In huge boost, private medical colleges in B’luru to allot 50% beds for Covid patients

In huge boost, private medical colleges in B’luru to allot 50% beds for Covid patients

CATCHING UP 11 Institutions Part With 4,500 Beds, 2,200 Of Which Have Already Been Notified

State Faces Huge Backlog In Testing

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

01.07.2020

Bengaluru: In huge relief for the government which has been grappling with a shortage of facilities, private medical colleges in Bengaluru have agreed to part with about 4,500 beds to treat Covid-19 patients.

Chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday held a meeting – the second in as many days – with representatives of private hospitals and medical colleges at Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday and later said of the 4.500 beds, 2,200 have already been notified.

“There are 2,000 beds available in government medical colleges and those offered by medical colleges will be added to the tally soon,” Yediyurappa said. He said four of the colleges have set up Covid testing labs and new testing facilities will be set up in the other colleges too.

On Monday, the government agreed to a proposal to share 50% of beds in private hospitals on an equal basis to treat virus-infected patients and also to extend insurance cover and police security to private doctors and paramedical staff involved in helping coronavirus patients recover.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, medical education minister K Sudhakar said Bengaluru has the most number of private medical colleges “in the country”. Of the 14 colleges, he said 11 are private and three are government-run.

About 1,000 beds have been kept aside for Covid patients at three government colleges, while the 11 private colleges have a total about 10,000 beds between them. Following Tuesday’s meeting, managements of these colleges agreed to make 50% -- about 4,500 beds including ICUs -- available for Covid patients. They have also agreed to make available ventilators, experts, doctors and paramedical staff, Sudhakar said.

Noting that all 4,500 beds may not be available immediately as non-Covid patients may be undergoing treatment, Sudhakar said the managements have promised to ensure all beds are available within a fortnight.

“The central allotment committee that we have constituted in coordination with nodal officers appointed for each medical college will allot beds in a scientific manner,” he said. Rates fixed for private hospitals will be applicable for private medical colleges also.

Pointing out that stipend has been increased to 45% for government medical college students since the pandemic struck, Sudhakar said private medical colleges would also have to pay stipend. He said the department would ensure payment and will take action if managements fail to pay up.

SELF SERVICE: Shop owners in Basavangudi, Bengaluru, decided to voluntarily down shutters as a precautionary measure on Tuesday

No new relaxations; schools and colleges in K’taka shut till July 31

No new relaxations; schools and colleges in K’taka shut till July 31

Anil.Gejji@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:  01.07.2020

In line with the central government’s Unlock 2.0 guidelines, the Karnataka government on Tuesday declared schools and colleges, cinema halls, multiplexes, swimming pools, Metro services, marriage halls and gyms across the state will continue to remain closed till July 31.

However, the government announced no further relaxations in the second edition of unlock measures.

The order issued by chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar said Sunday curfew will be in force till August 2 and the 8pm-5am curfew every night till July 31. However, essential services and those arriving from other cities have been exempt from these restrictions.

Though the guidelines issued by the ministry of home affairs late Monday night made a few allowances, the Karnataka government decided to continue with the relaxations offered under Unlock 1.0 since the number of cases is on an upward trajectory in the past two weeks.

In containment zones, the state government will enforce complete lockdown by allowing only essential services.

Workers spray disinfectant outside the high court building in Bengaluru on Tuesday | P 2

No curbs on movement of people within, outside state

The government has given local authorities a free hand to identify buffer zones outside the containment zones. However, this will not apply to essential activities, including operation of industrial units in multiple shifts, movement of persons and goods on national, state and major district highways.

As per the state guidelines, online/distance learning will be permitted. Central and state training institutions will be allowed to function from July 15 with the standard operating procedure.

There will be no curbs on movement of people and goods within and between the states. Restrictions on small gatherings — not more than 50 attendees at marriages and 20 for funerals — will continue. Large public gatherings and congregations are prohibited.

Those who are not wearing a mask will be asked to pay a fine of Rs 200 in municipal areas and Rs 100 in rest of the state. Spitting in public and consuming of alcohol, paan, gutka and tobacco in public places will continue to be prohibited.

FULL COVERAGE: P 2, 4 & 5

TikTok stars migrate to other platforms

TikTok stars migrate to other platforms

John Sarkar & Pankaj Doval TNN

New Delhi: 01.07.2020

Within minutes of the order blocking TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps, SaltNPepper, a wannabe actor in his early forties, reached out to his near-one million followers, advising them to follow him on his new personal website as well as Instagram and YouTube channel. He was not alone, with many Indian TikTok influencers, whose accounts were inaccessible on Tuesday, doing the same.

Some even went to the extent of praising the government’s action and exhorted their followers to back them up by following them on other social-media channels.

The most popular social media channels due to the ban of TikTok include Instagram and YouTube, which hitherto had been losing the race in bagging new subscribers to the Chinese app.

However, many of the Tik-Tok influencers are worried that their popularity may not be matched so aggressively on the other American platforms which have “more sophisticated users and followers”.

TikTok and ByteDance’s other app, Helo, had a bigger appeal in the hinterland and rural and semi-urban India where they are widely followed. Instagram and You-Tube are more of a metro phenomenon, and are popular with upmarket advertisers.

Surbhi Sikri, a 22-year-old Tiktoker known as Revolver-Rani on the Chinese platform, had over 6 million followers. “My parents are a bit worried as I had taken this as my career. There are some financial problems in my family and this will impact my earnings by at least 50%,” he told TOI.

On an average, a reasonably successful TikTok influencer makes around Rs 2 lakh a month.

Apps must adhere to country’s data sovereignty: kant

New Delhi:

All apps released in the country must adhere to India’s data integrity, privacy, sovereignty and transparency, a top policymaker said on Tuesday, a day after the Centre banned 59 Chinese apps. “They must be transparent in origin & final destination of data. India has to be a data sovereign country. This is critical. Apps against whom action has been taken are lifestyle apps,” NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Twitter. AGENCIES

Father, son beaten all night: TN woman cop

Father, son beaten all night: TN woman cop

Enough Proof To Try Police For Murder: HC

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:01.07.2020

In a damning indictment of Sathankulam police, a woman head constable attached to the station has told the magistrate conducting the inquiry that P Jeyaraj and his son J Benniks were indeed assaulted by police personnel with lathis for a whole night, after their arrest on June 19 even as the Madras HC on Tuesday said there is sufficient material to invoke murder charges against the entire Sathankulam police team.

Lathi blows rained on the two till dawn, due to which there were blood stains on lathis and a table at the station, she told the magistrate. Apprehending destruction of evidence, she requested the inquiring magistrate to take possession of the material. She signed her statement only after the magistrate assured her of safety.

The woman head constable’s statement had to be recorded under most intimidating circumstances at Sathankulam station on June 28, magistrate Bharathidasan said, adding that despite his instruction to wait outside, police personnel caused hindrance.

Citing ante-mortem injuries found on the bodies of J Benniks and his father P Jeyaraj, the preliminary post-mortem report, the Kovilpatti judicial magistrate’s report and the damning deposition of the woman head constable, a division bench of Justice P N Prakash and Justice B Pugalendhi said they would be prima facie be sufficient to alter the case under Section 302 IPC against the Sathankulam policemen.

The judges said that from the report of the judicial magistrate, they are able to discern that the Sathankulam police are taking advantage of the fact that the investigation of the case is in limbo and are attempting to cause disappearance of evidence. “In fact, they were emboldened enough to even intimidate the judicial officer to put spokes in the wheel of his enquiry,” said the judges, adding that CB-CID DSP Anil Kumar had been put in charge of investigation.

Directing Anil Kumar to immediately take charge and proceed with investigation without waiting for a formal order from the DGP, the judges said it is open to the state government to revisit the idea of entrusting the matter to the CBI, if they are satisfied that Anil Kumar is proceeding on the right lines. The case was adjourned to July 2.

“We fervently hope that Anil Kumar will have before his mind’s eye, the river of tears flowing from the eyes of the family of the two decease d and take up the investigation of the case in all earnestness for wiping their tears,” they said.

Thoothukudi SP Arun Balagopalan (2nd L), additional SP D Kumar (L), DSP C Prathapan (R) and constable Maharajan (4th L, not in uniform) after appearing before the Madurai bench of Madras high court in the Sathankulam custodial deaths case on Tuesday

Violent behaviour: 80 cops taken off duty

As many as 80 police personnel in Trichy have been removed from duty following reports of their violent and aggressive behaviour with the public. In a Facebook post late on Monday night, the DIG V Balakrishnan stated, “We are removing 80 police personnel in Trichy police range who need behavioural correction to improve their interpersonal skills. They are taken off duties involving direct public contact as their track record in that aspect is found wanting. They will be gradually reintegrated into regular duties only after completing a specially designed course with cognitive behavioural therapy component to improve the way they deal with the public.” The DIG had kicked off the process a few months ago after 55-year-old man in Trichy died of heart attack during inquiry by a special team in connection with a theft case at Samayapuram in December 2019. TNN

Govt reappoints Pandya as Gujarat University VC

Govt reappoints Pandya as Gujarat University VC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: 01.07.2020

The state government today announced its decision to reappoint Himanshu Pandya, a professor at department of biochemistry and forensic science, as the vicechancellor of Gujarat University.

Pandya, who will be serving his second term at the top GU post, seem to have earlier fallen out with the BJP-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) after the GU students’ union election, held after a gap of four years in March. ABVP faced a crushing defeat at the hands of Congress’ student political wing National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). Many of them had alleged that Pandya supported NSUI to win the elections. Pandya’s name was among the candidates shortlisted by the search committee headed by Gujarat governor Acharya Devvrat. His first term ended on May 16 and the charge was temporarily given to Jagdish Bhavsar, pro VC of GU. The committee, formed in February to shortlist names for the post of VC, said it could not complete the task due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown situation.

What seems to have swung things into Pandya’s favour is the recent announcement of the all National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Ranking 2020 by the Centre where Gujarat University made a surprise entry at number 60 in the list of higher education institutes in the overall category.

Last year, when the varsity did not even figure in the top 100 names in overall rankings in the NIRF 2019 list, Pandya, the then VC, had started various initiatives to raise its quality and standards.

“I want to take GU to newer heights. A research park that is currently being built will have far reaching benefits for the students, faculty members as well as the society,” said Pandya. He will take charge of the position in the next couple of days.

The three-member search committee included Kamlesh Joshipura, former vice-chancellor of Saurashtra University whose nomination was chosen by GU. Parimal Vyas has been chosen by the Joint Board of Vice-Chancellors (JBVC) is the third member of the committee.

57 docs dead... but we shall overcome!

57 docs dead... but we shall overcome!

01.07.2020

Following the Covid-19 outbreak, 2020 will go down in history as a year which changed mankind and civilisation. The modern way of life as we have known it will cease to exist. The instinct for survival has stood challenged once again.

I am confident that we shall overcome and conquer the coronavirus pandemic at a heavy cost. Amid all the change, the medical profession--the pride and legacy of mankind-- will retain its art and science intact. In fact, the science of it stands to gain substantially.

Medicine is a calling. It will remain one. Generations of doctors to come will record that we never gave up in the fight against Covid-19. In this dark time, we remain the only flicker of light. Our knowledge and compassion should lead mankind and the nation out of this abyss. We owe it to our people.

It pains me a lot that 57 of our doctors have already laid down their lives in the war against Covid. Nearly a thousand have contracted the disease. Sent into the battle like a charging brigade without cover or camouflage, we have retained our poise. Now, it’s time to tell the world we are in charge. It is our battle for our people and motherland. We shall overcome.

Let us resolve on this Doctors’ Day that we will lead our nation to safety and public health. Let each of us pledge to save as many lives as possible in our line of duty. Comfort, Console and Counsel. You are the angels of hope against despondence and despair. The finest humans, let your hands be the saviour of mankind.

Dr. Ketan Desai, Past President Indian Medical Association, Medical Council of India & World Medical Association

‘A clinic can’t close, even if there’s a pandemic’

‘A clinic can’t close, even if there’s a pandemic’

Paul John@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad: 01.07.2020

For 46 years, rain or shine, riots or peacetime, there has hardly been a day that Dr Dinesh Shah, 71, did not turn up at his dispensary at Raja Mehta ni Pol in Kalupur. The Covid-19 pandemic has not been any different.

During the lockdown, Shah travelled from his home near Dharnidhar Derasar to see his patients in the walled city every day. “Why should a doctor be so scared of Covid. It’s a viral disease. Precaution is key. Symptomatic treatment, prompt action a must. I say this to my patients,” says Shah.

When Shah saw that his patients were in panic about the pandemic, he stuck to his clinic schedule. “A doctor’s clinic can’t shut. There are people with co-morbid conditions, children who need vaccination, the elderly who need to be referred to specialists, how do we ignore them? You see fear and stigma kills more than a disease. A doctor must not hide in such times. We have all taken an oath,” says Shah.

Shah used to live at the nearby Patasha ni Pol when he first opened the clinic in 1974. An MMBS from NHL Medical College, Shah remembers how he used to open his clinic during riots in the 1970s, the 1985 anti-reservation riots, the Navnirman movement and even during the 2002 post-Godhra riots.