendra Chola in 1069AD at the confluence of rivers Cheyyar, Vegavathi and Palar has surprised archaeologists.

The centre had two physicians, including a surgeon, and one barber to perform minor operations, two people for fetching herbs, and nurses and medical attendants to take care of patients. The 55ftlong inscriptions with 33 lines running from top to bottom cover an area of 540sqft. It is considered to be one of the biggest such engravings discovered so far in the Indian subcontinent. While 95% of it is written in Tamil, the rest is in ‘Grantha’ script. According to archaeologists, it throws light on 19 herbal medicines used for treating fever, lung diseases and dropsy.

CAST IN STONE: The engravings about the medical centre on the walls of Venkatesa Perumal Temple at Thirumukkoodal near Kancheepuram are considered among the biggest

Ancient temple will be renovated for consecration

As per the inscriptions, first documented a century ago, the hospital was meant to treat inmates of a students’ hostel and temple servants. S Rajavelu, adjunct faculty member of department of history, Alagappa University and former epigraphist with ASI, who studied the inscriptions in the past, said the facility also catered to the public. “It was akin to a medical hospital and college, where students stayed and it was meant for treating the public. It was an ayurvedic cum siddha hospital because we have references of medicinal plants,” he said.

“The hospital was running on the grants from the government, routed through the temple,” Rajavelu said.

The inscriptions talk of an ‘Atular Salai’, which means hospital. Similar health care centres were also functioning in Thiruvakkam near Kancheepuram, Thanjavur and Srirangam, he added.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which maintains the 9th century temple, now plans to recreate the garden by planting herbs mentioned in the inscription. T Saravanan, who took over as senior conservation assistant of ASI’s Kancheepuram sub-circle recently, said the temple would also be renovated for consecration. “The herbal garden is being established as part of renovation works that would commence this year. It is being executed on the directions of the ASI’s director-general, who visited the temple early this year,” he said.

Trapped in pandemic panic, people now look up at hospitals as temples, but in the days of yore temples themselves doubled up as hospitals.

AHEAD OF TIME: The engravings on the granite wall of Venkatesa Perumal Temple has surprised archaeologists

On second run, Pinarayi drops star woman min

On second run, Pinarayi drops star woman min

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Thiruvananthapuram:19.05.2021

The CPM, in a bid to induct fresh faces in the second Pinarayi Vijayan government, dropped the immensely popular K K Shailaja from the new cabinet, sending shockwaves across the state and among its own cadre, and spawning doubts on the continued efficacy of the state’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Tuesday, CPM MLAs formally elected Pinarayi Vijayan as its parliamentary party leader and chief minister candidate and announced 11 names to be inducted as ministers in the second LDF government, scheduled to be sworn in on Thursday. Shailaja has been made the party whip.

The list of ministers was finalised by the CPM politburo — comprising Vijayan, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, M A Baby and S Ramachandran Pillai — which met here in the morning.

OUT OF FAVOUR: Shailaja was widely praised for her handling of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis

Pinarayi’s son-in-law Riyas in new Kerala cabinet

The party decided not to tamper with the policy it adopted ahead of the crucial election, of giving preference to new faces. As part of this policy, it had denied tickets to those who contested elections twice in succession, including senior leaders like G Sudhakaran and TM Thomas Isaac. Accordingly, it decided to include all new faces in the next ministry. Politburo member Balakrishnan then presented the list before the state committee members for ratification.

The new ministers include CPM central committee member and three-time MLA M V Govindan, central committee member and former speaker K Radhakrishnan, state secretariat members and former MPs P Rajeeve and K N Balagopal, state committee members Saji Cherian, V N Vasavan, V Sivankutty and Mohammed Riyas, former Thrissur mayor R Bindu, former journalist and two-time MLA Veena George, politician-cum-businessman and two-time MLA V Abdurahiman. Riyas is the sonin-law of CM Vijayan and Bindu is the wife of CPM acting secretary and LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan. State committee member M B Rajesh is the party’s speaker candidate while T P Ramakrishnan the parliamentary party secretary. The portfolios will be decided by Vijayan later.

Pinarayi Vijayan called on governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Tuesday evening and staked a claim to form the new government.

Full report on www.toi.in

City divided into 348 grids; e-registration must for travel

City divided into 348 grids; e-registration must for travel

No Entry From One Grid To Another Without Pass

Selvaraj.a@timesgroup.com

Chennai:19.05.2021 

In a novel initiative to contain lockdown violations by motorists, the Greater Chennai Police have divided the city into 348 grids and allowed intergrid movement only if roadusers had valid e-registration.

A press release from commissioner of police Shankar Jiwal’s office clarified that an epass or e-register is mandatory for anyone stepping out of their houses after 10am or before 6am. Those who don’t possess these valid registrations will not be allowed to enter from one grid to another.

The move, however, caught commuters by surprise, resulting in chaos and traffic pileups at key junctions and thoroughfares on Tuesday morning.

Commissioner Jiwal came out with the detailed traffic curbs shortly after chief minister M K Stalin’s review meeting for top police officers.

As per the new plan, the 138 police stations in city limits have been divided into 348 grids called sectors. Cops barricaded roads and allowed movement only on a handful of routes so as to enable police to verify and allow only those who had e-registrations or and frontline workers out on essential purposes. Commuters without valid documents to justify their movement outside their respective sectors were disallowed from proceeding any further.

Due to the strict enforcement, places like Spencer’s signal witnessed a big pile-up of vehicles disallowed from using the stretch. After making lockdown violators spend about an hour in the hot sun, police let them go with a warning. Similar scenes were witnessed in traffic junctions at Nandanam, Teynampet, Thiruvanmiyur, Adyar, near Gandhi statue on Kamarajar Salai, Saidapet, Guindy, Ashok Nagar and few more places. City traffic police inspector V Praveen said, “we stopped the bikes and cars at key intersections and allowed them to drive one after another, making a beeline, so that we can verify their credentials.”

Another traffic police officer at Teynampet said, “we formed two lanes – one for cars and the other for bikes -- at Teynampet junction. It was a little chaotic initially, but later it became smooth.” However, arguments broke out when a few doctors and journalists out on duty too were caught up in the melee. Many took to the social media slamming city police for enforcing the curbs without adequate prior intimation or publicity.

Traffic pile up on main roads led motorists to take a detour and crowd narrow streets to reach their destinations.

On Monday, meanwhile, Chennai police slapped 2,855 cases on people for flouting lockdown norms.

FOLLOW THE RULES: People travelling without e-pass and proper travel documents during lockdown were stopped at Anna Salai by police personnel on Tuesday

HC orders sacked govt employee to undergo mental evaluation

TRIED TO BRIBE CJ OF MADRAS HC

HC orders sacked govt employee to undergo mental evaluation

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:19.05.2021

A special court for corruption cases has directed a former government servant to undergo medical check-up at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Kilpauk after he claimed he was suffering from mental illness. He is facing a case of attempting to bribe high court judges.

“The expert shall examine the accused and take all necessary tests as per medical jurisprudence and submit a report whether the accused can understand court proceedings and capable of making defence. The accused shall co-operate with the medical expert, failing which adverse inference will be drawn against him,” said special judge J Omprakash.

The accused, after being terminated from service, had appealed twice before the high court and after both appeals were dismissed, he wrote to the chief justice of Madras high court seeking a job and enclosed ₹10,000 for a ‘favourable order’.

Based on a complaint from the registrar of the high court, an FIR was registered by the Central Crime Branch and he was arrested.

Police filed the final report and the special court had taken cognizance of the report on November 11, 2020.

When the case came up for trial, the accused appeared before the court and raised various grounds to discharge him from the case. He said he was suffering from mental illness between 2012 and 2014 and that he continued psychiatric treatment for the illness till date.

The court noted from his medical records which stated that the accused was suffering from recurrent depressive disorder and took treatment at Tiruvannamalai medical college from December 2020 until March 2021.

After perusing the submissions, special judge passed an interim order directing the accused to appear before the director of IMH for mental evaluation.

Doctors, journalists exempted from Chennai’s e-pass rule

Doctors, journalists exempted from Chennai’s e-pass rule

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:19.05.2021 

Police commissioner Shankar Jiwal on Tuesday exempted doctors, health workers, lawyers, journalists, essential commodities staff, state and central government employees, secretariat staff, embassy and consulate officials from carrying e-registration passes while travelling in the city.

However, they have to show their identity cards when asked.

The police are advised to have an exclusive lane for the ambulance vehicles to ply through the city without any stops, the release added.

If anyone is stopped by cops despite displaying their identity cards, they can contact public relations officer M S Baskar on his mobile 9498130011 or on the landline 04423452320.

On Tuesday morning, chaos prevailed on city roads as cops blocked roads to check e-passes.

The city police seized 4,107 vehicles from lockdown violators, and a fine amount of ₹16,57,500 was collected from them. Apart from them, the city police booked cases against 3,044 people for not wearing face masks and cases against 345 people for not maintaining social distancing.

As per a release, the health workers, doctors, journalists, essential commodities staff, state and central government staff, secretariat staff, embassy and consulate officials and lawyers have been allowed to travel in the city without availing the e registration pass

TN medicos want govt to increase stipend

TN medicos want govt to increase stipend

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:18.05.2021

Post graduate and super speciality doctors, who treat Covid-19 patients at government hospitals, have requested chief minister MK Stalin to increase their stipend.

These doctors (non-service) claim that they are paid only ₹37,000 to ₹47,000 as stipend per month, lowest in the country.

For instance, a M.D/M.S (Doctor of Medicine/Master of Surgery) postgraduate in Gujarat earns ₹84,000 to ₹87,500 and those in super speciality wards are paid up to Rs1,12,000 -- almost double of what a TN PG medico earns. Recently, many states such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have increased the stipend amount for PG doctors, acknowledging their service during the pandemic. But Tamil Nadu has not revised the stipend amount for over three years.

Keerthi Varman, president of Tamil Nadu Medical Students Association said, “We are working for almost 100 hours every week but we are paid a pittance.

Even final year MBBS (undergraduate) students, who were roped in by Greater Chennai Corporation for Covid-19 duty, are earning more (₹40,000 per month) compared to a PG doctor in Chennai Medical College hospitals".

Another PG student from Stanley Medical College Hospital, who tested positive for Covid last week, said they hardly get four to five hours of sleep every day and work in life-threatening conditions. Staff nurses, who work on six-seven hour shifts, get the same pay as PGs.

"We are not asking for extra. All we are requesting is something we deserve," he said, requesting anonymity.

A senior state health department official rejected the PG doctors' allegation and said that they were paid ₹75,000 to ₹90,000 per month as remuneration for Covid work at par with top central medical institutions.

The government has recently given a one-time incentive of ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 too, he said.

"Alongside this, they are provided one-week quarantine at star hotels after every 6-7 days of service in Covid wards. The government takes care of their accommodation and food expenses," he said.

Though PGs accept that they are provided quarantine facilities, they denied the health authority's claim about stipend amount. According to their bank statement, they received ₹37,000- ₹47,000 as stipend in April.

NURSING STUDENTS GET VACCINATED

NURSING STUDENTS GET VACCINATED

SAFETY FIRST: Nursing students working at the Covid-19 ward of Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai wait for their Covid vaccine doses at the Elango Corporation School on Monday

‘Be transparent about Covid toll; can’t blame the new government’

TWO MADRAS HC RULINGS GO GOVT’s WAY

18.05.2021 

‘Be transparent about Covid toll; can’t blame the new government’

Chennai: Amidst allegations of under-reporting of Covid-19 deaths in Tamil Nadu, Madras high court emphasised the need for accurate reporting of such deaths to ensure adequate supply of drugs and oxygen proportionate to the severity of the spread in the state.

“No one can blame this particular government for this (since it took charge only 10 days ago). So, therefore, this government should be particularly keen in ensuring reporting of every Covid death so that the allocation (of vaccines, drugs and oxygen) is adequate and appropriate,” the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said on Monday. “We are one of the leading states in the country, we are pretty educated and our health care facilities are among the best in the country, so this would be an ideal place for a case study,” the court asserted.

“We are not saying that the government is inducing it (under-reporting), maybe at the local level people feel if they under-report it would be better. Government should take steps and encourage that the reporting is accurate,” the judges said. TNN

‘Cannot interfere with the state’s lockdown decision on industries’

Chennai: In a setback to employees of automobile manufacturing and allied industries in Tamil Nadu, Madras high court has refused to interfere in the exemption granted to such units to function despite the complete lockdown implemented in the state.

“It is a decision which appears to have been taken after deliberate consideration of the present situation. It is the matter for the particular industry to look after the welfare of its employees and also to consider the prospects of the industry,” the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said on Monday.

“We can only make an appeal to the industries to ensure that the best Covid protocol is maintained, please have as little staff as possible during this period to live up to the spirit of the lock down,” the bench said.

The bench made the observations on PILs moved by employee unions of Renault Nissan and Wipro Infrastructure challenging the exemption granted to the units during the lockdown. TNN

Shanthimalar is new dean of KMC

Shanthimalar is new dean of KMC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.05.2021

State health department has appointed Dr R Shanthimalar as the new dean of Kilpauk Medical College after transferring Dr Vasanthamani P as the section committee secretary.

Dr Shanthimalar was working as secretary and additional director of medical education before taking over administration of the Kilpauk Medical College, one of the five state run Covid-19 hospitals. Dr Vasanthamani, one of the senior-most doctors in the state, will be incharge of medical, dental, nursing and other paramedical courses in the state.

Meanwhile, Dr J Sangumani, dean of Madurai Medical College, and Dr A Rathinavel, dean of Sivaganga Medical College, have swapped positions. Similar swaps have happened between Dr R Murugesan, dean of Government Salem Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital and Dr Valli Sathiyamoorthy, deancum special officer, Government Medical College in Tiruppur; and between Dr R Suganthy Rajakumari, dean, government Kanyakumari Medical College, Asaripallam, and Dr B Tiruvasagamani, dean cum special officer, Government Medical College, Virudhunagar.

Brief spells of rain are likely in the city towards weekend, say weather bloggers

Brief spells of rain are likely in the city towards weekend, say weather bloggers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.05.2021

The city may not have received rain from Cyclone Tauktae, but its strength and intensity may continue to bring in strong seabreeze to the land, resulting in a slight dip in temperatures at least for the next two days. While weathermen have forecast slightly below normal temperature, weather bloggers said the city may have chances of rainfall towards the end of the week before another system may form closer to Andaman island.

For the next 48 hours, IMD has forecast Chennai city and suburbs to have maximum and minimum temperatures around 36 deg C and 28 deg C, with partly cloudy skies.

Strong seabreeze or easterlies had been keeping day temperatures below normal for much of May, considered peak summer season. Since the weather system intensified over Arabian Sea last week, it has been pulling winds from Bay of Bengal over the land. This has helped keep a check on day temperatures.

On Monday, Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam recorded 35.8 deg C and 37.5 deg C, which are 1.7 deg C and 0.9 deg C below normal. The average temperature for the month of May is 37.1 deg C.

“Easterlies may continue to be present through the day keeping day temperatures near normal or slightly below normal,” a meteorologist said.

“There are chances of rainfall in the city between May 20 and 22,” weather blogger Pradeep John said.

MIRROR IMAGE: A mirage seen on Kamarajar Salai along the Marina beach on Monday

COVID-19 Restrictions FAQS

COVID-19 Restrictions FAQS

18.05.2021 

While using a car within Chennai for an emergency, how many people are allowed in the vehicle? - Dr D Arul Samraj

Driver plus three passengers are allowed in a car during the lockdown. Please carry documents to prove the urgent need for stepping out.

My son has to travel from Bengaluru to Chennai. Can he use his bike to get here? We couldn’t find bike travel listed among options on the e-registration portal – Kannan S

He has to get an e-pass to travel by road to Chennai during the lockdown. There is a provision to apply for a pass for two-wheelers for individual travellers. It can be applied here: https://eregister.tnega.org/#/user/pass

I work for an e-commerce company that offers same day delivery of groceries, food, other essentials. We have been provided with a soft copy ID card by the company. Can we use that as proof to show law enforcers? - Vignesh

It is preferable to have a hard copy of the identity card issued by the company. Please request for one from your employer if the soft copy is not accepted by law enforcers.

My brother’s son is getting married on Sunday and there are other domestic functions on Saturday. I stay at a different location. Can we show the invitation and travel on Friday itself? – K Balasubramanian

You can travel to the venue if the domestic functions scheduled on Saturday are mentioned on the wedding invitation. You cannot travel without a document that can prove the purpose of travel.

The yearly rituals for my father’s death anniversary are scheduled on Sunday. Can I get three pundits from within Chennai to come to my home on the day? – Venkat K

It will be difficult to travel on Sundays without a valid proof. Please arrange a document detailing the ceremony so they can use it as proof.

I run a pharmaceutical distribution company. Can I supply medicines to hospitals within city limits? - Rajeev

This comes under the essential category. You can deliver goods by using your company identity card or a letter from the hospitals.

Within how many kilometre radius are we allowed to go on a two-wheeler to buy groceries during this lockdown? - Nidhiya

The government has allowed people to travel only for essential purposes and people are not allowed to ride around. It is better to buy groceries from the nearest shop than to go looking for a particular outlet.

FOR COVID-19 RELATED QUERIES & EMERGENCIES

Helpline: 108/ 104 or 044-4612 2300/ 044 2538 4520 For hospital bed availability, visit: https://stopcorona.tn.gov.in/beds.php

DAY 1 CRACK DOWN: Police check two-wheeler riders for e-pass at Perungalathur on Monday. E-registration is mandatory for inter-district and inter-state travel

Days after 24th birthday, Covid kills techie twins

Days after 24th birthday, Covid kills techie twins

Piyush.Rai@timesgroup.com

Meerut:18.05.2021 

Gregory Raymond Raphael remembers the day clearly. April 23, 1997. The delivery, doctors said, had been successful and his wife Soja was fine. Heart beating with joy, he had rushed to the hospital. The babies, twins, looked alike. The young parents named them Joefred Varghese Gregory and Ralfred George Gregory. Having lived a life where they did almost everything together — both chose computer engineering, both had jobs in Hyderabad — they caught the deadly fever the same day, on April 24. Last week, after struggling with Covid-19, they died hours apart on May13 and May14.

Raphael said he almost knew that if his sons had to make it, they would come home together. Or they wouldn’t. “Whatever happened to one, it happened to the other,” he said.

ONE IN LIFE AND DEATH:

Ralfred George Gregory (L) and Joefred Varghese Gregory

‘Twins wanted to give us a better life’

“That’s how it was since their birth. I had told my wife after we got news that Jeofred had died that Ralfred won’t return home alone either. They died on May 13 and May 14, hours apart.”

He said, “The twins had a lot of plans for us. They wanted to give us a better life. As teachers we have struggled much to bring up the children well and they wanted to give us back, everything from money to happiness. Before they died, they were planning to leave for Korea and then perhaps Germany for work. I don’t know why god punished us like this.” The Raphaels have a third son, the eldest one, Nelfred.

Residents of Meerut’s Cantonment area, the family initially treated the brothers at home, thinking the fever would subside. But it didn’t.

Full report on www.toi-.in

WhatsApp to HC: New privacy policy not put off

WhatsApp to HC: New privacy policy not put off

Abhinav.Garg@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:18.05.2021

Instant messaging platform WhatsApp on Monday told Delhi high court that the new privacy policy has not been deferred and came into affect from May 15th. It clarified before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and justice Jyoti Singh that the deadline for the policy to come into effect has not been extended, but accounts won’t be deleted immediately.

“We are still trying to persuade consumers but if they don’t accept slowly, slowly these accounts will be deleted. There is no universal deadline for this,” senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the company, said.In response, the Centre maintained that the new privacy policy of WhatsApp violates the IT law and rules, and sought directions to the social media platform to keep status quo intact.

Appearing for Centre ASG Chetan Sharma, said that India has the largest number of users of WhatsApp in the world and there is an imminent need to maintain the status quo.

Govt awaiting reply from Facebook CEO

ASG Chetan Sharma said the government has written to Facebook CEO on the issue and a reply is awaited.

However both WhatsApp and its parent company Facebook opposed any stay. It stressed that the policy doesn’t violate Indian law saying that any move to delete accounts will be on a case to case basis but there is no time limit for the same.

The HC then posted the matter for detailed hearing on June 03. It is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the new privacy policy. It also issued notice to the Centre, Facebook and WhatsApp and sought their stand on one of the petitions by a lawyer who has claimed that the new policy violates users’ right to privacy under the Constitution.

The Trouble With Doctor Google

CITY CITY BANG BANG

The Trouble With Doctor Google

SANTOSH DESAI

17.05.2021 

The internet has been an invaluable tool during the times of the pandemic. Marooned in our little socially-distanced islands, we have retained contact with the outside world through digital means. At an uncertain time, when the world and the experts that we depend upon to keep us alive have all been in learning mode when it comes to this new global threat, the ability to stay up-to-date with all the developments in the world of medicine and healthcare has been extremely useful. The facility of being able to speak to doctors and consult them over video has made a huge difference at a time when personal contact of any kind is best avoided.

Closer to home, at a time when the second wave has highlighted just how ramshackle our healthcare infrastructure is, the only help available to people who have been helplessly hunting for oxygen, vital medicines and hospital beds has come in the form of digitally-powered networks of good Samaritans. Strangers across cities have worked tirelessly in real time to try and help those in desperate need.

And yet, there is the flip side too. A lot of the information going around is false and worse, motivated. Untested remedies, fanciful conspiracy theories, unscientific advice all abound. Easy and instant access to healthcare information is a boon in so many ways, but equally, it also serves to heighten panic and encourage self-medication and self-diagnosis.

It is easy to mistake information for knowledge and worse, expertise. A search engine is a rabbit hole of stress into which we dive headlong as we keep ferreting out more layers of information till we reach the direst point on the spectrum. Every headache becomes a potential stroke, indigestion turns into an impending heart attack, and virtually any imaginable symptom pursued long enough turns into cancer. There is a perverse need to believe in the worst, an almost competitive sense of direness that one ends up chasing. The internet has been the single greatest catalyst for mass hypochondria.

The problem is not just with the users, but also in the way that healthcare information is organised and presented. Try and search for a relatively commonplace symptom like ‘swollen lymph nodes in the neck’, and among the first results that get thrown up is ‘malignant lymph node neoplasm’, meaning cancer. And this is by no means an isolated example. Apart from instances where the search engine throws up the most dreaded option first, there is the more common occurrence of it listing a series of possible conditions with no indication of what is more common and what is exceedingly rare. By presenting each ailment as an undifferentiated list, it implicitly accords the same probability to each option, thereby inducing anxiety.

It is interesting that almost all the popular medical sites suffer from the same problem. It makes one wonder if this is a feature or a bug, given that user engagement is likely to be much higher, the more serious the ailment one thinks one has. Apart from the stress that this generates, there are other consequences too, with patients insisting on more expensive and often needless tests, so convinced they are that the doctor is missing something potentially serious.

So many times, one’s certainty that one is a few months from dying of something horrible gets punctured the moment one sees a doctor, who is often hurtfully disdainful of one’s well-researched case about the hopelessness of one’s situation. While it is certainly a matter of relief when that happens, it does not deter us from behaving exactly the same way the next time around. Psychologically, it is difficult to stop oneself from diving into the murky waters of search engines even when one is fully aware of the dangers that it poses.

The gap between practical experience and theoretical knowledge is particularly large when it comes to medicine. Theoretical knowledge is no substitute for clinical experience, which is why so many times one’s selfdiagnosis is so woefully wrong. The doctor looks at the whole picture, and draws on experience that superficial reading simply cannot replicate, and arrives at a diagnosis using a very different mode of analysis than the one used by googlehappy amateur researchers.

Unlike other areas, where access to what was hitherto seen as expert knowledge can be liberating and empowering, when it comes to medicine, the situation is much more complex. At one level, having a more informed set of patients who are able to receive and implement expert advice knowledgeably can be an advantage. In a few cases, this kind of direct access can help individuals identify serious problems early and potentially save lives. On the other hand, for the vast majority, what it does is create stress and in some cases a fear of going to the doctor and getting diagnosed, so convinced is one that one has a terminal problem. One can only imagine the damage it would inflict particularly in countries where access to a doctor can take weeks or months. The agony of stewing in one’s naive certainty, while awaiting real diagnosis can be debilitating.

As our pandemic experience tells us, both having too much information too readily available and not having enough to go on are problematic. We are flooded with information of all kinds, proven and unproven, which has made dealing with the pandemic that much more difficult. On the other hand, so much is still unknown about the virus and our efforts to contain it.

At a time like this, it could be argued it makes sense for us to fear the worst, for that is what might well be what ends up protecting us. Equally, it is important to keep a sense of perspective about the virus to prevent us from being turned into paranoid emotional wrecks. Perhaps the best course is to limit our information to only that which is immediately useful, and to use Google to figure out which show or movie to watch next.

santosh 365@gmail.com

Palanivel Thiagarajan’s tweet on criticism wins hearts on internet

Palanivel Thiagarajan’s tweet on criticism wins hearts on internet

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan’s attempt to clear the air over recent social media reports won hearts on Twitter on Sunday.

Published: 17th May 2021 04:21 AM 

Tamil Nadu minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan’s attempt to clear the air over recent social media reports won hearts on Twitter on Sunday. His tweet read, “It has come to my notice that some of my old interviews are being shared widely during the past few days.

These videos are from several news debates, conclaves, interviews, press conferences, virtual conclaves, and other interviews where I directly engaged with our citizens over the past 5 years, while being an opposition MLA. Those who have come across these videos after my appointment as a Minister, are editing them in bits and pieces and are sharing them widely.

Many who see these mistakenly assume that these clips were recorded post my appointment as a Minister. They are sharing comments in support of me and are criticising my political opponents, causing me concern and distress.”

Quoting an instance, he said, “Central Minister Nirmala Sitharaman personally contacted me over the phone to congratulate me and wish me success in service to the people and said that she looked forward to working together. This kind of magnanimity in politics deserves to be appreciated. And to be emulated, especially by first-time Ministers such as myself.”

PTR requested the public to stop showering him with praise based solely on his speeches, and to stop the negative criticism of those on the other side of the political divide. The Finance Minister had also said he took part in some programmes as part of CM’s transparent governance model and to communicate with the people in a direct and effective manner. But his focus remains on pandemic measures.

Assuming power in the time of great adversity

Assuming power in the time of great adversity

Unlike previous govts, this DMK govt took charge knowing well of the biggest adversity that it would face this term. A look at its efforts to combat pandemic so far

Published: 17th May 2021 03:38 AM |

By Omjasvin MD

Express News Service

CHENNAI: When the election results were declared on May 2, the subdued celebrations across the State belied the DMK’s anxious 10-year wait to return to power. Unlike other governments, this DMK government took charge knowing fully well of the biggest adversity that it would face and must resolve in this term. The one-month delay in declaring the poll results had already hampered the State’s efforts to quell the pandemic’s second wave. More waves are in the offing, experts say.

In the first week of May, ambulances began queuing outside hospitals with beds being scarce and patients were left gasping for precious oxygen. The situation has not changed much even now. So, lets have a look a what the new government has actually accomplished in just a matter of days after coming to power.

Even before taking oath as the Chief Minister, MK Stalin convened a meeting of officials to discuss Covid-19 mitigation efforts. With bringing experienced and honest officials to top posts, and ramping up the number of oxygen beds in all hospitals, the DMK-led government has seemingly started the battle on a war-footing.

Seasoned politician and former Chennai Mayor Ma Subramanian was made the Health Minister, the hot seat at the moment. Immediately, he began inspection of city hospitals and ordered an addition of 12,500 oxygen beds. The Chennai Trade Centre was also soon upgraded to an 800-bed oxygen facility. About 360 beds were opened to patients on May 11, without much fanfare, and presently about 70 patients are being treated at the centre, officials said. Another 500 beds will be introduced by May 25.

The plan is to shift severe patients recovering in tertiary hospitals to this facility and make more beds available in bigger hospitals. Speaking to Express, Health Minister Subramanian said, “We are enhancing the health services in suburban areas. In Avadi, we added 50 oxygen beds, and another 50 more at Velammal Surapet. A Siddha care centre too will be opened there.” Apart from this, orders were given to ramp up at least 250 oxygen beds at Stanley GH, while Chennai Corporation too began distribution of oxygen concentrators to government hospitals for the benefit of patients waiting for admission.

HR and CE Minister Shekhar Babu inspecting the Covid care centre at

Don Bosco school in Egmore on Sunday, as Corporation Commissioner

Gagandeep Singh Bedi and MP Dayanidhi Maran look on

Gagandeep Singh Bedi, a senior bureaucrat who handled the 2004 Tsunami and 2015 Cuddalore floods relief efforts, was recently appointed the Chennai Corporation Commissioner. “The civic body will more strictly enforce the Covid treatment protocols. For symptomatic patients, we provide medicines during testing itself. We will also ramp up the vaccination drive and we aim to vaccinate one lakh people between May 15 and 18,” the corporation commissioner said.

So far, the corporation has received over 900 oxygen concentrators and it has handed over 90 per cent of them to government hospitals. “These concentrators will help patients who are in ambulances outside the hospitals waiting for beds to clear up. We have further given orders for 2,900 more oxygen concentrators. The Tondiarpet Communicable Diseases Hospital, Chennai Trade Centre and Injambakkam UPHC now have oxygen beds,” Bedi added.

Apart from these measures, the civic body, in a first, recruited over 135 MBBS students for Covid containment efforts and also doubled its zonal enforcement teams to implement the lockdown, which was announced as the last option to control the massive spread. On the vaccine front, the Chief Minister has decided to call for global tenders to procure 3.5 crore doses of vaccine, as the State was not receiving enough supply of vaccine doses from the Central government and manufactures in the country. This move was lauded by many and the DMK had earlier written to the Central government, urging for a free-vaccination-for-all policy.

To integrate requests for oxygen and beds, the State set up an exclusive Covid-19 war room to monitor all calls. This war-room, which connects all calls from 104 helpline numbers, strengthened the containment measures and helped to streamline requests from across the State, at a single spot. On May 14, CM Stalin made a surprise visit here and helped in allotting bed for a grieving patient. With the government taking up the challenge head-on, the test positivity rate (TPR) in Chennai dipped from 26.6 per cent on May 9 to 21.7 per cent on May 14. Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan said that though the TPR is declining, people should not let their guard down.

Biometric entry at PDS shops for Covid aid suspended

Biometric entry at PDS shops for Covid aid suspended

Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) has suspended use of biometric entries of beneficiaries who collect the Covid-19 relief assistance of Rs 2,000.

Published: 17th May 2021 03:44 AM 

By Express News Service

COIMBATORE: Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) has suspended use of biometric entries of beneficiaries who collect the Covid-19 relief assistance of Rs 2,000. Sources said that beneficiaries must produce the token and their smart card to collect the money.

Speaking to TNIE, a senior official from the district civil supplies department said, “Biometric entry has been suspended in order to prevent Covid -19 spread and to facilitate elderly people to receive the aid without visiting ration shops.”

The official further said that they have recommended to higher authorities to suspend biometric entry for three months not only for distribution of the cash aid but also for commoditites. “We have yet to receive any communication about the suspension of biometric entries for distributing commodities. We have made our recommendation to our department,” the official added.

The senior official pointed out that the district civil supplies department has cleared 7,000 applications received till January for new ration cards. Around 4,51,000 out of 10,17,320 ration card holders in the district have received the aid as on Saturday.

படிப்பை முடித்த 4,690 டாக்டர்களுக்கு இன்று முதல் கொரோனா தடுப்பு பணி

படிப்பை முடித்த 4,690 டாக்டர்களுக்கு இன்று முதல் கொரோனா தடுப்பு பணி

Added : மே 16, 2021 23:42

சென்னை: எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., படிப்பை இந்தாண்டு நிறைவு செய்த, 4,690 டாக்டர்கள், இன்று முதல் கொரோனா தடுப்பு பணியில் ஈடுபட உள்ளனர்.

தமிழகத்தில், 4,700க்கும் மேற்பட்ட எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., மாணவர்கள், ஏப்ரலில் இறுதி ஆண்டு தேர்வு எழுதினர். வழக்கமாக தேர்வு முடிவுகள் வெளியாக, குறைந்தது இரண்டரை மாதங்களாகும். கொரோனா தொற்று பரவலின் தீவிரத்தால், டாக்டர்களின் தேவை அதிகரித்துள்ளது. இந்த அசாதாரண சூழலை உணர்ந்த, தமிழ்நாடு டாக்டர் எம்.ஜி.ஆர்., மருத்துவ பல்கலை, தேர்வு முடிவுகளை விரைந்து வெளியிட்டது. இதையடுத்து, 4,690 டாக்டர்கள் கொரோனா சிகிச்சைக்காக நியமனம் செய்யப்பட்டு உள்ளனர்.

இது குறித்து, மருத்துவ பல்கலையின் துணைவேந்தர் சுதா சேஷய்யன் கூறியதாவது:எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., இறுதிஆண்டு தேர்வுகள் வழக்கமாக, பிப்ரவரி மாதத்தில் நடைபெறும். கொரோனா தொற்று காரணமாக, இந்தாண்டு ஏப்ரல் இறுதியில் நடந்தது.பொதுவாக விடைத்தாள் மதிப்பீடு, பல்கலையில் தான் நடைபெறும். இந்தாண்டு, 'விர்ச்சுவல்' முறையில், அப்பணிகள் நடைபெற்றன. அதன்படி, பேராசிரியர்கள் தங்களது இடத்தில் இருந்தவாறே, விடைத்தாள்களை மதிப்பீடு செய்தனர்.

பல்கலை இணைய தொழில்நுட்பம் வாயிலாக, அனைவரையும் ஒருங்கிணைத்து, கணினி வாயிலாக விடைத்தாள் மதிப்பீட்டு பணிகள் நடைபெற்றன.அதில், ஈடுபட்டிருந்த பேராசிரியர்களை, அவர்களது கணினி கேமரா வாயிலாகவே, பல்கலை நிர்வாகிகள் கண்காணித்தனர்.ஒரு வேளை கேமரா நிறுத்தப்பட்டால், உடனடியாக விடைத்தாள் திருத்தத்துக்கான தொடர்பு துண்டிக்கப்பட்டு விடும் வகையிலான, தொழில்நுட்ப வசதிகள் செய்யப்பட்டிருந்தன.

இரவு, பகல் பாராமல் தொடர்ந்து, அப்பணிகளில் அனைவரும் ஈடுபட்டதன் பயனாக, இரு வாரங்களில் தேர்வு முடிவுகள் வெளியிடப்பட்டன.இதனால், 4,690 டாக்டர்கள், கொரோனா சிகிச்சையில் விரைந்து ஈடுபட வகை செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. அவர்கள் இன்று முதல், மருத்துவ கல்லுாரி மருத்துவமனைகள், அதன்கீழ் இயங்கும் மருத்துவமனைகளில் பணியாற்ற உள்ளனர்.இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார்.

சோழன், மன்னை சிறப்பு ரயில்கள் ரத்து

சோழன், மன்னை சிறப்பு ரயில்கள் ரத்து

Added : மே 16, 2021 23:35

சென்னை: பயணியர் வருகை குறைவால், சோழன், மன்னை சிறப்பு ரயில்கள் ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டு உள்ளன. சென்னை எழும்பூரில் இருந்து திருச்சிக்கு, தினமும் காலை, 8:00 மணிக்கும்; திருச்சியில் இருந்து சென்னை எழும்பூருக்கு காலை, 10:00 மணிக்கும், சோழன் எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் சிறப்பு ரயில் இயக்கப்படுகிறது. இந்த ரயில் இரு வழியிலும், இன்று முதல், 31ம் தேதி வரை ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.மன்னார்குடியில் இருந்து சென்னை எழும்பூருக்கு, தினமும் இரவு, 10:15க்கு இயக்கப்படும் மன்னை சிறப்பு ரயில், நாளை முதல் ஜூன் 1 வரை ரத்து செய்யப்படுகிறது.

இன்று முதல், 'இ - பதிவு' முறை அமல்; ஆவணங்கள் பதிவு சிக்கல் நீக்கப்படுமா?

இன்று முதல், 'இ - பதிவு' முறை அமல்; ஆவணங்கள் பதிவு சிக்கல் நீக்கப்படுமா?

Updated : மே 17, 2021 04:51 | Added : மே 17, 2021 04:49 | 

சென்னை: தமிழகத்தில், மாவட்டங்களுக்கு உள்ளேயும், மாவட்டங்களுக்கு இடையேயும் பயணம் செய்ய, 'இ- - பதிவு' பெறுவது, இன்று முதல் நடைமுறைக்கு வருகிறது.

அதேநேரத்தில், ஆவணங்கள் பதிவுக்கான சிக்கலை, நீக்க வேண்டிய அவசியம் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.தமிழகத்தில், கொரோனா தொற்று பரவலை கட்டுப்படுத்த, ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமைகளில், தளர்வுகள் இல்லாத முழு ஊரடங்கை அரசு அறிவித்துள்ளது. மற்ற நாட்களில், தளர்வுகளுடன் கூடிய முழு ஊரடங்கு அமலில் உள்ளது.

அறிமுகம்அதன்படி, நேற்று தளர்வுகள் இல்லாத முழு ஊரடங்கு மாநிலம் முழுதும் அமல்படுத்தப் பட்டது. இன்று தளர்வுகளுடன் கூடிய, முழு ஊரடங்கு அமலுக்கு வருகிறது. இன்று காலை 10:00 மணி வரை மட்டுமே, அத்தியாவசிய பொருட்களின் விற்பனை கடைகள் திறந்திருக்கும். மேலும், மாவட்டங்களுக்கு உள்ளேயும், மாவட்டங்களுக்கு வெளியிலும், அத்தியாவசிய பணிகளான திருமணம், முக்கிய உறவினரின் இறப்பு, மருத்துவ சிகிச்சை, முதியோர்களுக்கான தேவை போன்றவற்றுக்கு மட்டும் பயணம் செய்யலாம்.அதற்கும், 'இ- - பதிவு' அவசியம். இந்த நடைமுறை இன்று முதல் அமலுக்கு வருகிறது. இதற்கு, https://eregister.tnega.org என்ற, இணையதளத்தில் இ- - பதிவு செய்து கொள்ள வேண்டும்.

கொரோனா முதல் அலை ஊரடங்கின் போது, மாவட்டம் விட்டு மாவட்டம் செல்வோருக்காக, 'இ - பாஸ்' முறை அறிமுகம் செய்யப்பட்டது. விண்ணப்பித்தவர்கள், செல்ல வேண்டிய இடத்தின் முகவரியுடன், அதற்கான ஆவணங்களையும், 'அப்லோடு' செய்ய வேண்டும்.அதை ஆய்வு செய்த அதிகாரிகள் ஒப்புதல் அளிக்கும்போது இ - பாஸ் வழங்கப்பட்டது. இந்த நடைமுறையில் பல்வேறு சிரமங்கள் இருந்ததால், தற்போது, இ - பாஸ் முறை எளிமையாக்கப்பட்டு, இ - பதிவு முறை அமலாகி உள்ளது.அதற்கு, இணையதளத்தில் விண்ணப்பிக்க, முதலில் மொபைல் போன் எண்ணை கொடுத்து, பாஸ்வேர்டு வாயிலாக உள் நுழைய வேண்டும். பின், வெளிமாநிலங்களில் இருந்து பயணமா; தமிழகத்துக்குள் பயணமா என்ற பிரிவை தேர்வு செய்ய வேண்டும்.

அதில், மருத்துவ அவசரம், முதியோர் பராமரிப்பு, இறப்பு மற்றும் இறப்பை சார்ந்த காரியங்கள், திருமணம் என, நான்கு வகையான காரணங்கள் மட்டுமே கொடுக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளன. தெளிவுபடுத்தவில்லைஅதற்கான ஆவணத்தை சமர்ப்பிக்க வேண்டும்; ஆனால், என்னென்ன ஆவணங்களை சமர்ப்பிக்க வேண்டும் என்பதை தெளிவுபடுத்தவில்லை. திருமணம் என்றால் பத்திரிகையை சமர்ப்பிக்கலாம். இறப்புக்கு செல்ல, இறப்பு சான்றிதழ் சமர்ப்பிக்க வேண்டும் என்றால், அதை உடனே பெற்று சமர்ப்பிக்க இயலாது. எனவே, அவசர தேவைக்காக வெளியூர் செல்வோர், எளிதாக இ- - பதிவு செய்ய, எந்தெந்த ஆவணங்களை சமர்பிக்க வேண்டும் என்ற தகவலை, தமிழக அரசு அறிவிப்பதோடு, அதை சமர்ப்பிப்பதற்கான வசதியை ஏற்படுத்த வேண்டும்.

Guj faces twin crisis of battling cyclone amidst Covid-19 surge

Guj faces twin crisis of battling cyclone amidst Covid-19 surge

Critically Ill Patients Moved Out; O2 Stock, DG Sets Ramped Up

Team TOI

17.05.2021 

Ahmedabad/Rajkot/Surat:

The very severe cyclonic storm Tauktae could not have come at a worse time for Gujarat.

Just as the state battles with the second wave of deadly Covid-19, the cyclone threatens to compound the woes of critically ill patients and overwhelmed hospitals.

To prevent a doublewhammy for Covid-19 patients remained on top of state administration's mind. By Sunday evening, 34 critical Covid patients of Porbandar and Gir Somnath districts were shifted to Junagadh Civil Hospital as a precautionary measure.

Some 46 patients of a Kutch hospital located close to the sea shore were shifted to Bhuj Samaras hospital.

“On one hand, there are Covid-19 patients in hospitals. On the other hand, there is the cyclone and its effects. We are working to ensure there is zero casualty,” Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani briefed on Sunday. P 2, 3 & 4

Base hospitals designated

Seven hospitals in Saurashtra region have been designated as base hospitals where the patients from districts such as Bhavnagar, Amreli, Botad, Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Kutch, etc. would be shifted at the time of contingency.

Diesel generators are being installed or shifted to major hospitals to ensure that life support systems and communication systems are not interrupted in case of power outage.

Several hospitals close to the coastal region also went for ‘wind proofing’ by blocking the doors and windows with wooden logs.

State energy minister Saurabh Patel held a meeting of the preparations of PGVCL and Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation (Getco) in Rajkot on Sunday.

In Surat, 40% of the 1200-odd ventilators are occupied. “Most of the hospitals have their own generators and power supply back up and patients on ventilators are in the big hospitals including SMC-run SMIMER hospital,” Ashish Naik, deputy municipal commissioner (Health), SMC, told TOI.

Dr Bharat Gadhvi, president of private hospitals in Ahmedabad, said that they have stocked adequate oxygen supply and have asked all member hospitals to ensure checking generators for critical equipment.

DMK’S CABINET FULL OF FOES-TURNED-FRIENDS

DMK’S CABINET FULL OF FOES-TURNED-FRIENDS

One-Fourth Of M K Stalin’s Ministers Have Been Part Of MGR And Jayalalithaa’s Coterie

R Rangaraj

17.05.2021

Nearly one-fourth of the DMK cabinet under M K Stalin comprises former AIADMK men, including two who had served both the M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa cabinets, and some who had joined the party when it was founded by MGR in 1972. With eight former AIADMK men adorning the government it is like an amalgamation of the Dravidian majors.

The eight ministers – K K S S R Ramachandran, S Muthusamy, R S Raja Kannappan, S Regupathy, E V Velu, Anitha Radhakrishnan, P K Sekar Babu and Senthil Balaji — have not just been inducted into the cabinet, they have been given powerful and prestigious posts as well, from revenue to electricity.

This exercise seems to be part of a larger scheme to attract other senior leaders of the AIADMK. By weaning away its second-rung leaders and giving them importance in the DMK, Stalin appears to be sending the message that AIADMK men who move to the DMK camp will be treated well and have a glorious future ahead of them.

While M Karunanidhi did give the early entrants from the AIADMK some posts, it is Stalin who is going out of the way to make them feel comfortable in the DMK. In the past few years, he had given them party posts. He has also struck the right balance between rewards to party loyalists and new entrants.

Now, that Stalin is CM, he is using the opportunity to confer more benefits on these leaders. Senthil Balaji is a classic example of an AIADMK man once sidelined and now honoured in the DMK. He had been active in the AIADMK since 1997 and grew up the ranks to be minister for transport in the J Jayalalithaa cabinet from 2011 to 2015. He was dropped from the cabinet in July 2015 and after the demise of Jayalalithaa, when the AIADMK underwent a split, he stood by T T V Dhinakaran.

Part of the group of 18 disqualified MLAs, Senthil Balaji joined the DMK on December 14, 2018. He was fielded by the DMK in the byelection to Aravakurichi constituency in 2019. In 2021, he was reelected to the state assembly from Karur constituency. He has been given important portfolios of electricity, prohibition and excise, indicating that he enjoys the goodwill of chief minister M K Stalin. Among the senior members of the new government’s cabinet is K K S S R Ramachandran. A member of the Karunanidhi cabinet 2006, his time he has the important portfolio of minister for revenue and disaster management. He was in MGR’s cabinet as well. Close to Jayalalithaa for supporting her after MGR’s death, he was also key in enabling the revival of the unified AIADMK in the 1990s. In the DMK, he is considered an important leader, especially in the southern districts.

E V Velu, who was on Janaki’s side during the AIADMK split, is now a senior DMK leader. He had served the Karunanidhi cabinet from 2006 to 2011 as minister for food and civil supplies. Velu, now minister for public works, is considered an important leader for the party in north Tamil Nadu.

With plans of boosting the DMK’s efforts in the western part of the state, the elevation of S Muthusamy appears crucial. The region is traditionally the DMK’s weak spot and using a former AIADMK man to shore up the DMK image in the gounder belt is a deft move. Muthusamy had been a part of the MGR and Jayalalithaa government.

The law minister S Regupathy was the labour minister in the AIADMK cabinet from 1992 to 93, and later the minister of urban development and housing till 1996. The prominent leader from Pudukkottai was made minister of state for home during the UPA rule at the Centre, and minister of state, environment and forests.

A popular face in Chennai, P K Sekar Babu, is another former AIADMK leader. The minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments is expected to play a key role in further consolidation of the DMK in the Greater Chennai region.

Among the ministers who had an onand-off relationship with the AIADMK is R S Raja Kannappan, holding the transport portfolio. A powerful minister in the Jayalalithaa cabinet from 1991-96, Kannappan in 2000 formed the Makkal Tamil Desam party. Six years later, he merged it with the DMK. He rejoined the AIADMK in 2009, but 10 years later appealed to the people to vote for the DMKled alliance. He formally made the switch to the DMK in February 2020.

Anitha Radhakrishnan, who was expelled from the AIADMK in 2009 for anti-party activities He joined the DMK, and was suspended briefly when he greeted Jayalalithaa after her acquittal in the disproportionate assets case. In the 2021 assembly election, he was reelected from Tiruchendur constituency and has now been appointed as minister for fisheries. He is expected to play a crucial role in the expansion of the DMK network in the southern districts.

While Stalin has successfully launched a programme to woo the AIADMK leaders with the promise of opportunities both in the party and the government. It remains to be seen how many AIADMK men will swallow the bait

(The writer is senior journalist)

Email your feedback with name and address to southpole.toi@timesgroup.com

TNPSC: Results to be released on June 8

TNPSC: Results to be released on June 8

17.05.2021

The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC), centrally responsible for the recruitment of personnel in various departments of the state government of Tamil Nadu, has informed that the results of the last 14 examinations conducted by it will be released on June 8. These 14 examinations were conducted during December 2020. The results for these examinations will be announced on June 8. TNPSC had already released the results of the 120 examinations conducted in December 2020 for recruitments in various state government departments on May 8.

City colleges come forward to help Covid-19 patients

City colleges come forward to help Covid-19 patients

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:17.05.2021

In the war on Covid-19, city colleges are chipping in by opening their campuses for oxygen beds and isolation rooms, preparing food packets for frontline workers and tele-counselling patients. A majority have handed over their buildings to the Greater Chennai Corporation to convert them into Covid care centres.

Madras Christian College created a 15-bed isolation facility for patients with mild symptoms, five-bed facility for primary contacts and also launched an ambulance service. “The facility is open to all faculty members, staff members, students, alumni and general public. The centre will provide basic ambulance and isolation services,” said Paul Wilson, principal. The centre will provide online medical consultation, food and nursing services. The ambulance will be available up to a radius of 15 km from MCC. .

Loyola College is offering tele-counselling to Covid-19 patients in partnership with the corporation. “We have an additional tele-counselling facility in our college as well. The centre has three dedicated phone lines and counsellors. Social workers are giving counselling," said principal Thomas Amirtham.

The college also identified 200 community leaders to train in basic awareness. "Each person will get a corona home Kit which will have an oxymeter, masks, hand sanitizer and tablets. They will operate as community healers,” he added. The college along with GCC plans to start a 50-bed Covid care centre for asymptomatic persons at the hostel.

Some colleges are also organising vaccination drives and functioning as community kitchens. “We are conducting a vaccination drive for the general public along with the Rotaract club. We have also handed over a building for Covid care centre,” said S Santhosh Baboo, principal of DG Vaishnav College.

Alagappa College of Technology hostel at Anna University campus in Chennai functioning as Covid care centre for police personnel. “We have also handed over the knowledge park building for converting it as a Covid care centre,” a university n official said.

STEPPING UP: Madras Christian College created a 15-bed isolation facility