Convocation

 

Sasikala 'put on oxygen' after testing positive for coronavirus, shifted to hospital

Sasikala 'put on oxygen' after testing positive for coronavirus, shifted to hospital

Victoria Hospital had repeated her RTPCR test to confirm her COVID-19 status after Sasikala's CT scan of the chest indicated 'severe' infection.

Published: 21st January 2021 10:31 PM 

By Bala Chauhan

Express News Service

BENGALURU: VK Sasikala - the jailed close associate of former Tamil Nadu chief minister Late J Jayalalithaa has tested positive for COVID-19. She has been shifted to the trauma care centre (TCC) at the Victoria Hospital, which is exclusively for COVID patients. “She is not on ventilator support. We are closely monitoring her,” said Director cum Dean of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), Dr CR Jayanthi.

Sasikala, who was keenly looking forward to return to Chennai on her release from the prison on January 27 will now have to stay put in Bengaluru until her complete recovery. Her COVID positive result has

thrown the prison authorities at the Bengaluru Central Prison in a tizzy. “We don’t know how she contracted the virus. She is sharing a room with co accused and sister-in-law Ilavarasi in the prison, which

is in a high security block,” said sources in the prison department.

Sasikala was on Thursday shifted to Victoria Hospital from Bowring Hospital for CT scan as the latter doesn’t have the facility. She was being treated for suspected severe acute respiratory infection (SARI)

after her rapid antigen and RTPCR tests for COVID at the Bowring Hospital had come negative.

Victoria Hospital had repeated her RTPCR test to confirm her COVID-19 status after her CT scan of the chest indicated 'severe' infection and showed “areas of ground glass opacity and consolidation in bilateral lung fields,” stated the medical bulletin of Sasikala’s health from he Victoria Hospital. “She has dry cough and is breathless. She has been put on oxygen and is being closely monitored,” the hospital sources had stated.

Sasikala’s oxygen saturation level at the time of admission in the morning was 78 per cent. It had marginally improved by the evening. “She has been put on Remdesivir, Heparin, steroids, insulin and other supportive drugs. She suffers from diabetes, hypertension and hypothyroidism,” the hospital stated.

In the morning Sasikala’s nephew and founder of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) TTV Dhinakaran along with some other relatives and party well-wishers had come to the Bowring Hospital to visit her. They demanded that she should be shifted to a premium private hospital for better treatment and care but were assured of quality treatment at the premium government hospital.

She has been lodged in judicial custody at the Bengaluru Central Prison along with J Ilavarasi and nephew VN Sudhakaran since February, 2017 after they were convicted and sentenced with four-year imprisonment in the disproportionate assets (DA) case.

Amid stir, RMMCH to be closed indefinitely

Amid stir, RMMCH to be closed indefinitely

A circular by the management directed the inmates to vacate the hostel without prior notice.

Published: 22nd January 2021 05:41 AM 

By Express News Service

CUDDALORE: As the students’ protest have been protesting for more than 40 days now, Annamalai University on Thursday abruptly announced an indefinite closure of Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospital (RMMCH).

A circular by the management directed the inmates to vacate the hostel without prior notice. Speaking to Express, the inmates said that they had paid hostel fees of Rs 90,000 for the term that ends only in June 2021. The students of medical and dental courses of Rajah Muthiah Medical College Hospital (RMMCH) have been protesting for the past 43 days against the exorbitant fees, even though the college is under the State government.

A protesting student said, “We have met all higher officials and ministers to revise the fees to be on par with that of government colleges. Although all of them promise action and claim the process is underway, no action has been taken.” “Instead of Rs 13,600, which is the fees fixed for MBBS students in other government colleges, students in the college are currently paying Rs 5.6 lakh, which is higher than the fees collected by private medical colleges, which charge Rs 3.8 lakh from an MBBS student.

Meanwhile, several students have not received their stipends regularly,” the student added. On the other hand, as the students have been asked to vacate the hostel abruptly, the protest in the college campus intensified on Thursday.

University of Madras professor protests alleging pay discrepancy

University of Madras professor protests alleging pay discrepancy

He claimed he has not been paid for the last seven months, and up to `18 lakh has not been released from his pension fund. “I will be retiring in June.

Published: 22nd January 2021 05:47 AM | Last Updated: 22nd January 2021 05:47 AM | A+A A-

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Noted professor and head of the Politics and Public Administration department at the University of Madras, Ramu Manivannan, staged a sit-in protest at the campus on Thursday alleging salary discrepancies.

Manivannan has been known to openly criticise incidents of corruption, improper management of funds and malpractice. Manivannan told Express that he’s being targeted to be silenced and, “to teach a lesson to others who want to challenge the system.” He claimed he has not been paid for the last seven months, and up to Rs 18 lakh has not been released from his pension fund.

“I will be retiring in June. They have said there is a discrepancy of pay only a few months before I’m leaving,” he said. In late 2019, the university intimated that he was wrongly promoted to the post of associate professor, Manivannan said. “In 2006-07 nationally there was a change in nomenclature of my designation to associate professor as mandated by the UGC. It was not technically a promotion.

All those who worked with me had the changed title,” he said, adding that his salary base has been cut since 2009. “The syndicate had also passed a resolution saying it was the mistake of the university and therefore, the university must pay this. Yet Rs 18 lakh has been deducted from my pension funds,” he rued.

Speaking to Express S Gowri, the Vice-Chancellor (V-C) of the University of Madras said there are issues with the financial audit and that the university is looking into them. “There is an audit objection,” he said.

Colleges forcing students to attend in-person classes?

Colleges forcing students to attend in-person classes?

No official communication sent out, but students in Chennai pressured to show up

Published: 22nd January 2021 06:50 AM 

By Sushmitha Ramakrishnan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Some arts and science colleges in Chennai have mandated that final-year students attend classes physically, even as the government has said in-person attendance should be voluntary. While these colleges have refrained from issuing official circulars, they informally told teachers and members of the college student senate to notify all students about compulsory physical attendance.

The State government permitted colleges to be reopened for final-year students and research scholars from December 7. However, according to the government’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), in-person classes will be voluntary and colleges should make provisions to continue facilitating education in distance mode. A third-year psychology student from a college in Nungambakkam told Express that in the second week of January, the class representative had said on the “class group chat” that attending college physically was made mandatory from January 20.

The student, who hails from a neighbouring state, was confused as no official circular was issued. “When my classmate called my class teacher, she said the college was making in-person classes compulsory only because the government had issued orders along those lines,” the student said, adding that it made sense for students with laboratory sessions to come to college, but was unfair to make all students come.

A final-student from another arts and science college in Gopalapuram was marked absent as she decided to complete her final semester from her hometown in Kerala. “My college stopped online classes in January. So I thought I’ll study on my own. But I was marked absent,” she told Express. The principal of a college in Velachery said they had to cancel online classes as it became hard for the faculty to conduct in-person classes as well.

“When teachers are teaching in person, how can they teach online also? Most of our students are day scholars, and only 15 per cent are from the hostels. We asked students to stay at home if they are sick,” he said. University of Madras vice chancellor S Gowri said the government has not issued any circular mandating physical classes. “Colleges should facilitate classes in both physical and distance mode. That is what we do at the university. Students cannot be forced to come,” he stated.

A senior official from the higher education department told Express they are mulling issuing a clarification that even if colleges cannot conduct online classes for final-year students, they should allow distance mode of education. S Apoorva, principal secretary of the higher education department, said the department is looking into the problem.

HC stays govt appointment of Mumbai varsity registrar

HC stays govt appointment of Mumbai varsity registrar

Hemali.Chhapia@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:22.01.2021

The Bombay high court on Thursday stayed the state government’s order of appointing Ramdas Atram as Mumbai University registrar.

Giving interim relief to Dhanesh Sawant, senate member and chancellor’s nominee to MU who had filed a petition against the government’s “arbitrary action and interference” in appointing Atram, the court ordered that the charge be immediately given back to the earlier vice-chancellor appointee, Baliram Gaikwad.

In his petition, Sawant alleged that the state “exceeded its powers” and has “ulterior motives” in appointing Atram. He claimed that the state government had earlier too tried to usurp powers and encroach upon the statutory and executive powers of Mumbai University, a statutory body.

Sawant also submitted that the government’s directions asking all varsities to submit details of vacant posts, selection committees and panel members, with a sign-off asking varsities to not start any recruitment process (with the state’s nod) amounts to “overarching interference in the autonomy of universities and is arbitrary”.

Sawant said it is only because of the government resolution dated May 4, 2020, the vice-chancellor had sought the state permission on September 14, 2020, to start the process of selection for the registrar. Considering the Covid-19 pandemic, the state had imposed a ban on new appointments without its permission. After waiting for two months to hear from the government, Gaikwad was appointed.

“The petition was admitted and interim relief has been granted,” said the petitioner’s advocate Anjali Helekar.

The HC observed that although the state is empowered under Section 8(5) of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2017, to appoint a registrar, there was no circumstance shown to the court which forced the state to exercise these powers.

Lauding the HC stay, chancellor’s nominee to the management council, Deepak Mukadam, said: “...Hope they [the government] have realised that democracy is still alive. No government should venture or adventure in this way of making lateral entry in state universities in the future.”

Doctors’ Prescription... We Can, So Should You

Doctors’ Prescription... We Can, So Should You

TEAM TOI

New Delhi:22.01.2021

Alka Gujral, a gynaecologist at Max Hospital, Saket, claimed to have had no apprehensions about receiving the Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday. The 60-year-old doctor’s message was clear, “It is better to get the vaccine than to live with the fear of the coronavirus.” Her daughter and son-in-law too got inoculated in the United States. Vineet Bajaj, 34, assistant professor of orthopedics at Lok Nayak Hospital, also bared his arm for the injection on Thursday. His name wasn’t listed, but he volunteered for early vaccination. “With the out-patients department and in-patient services resuming in the hospital, we need the jab for self-protection,” he said.

Both Gujral and Bajaj, of course, were also heeding the call for seniors to opt for the vaccine to allay worries about adverse reactions and the efficacy of the two vaccines being used in India. As Dr Deepak Gupta, professor of neurosurgery at AIIMS, put it, “Unless the senior faculty members come forward, the juniors will not budge. We need to lead from the front.” Gupta opted for the vaccine on Thursday and publicised it on the faculty WhatsApp group, inspiring some others too to walk to the vaccination booth.

“Doctors have been working tirelessly to treat Covid patients for almost a year. It’s time now for doctors also to create society’s trust in India-manufactured vaccines,” added Gupta, who lost his mother to the insidious coronavirus recently.

Dr Santosh Pandey and Dr Wasim, both senior paediatricians at Deen Dayal Upadhayay Hospital, queued up for the shot on Thursday. “It was Dr Wasim who motivated me to come here,” admitted Pandey, waiting patiently in the rear row at their hospital’s vaccination centre. Wasim himself said, “We are around 65 doctors in our department and only if we take the lead will the others shed their inhibitions and follow suit. We all need to ignore the negative news floating around.”

Apart from the two, Dr Jasmeet Kaur, 57, head of ENT, and Dr Maninder Kaur Chhabra, 52, senior surgery specialist, also had their arms pricked at DDU — and then posted the news on their departmental social media group to inspire those who were more circumspect.

The turnout at the premier AIIMS has been lower than in many hospitals. The seniors there have already played the exemplary role. In a well-highlighted procedure on the first day of vaccinations on January 16, AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria looked on as a nurse jabbed his arm. “I haven’t suffered any side-effects,” he said. Dr Y K Misra, chief of clinical services and head of cardiac sciences at Manipal Hospital, has been similarly treated. “It’s been two days since I received the injection and haven’t had any serious symptoms,” said Misra, who is not only a vulnerable 67 years old, but is also a diabetic.

Many others are taking the cue from these doctors. At Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, gynaecologist Huma Ali arrived on time for the vaccination despite having spent the night on duty in the hospital. “The government is giving us this advantage as priority recipients, and all health workers must participate. After facing Covid together, we must together avail of the protection provided by the vaccine,” said Dr Ali.

Dr Ashish Dey, 42, of the general and laparoscopic surgery department at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital too decided to become a role model. “I feel this is social responsibility,” he said.

At Max Saket, 58-year-old Balbir Singh was one of the senior doctors to voluntarily get inoculated. Afterwards, the cardiologist posted this optimistic message on social media: “Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of Covid-19”. He added that if doctors themselves were reluctant to accept the vaccine, they couldn’t expect the general public to do so. Singh is, in fact, eagerly waiting to get his 84-yearold mother vaccinated.

LEADING FROM THE FRONT: Dr Santosh Pandey (left) and Dr Wasim at DDU Hospital; Dr Deepak Gupta at AIIMS take the shot on Thursday