NMC revokes order on MBBS graduate' internship

NMC revokes order on MBBS graduate' internship

TNN | May 13, 2021, 12.22 PM IST

MUMBAI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has withdrawn an order passed on May 10 restricting MBBS graduates from private medical colleges to pursue their internship from government colleges and vice-versa, which was contrary to their earlier directive issued on March 31. The advisory dated May 10 had created confusion among graduates who had already started the procedure to register themselves with colleges.

The March 31 advisory issued by the NMC had allowed graduates to intern from any NMC-approved medical college. An official from one of the government colleges said, “In the May 10 order, however, they said internship should be completed in medical colleges where the students graduated. Additionally, they said that mutual transfer of internship is possible under exceptional situations only between government colleges or only between private colleges and that no interns can exchange between private and government colleges or vice-versa.”

An official from the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) said that they got a mail withdrawing the May 10 advisory on Wednesday evening.

Simran Kapoor, an MBBS graduate, said that if all the students are graduating from colleges affiliated to MUHS and are taking the same exam, there should not be any discrimination after they graduate, especially when we are in a pandemic and government hospitals need more doctors. Students should be allowed to take up internships closer home, based on the requirement.

Second Covid wave proved to be a massive killer

Second Covid wave proved to be a massive killer

Five-Fold Rise In Deaths During April Compared To Last Year

Nimesh.Khakhariya@timesgroup.com

Rajkot:15.05.2021

The number deaths registered in four cities of Gujarat, especially Rajkot, in April have almost tripled or quadrupled compared to the same month last year, indicating the high mortality caused by the monstrous spike in Covid-19 in the second wave.

The average death figures every month in Rajkot city till March was reported to be between 1,000 and 1500. However, when the second wave hit, the city registered a massive fivefold rise in mortalities in the month of April alone. Official data of Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) reveals that 6,600 people died in 30 days. In the first 10 days of May, nearly 3,000 deaths have been reported.

Going by the figures, nearly 220 people died every day in the month of April, which includes death from Covid-19, natural deaths, accidental deaths and suicide. RMC gets the death entries from hospitals and the mortuary vans of the fire department of all those who have died in the city jurisdiction. However, there are large number of people from the rural areas of Rajkot and other districts who take treatment for Covid-19 in the city.

A senior officer of RMC’s birth and death office told TOI: “We got entry of 6,651 deaths on our portal from April 1-30 from various hospitals out of which 3,582 were males and 3,069 females. A total of 4,475 people approached us for registration of their relatives deaths.”

As per rule, a person has to report the death of a relative to the RMC registrar within 30 days. In the first 10 days of May, 2,245 people have registered deaths of their relatives while the civic body got entries of nearly 3,000 deaths from various hospitals. According to RMC data, the highest deaths of 3,025 were registered in September last year followed by 2,301 deaths in December 2020.

A number of doctors whom TOI spoke to said that many people died as they could not get beds in hospitals, medicine and oxygen. In Vadodara too, the average number of deaths registered in the months of March and April this year have increased significantly due to the pandemic. In April, particularly, the numbers are scary with mortalities shooting to over three times as compared to 2020. Officials said that besides the obvious increase due to the pandemic, deaths of patients from outside the city in local hospitals is a major contributor. These include patients from not only Gujarat, but also outside the state. In 2020, despite the pandemic the number of deaths had gone down largely due to the lockdown. Other ailments had also spared the citizens. Surat also registered almost double the average monthly deaths during April compared to past years. According to Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) officials, the numbers are high due to Covid-19 while deaths were less in April last year due to lockdown.

"Of the total recorded deaths in the city, nearly 25% are of Covid-19 patients who died in the city but they were residents of other places outside city or state," said an official.

The average daily death registrations in Ahmedabad have gone up to175 from124 in April.

(with inputs from Sachin Sharma in Vadodara, Yagnesh Mehta in Surat and Himanshu Kaushik in Ahmedabad)

Tahsildar performs woman’s last rites after family says no

SHOT OF HOPE

Tahsildar performs woman’s last rites after family says no

Ranganath K TNN

Tumakuru:15.05.2021

A government official stepped forward to cremate a woman who had died of Covid-related complications after her family allegedly refused to perform the last rites.

Tumakuru taluk tahsildar Mohan Kumar GV, his staff members Shivanna and Devaraju and others wore personal protection equipment (PPE) kits and moved the woman’s body from Kuppuru village to the cremation site on Wednesday.

The woman, Jayamma, tested positive after visiting a neighbour who had Covid-19 a fortnight ago. Jayamma’s son, Manjunath, a mason, then got everyone in the family tested. Only Jayamma and her husband were diagnosed with the disease. Soon, Manjunath left the house with his wife and children. ASHA workers provided medicines and food packets to the elderly couple, who also have three married daughters, but two days later, Jayamma’s condition worsened and she was rushed to a hospital in Tumakuru.

After a week of treatment, she was discharged on Tuesday and returned to her village. The next morning, she passed away. Mohan Kumar tried to persuade the family members to give her a dignified farewell, but they reportedly feared contracting coronavirus infection. Mohan Kumar then decided to cremate her. Revenue inspector Shivanna P accompanied him.

Meanwhile, Umakanth, commissioner, Tiptur CMC, has performed the last rites of at least three Covid-19 patients who had no known kin.

Don’t worry if you miss your date with second dose of Covishield

A SHOT OF HOPE Ask The Experts

Don’t worry if you miss your date with second dose of Covishield

The Union health ministry on Thursday increased the interval between the shots from 6-8 weeks to 12-16 weeks for Covishield, but no change has been suggested for the dosage interval of Covaxin by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. Hence, it is advisable that you don’t delay the 2nd dose of Covaxin

I had Covid within a week of my first vaccine dose. When can I take the second? What is the maximum permissible gap between shots?

—MAYUR NAYAK, BENGALURU

The recommendation is to wait for 4-8 weeks after recovering from Covid before taking the next vaccine. This is because you would have antibodies made naturally during the infection.

Between the two shots, WHO recommends a gap of 12 weeks for Covishield. The Indian government advised a gap of 6-8 weeks, but increased it to 12-16 weeks on Thursday. For Covaxin, the recommended gap is 4 weeks because no other interval has been tested.

Don’t worry if your second dose gets delayed by a few weeks because for Covishield, we know that one dose gives about 80% protection against severe disease.

Even WHO agrees you can delay the second dose of Covishield up to six months. For Covaxin, a few weeks’ delay will not matter, but as with all inactivated vaccines, try to get the second dose anytime after 4 weeks to complete the immunisation.

What are the most common Covid symptoms in children?

—PARI PARIKH, KOLKATA

The most common symptoms seen in teenagers and children in the second wave are high fever, cough and cold, throat pain, headache and loose stools. Normally, all s y m p t o m s subside in the first week itself, with cough persisting for 1-2 weeks. Weakness and body aches can also persist beyond the first week.

I am a senior citizen living alone. I feel very anxious when I hear negative news all the time — vaccine shortage, images of crematoriums, and deaths in the family. How can I keep my mind positive and calm?

—VAISHANAVI BHARATI, HOWRAH

It is wonderful to see that you reached out for an answer, which is the first step towards positive therapy. Please take solace from the fact that you are not alone. It is this sense of being part of a collective narrative that may be the anchor for many of us who otherwise feel despondent in the current time. Here are some suggestions:

1. Limit news to once a day. Read the newspaper in the morning. Avoid watching TV news repeatedly or skip it altogether if it troubles you.

2. Speak to people who are positive and give you good energy and vibes. It will fill you with optimism.

3. Find a mantra that inspires you, for example: “This too shall pass.” Hold on to it in your mind. You can make a note of it and keep it somewhere where you’d be reminded of it frequently.

4. Routines and daily rhythms keep the mind grounded. For example, a walk or surya namaskar or any breathing exercises every morning, chanting a shloka or singing to yourself, watching or reading something inspirational, etc.

India has approved the Roche/ Regeneron antibody cocktail to treat Covid-19. Could this be a gamechanger in the treatment of Covid?

—RAHUL, HYDERABAD

The Roche/Regeneron antibody cocktail consists of casirivimab and imdevimab, which are synthetically manufactured copies of antibodies the body produces after a Covid infection. These are monoclonal antibodies that bind to the spike protein of the novel coronavirus and block its entry into human cells.

They were proven effective in mild or moderate Covid-19 and can be used to treat people who are at high risk of developing severe disease, such as people with comorbidities or compromised immune systems, among others.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has granted an emergency use authorisation to this new treatment, equipping doctors with one more tool to fight the battle against Covid-19. However, it is too early to say if it will be a gamechanger.

How long will the effect of Covid vaccine last? Will we have to take it every year?

—NAGENDRA KUMAR, HYDERABAD

So far, the vaccines Covaxin, Covishield and Sputnik V have been found to be effective against variants circulating in India. But efficacy of vaccines will depend on the emerging variants. So, we need to keep track of new mutations.

Although antibodies in the blood may begin to fade in 6-12 months, the cell-mediated immunity may last longer. Clinical trials are currently on to find out if we will need booster doses on an annual or longer basis. The decision will also depend upon our genetic make-up. It is too early to comment on this.

1-yr vax dose gap fine but 4 weeks ideal: Top virologist

1-yr vax dose gap fine but 4 weeks ideal: Top virologist

Advisory Leaves Senior Citizens Confused

Sunitha.Rao@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:15.05.2021

The Centre’s advisory to states to extend the interval between the first and second doses of Covishield vaccine to 12-16 weeks from the earlier 6-8 weeks has left many senior citizens confused. Those who took the second dose after six weeks are now concerned about the efficacy of the vaccine and whether it would offer protection from severe infection.

“We took the second dose within the 6-8 weeks window but the latest advisory suggesting an interval of 12-16 weeks has left us confused,” said Sridhar MS, 61, from Malleswaram, Bengaluru. A retired banker, Sridhar, had travelled all the way to Bidadi PHC, about 35km away, with his mother and wife on Wednesday to get the second shot.

However, experts TOI spoke with said delaying the second dose was fine from a medical point of view, especially given the shortage of doses. They pointed out that protection against the virus heavily depends on an individual’s immune response capabilities.

Dr T Jacob John, retired professor and head of clinical virology and microbiology at Christian Medical College, Vellore, said there is absolutely no problem if the second dose of Covishield is delayed. He said it is as good as taking after four weeks.

“The protection it offers after a four-week interval is nearly 100% against a severe form of the disease,” Dr John explained. “But it is not 100% against mild and moderate Covid. If you increase the interval up to 12 weeks, the efficacy against mild to moderate disease increases. However, against severe disease, the efficacy is the same whether the interval is four weeks or 16 weeks.”

He said a delayed second dose is as good as an early second dose and it does not nullify the effect of the first dose, which remains the same up to one year.

Dr Chandrashekar S, popular rheumatologist and immunologist, concurred. “There is always confusion between science and policy making,” Dr Chandrashekar said. “Conceptually, when the Covishield vaccine was studied, the two doses were spaced out by four weeks. The effectiveness was a little superior when the two doses were taken 12 weeks apart, as per the study,” said Dr Chandrashekar. Those who are concerned about immunization benefits can take an antibody test, he added.

However, Dr John conceded no study has been conducted to test efficacy beyond a 12-week window. “We are using the science of vaccinology to predict efficacy,” he said.

Full report on www.toi.in

A SHIELD: Beneficiaries above 18 years receive the Covid-19 vaccine in Patna on Friday

Leave encashment facility suspended for one more year

Leave encashment facility suspended for one more year

Chennai:15.05.2021

Last year, the Tamil Nadu government issued an order suspending the annual leave surrender facility of government employees, teachers and those in statutory and constitutional bodies. The suspension order has now been extended for one more year.

Employees can surrender earned leave for 15 days every year and encash it. In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the state had last year suspended the facility, saying it would help the government save cash outgo. Now, in an order dated May13, the department said: “In view of the second wave of coronavirus, and the need to conserve resources to fight the pandemic, the suspension of periodical surrender of earned leave for encashment for 15 days every year or 30 days every two years, as provided under Rule 7A of Tamil Nadu Leave Rules, 1933 is extended for one more year, till 31.03.2022, to all government employees and teachers.”

The order is applicable to all constitutional, statutory bodies, including corporations, local bodies, companies, institutions and societies, said the order issued by chief secretary V Irai Anbu. TNN

Medicos to monitor home isolation patients

Medicos to monitor home isolation patients

Civic Body Hires Them To Keep A Check Over Phone

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.05.2021

From tomorrow, Covid-19 patients in home isolation in the city will receive calls from final year MBBS students who will monitor their health and also help them in case of any worsening symptoms.

Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has hired around 135 such students at a monthly pay of ₹40,000 for three months to sit in a zonal control room where they will be assigned patients to monitor through phone calls.

At a introductory meeting on Friday, these doctors were also told that their help would be needed in field work, if necessary. GCC is expected to hire around 300 such doctors.

GCC commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said though patients have been given medicines, many would have doubts on when to take their medicines and would also be worried if their condition worsened. “It is necessary that these patients are in touch with a doctor,” he said.

Around 60% of the city’s 44,313 patients are in home quarantine. Also there were other issues pertaining to a home isolation patient such as the availability of yellow bags given by GCC to collect waste from Covid-19 patients and whether volunteers were helping out withprocurement of essentials.

As per a protocol sheet prepared by GCC, these doctors will be calling patients at least once a day and take details about their oxygen saturation, symptoms and adherence to home isolation norms.

In case their oxygen levels are below 94 and they show breathlessness or other symptoms, they would co-ordinate with the zonal health officer and send the patient to a covid care centre (CCC), triage centre or a hospital. It would also involve co-ordinating with the state war room (104) for an ambulance.

GCC has already started a service where triaging services for patients less than 60 years of age is done at home, Bedi said.

“In some cases, the family might be living in just one room and hence the non-infected family also carries the risk of contracting it. So we advise them to stay in a CCC. We have around 3,500 beds available in CCCs and we can augment it to 10,000,” Bedi said.

Oxygen beds in the city were also being increased and 50 more were added in the Injambakkam Urban Community Health Centre (UCHC), but it was not functional yet as a generator has to be set up, Bedi said.