High court questions govt on pvt scan centres

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Madurai:13.02.2019

“Is it a fact that some of the staff and few doctors, in collusion are deliberately making diagnostic machineries including CT Scan, MRI scan, X-ray machines repaired so that patients could be directed to private diagnostic centres for making illegal commission amounts?” the Madurai bench of the Madras high court has asked in a set of queries to the state government on facilities in government hospitals across Tamil Nadu.

The questionnaire ranged from security to prevent child abductions in government hospitals to the presence of advanced scan systems to the sanctioning of vacant posts of doctors.

A division bench of justice N Kirubakaran and justice S S Sundar questioned the government in response to a petition by G Thirumurgan, 35, who sought to fill staff vacancies and establish MRI scan facilities at the government headquarters hospital in Ramanathapuram district.

‘Thevar’ title won’t be dropped from textbooks

Chennai:13.02.2019

In the backdrop of concerns raised by Thevar community leaders over the reported move to truncate the name of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar by removing his caste suffix in school textbooks, school education minister K A Sengottaiyan on Tuesday said in the assembly that such fears were unfounded. He said state syllabus textbooks would have the leader’s name mentioned as “Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar”. He was reacting to MJK MLA Thameemun Ansari and Thiruvadanai MLA S Karunas, who alleged that the suffix “Thevar” was dropped in many textbooks. “Former President Pranab Mukherjee, vicepresident Venkaiah Naidu and several other leaders continue to use their surnames. Thevar signed the assembly register in 1957 with his surname. His statues in the Parliament and Nandanam, unveiled by former CM J Jayalalithaa, bear his full name. Why not have ‘Thevar’ in his name?” Karunas asked. TNN

Madras univ students to pay 30%-50% more as semester exam fee

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai 13.02.2019

: Arts and science students in colleges affiliated to University of Madras will be paying 30%-50% more as semester examination fee from April onwards.

Fee has been increased from ₹100 to ₹150 per theoretical paper for postgraduate students. Undergraduates will have to pay ₹85 instead of ₹65 from this April.

The revised rates are applicable to students in all the 110 non-autonomous affiliated institutions. Other fees like cost of application form, statement of marks, provisional and convocation certificate fee remain unchanged.

Every student on an average writes five to seven theoretical exams per semester.

The proposal to revise the fee was pending for more than two years because of stiff opposition from colleges. The decision was approved by the university’s academic council and syndicate recently.

An university source said that the original proposal was much higher and rates were reduced after detailed discussion. “The rates have been fixed keeping in mind the cost involved in conducting the exam and how much other state universities charge,” source added.

Criticising this, a retired government college principal, requesting anonymity, said that most of the examrelated work is being carried out only by the college principal and designated staff. They put together details of students registered for the exam. “Apart from uploading students’ data in the Examination Registration System (ERS) portal, not much work is done by the university. So what is the rationale behind such a steep hike?,” the principal added.

Also, the university is yet to settle the remuneration payable to some of the individual colleges for April and November 2018 examinations till date.

Responding to this, syndicate member of the university said that the entire remuneration process was made online after demonetisation and settlements were made in batches after that.

Cricket gets into debate at TN assembly

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.02.2019

Everyone loves a game of cricket. Even legislators do, it seems. A fair part of the debate, on the state budget in the assembly on Tuesday, saw members borrow phrases from the gentleman’s game.

On Monday, Mettur AIADMK MLA S Semmalai, during a debate on the state budget had said chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami was hitting sixer after sixer. “First he hit a sixer by announcing ₹1,000 for all card holders during Pongal festival and the second sixer is with the announcement of ₹2,000 to people, below poverty line,” said Semmalai.

Recalling what Semmalai said, DMK member K Ponmudi on Tuesday said all these sixers would end soon, once DMK president M K Stalin began bowling. “Yesterday, Semmalai said the chief minister is hitting sixer after sixer, but if Thalapathi (DMK president M K Stalin) starts to bowl, everyone will be clean bowled,” said Ponmudi at the end of his speech.

“All balls bowled by Stalin will be no balls,” quipped fisheries minister D Jayakumar immediately. Later, it was the turn of power minister P Thangamani, who said for someone to start bowling and getting others clean bowled, he has to enter the ground first. There were peals of laughter from both sides, except speaker P Dhanapal, who like an umpire could not hide his smile for a change. But, he was also looking at the clock, as it was getting late for lunch.

DMK’s Ponmudi, in response to an AIADMK member’s comment that EPS has been hitting ‘sixers’ by announcing schemes for the people, said, ‘all sixers’ by EPS will end when M K Stalin starts bowling. Fisheries minister D Jayakumar reacted saying, ‘All balls bowled by Stalin will be no balls’

HC summons law univ registrar over ‘inappropriate’ statement

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.02.2019

Censuring the registrar of Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University for making ‘inappropriate’ statements against a single judge of the court, a division bench of the Madras high court on Tuesday summoned the officer to show cause why contempt of court proceeding should not be initiated against her.

“The registrar in-charge is stated to be a responsible officer of the university. It is highly inappropriate on the part of the registrar to make such an imputation against a judge of this court. The fact that the learned judge has expanded the scope of the writ petition would not give a right to the litigant to make such unnecessary comments, which is not only disrespectful to the judge but would also undermine the dignity and status of the chartered high court. The majesty of the court must be preserved and protected at any cost. The high court is a court of record. It is the bounden duty of all stakeholders to see that no damage is caused to the institution,” a division bench of Justice K K Sasidharan and Justice P D Audikesavalu said.

We are of the view that the language used by the registrar is highly intemperate. We, therefore, propose to take action against the Registrar. Let notice be issued to Jeyanthi Krishnamoorthy, registrar of the university, to appear in person before this court at 10.30am on February 18 and to show cause as to why proceedings should not be taken against her under Article 215 of the Constitution and the provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act, the bench said.

The issue pertains to an alleged scam in appointing teaching staff to the university. On February 1, a single judge of the court impleaded all the teaching staff of the university and directed them to file sworn affidavits explaining their terms of appointment.

The judge also directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to file a report on the eligibility required to be appointed to such posts.

The judge then said that he would cull out people who are appointed illegally flouting UGC norms.

In the affidavit filed in support of the appeal, Jeyanthi made some allegations against the single judge, which annoyed the division bench.

We are of the view that the language used by the registrar is highly intemperate. We, therefore, propose to take action against the registrar, the HC bench said

Doctors pause c-sec tion to ventilate newborn
Baby With Swollen Thyroid Gland Has 40-Minute Procedure
Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com 13.02.2019

A 23-year-old woman is now the mother of a healthy baby boy, something she wouldn’t have expected after the shock she got in the 28th week of her pregnancy.

But doctors from several hospitals across the city got together to perform an exutero intrapartum treatment or Exit as it is more commonly known.

The operating room was crowded but each doctor knew when to start and when to stop and the nurses all knew their roles. This was because the team conducted a detailed mock drill the day before the operation.

To get time for the procedure, the doctors decided to intervene even as the baby was receiving oxygen from the mother. “We had about 20 minutes to intubate the baby. We had meticulously planned the procedure a day before with a mock drill. We made a flowchart of what should be done at each step. All doctors and nurses had their roles defined,” said senior obstetrician Dr Uma Ram of Seethapathi Nursing Home.

During a routine ultrasound in the 28th week on the 23-year-old woman (name withheld), doctors noticed swelling on the fetus’s neck. It was large, restricting his ability to swallow and affecting growth. The fluid around the baby also swelled.

“Tests showed gross enlargement of the thyroid gland. As per standard protocol, we began intrauterine treatment. Two shots of thyroid hormone replacement in a two-week interval was given. This reduced the amount of fluid, but the swelling in the neck did not reduce significantly,” said Dr S Suresh, fetal medicine expert at Mediscan Systems.

The 36th-week scan showed compression of the trachea, which could make breathing difficult. The woman was then referred to the Dr Mehta’s Hospital for planned caesarean section. After Dr Uma pulled out the baby’s head, ENT surgeon Dr S Thirunavukkarasu used bronchoscope guidance to intubate the baby.

“The bleeding was heavy as expected but the mother did not require blood transfusion. The swelling on the neck has now reduced to the size of a pea,” said neonatologist Dr Lakshmi. Doctors are yet to find the cause of the swelling as they are awaiting test results.

“As of now, the baby requires long-term hormone replacement therapy. But with these medications he should be able to lead a normal life,” she said.

WE HAD METICULOUSLY PLANNED THE PROCEDURE A DAY BEFORE WITH A MOCK DRILL. WE MADE A FLOWCHART OF WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AT EACH STEP —Dr Uma

Ram | SEETHAPATHI NURSING HOME

FURTHER TREATMENT

Baby will need long-term hormone replacement therapy, but will grow up to be normal

Court: National Anthem not mandatory at state functions

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.02.2019

Holding that playing the National Anthem at all state functions is not mandatory, the Madras high court dismissed a PIL seeking action against the chief secretary and health secretary of Tamil Nadu for failing to make arrangements to play the anthem at two recent state events that prime minister Narendra Modi had participated in.

When the PIL, filed by a petitioner named Vembu, came up for hearing on Tuesday, a division bench of Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad dismissed it.

Vembu wanted the court to direct the authorities concerned to frame Rules providing for punishment for wilful violation of a circular issued by the Union ministry of information and broadcasting, which mandated the playing of the National Anthem. According to the petitioner, the Union ministry of home affairs had issued an appropriate circular to all state and Union government departments about playing the National Anthem at all the state functions in which the President, Prime Minister, governor, lieutenant-governor and chief minister take part.

On January 27, the Tamil Nadu government organised a function in Madurai for laying the foundation stone for the construction of All India Institute for Medical Science (AIIMS) there. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief guest at the function, in which the governor, chief minister and deputy chief minister too had participated. In blatant violation of rules and tradition, neither the Tamil Thai Vaazhthu nor the National Anthem was played in the beginning and end of the function, the petitioner alleged.

Similarly, on February 10, the Prime Minister participated in another state-organised function in which he flagged off the Chennai Metro Rail and other services through video conferencing from Tirupur. In this event too, the National Anthem was not played, Vembu said. Pointing out that neither the Prime Minister’s office nor the state authorities had apologised for the violation so far, the petitioner wanted the court to initiate appropriate action against the authorities.


A division bench of Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad dismissed the petition when it came up for hearing on Tuesday