Resident doctors in K’taka protest against attacks by relatives of COVID-19 victims

Coronavirus

The Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors has sought action against culprits involved in the attack on doctors in Bengaluru, Belagavi and Bidar hospitals.

TNM Staff

Resident doctors across Karnataka on Friday observed a black band protest over the abuse and assault on duty doctors by relatives of COVID-19 victims and demanded legal action against offenders and protection to discharge their duty without fearing for their lives. The protest was planned to condemn the abuse and assault on resident doctors and nurses on duty at the state-run KC General Hospital in Bengaluru, as their family member's body could not be handed over without completing formalities. Other than issues of violence against COVID-19 duty doctors and other medical, paramedic staff, the association said that they will intensify their protests in the coming days if a 11-point demand is not met by the authorities. The demands included adequate personal protective equipments, hygienic work conditions and their stipends. "The state government should take stringent action against relatives of Covid patients or victims for abusing and attacking us, nurses and paramedics violently in the event of a death due to the infection," KARD (Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors) President Dr Dayanand Sagar said on the eve of the protest day. Dr Sagar said the association members would protest from July 24 in all state-run and private hospitals across the state by wearing black bands. Relatives of a woman who posthumously tested positive assaulted a resident doctor and a nurse for not handing over her body without conducting autopsy and completing formalities. Similarly, relatives of a patient who died of the infection while under treatment at the state-run hospital at Belgaum, assaulted doctors and nurses and set an ambulance on fire, alleging medical negligence. "Violence on doctors and healthcare workers in many hospitals endangers our safety and damage to public property," said Sagar. The association sought arrest and legal action against culprits involved in the attack on doctors in Bengaluru, Belagavi and Bidar hospitals. "The state government should ensure safety protocols in all hospitals and Covid care centres with security and police personnel," added Sagar. The 11- point demand has been reproduced in full:  1.Arrest and legal action against culprits involved in KC General hospital incident  2. Arrest and legal action against culprits involved in Belgaum incident 3 Condemnation of atrocities on doctors in Bidar 4 Ensuring safety protocols at al hospitals and COVID care centres with adequate security and police personnel 5. "No hierarchy in a pandemic"- common work pattern for all doctors irrespective of hierarchy/cadre 6 Immediate release of funds for stipend for already sanctioned hike. 7. COVID duty and night duty allowances 8. Ensuring adequate supply of N-95 masks, face shields, surgical gowns in all non COVID working areas 9 Adequate supply of GOOD QUALITY PPES for all COVID working areas\ 10. Safety protocols and fumigation services at REGULAR INTERVALS for all places of stay work, quarantine, hostels. 11. Dedicated establishments/wards for isolation and treatment of front-line workers (IANS inputs)

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2EjgbXf
via IFTTT

Bengaluru Airport raises AC temperatures to deal with coronavirus

Coronavirus

The airport has also enhanced ventilation to increase fresh air intake in air conditioned areas.

TNM Staff

Image for representation/PTI

When you go to the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, don’t be surprised if you are feeling warmer than usual. It’s because the airport has raised the temperature of its air conditioning systems in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. From the outset of the pandemic, air conditioning to keep surroundings cooler has been discouraged, for it is an ideal environment for the virus, and increasing fresh air circulation has been encouraged. Bangalore Airport is taking similar measures. In a communication to TNM, Archana Muthappa of Bengaluru International Airport Limited said that air conditioning temperature has “increased to 25°C to comply with recommendations of temperature range between 24–30°C.” “With this change in temperature setpoint, all air-conditioned premises at BLR Airport will be maintained at 25 ±1°C. In the pre-COVID-19 period, the temperature at the Terminal was maintained at 23 ±1°C,” she said. So, Bengaluru Airport is being kept around two degrees warmer in light of the pandemic. In addition to this, TNM has also learnt that fresh air intake in air-conditioned premises at the airport has been “enhanced above the recommended level” as well. The air conditioning equipment filters and coils are being put through periodic disinfection too, Archana said. Bengaluru has been seeing a surge in daily coronavirus cases for the past couple of weeks. Save some days last week, the city has reported over 2,000 new patients every day. On Thursday, Bengaluru reported 2,207 new coronavirus cases, while Karnataka reported 5,030 new cases, making it the first time the state has crossed the 5,000 mark. This comes a day after the week-long lockdown in Bengaluru was lifted. While Karnataka has 48,931 active COVID-19 cases, Bengaluru makes up for 29,090 of them. The city has over 9,800 containment zones. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has not released the new containment zones for two days now.  

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2X7voBh
via IFTTT

Bengaluru reports 2207 COVID-19 cases, 5030 in Karnataka

Coronavirus

This comes a day after the lockdown imposed in Bengaluru was lifted.

TNM Staff

Courtesy PTI

Karnataka reported 5,030 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, including 2,207 cases in Bengaluru. This is the first time COVID-19 cases in the state have crossed 5,000 in a single day. This comes a day after the lockdown imposed in Bengaluru was lifted. The statistics reported on Thursday took the total active cases in Karnataka to 49,931, of which 29,090 are from Bengaluru. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, while announcing the relaxation of lockdown rules, said that it (lockdown) was not the solution to the spread of COVID-19 cases in the state. Elsewhere, Raichur reported 258 cases while Kalaburagi (229), Dakshina Kannada (218) and Belagavi (214) also reported over 200 cases. Udupi, which reported 281 cases on Wednesday, reported 160 new cases on Thursday. Ninety seven deaths were reported in the state on Thursday, taking the total number of COVID-19 deaths to 1,616 so far. In Bengaluru, 783 deaths have been reported where there are over 9,800 containment zones currently. Bengaluru South currently has the highest number of containment zones followed by Bengaluru East. As many as 2,071 people infected with the virus recovered on Thursday, taking the total recoveries in the state to 29,310. The state Health Department stopped releasing data on COVID-19 patients’ contact and travel history on Wednesday. Over 600 COVID-19 patients in the state are admitted in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) currently. Meawhile, the government has said it will allow asymptomatic COVID-positive students to write the KCET exam scheduled at the end of the month. Students and student organisations have said that they condemn the move. Read: Student union survey finds that almost all students think Karnataka CET exams should be postponed Read: Karnataka to allow asymptomatic COVID-19 students to write K-CET exams

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3jKfF4K
via IFTTT

'French Biriyani' review: Danish Sait's comedy has some hits, many misses

Review

The funniest moments in the film have to do with language confusion.

Sowmya Rajendran

Screwball comedies when done right can be utterly delightful. Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, French Biriyani, directed by Pannaga Bharana and written by Avinash Balekkala, has a quirky premise that promises to entertain. What better way to showcase the chaos that is Bengaluru – with its many languages, traffic problems, and protests – than through the eyes of a harried outsider?  A French man named Simon (Sal Yusuf) lands in a soup only because his name sounds like 'saaman' (and the possible innuendos that can be conjured out of this have a place in the narrative too). He's hoping to attend a conference in Bengaluru but ends up with auto driver Asgar (Danish Sait) who takes him for a ride through the city that he never asked for. Danish Sait has a special place in the hearts of Bengalureans for nailing the essence of the city in his comedy. The actor's talent to slip in and out of languages and dialects serves him well as he plays Asgar, speaking in one tongue with his family, another to the local people and yet another to Simon. In fact, the funniest moments in the film have to do with language confusion. It's all slapstick, sure, but hilarious if you understand both languages. Mixing up 'prawns' and 'France' may not sound like such a great joke on paper, but Sal Yusuf's bewildered expressions do make one laugh. Danish, as always, is likeable on screen, his comic timing triggering mirth even if the joke is only so-so.  However, French Biriyani starts to get stale when it meanders all around the place, trying to squeeze humour out of every moment. There are two other storylines in the film – one has to do with Asgar's sister Rahila and her husband Purushottam who has low sperm count, and the other is about don Mani, who must procure the 'saaman' that his father had asked him to get on his deathbed. The writing is plain awful when it comes to the criminal gang. Not only are they caricatured to an extent that they're annoying, the characterisation is terribly racist. One person is called 'Blacky' while another is referred to as 'Chris Gayle' (the Jamaican cricketer). They sport afros and hairstyles that we're supposed to find funny, but this sort of humour is insensitive, overdone and outdated.  The gaze of the camera is also quite cringe-inducing whenever it rests on minor women characters. Early on, a woman comes to pay respects to the dead body of the old don and as she bends, the pallu of her saree slips to reveal her cleavage. What is the point of this shot? It's neither funny nor erotic, and only serves to prove the kind of immaturity that passes for creativity in our cinema. In another scene, a woman bangs her car into Asgar's auto, and a man in the crowd is shown letching at her backside. The camera helpfully rests on her body and we're supposed to think that his intention to sexually harass her is funny. Sigh. TikTok star and actor Disha Madan plays a news reporter but she doesn't have much to do other than get gawked at by whichever male character is sharing screen space with her. Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy, however, has a slightly better role as the assertive Rahila. Danish fans will be happy to see his Nograj character back briefly in French Biriyani, and the film also has enough references to keep fans of Kannada cinema (and Shivajinagar) entertained. Director Pannaga Bharana makes an appearance as a random customer at a bar who bursts into the peppy 'Yen Madodu Swamy'. The song, which has been sung by Puneeth Rajkumar, is already a hit with the audience as is 'The Bengaluru Song'.  Vasuki Vaibhav's contemporary music with its light-hearted lyrics are a big plus for the film. The picturisation of these songs also explores the city, its busy roads and the gullies.  Though the film is less than two hours, it feels interminably long as the comedy becomes repetitive and none of the characters make us feel invested. The conflicts in the three storylines stay laughably shallow and not in a good way.  French Biriyani was supposedly named thus because there's a French man involved and the film has layers. The first part is true and I wish I could say the same for the second.  Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2ZWnbBm
via IFTTT

Chris Christie cashes in on coronavirus lobbying

The former New Jersey governor has earned $240,000 lobbying the Trump administration on the pandemic

from Health Care https://ift.tt/3fYWKRa
via IFTTT

BBMP barricades 2 apartments with COVID-19 patients using tin sheets, removes after uproar

Coronavirus

Speaking to TNM, a senior BBMP officer said the incident was a lapse and the same will be rectified.

TNM Staff

Twitter

A Bengaluru man raised concern on Twitter that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike had sealed the door of two adjacent Bengaluru apartments with a metal sheet after residents of the apartment tested positive for the novel coronavirus. In his tweet, Satish Sangameshwaram said while one apartment houses a mother and two children, the other apartment had an aged couple. He questioned how placing metal sheets to barricade entry and exit was safe and pointed that this could be a fire safety hazard in case of an untoward incident. He tweeted, “Apart from the fire hazard, it also makes it difficult for the emergency response team set up within the apt to support the families on groceries, etc. They are bulk ordering to minimise delivery contact, this makes it impossible to pass on big packages of essentials.” BBMP sealing done in our building for a confirmed Covid case. Lady with 2 small children, next door neighbours are an aged couple. What if there is a fire, @BBMPCOMM ? Understand the need for containment, but this is an extremely dangerous fire hazard - please address urgently. pic.twitter.com/pCDMn5Pefl — Satish Sangameswaran (@satishs) July 23, 2020 In his Twitter thread, he tagged the official handles of Bengaluru Mayor, BBMP Commissioner and even the Chief Minister. BBMP soon discovered that the incident had happened in Domlur and sent officials there to remove the sheets.  T Basavaraju, a senior officer in the BBMP-in-charge of containment zones said this was a lapse on part of the officials and he said this will be rectified.   “The incident that has been captured in the photograph is wrong. I don’t know why this has been done, I will ask my staff so that this is rectified right away,” he told TNM after the issue was brought to his notice. He said putting metal sheets is to be done to restrict movement in open streets but not on individual apartment doors. Another BBMP officer, Dr Lokesh, who was in-charge of surveillance also confirmed that this was not in tune with BBMP's standard operating procedure.  I have ensured removing of this barricades immediately. We are committed to treat all persons with dignity. The purpose of containment is to protect the infected and to ensure uninfected are safe. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/JbPRbmjspK — N. Manjunatha Prasad,IAS (@BBMPCOMM) July 23, 2020 A few hours later, Satish, who brought the matter to public notice, said all was well. “UPDATE: The BBMP team came in a while ago and removed the tin sheets from outside both the flats, and the staircase access area. Appreciate the quick and sensible response to the feedback,” he tweeted UPDATE: The BBMP team came in a while ago and removed the tin sheets from outside both the flats, and the staircase access area. Appreciate the quick and sensible response to the feedback, @BBMPCOMM. Kudos. @BBMP_MAYOR @CMofKarnataka https://t.co/qTWeU3YjBr — Satish Sangameswaran (@satishs) July 23, 2020 Another Bengaluru resident told TNM that he knew of a similar incident in Cooke Town. As of Thursday, the city has a total of 11,638 containment zones. Bengaluru South is the most affected area with the highest number of cases while Dasarahalli Zone is the least affected. Ramamurthy Nagar, Malleshwaram, HAL Airport ward, Chickpete, Shantala Nagar, Koramangala, KR Market, Padrayanapura, Raja Rajeshwari Nagar, Chamrajpet, Begur, and Arekere are among the city wads which have more than 50 active cases.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2ZQDIXI
via IFTTT

Commission still talking to vax companies, while U.S., U.K. secure deals

This news comes after the U.S. announced earlier in the day that it had secured up to 600 million doses of a vaccine created by BioNTech and Pfizer.

from Health Care https://ift.tt/30DyjSV
via IFTTT