மூன்று ஆண்டில் 2 பாடம் படித்தவருக்கு ஆசிரியர் பணி மறுக்கப்பட்டது சரியானதே: உயர் நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவு

மூன்று ஆண்டில் 2 பாடம் படித்தவருக்கு ஆசிரியர் பணி மறுக்கப்பட்டது சரியானதே: உயர் நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவு

மதுரை

மூன்று ஆண்டு இளநிலை பட்டப்படிப்பில் 2 பாடங்கள் படித்தவருக்கு ஆசிரியர் பணி மறுக்கப்பட்டது சரியானதே என உயர் நீதிமன்ற அமர்வு உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.

மதுரை ஆரப்பாளையத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர் பாபு. இவர் இளநிலை பட்டப்படிப்பில் 2 ஆண்டுகள் பி.எஸ்.சி. (கணிதம்) படித்தார். 3-வது ஆண்டில் பி.ஏ. (வரலாறு) படித்தார். இவருக்கு 1995-ல் மதுரை காமராஜர் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் பி.ஏ. (வரலாறு) பட்டம் வழங்கப் பட்டது. பின்னர் பாரதியார் பல்கலை.யில் பி.எட். முடித்தார்.

ஆசிரியர் தேர்வு வாரியம் நடத்திய பட்டதாரி ஆசிரியர் பணித் தேர்வில் சான்றிதழ் சரிபார்ப்புக்குச் சென்றார். ஆனால் 3 ஆண்டு இளநிலை பட்டப்படிப்பில் முதல் 2 ஆண்டுகள் ஒரு பாடமும், இறுதி ஆண்டில் மற்றொரு பாடமும் படித்ததால் ஆசிரியர் பணி மறுக் கப்பட்டது.

அந்த மறுப்பை ரத்து செய்து தனக்கு ஆசிரியர் பணி கேட்டு, உயர் நீதிமன்ற கிளையில் பாபுமனுத் தாக்கல் செய்தார். அவருக்கு ஆசிரியர் பணி வழங்க வேண்டும் என தனி நீதிபதி உத்தரவிட்டார்.

இந்த உத்தரவை ரத்து செய்யக் கோரி ஆசிரியர் தேர்வாணையம் சார்பில் உயர் நீதிமன்ற கிளையில் மேல்முறையீடு மனுத் தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்டது.

இதை நீதிபதிகள் என்.கிருபாகரன், பி.புகழேந்தி அமர்வு விசாரித்தது. பின்னர் நீதிபதிகள் தங்கள்உத்தரவில், மனுதாரர் மூன்று ஆண்டில் 2 பாடங்களை படித்துள்ளார். இது ஆசிரியர் பணிக்குத் தகுதியாக கருத முடியாது. தனி நீதிபதிஉத்தரவு தள்ளுபடி செய்யப்படுகிறது என தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.

All pvt hosp to allot 50% beds for Covid care

All pvt hosp to allot 50% beds for Covid care

Chennai:01.05.2021

All private hospitals in Tamil Nadu have been instructed to allot 50% of beds across all categories, including oxygen beds and ones in ICU, for Covid care.

In a two-page order issued on Friday, state health secretary J Radhakrishnan also asked private hospitals to reduce or avoid elective surgeries and planned admissions until further orders. Many private medical college hospitals in TN have allotted less than 100 beds, while private hospitals have allotted 25% or fewer beds for Covid, he said.

Available beds are being converted into oxygen beds, he told reporters at a press conference. So far, the directorate of medical and rural health services has given permission to 578 private hospitals to treat Covid-19 patients. “Now Covid care is being expanded to all hospitals in the state,” he said. Director of medical education Dr R Narayanababu said he has been working with the private medical colleges to increase beds and standardize treatment protocols.

Only 6 states to start vaccine drive

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

01.05.2021

Only six states will be able to start vaccination for the 18–44 age group when the nationwide drive to inoculate the younger lot kickstarts on Saturday. All other states and Union territories have either deferred vaccination for this age group by a few days or are uncertain about starting the exercise as they face vaccine shortage.

Even in these six states – Maharashtra, Rajasthan, UP, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Odisha – the May 1 drive will be a ‘token’ one. In most of these states, it will be limited to just a few districts.

In Maharashtra, three lakh Covishield doses were distributed on Friday evening for the May 1 exercise after CM Uddhav Thackeray announced that everyone in the 18-44 age group would be vaccinated and the state would bear the cost of the coverage. Pune, Mumbai and Thane each got the largest share of 20,000 doses while other districts were given anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 doses each.

In Uttar Pradesh, another worst affected state, the drive will start on May 1 in only seven of the total 75 districts. Health department officials said the drive will take place only in Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Meerut and Bareilly initially.

Raj to start vax drive in only 3 of 33 districts

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope told TOI that “we have planned to start vaccinating this age group in a small way initially as we are still short of doses”. He said that while the state needs around 12 crore doses for a population of 5.7 crore in the 18-44 age group, both Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech have given in writing to the state that they could provide13 lakh and 3.45 lakh doses, respectively, to Maharashtra in May alone.

Rajasthan will start the drive in only three of the 33 districts — Ajmer, Jaipur and Jodhpur — and was expecting three lakh vaccine doses by Friday midnight.

Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani announced that vaccination for the age group will start in 10 out of 33 districts which have the highest load of Covid-19 positive cases.

The Odisha government announced the start of vaccination from Saturday after it received a consignment of 1.5 lakh doses of Covaxin on Friday evening.

Chhattisgarh health minister T S Singhdeo said the government will roll out the drive from May 1, but will give priority to Antyodaya cardholders and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

However, all other states have deferred the drive due to uncertainty about the stocks.

Full report on www.toi.in

Vax shortage: Jab drive for 18+ won’t start in TN today

Vax shortage: Jab drive for 18+ won’t start in TN today

Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:01.05.2021

The next phase of vaccination for all adults above 18 years of age will not start on Saturday in Tamil Nadu as the state does not have adequate vaccines. The existing programme of vaccinating citizens above 45 will, however, continue across the state.

“We will start vaccinations only after we get more information about the number of vaccines allotted to us by the Centre and a delivery schedule from vaccine manufacturers,” said state health secretary J Radhakrishnan. The state has authorised Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation to buy 1.5 crore doses, but SII and Bharat Biotech, the manufacturers of Covishield and Covaxin, have not responded with an offer letter or delivery schedule yet. Greater Chennai Corporation commissioner G Prakash, too, said the city will not start the drive on May 1.

The immunisation wing of the directorate of public health on Friday morning said the state had 6.69 lakh doses of vaccine — 5.20 lakh doses of Covishield and 1.49 lakh doses of Covaxin. The registry also showed there were 31.80 lakh people waiting for their second dose. So far, 12.94 lakh people in Tamil Nadu have received both doses of vaccine.

Fear over patients’ kin in Covid wards

Hit by ever-increasing numbers of patients and shortage of staff, government hospitals including tertiary care medical college hospitals are now asking relatives to sit by the bedside of patients in high infection zones such as Covid-19 isolation wards and intensive care units, sparking fear over possible spread of the infection. P 4

‘Covaxin kept for people who need second dose’

Joint director immunisation Dr K Vinay Kumar said, “We are asking people to take the second dose of the vaccine when it is time. In most centres, Covaxin is reserved only for people who need it for the second dose. Many people in this group have higher risk either because they had comorbidities or because of age.”

Some private hospitals, including Apollo Hospitals Group, however, announced that they would begin vaccinating individuals between the ages of 18 to 44 years. Apollo said it “has taken the initiative and arrangements to procure the vaccines directly from the manufacturers as per government directive”.

Biomed waste removed, but dumped at another location within Porur Lake

Biomed waste removed, but dumped at another location within Porur Lake

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:01.05.2021 

Four days after TOI highlighted how private hospitals and Iyyappanthangal panchayat were illegally dumping biomedical waste in Porur Lake, instead of removing it completely, local authorities have moved it to a different area within the lake area in the name of follow-up action.

Earlier, used Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) of healthcare workers, bed covers and biomed waste were found dumped on government poramboke land (survey number 165 as per state revenue records). On the day when the news report was published, Iyyappanthangal panchayat deployed JCBs and garbage trucks to remove the waste from the location.

"Initially we were all happy that some action has been taken after repeated complaints for over a period of almost 10 years. But the joy was short-lived when we found out the waste was dumped in a different spot (survey number 138), which is closer to the core lake area and even more dangerous. From Kolathuvancheri, the entire waste has now been shifted to Thelliar Agaram side," said V Pattabiraman, vice president of Maduram Nagar House Owners' Welfare Association.

A board has been installed at the old dumping site warning private hospitals and others that legal proceedings will be initiated against those disposing of biomed and other waste in the area. At least 70,000 tons of waste have accumulated in the waterbody over the years, Pattabiraman said, adding that it was not a difficult task to remove all the waste and desilt the lake, so that sidewalks can be constructed.

Though National Green Tribunal Southern Zone (NGT SZ) had taken suo motu cognizance of this issue and is monitoring the waste removal progress, local body and revenue authorities seems to be not bothered about finding a permanent solution and are finding adhoc arrangements to avoid legal action, say Iyyappanthangal residents.

The Kundrathur Block Development Office (BDO) said that they were unable to find an alternate dumping site. Though the authorities have been directed to pay ₹12 lakh, the same was yet to be remitted, according to Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) officials.

AS IT STANDS: (Left) JCBs deployed to shift waste accumulated in Porur Lake; A board erected at the previous dumping site warning private hospitals and others that legal proceedings will be initiated against those disposing of biomed and other waste in the area; (Below) Report published in TOI on April 26

Three docs among 11 arrested for illegal sale of Remdesivir

Three docs among 11 arrested for illegal sale of Remdesivir

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:01.05.2021

As many as 11 city healthcare workers including three doctors were arrested in the past 24 hours for selling Remdesivir at an excess price in the black market. Initial investigations by police revealed that they either imported the drug from Bangladesh or sourced it from the government and private hospitals they worked in and the exclusive counter at Kilpauk Medical College (KMC) Hospital.

TOI on April 23 reported how sale of the drug was flourishing in the city’s black market, with people paying up ₹14,000 per vial. Based on the report, Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies CID unit started cracking the whip by conducting inspections across the state. On Thursday, a team lead by S Santhi, superintendent of police (SP) from the special unit, arrested Dr Mohammed Imran from Tambaram along with three others. One of them, Vignesh, a temporary medical staff at the Tiruvannamalai Government Medical College Hospital, sourced the drug from the GH and handed it over to Imran, who sold it for ₹20,000 per vial.

On Friday, the police team arrested another doctor, 28-year-old Deepan from Pallikaranai, and seized six vials from him. Hours later, the team nabbed Joseph Kinsley, 41, a pharma vendor from Pallavaram, for selling imported stock of the drug at ₹12,500 a vial. Police also set up two traps based on specific tips and arrested Karthikeyan, 33, a pharmacy assistant from Mint Street, for procuring Remdesivir from KMC counters using forged medical certificates and selling it in black. His aid Jano is absconding. In the second case, physiotherapist Saambasivam, 46, and nurse Raman, 29, were arrested for the same offence. All have been booked underthe Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and various other sections of the Indian Penal Code.

People hire agents to stand in queue for Remdesivir

People hire agents to stand in queue for Remdesivir

Komal Gautham@timesgroup.com

Chennai:01.05.2021

As queues get longer at Remdesivir counters at Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital, people are paying agents and locals about ₹500- ₹1,500 a day to stand in for them to get the drug.

Nanganallu resident Muthulingam R*, who tested positive for Covid-19 along with five other family members, said they had no choice but pay a local and send all the proof with him to buy the drug. “One of us is admitted to hospital and requires this drug. None of us can go and stand in line for the whole day.”

V Rama Rao, a social activist, said he got about five calls on Friday alone from elderly people who wanted the drug but couldn’t get it. “So, we are seeking help of some volunteers and known persons to stand in queue for us in return for some money.”

At the two counters at KMCH, about 500 people are able to get the drug daily, but more than 2,000 people come. The lines begin at 5am and the counters open only at 9am. “Every day at 5pm, there is a struggle to close the counters as public are enraged; many threaten road rokos,” said a public health official.

A directorate of medical services official said hospitals were told to only prescribe the drug based on WHO guidelines. “A panic has been created due to shortage of supply. The government has placed orders for about 4.5 lakh vials. Many doctors are prescribing it out of fear so that the patients don’t question them,” said the official.

Rama Rao said one of his friends waited in the queue from 8am to 5pm but returned empty handed. “Two in the four-member family have mild symptoms, while the others have tested positive and require the drug. There is nobody to stand in the queue. The government should distribute the drug only to government approved hospitals and empanelled hospitals to ensure patients don’t struggle.”

Senior public health officials said authorities were using it judiciously at government hospitals. “We have instructed private hospitals to use it only when required,” said an official.

(*name changed)

THREAT IN ITSELF: People waiting outside Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital to buy Remdesivir from the counters set up by the state

Two in a friend’s four-member family have mild symptoms, while the others have tested positive and require the drug. There is nobody to stand in the queue

RAMA RAO | Chennai resident