Karnataka has an equal number of discharged cases and active cases

Coronavirus

As of May 3, the Karnataka government confirmed 614 cases of coronavirus in the state.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

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The Karnataka state government confirmed 13 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. This takes the total number of positive cases in the state to 614 as of May 3. Out of the total, 293 individuals have been discharged from the hospital after consecutive tests returned negative for the virus as per protocol, leaving another 295 active cases in the state being treated at designated hospitals. This brings the number of discharged and active cases both to around 290. There have been 25 deaths reported in the state so far. As per the bulletin issued on Sunday, 3 people out of the 13 are currently undergoing treatment in ICU. The bulletin also states that 22 people have been discharged on Sunday after they had recovered from an infection of coronavirus. Four of the new individuals confirmed to be positive on Sunday are from Bengaluru. One person resides in a containment zone, BBMP ward number 135 Bapuji Nagar. The other are three women who were all contacts of P 350. Six new cases have been reported from Kalaburagi, two individuals  2 of the cases are Contacts of P532. One person is a SARI (Severe acute respiratory infection) patient while 2 others are showing signs of having influenza like illness (IFI). The bulletin also states that the IFI patients are under investigation. One other patient from Kalaburagi, a 22 year old male has tested positive but officials are still looking for the source of the infection. The other new cases from Karnataka have been reported from Bagalkote district. 2 cases are from Mudhol taluk while one case is from Badami, which is a SARI case. The bulletin says that the Badami case is under investigation. The state of Karnataka is easing the lockdown within the state, especially in the green and orange zones. Karnataka has 3 red zones, 2 of which are Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts, and the other is Mysuru district. Both of these districts are highly urbanised and crowded. The Karnataka government has allowed people to go back to the homes if they wish. The Karnataka Chief Minister Yediyurappa has announced free transport within Karnataka up to Tuesday May 7. Read: Karnataka finally provides free transport for migrants through KSRTC buses

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Michigan’s Whitmer downplays state protests, defends stay-at-home order

“When you think about the fact that this is a state of almost 10 million people, the vast majority" are doing the right thing, she said.

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Gov. DeWine: My face-mask order went ‘too far’

“People were not going to accept the government telling them what to do.”

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Non-COVID-19 patients in Bengaluru are scrambling to avail treatment amid lockdown

Coronavirus

With the government’s focus firmly on containing the spread of coronavirus, people struggling with chronic illnesses are facing difficulties.

Dr Nimeshika Jayachandran

Prajwal Bhat

Images: Nimeshika Jayachandran

It has been a scary week for 17-year-old Lakshmi from Bengaluru’s KR Puram locality. Her 45-year-old mother, Gautamma, was diagnosed with kidney failure five months ago and has been requiring regular dialysis. With the coronavirus pandemic consuming a significant amount of medical resources, the teenager has been scrambling to find a hospital that will admit her mother for dialysis. “We went to a private hospital near our house, but they didn’t have facilities to do dialysis and asked us to go to Victoria Hospital. When we went to Victoria Hospital, doctors there told us that they only see coronavirus patients and asked us to go to CV Raman Nagar General Hospital,” says Lakshmi. With CV Raman Nagar General Hospital converted into a COVID-19 centre on March 30, the family was then sent to KC General Hospital in Malleshwaram, where her mother was admitted on Thursday for dialysis. Dialysis ward at CV Raman Nagar General Hospital, Bengaluru Lakshmi isn’t alone in this ordeal. 58-year-old Vijayakumari’s family too has been struggling to find a hospital that will admit her. Vijayakumari had been diagnosed with diabetes a little over one year ago, following which she has required routine check-ups at the hospital. About two weeks ago, the family was told that she required surgery as soon as possible for a gangrenous toe, the result of a wound infection. Outside the casualty at KC General Hospital, Bengaluru “We visited two private hospitals which turned us away, saying that they are not doing elective surgeries. Now we have brought her to the emergency department, because we didn’t know what else to do,” states Vijayakumari’s brother Murthy. The family resides in Chamrajpet and had brought her to KC General Hospital on Thursday where they were told that the surgery could be done, however, they would have to wait until a bed was available in the hospital. “They’ve done the dressing for her wound and have asked us to either wait here and see if any bed is available, else they said we can take her home and bring her back tomorrow. She’s a diabetic with uncontrolled sugar levels and we don’t want to take her home and risk her health,” adds her sister-in-law. Patients with chronic illnesses struggle With the government’s focus firmly on containing the spread of coronavirus, people struggling with chronic illnesses are increasingly facing difficulties to find hospitals for treatment. “Prior to the pandemic, we had 80 patients who were routinely coming to us for dialysis. Each person requires at least two to three dialysis cycles. At least 8 to 10 cycles of dialysis were being done on a daily basis,” states Dr Radhakrishnan R, the medical superintendent of CV Raman Nagar General Hospital in Bengaluru. Now, these 80 patients have been referred to other hospitals in Bengaluru. Even patients grappling with non-COVID emergencies are struggling to find affordable healthcare and hospitals that are willing to admit them. “People who cannot afford corporate hospitals rely on government institutions for healthcare. But when the best government institutions like Victoria Hospital are turned into COVID-specific hospitals, it leaves other patients desperately looking for admissions and they are going from pillar to post hoping a hospital admits them,” says Dr Sanjiv Lewin, Chief of Medical Services at St John’s Hospital in Bengaluru. Medical resources strained KC General Hospital in Bengaluru is one of two government hospitals along with Jayanagar General Hospital that is still handling non-COVID emergencies in the city. Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at KC General Hospital, Bengaluru But KC General Hospital located in Malleshwaram is also a COVID-19 healthcare centre. “Our available resources are stretched because we are screening each patient for COVID-19 and even conducting tests for frontline health workers in our hospital,” Venkateshaiah, Medical Superintendent of KC General Hospital tells TNM. Read: Pvt hospitals in Karnataka turn away SARI cases, strain govt and other facilities Despite the lockdown, the hospital reported around 350 to 400 patients every day. While this number is reduced from the thousand patients per day seen before the lockdown, it is still a significantly high number during the lockdown period, according to Venkateshaiah. “We are constantly receiving referrals from private institutions that are refusing to admit patients who are showing coronavirus symptoms,” he says. “If private hospitals take up non-COVID cases instead of referring them to government facilities, then it would help the government hospitals which are handling individuals suspected to have COVID-19 ,” adds Venkateshaiah. Though scientists around the world are racing to find a vaccine, it has been estimated that one may not be ready for upto two years. “Given the situation, we need to not only focus on the short-term goal of treating those with COVID-19, but also those with non-COVID chronic health issues,” states Dr Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). “We need to assess how severe the pandemic is going to get in terms of the number of individuals who might be affected and then accordingly ensure that there are enough medical personnel to manage the situation. That way, we can focus on making sure that there is no disturbance in the existing methods by which those with chronic health issues (non-COVID related) are receiving the required treatment,” he adds. With several individuals requiring care for chronic illnesses, the government must come up with a plan to better tackle non-COVID conditions.  

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Non-COVID-19 patients in Bengaluru are scrambling to avail treatment amid lockdown

Coronavirus

With the government’s focus firmly on containing the spread of coronavirus, people struggling with chronic illnesses are facing difficulties.

Dr Nimeshika Jayachandran

Prajwal Bhat

Images: Nimeshika Jayachandran

It has been a scary week for 17-year-old Lakshmi from Bengaluru’s KR Puram locality. Her 45-year-old mother, Gautamma, was diagnosed with kidney failure five months ago and has been requiring regular dialysis. With the coronavirus pandemic consuming a significant amount of medical resources, the teenager has been scrambling to find a hospital that will admit her mother for dialysis. “We went to a private hospital near our house, but they didn’t have facilities to do dialysis and asked us to go to Victoria Hospital. When we went to Victoria Hospital, doctors there told us that they only see coronavirus patients and asked us to go to CV Raman Nagar General Hospital,” says Lakshmi. With CV Raman Nagar General Hospital converted into a COVID-19 centre on March 30, the family was then sent to KC General Hospital in Malleshwaram, where her mother was admitted on Thursday for dialysis. Dialysis ward at CV Raman Nagar General Hospital, Bengaluru Lakshmi isn’t alone in this ordeal. 58-year-old Vijayakumari’s family too has been struggling to find a hospital that will admit her. Vijayakumari had been diagnosed with diabetes a little over one year ago, following which she has required routine check-ups at the hospital. About two weeks ago, the family was told that she required surgery as soon as possible for a gangrenous toe, the result of a wound infection. Outside the casualty at KC General Hospital, Bengaluru “We visited two private hospitals which turned us away, saying that they are not doing elective surgeries. Now we have brought her to the emergency department, because we didn’t know what else to do,” states Vijayakumari’s brother Murthy. The family resides in Chamrajpet and had brought her to KC General Hospital on Thursday where they were told that the surgery could be done, however, they would have to wait until a bed was available in the hospital. “They’ve done the dressing for her wound and have asked us to either wait here and see if any bed is available, else they said we can take her home and bring her back tomorrow. She’s a diabetic with uncontrolled sugar levels and we don’t want to take her home and risk her health,” adds her sister-in-law. Patients with chronic illnesses struggle With the government’s focus firmly on containing the spread of coronavirus, people struggling with chronic illnesses are increasingly facing difficulties to find hospitals for treatment. “Prior to the pandemic, we had 80 patients who were routinely coming to us for dialysis. Each person requires at least two to three dialysis cycles. At least 8 to 10 cycles of dialysis were being done on a daily basis,” states Dr Radhakrishnan R, the medical superintendent of CV Raman Nagar General Hospital in Bengaluru. Now, these 80 patients have been referred to other hospitals in Bengaluru. Even patients grappling with non-COVID emergencies are struggling to find affordable healthcare and hospitals that are willing to admit them. “People who cannot afford corporate hospitals rely on government institutions for healthcare. But when the best government institutions like Victoria Hospital are turned into COVID-specific hospitals, it leaves other patients desperately looking for admissions and they are going from pillar to post hoping a hospital admits them,” says Dr Sanjiv Lewin, Chief of Medical Services at St John’s Hospital in Bengaluru. Medical resources strained KC General Hospital in Bengaluru is one of two government hospitals along with Jayanagar General Hospital that is still handling non-COVID emergencies in the city. Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at KC General Hospital, Bengaluru But KC General Hospital located in Malleshwaram is also a COVID-19 healthcare centre. “Our available resources are stretched because we are screening each patient for COVID-19 and even conducting tests for frontline health workers in our hospital,” Venkateshaiah, Medical Superintendent of KC General Hospital tells TNM. Read: Pvt hospitals in Karnataka turn away SARI cases, strain govt and other facilities Despite the lockdown, the hospital reported around 350 to 400 patients every day. While this number is reduced from the thousand patients per day seen before the lockdown, it is still a significantly high number during the lockdown period, according to Venkateshaiah. “We are constantly receiving referrals from private institutions that are refusing to admit patients who are showing coronavirus symptoms,” he says. “If private hospitals take up non-COVID cases instead of referring them to government facilities, then it would help the government hospitals which are handling individuals suspected to have COVID-19 ,” adds Venkateshaiah. Though scientists around the world are racing to find a vaccine, it has been estimated that one may not be ready for upto two years. “Given the situation, we need to not only focus on the short-term goal of treating those with COVID-19, but also those with non-COVID chronic health issues,” states Dr Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). “We need to assess how severe the pandemic is going to get in terms of the number of individuals who might be affected and then accordingly ensure that there are enough medical personnel to manage the situation. That way, we can focus on making sure that there is no disturbance in the existing methods by which those with chronic health issues (non-COVID related) are receiving the required treatment,” he adds. With several individuals requiring care for chronic illnesses, the government must come up with a plan to better tackle non-COVID conditions.  

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Karnataka finally provides free transport for migrants through KSRTC buses

Transport

This comes after the Karnataka Congress gave a cheque of Rs 1 crore to facilitate the free passage of migrants to their hometowns.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) began allowing people to take government buses from Sunday onwards for free. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has put out a tweet on Sunday morning stating that all migrants from within the state are free to take buses back home from Bengaluru city. The buses are free for the next three days, that is until Tuesday, May 5. This move especially applies to those who are daily wage workers. "Workers and poor daily wage workers have an opportunity to travel for free in KSRTC buses from Sunday to Tuesday. These KSRTC buses can be taken from Bengaluru or the district capitals to their native places which is free for everyone. This will be paid for by the government. Please wear masks. Maintain social distance. Please make use of this facility," BS Yediyurappa tweeted. Majestic bust stand right now. Announcement being made that bus travel to their homes is free. Absolutely welcome decision. Now to declare all train travel by inter -state migrant workers free as well. @aicctukar @vinaysreeni pic.twitter.com/8NMJMyUGdc — Clifton D' Rozario (@clifroz) May 3, 2020 The state government’s directive comes after immense public pressure and criticism. The migrant labourers who have had no work for more than a month were being forced to pay double or triple the rates for a single ticket. Moreover, KSRTC had said that they will run buses only if there were more than 30 passengers on one route. The issue was also taken up by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) leader DK Shivakumar, who spoke for stranded citizens who were being forced to pay exorbitant fares for passage back to their hometowns. DK Shivakumar had also given a cheque of Rs 1 crore to KSRTC on behalf of KPCC. Along with a video message posted on Facebook, the leader wrote, “Giving ₹1 crore cheque to KSRTC from the KPCC for ensuring Free Transport to our working class & labour people who are suffering to reach home because of the rates being charged by the Karnataka Govt. Govt should let us know if they need more, the KPCC will fulfil that as well.” (sic) “The government can afford flights but cannot afford to send back the poor Karnataka people to their families,” he said in a video message. He had also said that “the government was the one that put the lockdown in place and it should not penalise the poor for it.” He had also threatened to begin a massive protest against the state government if it did not address the issue. “Is the government so poor? Migrants have no earnings, they’re dying of poverty. Don’t make them pay to get back to their villages,” @DKShivakumar tells @BSYBJP & @LaxmanSavadi. @DeccanHerald pic.twitter.com/qKzuuy2fmv — Bharath Joshi (@bharathjoshi) May 1, 2020

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Six officials of two real estate companies booked in B'luru for not paying labourers

Crime

Around 700 workers are awaiting their payment since October 2019.

Soumya Chatterjee

Officials attached with two real estate majors, Simplex Infrastructure and Salarpuria Sattva, have been booked by police for not paying salaries to around 700 labourers in Bengaluru since October. The FIR (first information report) by Byatarayanapura Police Station against five officials of the two companies has been registered under Sections 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust.), 417 (punishment for cheating),  420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 491 (Breach of contract to attend on and supply wants of helpless person) and 34 (common intention). The accused have been named as A1-PK Mishra,, A2-Govind Raj, A3-Prakash, A4-Honesh Murthy attached to Salarpuria Sattva Divinity Project at Nayandahalli. The A5 in the case is Jai Dev Rai, A6 is Praveen Kumar who are working with SImplex Infrastructures. The FIR was registered based on the complaint of a sub-contractor and labourer from Odisha, Anang Nayak, who was hired by Simplex. Speaking with TNM, Ananag said, “There are around 23 labourers working under me. From October, payments are left pending. In total in the Nayandahalli area, there are 700 labourers, working under 55 big, small contractors, who are desperately waiting for their salaries. We were told all our due payments will be cleared by March 31 but since the lockdown the contractors are not picking up their phones and there is no way to reach them.\ “When there is no work and they are in distress why are they delaying the wages? In total I am owed a total of Rs 6,28,000 for me and the workers who work with me,” he added. Basawa, a lawyer working with the Alternative Law Forum in Bengaluru said that in this FIR was preceded by a complaint registered by the Labour Department under the Payment of Wages Act. “In this case, Simplex was hired by Salarpuria to do construction, plastering and housekeeping work for a residential project. So here Salarpuria is supposed to pay Simplex and Simplex pays to the workers themselves individually or through sub-contractors. In this case, there are 700 workers who were not paid their full wages from October 2019. And when there was no solution, the workers went on strike in February. Reacting to the protest, the Assistant General Manager of Simplex made a promise on the company letterhead that by March 31 all payments will be made. But then there was lockdown and there was no communication made to the workers,” he said. He added, “So in this lockdown a video depicting the distress by the workers caught the attention of the Chief Minister and Suresh Kumar, Education Minister from the government side visited the workers sometime in the beginning of April. Then he also made promises that he will sort the workers’ issues and then the complaint with the Labour Commissioner was issued.”

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