Students with mild fever can appear for MUHS exams

Students with mild fever can appear for MUHS exams

Ranjan.Dasgupta@timesgroup.com

Nashik:23.05.2021 

The Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) will allow students having mild symptoms of fever, cold and cough to appear for the upcoming health science examinations that will take place offline between June10 and 30.

More than 40,000 students will be appearing for winter 2020 first, second and third-year (undergraduate) exams of all the health science courses and certificate course in modern pharmacology and modern mid-level service provider certificate course.

Although a section of the examinees were demanding that either online examination be held or students be promoted to the next class without exams given the pandemic situation, state medical education minister Amit Deshmukh has made it clear that the examinations will be held offline.

Ajit Pathak, the varsity’s controller of examinations, told TOI that the MUHS will be following the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines in allowing students with mild symptoms of fever, cold and cough to write the exams. “Such students will write their exams in a separate room and the invigilator can be provided with PPE kits if there is a need. But the students have to get a proper medical certificate sying they can appear for the examination,” said Pathak.

Even during practical exams, said Pathak, if an examinee is unwell, a separate schedule will be made for him/her after the student is cured.

MUHS will also provide Rs 3 lakh to the family if anyone associated — examinees, teachers or even non-teaching staff on exam duty — succumbs due to Covid-19 during the exam period. The varsity will provide a grant of up to Rs 1 lakh for treatment if such stakeholders contract the infection during this period.

According to Pathak, during the final-year UG health science examination, in March-April 2021, there were five examinees who were allotted separate rooms as they were asymptomatic Covid patients. Similarly, the varsity held separate practical exams for 15 Covid-positive students as they could not appear on the scheduled date.

‘Fake’ masks sold online, NGO seeks checks; HC issues notice to Centre

‘Fake’ masks sold online, NGO seeks checks; HC issues notice to Centre

Rosy.Sequeira@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:23.05.2021 

The Bombay high court (HC) has issued a notice to the Centre, seeking its response to a public interest litigation on manufacture and sale of “fake/ spurious” medical grade face masks on e-commerce sites.

A PIL by an NGO, Friends of Wadala East, urged the HC “to ensure that unregulated manufacture and sale of medical grade face masks does not go unchecked in view of the fact that a proper mask is perhaps the only manner in which transmission of coronavirus can be prevented”.

The NGO cited its experience with Amazon when it placed a bulk order on May 2 for 400 surgical masks for BMC healthcare workers. The masks were delivered on May 8, but did not conform to the description advertised. The website represented it would be of ‘The Mask Lab, 3 ply surgical face mask – international ASTM level certified for virus, dust, air borne particles, pollution.’ On receipt, the petitioners found the same were “shoddy and of substandard quality, poorly packaged and nowhere close to what they described on the portal of Amazon”. The NGO could not distribute the masks. The manufacturer said it had not manufactured the masks that had been delivered. The PIL points Amazon US has strict quality checks in place, mandating approval by Food & Drug Administration. The NGO verified listing requirements of other e-commerce entities and found that “Flipkart and Snapdeal also do not have any system of checks and balances in place and follow a procedure similar to Amazon.”

The PIL said unsuspecting citizens end up buying fake/ spurious masks due to unfair trade practices of unauthorised vendors and e-commerce sites like Amazon “which leaves them with a false sense of belief that they may rely on such spurious masks for protection against the Covid19 and its spread.”

On Thursday, after the nonprofit’s advocates Amrut Joshi and Sujit Lahoti informed a bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni about the public interest litigation, they issued a notice to the ministries of health and consumer affairs and posted the hearing for June.

A migrant worker from UP, wearing a face mask and carrying a bottle of hand sanitiser, waits for his train at Pune railway station on Friday

Doc who raised PPE shortage dies

Doc who raised PPE shortage dies

23.05.2021 

Visakhapatnam:

Senior anaesthesiologist Dr K Sudhakar, 55, who was suspended last year for voicing concern over alleged shortage of PPE kits at a hospital in Visakhapatnam, died on Friday following a cardiac arrest, reports Siva G.

Dr Sudhakar was the first government doctor to express concern over lack of infrastructure to fight the pandemic last year. He was suspended on disciplinary grounds on April 8, 2020. On May 16, he was manhandled by police and the Andhra Pradesh HC ordered a CBI probe. He had recently recovered from Covid. “The court was to pronounce its final judgment on April 27. When there was no news about it, he slipped into depression,” P Vijayakumar, a family friend, told TOI.

Govt push for Covaxin WHO listing

Govt push for Covaxin WHO listing

Sachin.Parashar@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:23.05.2021 

India’s Covaxin may have proven an adequate efficacy but its lack of endorsement from WHO remains a cause of concern for the government. What has aggravated the situation is the fact that only a handful of countries, as has been reported, have confirmed they will allow entry to those vaccinated by Covaxin.

TOI has learnt that foreign secretary Harsh Shringla will hold a meeting with Bharat Biotech, the manufacturer of Covaxin, on Monday to expedite the process of WHO approval for the vaccine which has been administered to close to two crore Indians until now.

With the US, and also many countries in Europe looking to reopen soon, it’s important for the government to ensure that those vaccinated with Covaxin, particularly students, are not denied entry.

Official sources said while some countries had approved Covaxin, many others are likely to do so once the vaccine is ready for export. Covaxin approval is pending at the WHO and the government will work with Bharat Biotech to expedite this process, according to government sources.

An emergency use approval is likely to encourage countries to import Covaxin, facilitate its manufacturing abroad and ease travel for those vaccinated with it. In India’s own neighbourhood, Sri Lanka started administering China’s Sinopharm vaccine to its citizens only after the vaccine received WHO backing. While India is unlikely to resume export anytime soon, the emergency listing will also mean that Covaxin can be used by COVAX, the global vaccine alliance, later to vaccinate people in many developing countries.

According to the government, over 40 countries have expressed interest in Covaxin and seem satisfied with what the manufacturer calls safe, inactivated vaccine technology and “robust data package for safety and immunogenicity”. Covaxin received a setback last month though after Brazil regulatory authorities blocked its import “considering the non-compliance with the requirements of Good Manufacturing Practices for Medicines”.

The health ministry on Saturday said there is currently “no consensus” at the level of WHO on vaccine passport. “Discussion is being done if vaccinated people will be allowed. As of now, ...people with negative Covid-19 test report are being allowed,” Lav Agarwal, joint secretary in the health ministry, said.

People get their shots at a drive-in vaccination camp in Bhopal

UGC panel for blended learning with up to 40% via online mode

UGC panel for blended learning with up to 40% via online mode

Draft Note Seeks Suggestions From Various Stakeholders

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:23.05.2021 

Learning in higher educational institutions is set for a paradigm shift if they implement the University Grants Commission’s proposal on blended learning which proposes up to 40% of teaching in any course through the online mode.

UGC’s draft on ‘Blended Mode of Teaching and Learning’, which has been put in public domain for suggestions from various stakeholders till June 6, envisages a scenario where students can pick teachers and timings; frame their own courses; design degrees; and study through any mode with learning and examinations literally on demand. The concept note has been prepared in accordance with the new National Education Policy 2020 (NEP-2020) which gives acceptability to many modes of learning, including face-toface, online learning and distance or virtual mode.

“The UGC had decided that HEIs should be allowed to teach up to 40% of each course through online mode and the remaining 60% can be taught in offline mode. Exams for teaching under both modes can be conducted online,” said UGC Secretary Rajnish Jain.

The draft said, “The advantages of blended learning for students include increased learning skills, greater access to information, improved satisfaction and learning outcomes, and opportunities both to learn with others and to teach others.”

“Blended learning is not a mere mix of online and face-to-face mode, but it refers to a well-planned combination of meaningful activities in both the modes. The blend demands consideration of several factors, mainly focussing on learning outcomes and the learner-centred instructional environment.

“Given the emergence of digital technologies and the emerging importance of leveraging technology for teaching-learning at all levels from school to higher education, the NEP recommends use of blended models of learning,” said the draft note prepared by an expert panel.

Blended learning shifts the teacher’s role from knowledge-provider to coach and mentor, says the draft note

17-yr-old pregnant after being raped by minor boy

17-yr-old pregnant after being raped by minor boy

Kota:23.05.2021 

A 17-year-old girl’s pregnancy revealed rape by a neighbour, who is also a minor. The case is of a village under Talaera police station. Police lodged a case of rape against the boy on Friday and initiated investigation. The accused minor is yet to be detained. The police, on Saturday, sent the girl for medical examination and initiated procedure to record her statement under section164 before a magistrate.

The girl’s parents on Friday had approached the police station to lodge a case of rape against 17-year-old boy from the same community. They alleged repeated rape of their daughter that led to her pregnancy, Mahesh Singh Sandhu , SHO at Talera police station said.

The girl and the accused are school dropouts and were in a physical relationship for past few months. On Thursday when the girl noticed that her menstruation cycle was irregular, she informed her mother. She was taken for medical examination where it was found that she is four months pregnant. TNN

HC notice for not giving maternity leave to nurse

HC notice for not giving maternity leave to nurse

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Jaipur:23.05.2021 

Rajasthan high court has issued a notice to secretary, medical and health, and director, department of medical & health services, Jaipur, on the denial of maternity leave to a nurse on transfer from a SMS Hospital to a CHC in Alwar. She was on maternity leave when she was transferred, but the leave was not given at her new posting. The single bench of Justice SP Sharma issued the notice on a petition by Manisha Sharma.

Anood Dhand, counsel for the petitioner, said the petitioner was selected at serial No. 3,707 for appointment to the post of nurse Gr.II after securing 64.951 while the cut-off marks for the category of general(female) was 57.869.

The appointment order was issued on April 28, 2020 and the petitioner was directed to join SMS Medical College in Jaipur within seven days. The petitioner joined her services on May 2, 2020.

The petitioner, who was pregnant, gave birth to a child on February 9, 2021 and applied for180 days maternity leave from February 9, which was accepted.

In the meanwhile, respondents revised the merit list and this time the cut-off marks of general female was increased to 67.089 and the name of the petitioner was in the waiting list. On February 18, 2021, a reserve /waiting list was issued and the petitioner was selected again and she was directed to join at chief medical & health office in Alwar. On joining, CMHO, Alwar, directed the petitioner to join at CHC at Mala Kheda.

On March 1, the petitioner requested the medical officer at CHC, Mala Kheda, to allow her to continue on maternity leave as her child was only two months old.

CHC Mala Kheda sought directions from higher officials for allowing the petitioner to remain on maternity leave. But till date no orders have been passed by the director, medical and health.

The petitioner then applied for grant of two months ‘child care leave’ but that also got no favourable response forcing her to approach the court.