Articles by News Desk

A group of individuals and members of civil society organisations including Whitefield Rising, Bangalore Apartment Federation, and Sochara, have written to the Karnataka Chief Minister, BS Yediyurappa, highlighting major issues in COVID Management, with suggestions and asks for immediate steps. Here's the letter Dear Shri Yediyurappa, Bengaluru urban and rural is in an extremely serious state with a large number of COVID patients in need of medical resources, from hospital beds, to oxygen infrastructure to ICUs and ventilators. Volunteers and family members of patients are making desperate calls and sending messages to find sources to help those in need. We…

In the view of the rapidly rising COVID cases and deaths in entire families, the State government and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have, over the last two days, ordered measures to deal with emergency requirements such as setting up of ICU beds, support for orphaned children, monitoring oxygen supply and modifying home-isolation protocols. While the direction of oxygen monitoring and supply came after the tragedy at the Chamarajanagar district hospital, where 23 COVID patients succumbed due to lack of oxygen, the government also appointed IAS officers to take care of children orphaned due to the pandemic. A nodal…

Supreme Court prohibits action against people appealing on social media for help The Supreme Court made it clear on April 30, 2021 that no state can register FIR or take any other action against people posting appeals for help on social media. The court further said that it was important to hear the voices of our citizens in distress and not clampdown on them. The apex court warned that it would see it as a contempt of court if any state engages in any such activity. Ever since the surge of COVID cases in the country, online forums have been…

Up to two million school children in Bengaluru are exposed to dangerous air pollution during their school day, risking asthma, allergic rhinitis and other chronic health impacts, according to a report produced by the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) and Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL). The report was released by Healthy Air Coalition, Bengaluru, last week. Healthy Air Coalition brings together various stakeholders such as health researchers, heart and lung doctors, and public health institutes and patients to collaborate on air monitoring initiatives, share information about air pollution and health, build the capacity of health professionals, and provide insights…

COVID-19: Additional screening centres set-up, more oxygen beds added The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has set-up nine new triaging/screening centres in addition to the 12 existing centres. Besides the new facilities, a 24*7 screening facility is in the works at Kendriya Vidyalaya, near Island Grounds. This will ensure that residents, who develop severe symptoms during the night, get treatment on priority.  The government hospitals in Chennai have 2,545 oxygen beds and 3,129 non-oxygen beds earmarked for COVID-19 patients. Special coordinator for GCC, MA Siddique stated that more oxygen points will be added to the beds available at the Chennai Trade…

Vaccination drive halted; city out of doses A lack of vaccine availability has led to all 136 vaccination centres across Mumbai being declared shut until May 2nd. BMC received its last big stock of 1.58 lakh doses on Sunday night. It had then said the stock will last only till Wednesday. On Wednesday night, it received an additional 70,000 doses which too did not last for long. A person waiting in the queue outside NESCO centre on Thursday, April 29th, said that “No one picks up the helpline numbers. They are dead most of the time." Many residents have noted…

No to crematorium in landfill The BBMP’s proposal to create an ‘open crematorium’ at Mavallipura land-fill has angered many in the village and surrounding areas. Villagers have started a dharna at the landfill site, even as work started to create a temporary cremation ground for COVID victims for the next two months. On Wednesday afternoon, police and revenue officials visited the landfill site in Mavallipura, on the city outskirts, to inspect and start preparations. Clearly, appeals by villagers did not deter the site-visit. Activists of the Environment Support Group said that the Karnataka High Court has ordered the BBMP to…

Need a a COVID bed at a hospital in Mumbai? Promising a bed to someone in need of it? Please read what BMC has to say. Dated 24th April, 9:25 p.m. https://twitter.com/mybmc/status/1385985789419343872?s=20 Ward War Rooms - Only Authority To Allocate Beds We appreciate concern of individuals & groups not related to BMC offering help to citizens tweeting to us, but citizens must know that even they will reach out to us to ask for beds. Please follow protocols in the interest of all. Bed allocation system was decentralised since a single helpline, with innumerable calls, could not have taken the…

Oxygen crisis: Delhi hospitals reach breaking point The national capital is struggling to cope with a rapidly increasing caseload and demand for oxygen even as oxygen shortage reaches critical levels. The city's top hospitals like Apollo, Max, Fortis, Ganga Ram etc. have all been issuing open appeals for ensuring continued supply of oxygen and help them save human lives.  In the meantime, 25 critical patients in Sir Ganga Ram hospital died due to lack of oxygen supply on April 23rd. The hospital has more than 700 patients admitted for COVID-19 treatment.  The Delhi government has planned to take a number…

Only 25% of beds vacant in the city On April 22nd, the city recorded the highest spike of 3,789 fresh COVID cases, 2572 discharges and 24 deaths. As on April 20th, only around 25% of COVID beds are vacant in tertiary hospitals in Chennai. Of the 4368 available beds in the five institutions (Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Stanley, Kilpauk Medical College & Hospital, Omandurar and Kings), 3239 beds are occupied and 1129 beds are vacant. The city is already feeling the stress of rising cases as most private hospitals are also at capacity based on the data from the government…