Serum Institute let us down, says Africa CDC

Serum Institute let us down, says Africa CDC

‘Vaccine maker ended talks abruptly’

10/12/2021

John Nkengasong

ReutersNAIROBI

The Serum Institute of India, the world’s biggest vaccine maker, let Africa down by pulling out of talks to supply COVID-19 vaccines, creating distrust that has affected demand, the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control said on Thursday.

John Nkengasong denounced recent comments from Serum that uptake of its COVID-19 shots had slowed because of low demand from Africa and vaccine hesitancy, saying the real problem was that Serum had acted unprofessionally.

Serum did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Mr. Nkengasong said Serum had engaged in discussions last year with the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), and that at one point he had believed a deal was very close, but then Serum abruptly ended the talks.

TN to have highest no. of med colleges

TN to have highest no. of med colleges

69 Campuses To Offer More Than 10K Seats

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:10.12.2021

With 17 new medical colleges – government, private and deemed universities – Tamil Nadu will add 2,350 MBBS seats to the seat matrix during the admission in 2021. With this, the state will have 69 medical colleges offering 10,375 MBBS seats – the highest in the country, according to the National Medical Council website.

The state has 37 government colleges offering 5,125 seats, which are attached to government hospitals. “We have got permission for all the 11 new colleges we had applied for with this we will be able to add 1,450 MBBS seats this year. This is the biggest addition to the seat matrix we have made in one year. We also have permission to add 50 more seats to the existing government Coimbatore medical college,” said director of medical education Dr R Narayanababu.

In 2021, nearly 12% of government medical seats in India are from the state. This also means the state will offer the highest number of seats under the 15% all India quota, he said. Every year 15% of undergraduate seats from the government medical colleges across the country are given to the medical counselling committee under the directorate general of health services for online admissions. Admission to the remaining 85% of the seats are done by the state based on merit in NEET and rules of reservation.

Four new self-financing medical colleges – Arunai Medical College And Hospital in Tiruvannamalai, Swamy Vivekanandha Medical College Hospital And Research Institute in Namakkal, Faculty of Medicine, Sri Lalithambigai Medical College and Hospital in Chennai and St Peters Medical College Hospital and Research Institute in Krishnagiri -- attached to the state TN Dr MGR Medical University will bring in a total of 600 MBBS seats to the seat matrix in 2021 admissions. VELS Medical college and hospital (deemed university) and Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital (private university) will bring in 150 seats each.

The state has a policy to have at least one government medical College in every district, health minister Ma Subramanian said. The state also plans to increase seats in all existing medical colleges to  250.

 “Besides offering medical care at a reasonable subsidised cost to meritorious students, these medical college hospitals will also help us take tertiary healthcare to the rural parts of the state,” Subramanian said. All these undergraduate medical college hospitals will start postgraduate courses and specialty departments within five years.

TN has sought funds from the centre to start secondary care hospitals in districts with new medical colleges. “The district headquarters hospitals were converted into teaching hospitals and attached to medical colleges. To avoid overcrowding at medical colleges, we will need secondary care hospitals in oldies districts immediately,” he said.

Dharmapuri medical college caught in a row over hushing up ragging incident

Dharmapuri medical college caught in a row over hushing up ragging incident

P.V.Srividya

DHARMAPURI, DECEMBER 07, 2021 00:03 IST

Four pre-final year students placed under suspension, two wardens resign

Four pre-final year medical college students of the Dharmapuri Government Medical College Hospital were suspended and two wardens, including the chief warden of the hostel, resigned after a second-year student attempted to end his life on Sunday, a week after he sustained injuries allegedly caused by ragging at the medical college hostel.

The student, Saravanan of second year MBBS was found unconscious in his room by fellow students, who were checking in on him after they were alerted by his WhatsApp status. While his condition was stable, medical college administration has been accused of hushing up the victim’s abuse last week, leading to the victim taking the extreme step.

On December 23, Saravanan, a native of Namakkal and hostel resident was admitted to the hospital with injuries. Saravanan was allegedly stripped and beaten up by four senior students Rajkumar, Charan, Gokul and Dhanajayan inside the hostel. Saravanan was discharged a day later on December 24. However, no police complaint was lodged by the hospital authorities. A week later, Saravanan had attempted to end his life in his room.

Speaking to The Hindu, Dean of Medical college hospital K. Amuthavalli said the hospital inquiry was under way after the incident and a committee was inquiring the students. “The committee submitted its report only on Saturday and over 100 students of Saravanan’s batch were questioned and they said the four students were known to commit such an offence. We had to verify before taking action,” said Ms. Amuthavalli, refuting allegations of delay. “We asked his mother to take him home till the inquiry was completed, but the family refused saying, why should he leave the hostel, while the offenders continued to stay there.” said the Dean. All the four accused students were natives of Dharmapuri.

But asked about the absence of police complaint given that ragging was a serious offence, the Dean said, an AR entry (accident register) was made at the time of admission, and it was for the police to check the entry. The hospital need not alert them, said the Dean. However, in medico-legal cases, the doctor is required to intimate the police.

Superintendent of Police Kalaichelvan denied ‘inaction’ by the police. “ I don’t want to indulge in a blame game. The first time (last week), no direct intimation was given by the hospital to the police. It’s standard procedure that upon admission of any person with injuries [in suspicious circumstances], the police should be intimated.”

After rumours of a possible ragging incident surfaced, but no formal complaint was lodged, the police inspector concerned sent out a communication to the hospital authorities underlining that the police should be informed of these incidents, said Mr. Kalaichelvan.

It was projected as a scuffle between students in a hostel and that medical careers were at stake and that the hospital wanted it to be handled as an internal matter to safeguard the reputation of the institution, says the Superintendent of Police.

Saravanan had in the interim sent out a mail to the Medical Commission, feeling let down by the perceived delay in the inquiry by the medical college. He felt isolated and targeted, according to his accounts to the inquiry officer, prior to registering the CSR on Sunday, said a police source. The deputy warden, and the chief warden of the hostel, both associate professors at the hospital resigned from their wardenship on Monday.

Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.

Resident docs call off strike, to resume duty at 9am today

Resident docs call off strike, to resume duty at 9am today

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Jaipur:  09.12.2021

Resident doctors called off their strike on Wednesday evening after the medical education department and representatives of agitating resident doctors’ meeting ended with an agreement.

“We will resume our duties from 9am on Thursday. In the meeting (with medical education department officials), an agreement has been signed, following which we have decided to call off our strike,” said Dr Amit Yadav, president, Jaipur Association of Resident Doctors.

The resident doctors were not working at OPD and IPD for the past 10 days and stopped work in the labour rooms and ICUs for the past five days. From December 6, they went on a complete strike. In the agreement, it has been mentioned that NEET PG counselling decision was being taken care of by the Centre. On the demand for extension of deadline for paper and poster presentations, it has been decided that principals of medical colleges will send letters to the National Medical Commission. The date of thesis submission will be extended to February 28. For Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojna, a TPA cell will be formed to do the work, which the resident doctors have been doing. Nodal officers will be appointed for in-service doctors for making procedure easy for admissions in PG courses by establishing coordination between medical education department, health directorate and medical colleges. Seats for senior residents will be increased as per the requirement. It is agreed that resident doctors will get three increment extra from the current two.

2 girls born on RTC buses get lifetime pass

2 girls born on RTC buses get lifetime pass

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad:  09.12.2021

When two ‘little passengers’ were born unexpectedly on state-run buses, TSRTC management has decided to onboard them for life, designating them as ‘frequent travellers’. The two baby girls have been given free bus travel in TSRTC for life as a birthday gift from the corporation.

The first girl was born on November 30 near Peddakothapally village in a bus belonging to Nagarkurnool depot, while another woman gave birth to her daughter aboard an RTC bus of Asifabad depot near Siddipet of December 7 afternoon. TSRTC crew coordinated with officials of the health department and rushed the mothers and newborns to nearby government hospitals in 108 ambulances for further treatment and the two are doing well.

“These two women unexpectedly went into labour onboard to their respective destinations and the TSRTC crew members and fellow passengers helped the women to deliver their babies. It is a proud moment to bring two lives onboard,” TSRTC vice-chairman and MD VC Sajjanar said.

Masks key to stop & break infection chain: Virologists

Masks key to stop & break infection chain: Virologists

Amrita.Didyala@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad:  09.12.2021

With the threat of the highly mutated Omicron variant of Covid-19 looming, virologists say that wearing a mask when around others, even at home, will be the main preventive weapon. This will be especially required for people having family members in the ‘vulnerable’ category — immunocompromised patients having kidney or lung disease, cancer, have undergone an organ transplantation, uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension among others.

As the pandemic is unlikely to disappear immediately, wearing masks around people is recommended up to April-May next year.

“As Omicron has undergone a high number of mutations, it means that every time the virus mutates it has an adverse environment condition for it prevailing. With large number of people being vaccinated, it has become less damaging to be able to survive. But it appears to be highly infectious, something that it has retained from the mother strain. Therefore, everybody has to wear masks and follow all Covid protocols even if they are double vaccinated as there is every chance of breakthrough infections,” said Dr P Sangram, former director, Institute of Preventive Medicine and state public health laboratory.

The expert also suggested that immune-compromised people, elderly and people with poor nutritional status should go for booster doses whenever available.

State health authorities, meanwhile, have been advocating the use of masks at home for a while now.

“While people have started masking up again since the threat of the new variant, many still do not understand the virus can spread within a family in minutes if a mask is not worn. A mask is the best protection and easiest way to cut out chain of infection,” said Dr G Srinivasa Rao, director public health, Telangana.

But wearing a mask right holds the key. “Wearing the mask properly is more important, which should cover nose and mouth fully. Not just the chin or neck as most people do,” said Dr Ehsan Ahmad Khan, superintendent, Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS).

‘Stampedes, long queues, fighting and no social distancing whatsoever’:

‘Stampedes, long queues, fighting and no social distancing whatsoever’:

Passengers recount ‘worst travel experience ever’ at Delhi airport

Travel agents are advising people to hold off trips, as holiday rush and Omicron panic has resulted in a chaotic scenario at the airport

Niharika Lal

09.12.2021

The chaotic scenario and never-ending queues at Delhi airports have become a hot topic on social media recently, with netizens posting both concerned and tongue-incheek tweets, comparing the airport to a ‘train station’.

Mocking the Inception-like queue-within-a-queue-within-a-queue (you get the picture!) saga one has to face at the airport, comic Amit Tandon tweeted recently, “Lounge at Mumbai International Airport has a longer queue than the check in counter (sic)”. To this, someone replied – “can’t be longer than the line at Delhi airport to enter the airport”. At the same time, sharing a picture of the overcrowded Delhi airport, entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar Shaw tweeted, “...Not A Train Station, This Is Delhi Airport Under Omicron Rules...it’s obvious that the airport testing upon arrival will cause pandemonium n a transmission hot spot - but who’s listening? (sic)”

DOMESTIC AIR TRAFFIC UP BY 0.5% DESPITE OMICRON: STUDY

India’s domestic air traffic went up by 0.5% recently, according to UK aviation data company OAG. In India, domestic airlines offered a total of 3.34 million seats last week, while this week the number was a tad higher at 3.36 million. In comparison, pre-Covid, in the first week of December 2019, domestic airlines offered a total of 3.5 million seats.

AIRPORT WAS CROWDED FOR TWO DAYS DUE TO NEW GUIDELINES, OPERATIONS ARE NOW SMOOTH, SAYS DELHI AIRPORT OFFICIAL

A Delhi airport official says, “While the airport was crowded for the initial two days after the guidelines were issued, operations are now smooth. People are also opting for RTPCR tests for which they can get results within 90 minutes and not miss their flight.” While talking about complaints regarding passengers’ temperatures not being checked, the officials said, “Body temperature is not checked at the airport because there is a mass thermal screening system installed to screen all passengers.” He adds, “We have also made provisions for separate parking for flights coming from high risk countries, so that they do not come in contact with other passengers.” Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEODIAL, said in a statement that apart from installing extra rapid RT-PCR machines and test counters, “We are also working closely with the immigration authorities to facilitate swift movement of passengers. Seating arrangements have been vastly expanded and food counters have been made available in the waiting area.”

A railway station is less crowded than the Delhi airport: Travellers

As per UK aviation data company OAG – domestic air traffic in India is up by 0.5% despite reports of rising Omicron cases. If anything, the newly detected COVID-19 variant has led to people preponing international travel plans, as those abroad scramble to find tickets to return home.

‘THERE WAS OVERCROWDING OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT, AT CHECK-IN, FOOD COUNTERS AND THE WAITING AREA’

A traveller who flew to London this week, described her airport experience as “quite chaotic”. “First, we had to wait in a queue for around 15-20 minutes to get inside. Once I entered the airport, it felt like the pandemic never happened! There was overcrowding at check-in queues, food counters and the waiting area. No one was following any social distancing, whatsoever,” she says.

The passenger adds, “I wouldn’t say it felt like a railway station, because I recently travelled by train and the station was definitely less crowded than the airport!” Another person, whose family flew to India, says they encountered a stampede-like situation at the airport and called it the “worst experience of their lives”.

On Monday, after pictures of long queues, chaos and crowd at the Delhi airport surfaced online, it was reported that aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia directed Delhi airport operator DIAL to implement better crowd management strategies.

‘PEOPLE WERE FIGHTING IN QUEUES TO GET THEIR COVID TEST RESULTS AT DELHI AIRPORT’

As revised travel guidelines were implemented in the wake of the new COVID variant, many flyers had to wait for hours to get their tests done and then wait for the results, which led to more crowding and chaos, say passengers. Aryaman Raj Sokhal, student of Cambridge University, who reached Delhi, last week, shares, “Before boarding my flight from Heathrow airport, I had to book an RT-PCR test on arrival, and had to choose a time slot. I was landing at 1.15am in Delhi, so I chose the 2-3am slot. On landing, I had to go to one desk to get a QR code, and then another for my COVID test. I was lucky to not find any queue at both places. However, after the test one has to wait for a PDF that is mailed to them, which can take up to 4-5 hours. After taking the print of the PDF, one has to get it stamped before they can proceed to immigration. The queue for the print out was long, and people were jumping it and fighting among themselves. It took me five hours to reach the luggage belt and finally leave the airport.”

‘IT WASN’T POSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING, PEOPLE WEREN’T EVEN WEARING MASKS’

Akshat, who works for a film production company and flew to Delhi this week from Mumbai, says, “It was one of my worst travel experiences. Flyers are panicking that we’ll go into lockdown any second, and so are desperate to reach their destination. At the same time, despite Omicron fears, flights are still serving food and operating at 100% occupancy. If you are lucky, then your flight’s air hostess may remind fellow passengers to wear a mask, but more often than not, people are being too careless about rules.”

Vidhur Dixit, who returned from London on December 6, adds, “I was scared after seeing the crowd at the Delhi airport. It just wasn’t possible to maintain social distancing and most people were not even wearing their masks properly.”

— with inputs from Divya Kaushik

MUMBAI, HYDERABAD AIRPORTS OFFER MOST EXPENSIVE RAPID TESTS

Under the new norms, passengers arriving from ‘at-risk’ nations have to undergo an RT-PCR test and wait for their results before they can leave the airport or take a connecting flight. They can choose between the regular and rapid versions of the test. At the Delhi airport, a rapid test costs a passenger ₹3,500, while results come in 60-90 minutes. A regular RT-PCR costs a passenger ₹500 and the results come in around six hours. Following are the prices of rapid tests in different cities:

Mumbai: ₹3,900

Hyderabad: ₹3900

Delhi: ₹3,500

Bengaluru: ₹3,000

Kolkata: ₹2,900

Chennai: ₹2,900

Cochin: ₹2,490

(Source: TOI)

BUDGET TRAVELLERS SHOULD AVOID AIRPORTS TRIPS RIGHT NOW, SAY TRAVEL AGENTS

Travel agents point out that they have been getting a lot of complaints from both, passengers flying out of the country and those flying in. Prachi, a travel agent says, “People are complaining about having to fill multiple forms on the flight and once they land at the airport, despite no one checking those forms. Some even told us that their temperature wasn’t checked at the airport. This includes not just Delhi, but all other major airports in the country. Families are facing more trouble than solo flyers, because test prices for them average at over ₹15,000. Passengers with connecting flights are facing a lot of trouble, too, because if they miss their next flight, who will compensate them?”

A senior staff member at a travel portal says, “We are advising people to hold off leisure travel plans for at least a week or ten days, as the current airport scenario is too chaotic. Budget travellers should avoid travelling at present.” Akash Rastogi, director of a travel company, adds that the current situation is more panic-induced.