Tamil Nadu: t’s a Deepavali with empty pockets for mini-clinic doctors

Tamil Nadu: t’s a Deepavali with empty pockets for mini-clinic doctors

It will not be a happy Deepavali for doctors at Tamil Nadu’s Amma mini-clinics, who have toiled at the frontlines through the second wave of the pandemic.

Published: 01st November 2021 06:13 AM 

By OMJASVIN M D

Express News Service

CHENNAI: It will not be a happy Deepavali for doctors at Tamil Nadu’s Amma mini-clinics, who have toiled at the frontlines through the second wave of the pandemic. As on Sunday, doctors from about seven districts had not received their salary for the last two months; those from another 10 districts haven’t received their salary for September.

Recruited during the devastating second wave at a monthly pay of `60,000, their salary arrears stand close to 1.2 lakh now. “The festival of lights will be grim for us. We have zero money to spend for our families. We risked our lives during the second wave, but the way we are being treated is inhuman,” said R Karthik*, a doctor at a mini-clinic in Madurai.

In Coimbatore, Vellore, Tirupur, Madurai, Karur, Tiruvarur, and Thanjavur districts, the doctors haven’t been paid for the last two months. “We travel up to 40km to the mini-clinic each day. Including food and travel, this alone costs us Rs 400 a day,” said Karthik.

Dr A John*, who works in a mini-clinic in Thanjavur said he was depressed. “We cannot even celebrate Deepavali happily, even after having made so many of the mega vaccination camps successful. We are depressed. We do not know how long this can continue,” he said.

A few days ago, some of the doctors took to Twitter to express their angst. On October 19, one of them tagged State Health Minister Ma Subramanian and wrote that he contracted Covid-19 while on duty, had done additional services such as controlling dengue, but had never received got any recognition in terms of pay.

Doctors to get full payment soon: Official

Questioned about the issue, official sources said the salary issues had been resolved in at least 16 districts, and are being resolved in the remaining ones too. “The fund crunch is being resolved and the full payment will be given to them soon. Everyone will get their arrears,” said official sources. However, the doctors continue to fret as the future of the mini-clinic programme itself hangs by a thread, with a meeting being held recently to decide on whether or not the State will continue with the clinics.

NEET results: TN girl bags All-India 23 rank

 NEET results: TN girl bags All-India 23 rank

Mrinal Kutteri from Telangana, Tanmay Gupta from Delhi and Karthika Nair fro Maharashtra shared the top rank, scoring full marks.

Published: 02nd November 2021 05:10 AM  

 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Scoring 99.9 per cent, SA Geethanjali from Namakkal in Tamil Nadu topped the State in the NEET-UG, medical entrance exam, the results of which were announced on Monday. Bagging All India Rank (AIR) 23, she scored 710 out of 720 marks.

Mrinal Kutteri from Telangana, Tanmay Gupta from Delhi and Karthika Nair from Maharashtra shared the top rank, scoring full marks. According to the National Testing Agency, the tie-breaking formula will be used during  the counselling stage for the candidates.

Madline Jemimah, a Person with Disabilities (PwD) candidate from TN, scored 560 marks and bagged the 7th rank in the PwD category. As many as 15 candidates were identified to have used unfair means in the exam and their results were cancelled.

A total  of 10,971 students were scheduled to appear from Tamil Nadu for the NEET-UG this year, which was held on September 12. In the following weeks, the Union Health Ministry is expected to release a rank list. Based on this, students will be admitted to MBBS and BDS courses. 

Of the total seats available in TN, 15 per cent were reserved as All India Quota seats, which will be filled via counselling by the Union government. The remaining 85 per cent State quota seats will be filled via separate counselling, which will be conducted by the State authorities.

This year’s paper had new elements such as ‘match the column’. While experts said Biology was the easiest, Chemistry was moderate and Physics, the toughest. Candidates can check their result and download their scorecard on the official website — neet.nta.nic.in. 

‘One nation, one exam’ requires proper framework

‘One nation, one exam’ requires proper framework

Restrictions caused due to exam course and language barriers need to be ironed out before rolling out centralised UG-PG entrance exam policy

Astha.Hemant@timesgroup.com

01.11.2021

The concept of ‘One nation, one exam’ signifies that the National Testing Agency (NTA) will administer the Central Universities Common Entrance Test (CUCET), which will be the sole criteria for admission to various undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG) and other courses to the 43 centralised government universities across the nation. While universities call it a muchawaited change, they voice certain reservations.

Already onboard

JN Baliya, head of department, Education Studies and Mass Communication & New Media, Central University of Jammu (CUJ), says, “Our university was formed in 2011, and we have been holding a common entrance test since then. Although initially, only a few universities took on CUCET, this academic year, total 12 universities have taken on the ‘one nation, one exam’ pattern.” Baliya tells that last year, the CUCET had been held in a computerbased testing (CBT) format. As a result, CUJ has students from across 19 Indian states. “Once all central universities start taking admissions based on CET, J&K youth will be able to apply and study wherever they desire,” he adds.

Vikas Gupta, registrar, University of Delhi (DU), says, “With the ongoing pattern of soaring board exam marks, finding a way to regularise the evaluation pattern across education boards seems to be a difficult task. A common entrance test will eliminate the need for merit-based admissions and will put all students at a common platform.”

BJ Rao, vice-chancellor, University of Hyderabad (UoH), says, “As per National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, students can transfer to any university/course of their choice during their UG programme. For this, all universities must be on the same page in terms of the academic calendar they follow. With the CUCET, this will become a possibility.”

Changes needed

A solution is required for aspirants from regional language schools, adds Rao. “Technology is an apt tool to assist candidates in attempting the exam with minimal financial or location disability. However, the governing body needs to share a solution for students who have done their schooling in any regional language,” he tells.

Baliya says that MCQ format paper does not check an aspirant’s keenness to get into any programme. “Besides the entrance test, a second level of check, in the form of a virtual interview, can be added.”

Zydus Cadila vax may cost ₹265/dose

Zydus Cadila vax may cost ₹265/dose

New Delhi:01.11.2021

Zydus Cadila has agreed to bring down the price of its Covid-19 vaccine to ₹265 a dose following persistent negotiations by the government but a final deal is yet to be reached, sources said on Sunday.

Zydus Cadila’s ZyCov-D is the first vaccine cleared by India’s drug regulator for inoculation of those aged 12 years and above.

To administer the needlefree vaccine, a disposable painless jet applicator costing ₹93 is required for each dose, which would take the price to ₹358 per dose.

The Ahmedabad-based pharma company earlier had proposed a price of ₹1,900 for its three-dose regimen, sources said.

“The company has brought down the price to ₹358 for each dose which includes ₹93, the cost of a disposable jet applicator, following repeated negotiations by the government.... A final decision in the matter is likely to be taken this week,” a source in the know of developments said.

The three doses are to be administered 28 days apart, with each dose comprising a shot in both arms.

The indigenously developed world’s first DNAbased needle-free Covid-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D received emergency use authorisation from the drug regulator on August 20.

Meanwhile, the government is still waiting for the recommendations from the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) for introducing Zy-CoV-D in the inoculation drive for adults and children with co-morbities.

NTAGI will provide the protocol and framework for the introduction of this vaccine in the Covid-19 immunisation drive. PTI

Travel curbs may be lifted by mid-Nov: Tourism ministry

Travel curbs may be lifted by mid-Nov: Tourism ministry

Swati.Mathur@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:01.11.2021

The government is expected to lift all Covid-related travel restrictions by mid-November, the tourism ministry said during the first Conference of Tourism and Culture Ministers of Southern States.

“All flight restrictions should be lifted by November

15. However, complete restoration of international flight operations will take a little longer since airlines will gradually ramp up operations to pre-pandemic levels. Covid restrictions imposed by other countries may also continue for a little longer,” director general (tourism) Kamala Vardhan Rao recently told TOI.

Union culture and tourism minister G Kishen Reddy said there is no bigger confidencebooster for reviving tourism than vaccination. Vaccination and tourism will go hand-inhand, Reddy said, adding “we should use these challenging times as an opportunity to rethink, regenerate and reinvent the tourism sector”.

He also said the tourism ministry has identified 20 countries (Australia, Canada, USA, France, Germany and the Gulf Countries, among others) that send the highest number of foreign tourists to India and is working closely with the ministries of external affairs and home to appoint senior tourism officers in Indian missions in these countries to promote and publicise Indian tourism products.

Tourism ministers and officials of Tamil Nadu, Telangana, host state Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry addressed the event.

While Tamil Nadu called for state participation in a national homestay policy, Kerala and Pudducherry backed greater syngergies between southern states to maximise their tourism potential.

Full report on www.toi.in

4L pilgrims at Char Dham shrines in over a month

Dehradun:

Over 4 lakh pilgrims have visited the Char Dham shrines in the Garhwal Himalayas between September 18 and October 31, with the maximum footfall of over 2 lakh in Kedarnath, according to the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board, reports Gaurav Talwar. The yatra underwent a four-month delay because the Uttarakhand high court had refused to allow it until it was satisfied with government’s preparations.

As per current restrictions, only fully vaccinated people, or those with a Covid-negative report, are allowed to visit the shrines. Almost 2.22 lakh pilgrims visited the Kedarnath shrine, while 1.26 lakh came to Badrinath. Over 32,000 pilgrims visited Yamunotri and Gangotri shrines, each, according to the Devasthanam Board.

Dead man vaccinated now, says SMS

Dead man vaccinated now, says SMS

Deepak.Karthik@timesgroup.com

Trichy:01.11.2021

The family of a deceased man in Trichy was surprised when they received acknowledgement for the second dose of vaccination on his mobile phone which was being used by his family. Suspecting misuse of the man’s credentials for vaccination, the family urged the district administration and health department to inquire into the incident. 

The deceased, Selvaraj Govindhachettiyar, hailing from Beschi street in Woraiyur, had taken his first dose at MGMGH on April 28. Two weeks later, he contracted Covid-19 and succumbed to the infection on May 15. However, on Saturday the family received the acknowledgement message of his second dose Covishield vaccination on his mobile phone. According to the vaccination certificate, Selvaraj, five months after his death, has taken the second dose at a mini-clinic in Trichy during the seventh mass vaccination camp. “We wonder whether his personal information was misused further for the vaccination programme,” N S Karthi, son-in-law of Selvaraj, told TOI. He called for accountability in the vaccination drive.

Deputy director of health services A Subramani said a clerical mistake in updating the mobile number on CoWin platform had caused the gaffe and there was no intention to show high vaccination numbers. “We are using volunteers and animators to upload personal details of beneficiaries. As they are handling thousands of people at the mass vaccination camps, the error happened unknowingly and we will rectify it,” the official said. A section of medical officers involved in vaccination duty blamed the mess on the targets set for them at the mass drives on consecutive weeks, which caused fatigue and stress.

Five years on, 1,200m flyover at Velachery to open today

Five years on, 1,200m flyover at Velachery to open today

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:01.11.2021

The long-delayed flyover at Vijayanagar junction connecting the road from Taramani with the Velacherry by-pass will be opened to the public by chief minister M K Stalin on Monday.

Work on the 1,200m flyover began in 2016 and it took five years and cost ₹186 crore to complete. State highways department officials said various factors contributed to the delay. To begin with the project got stuck over land acquisition. A section of people moved court and only in June last year, during the lockdown period, did the highways department get the go-ahead from the court, said an official.

The flyover has a two-lane carriage way with a width of 7.5 metres. This means only one-way traffic can be allowed. Similar is the size of the second arm, connecting Velacherry with Pallikaranai. This is also planned as flyover with one way traffic, said the official.

A local resident S Kumara Raja said about 11,500 sqft of land was needed to take up the flyover construction. With the court issuing a stay on the work, the original plan to complete it by within 24 months fell through.

Then the giant sewer line from the nearby residential areas to the Perungudi treatment plant became another hurdle, which needed to be realigned. This work took nearly a year. When these works were completed, the lockdown halted work.

The second arm of the flyover, connecting Velacherry to Pallikaranai, measuring 640 metres is expected to be ready by this yearend.

Kumara Raja said both arms could only handle oneway traffic and rued that they had not been better planned.

LONG DUE: Work on the 1,200-metre-long flyover began in 2016