Medical teachers gear up to protest against salary cut

Medical teachers gear up to protest against salary cut

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:01.12.2021

Faculty members from six government colleges and eight GMERS colleges are planning a massive ‘Maha Rally’ next month to protest the reduction of their salaries.

“The salary cuts for professors range from Rs 25,000 to Rs 96,000 per month. The government gave dearness allowance for about five months and decided to withdraw it, and recover the money paid from the salaries of professors,” said Dr Rajnish Patel, president, Gujarat Medical Teachers Association (GMTA).

The Maha Rally will be held on December 4 to press their demands, he said.

The pay cuts have affected some 3,000 faculty members, including 360 professors at BJ Medical College.

Members of GMTA have already begun protests and plan to intensify their stir. Apart from the Maha Rally, they have planned Ram dhuns, blood donation camps and rallies at six government medical colleges, where they are expected to be joined by GMERS doctors and medical officers from every district.

A few months ago, GMTS members called off their strike when they were assured by the state government that their demands would be addressed. The demands of GMTS members included higher non-practising allowance in line with the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations. Another demand was regarding abolition of contract appointments.

As medical college teachers are barred from private practice, an allowance is paid to them as compensation.

GMTA had also demanded that medical college teachers be allowed to start private practice after 10 years of regular service. Citing a government resolution of 2017, GMTA also sought an increase in the cap on the maximum monthly salary. Promotions of many faculty members at GMERS colleges have also been pending for a long time. “We called off our protest after we were promised that our demands would be met. The government has gone back on its word, giving us a pay cut instead. We will continue our protest till our demands are fulfilled,” said Patel.

The pay cuts have affected about 3,000 faculty members, including 360 professors at BJ Medical College

Do you really need to drink 8 glasses of water a day?

Do you really need to drink 8 glasses of water a day?

Stop overthinking and ditch the calculations. Drink only when you’re thirsty — it’s that simple

You’re often bombarded with encouragements to drink more water. The purported benefits of excess water consumption are seemingly endless, from improved memory and mental health to increased energy to better complexion. “Stay hydrated” has become a new version of the old salutation “Stay well”.

But what, exactly, does “stay hydrated” mean? “When lay people discuss dehydration, they mean loss of any fluids,” said Dr Joel Topf, a nephrologist and assistant clinical professor of medicine at Oakland University, US.

But that interpretation “has been completely blown out of proportion”, said Kelly Anne Hyndman, a kidney function researcher at the University of Alabama, US.

From a medical standpoint, Topf said, the most important measure of hydration is the balance between electrolytes such as sodium and water in the body. And you don’t need to chug glass after glass of water throughout the day to maintain it.

How much do I really need to drink?

We’ve all been taught that eight glasses of water per day is the magic number, but that notion is a myth, said Tamara Hew-Butler, an exercise and sports scientist at Wayne State University, US.

Unique factors such as body size, outdoor temperature, and how hard you’re breathing and sweating will determine how much water you actually need, she said. A 200-pound person who just hiked 10 miles in the heat will obviously need to drink more water than a 120-pound office manager who spent the day in a temperaturecontrolled building.

The amount of water you need in a day will also depend on your health. For most young, healthy people, the best way to stay hydrated is simply to drink when you’re thirsty, Topf said. Those who are older, in their 70s and 80s, may need to pay more attention to getting sufficient fluids because the thirst sensation can decrease with age.

Do I have to drink water to stay hydrated?

Not necessarily. From a purely nutritional standpoint, water is a better choice than lesshealthy options such as sugary sodas or fruit juices. But when it comes to hydration, any beverage can add water to your system, Hew-Butler said.

One popular notion is that drinking beverages with caffeine or alcohol will dehydrate you, but if that’s true, the impact is negligible, Topf said. A 2016 randomised controlled trial of 72 men, for instance, concluded that the hydrating impacts of water, lager, coffee and tea were nearly identical.

You can also get water from what you eat. Fluid-rich foods and meals such as fruits, vegetables, soups and sauces all contribute to water intake.

But drinking more water, even when I’m not thirsty, will improve my health, right?

No. Of course, people with certain conditions, such as kidney stones or the more rare autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, may benefit from making an effort to drink a little more water than their thirst would tell them to, Topf said.

In the most extreme case, drinking too much water in a short period of time could lead to a condition called hyponatremia, or “water intoxication”. “This is very scary and bad,” Hyndman said. If the sodium levels in your blood get too low, it can cause brain swelling and neurological issues such as seizures, coma or even death.

— THE NEW YORK TIMES

City CBSE schools can suspend exam

City CBSE schools can suspend exam

Board Order After Rain Floods Exam Centres & Schools

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:01.12.2021

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has allowed schools in Chennai to suspend the term 1 exams for Classes X and XII if their campuses and surroundings areas are inundated by the recent rain. The objectivetype exam for Class X students started on November 16. For Class XII, the exam will start on December 1. “The board has allowed schools to decide whether to conduct or suspend the exam. But schools must convey their decision to the board with proof and justification,” a CBSE source said.

“In some places, exam centres may be safe but the neighbourhood may be inundated. Schools must take a call considering the safety of students,” the official said. Principals, however, said that many schools may not cancel the exam as the CBSE has not said anything about holding re-exams for these subjects.

New cyclone may end rain in TN, city

Northeast monsoon’s first cyclonic storm may form over the south Andaman Sea later this week, but it is likely to bring dry spells to TN as the system may block the steady flow of easterlies over TN coast. Meteorologists said there will be a significant decrease in rainfall in the city from Wednesday. P 6

Students eager to write exam despite rain, floods

On November 18, a handful of schools suspended the exam. But only two city schools suspended the exam on Tuesday,” a principal said.

Many parents and students are eager to write the exam despite the rain and flood.

“Though our school is not flooded, some surrounding areas got flooded in recent rain. Most students, however, turned up for exam as some parents shifted to hotels to help their children prepare for the exam,” said Susan George, principal, Hindustan International School, Padur.

Class XII students will start object type exams with sociology paper on Wednesday.

Pranay, a Class XII student from Semmencherry, said his apartment building is inundated but his preparation is not affected as his school is sending study materials online.

“My English paper is on December 3. If the water has not drained by then, I will use a fisherman’s boat to reach the main road. My school vehicle will pick me up from there,” he said.

Vasanthakumar, a parent from Varadharajapuram, collected the hall ticket for Class XII term 1 exam on Tuesday. “Our street was flooded on Saturday and Sunday. As the rain eased, water has drained. If it rains more during the exams, I plan to shift to a safer place to ensure my son writes the exams without any difficulty,” he said.

Some schools like Alwin Memorial Public School in Tambaram are planning to use buses to pick up students from houses in flooded areas. “We don’t want any student to miss the exam due to rain. Parents and students are eager to write the exam as they do not want marks to be based on weightage system like last year,” said N Vijayan, senior principal, Zion and Alwin group of schools.

College directed to return original papers to student

College directed to return original papers to student

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Tirunelveli:01.12.2021

The permanent lok adalat in Tirunelveli district on Tuesday directed a private college to return the original certificates to a student who had discontinued her studies.

M Saranya, a resident of Tuticorin district had filed a petition before the permanent lok adalat.

The petitioner had joined BE computer science course at PSN College of Engineering and Technology in Tirunelveli district during the academic year 2019-2020. But, she had to discontinue her studies due to poverty.

When the petitioner sought the college to return her certificates, the college had stated that it would be returned only if she pays ₹67,600 towards arrears of tuition and mess fees.

Chairperson and district judge of the lok adalat, S Sameena recalled that time and again the Madras high court had held that a college is not entitled to withhold the original documents submitted by a student at the time of admission for the reason that the student did not pay the tuition fees.

The college in its reply stated that the petitioner has stayed in the hostel for three-and-a-half months and she has to pay the fees for availing the facilities.

The chairperson directed the college to return the original documents and certificates to the petitioner on payment of ₹3,000 towards mess and hostel fees. It is also made clear that the college shall not insist the petitioner for payment of the tuition fees at the time of handing over of the documents.

The petitioner was forced to discontue studies and when asked the college to return her certificates, the college wanted her to first pay ₹67,600 fee arrears

Does your vehicle sputter? It’s the rainwater in petrol

Does your vehicle sputter? It’s the rainwater in petrol

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:01.12.2021

Flooding on Chennai streets has affected the quality of fuel sold at petrol pumps in the region.

Despite precautionary measures, the surface runoff water had entered the underground storage tanks at a few retail outlets, particularly those in flooded suburban areas.

On Monday, motorists, who refilled fuel tanks in Thiruvallur, were shocked when they found out that petrol mixed with water was sold to them. This also led to a verbal brawl.

K Murali, president of TN Dealers Association said, "This is why we requested petroleum companies to stop supply of ethanol-mixed-petrol temporarily during the rainy season". Not all petrol pumps are equipped to prevent entry of rainwater. So, when runoff leaks through the manholes of underground storage tanks in bunks during rains, water gets mixed with ethanol in the fuel, said Murali.

Manikandan, a mechanic from Madipakkam, said that people usually don't suspect fuel adulteration.

ADULTERATION: A motorist shows diluted petrol at a fuel bank Thiruvallur

No respite from inundation for Iyyapanthangal residents

No respite from inundation for Iyyapanthangal residents

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:01.12.2021

About 5000 residents in Iyyappanthangal village panchayat have been under four feet deep water for over two weeks now, thanks to a private person who encroached upon a canal that takes excess rainwater from Porur lake to Adyar river. The panchayat administration has done little to resolve their flooding issues that they are facing for over ten years now.

Close to 45000 people reside here and about 10000 live in flood-hit areas alone such as EVP Prabu Avenue, Dhanalakshmi Nagar, Sri Sai Nagar, Kumaran Nagar, Maduram Nagar. They have to walk through hip deep water every time they need to purchase essentials or go for work. Boats have been deployed but not everyone can access them. The residents have been cut off from the main roads for the last two weeks with water level showing no signs of receding.

Pattabiraman, Vice president of Maduram Nagar welfare association said that excess water from Chembarabakkm lake when let out comes to the area via a canal and reaches Porur lake. Once this lake is filled up, the water must go to Adyar river via various disposal points. However, there is a reverse flow from Porur lake causing heavy inundation in the area due to blocked canals.

“A culvert that was an outlet from the lake on the eastern side has been blocked which is why our area is getting flooded now. We didn’t have any problem in 2008. The surplus water from Porur lake would exit at 13.895 km from Perungalathur NHAI toll road. This was not functional as a private person from Moulivalkam village sealed the outlet on both sides with cement concrete. The canal that goes up to Kundrathur road is enchroached. Multistoried buildings have also been built upon canal path,” he said.

Senthil Kumar, an RTI activist, said that while it was true that the area is low-lying, it had enough canals and drains carrying excess rainwater to Porur lake. “Why should residents pay the price for government inaction on encroachment,” he said.

The panchayat residents have also opposed the government’s decision to join it with Mangadu municipality. “We are not even half a kilometre away from Chennai corporation. We should be added to the corporation. Only then, our civic woes will reduce,” said Senthil.

An official said that the public works department had constructed a check-dam to store water from Porur lake.

MONSOON EFFECT: Residents use makeshift boats to move around in Dhanalakshi Nagar near Iyyappanthangal where water has not receded for the last two weeks

Tamil Nadu resident docs to go on strike today

Tamil Nadu resident docs to go on strike today

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:01.12.2021

Protesting the delay in NEET PG counselling and admissions, residents doctors at medical college hospitals in Tamil Nadu will be withdrawing from outpatient department services on Wednesday. New doctors are unable to join hospitals because of the delay in counselling. As a result, the existing batch of resident doctors are overburdened and are made to work up for 18-hour long shifts and without adequate leaves. The primary reason for the delay in NEET PG counselling is the union government's indecision over the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) seats. The counselling was originally scheduled to begin on October 25. But the government recently told the Supreme Court that it has decided to postpone the PG admission process by another four weeks as it was reconsidering the Rs.8 lakh annual income criteria for EWS quota seats.

This leaves the new batch of 4,500 resident doctors in a lurch as they will not be able to join the state's health force anytime soon. And the existing resident doctors, who are already under severe stress and fatigue in the middle of the pandemic, must continue work without adequate breaks.

These doctors, who have worked without juniors, claim to do the bulk of work in medical college hospitals. They prepare case sheets, investigate patients in wards, perform bedside duties, dressings, assist surgeries in operation theatres and ready health insurance related documents.

Soon, the final year students will also be leaving the colleges. So, the workload will fall on the single batch of PG students, said V Vignesh from TN Resident Doctors' Association. "Covid-19 has taught everybody to take doctors for granted. There is no respite for us. With inadequate sleep and fatigue, our health has taken a beating," he said.

At present, 80% of the resident doctors are in conventional treatment wards and the rest are assisting covid patients. This could change if the new variants of the virus are detected here. So, TNRDA has requested the state health department to take up the issue with the union government and stress to get the new batch of doctors on duty at the earliest possible.

Resident doctors in other Indian states have already begun the strike stressing similar demands.

The doctors, who will withdraw from outpatient services on Wednesday, are protesting against delay in NEET PG counselling, admissions