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ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕೋವಿಡ್ ಪ್ರಕರಣಗಳ ಸಂಖ್ಯೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿದ್ದರ ಹಿಂದೆಯೇ ಕೇಳಿಬಂದ ಬಹುಮುಖ್ಯ ದೂರು ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಗಳ ಹಾಸಿಗೆ ಕೊರತೆ ಮತ್ತು ಚಿಕಿತ್ಸೆ ನಿರಾಕರಣೆ. ಇತ್ತೀಚೆಗೆ ರಾಮನಗರ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಚಿಕ್ಕಮುದವಾಡಿ ಪ್ರಾಥಮಿಕ ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ಕೇಂದ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೋವಿಡ್ ಚಿಕಿತ್ಸೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ತೊಡಗಿದ್ದ ವೈದ್ಯ ಡಾ. ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ ಎಸ್.ಟಿ.  ಚಿಕಿತ್ಸೆ ದೊರೆಯದೆ ಕೊನೆಯುಸಿರೆಳೆದರು. ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಮೂರು ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಗಳು ಅವರನ್ನು ಒಳರೋಗಿಯಾಗಿ ದಾಖಲಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ನಿರಾಕರಿಸಿ ಹಿಂದಕ್ಕೆ ಕಳುಹಿಸಿದ್ದವು. ಇಷ್ಟೆಲ್ಲಾ ಆದ ಮೇಲೂ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಮಾತ್ರ ಕೋವಿಡ್ ಚಿಕಿತ್ಸೆಗೆ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿರುವ ಹಾಸಿಗೆಗಳು ಲಭ್ಯವಿವೆ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಲೇ ಬಂದಿದೆ. ಜೂನ್ ತಿಂಗಳ ಕೊನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಒಂದು ಆದೇಶ ಹೊರಡಿಸಿ ಖಾಸಗಿ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಗಳು ತಮ್ಮ ಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯದ ಅರ್ಧದಷ್ಟು ಹಾಸಿಗೆಗಳನ್ನು ಕೋವಿಡ್ ರೋಗಿಗಳಿಗಾಗಿ ಮೀಸಲಿಡಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿತು. ಜುಲೈ 7ರಂದು ವೈದ್ಯಕೀಯ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣ ಸಚಿವ ಡಾ.ಕೆ. ಸುಧಾಕರ್ ಅವರು ಖಾಸಗಿ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕೋವಿಡ್ ರೋಗಿಗಳಿಗಾಗಿ ಮೀಸಲಿಟ್ಟಿರುವ ಹಾಸಿಗೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಶೇಕಡಾ 78ರಷ್ಟು ಖಾಲಿ ಇವೆ ಎಂದರು. ಆಗಸ್ಟ್ 4ರಂದು ಈ ಲೇಖಕ  ಬಿಬಿಎಂಪಿಯ ಹಾಸಿಗೆ ಲಭ್ಯತೆಯ ಆಯಾ ಕ್ಷಣದ…

Translated by Sandhya Raju புது தில்லியை அடுத்து, ₹2.34 கோடி செலவில் சென்னை ராஜீவ் காந்தி அரசு மருத்துவமனையில் பிளாஸ்மா வங்கி ஜூலை மாதம் 24-ம் தேதி தொடங்கப்பட்டது. கோவிட் தடுப்பூசி இன்னும் சோதனை செயல்பாட்டில் உள்ள நிலையில் இந்நோய்க்கு நிரூபிக்கப்பட்ட சிகிச்சை இன்னும் இல்லை என்றாலும், பிளாஸ்மா சிகிச்சை நிகழ்வுகள் சில சாதகமான முடிவுகளை அளித்துள்ளது. இருப்பினும் மருத்துவ பரிசோதனைகள் தொடர்ந்து நடைபெற்று வருகின்றன. கான்வேலசன்ட் பிளாஸ்மா சிகிச்சை என்றால் என்ன? பிளாஸ்மா வங்கி செயல்பாடு என்ன? யார் பிளாஸ்மா கொடையாளி ஆகலாம்? சென்னையில் எங்கு பிளாஸ்மா நன்கொடை அளிக்கலாம்? இது போன்ற பல்வேறு பொதுவான கேள்விகளுக்கு பதில் அளிக்கும் வகையில் இந்த வழிகாட்டி தொகுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது? பிளாஸ்மா சிகிச்சை என்றால் என்ன? கோவிட் தொற்றை இது முற்றிலும் போக்குமா? தொற்று ஏற்பட்டு குணமான நபரின் உடலிலிருந்து பிளாஸ்மா ( இரத்தத்தின் உள்ள வைக்கோல் நிற, திரவக் கூறு) எடுக்கப்பட்டு…

Kulsum Khatun and husband, a rickshaw puller, are residents of Jagdamba camp in Sheikh Sarai. Over the last few months of lockdown in the capital, none of them were able to find any work. “My two daughters, aged 7 and 9, study in a government school in Malviya Nagar (South Delhi),” said Kusum, “Mid-day meals were very important for us since we hardly make enough to feed them twice a day. Now, even that has stopped. We received around Rs 95 in March but nothing since then.” On March 23rd, seven days after the COVID crisis forced closure of all…

Wearing Bluetooth earbuds and facing a mobile screen Gowri Gnanasambanthan strains to hold a forearm plank. Her instructor joins in on a WhatsApp video call, teaching her the right way of doing it.  Ever since the lockdown in March, Gowri's apartment terrace has become her gym. “I can’t work out alone.  I have a WhatsApp group with a close circle of friends where we share videos, take on challenges and work out together. My husband is my workout partner. This motivates me a lot," she says. Gowri has not let stress and boredom inflicted by the lockdown disrupt her fitness…

Ever since COVID-19 took over our lives, we have all been looking for ways by which we can save ourselves from getting the virus. Face masks and shields, hand hygiene – washing and sanitising, social distancing – avoiding people and staying home. A COVID-19 Viewpoint report by the University of Minnesota (30th April 2020) says, "we must be prepared for at least another 18 to 24 months of significant COVID-19 activity, with hot spots popping up periodically in diverse geographic areas. The report also says that given the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2, 60% to 70% of the population may need to be immune to…

In Part 1 of this series, we found that despite government's claims, Bengaluru has only about 3,500 hospital beds dedicated for COVID treatment. In this part, we explore why private hospitals have not complied with the government orders to give up beds and treat COVID patients. In a recent webinar on COVID, Viswa Mohan Tripahi, a resident of Mantri Alpyne apartment, narrated their ordeal trying to find a hospital bed for another resident who had developed symptoms. "The person's oxygen levels were dropping fast. They dropped to the 80s and we couldn't find a hospital for treatment. Everyone was asking…

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it." - Oprah Winfrey I was desperately trying to lose weight, but I wasn’t doing enough. While we all know that nothing is easy in life, I hadn’t applied it to my desire to get fit again.  About a year ago, I was introduced to running by a friend who is a part of the local Pinkathon group. I wasn't much of an athlete in my younger days, so formal running was new to me. The free training sessions were held just once…

Historically there have been many ways of isolating patients with infectious diseases. The ill can be removed to a place where they cannot infect others. If they are treated at home the residence itself can carry a warning sign – a method that has been in place since the time of the plagues. The most disturbing however, and even traumatic for those living in such houses, is the prospect of being barricaded in. And yet, this is precisely what the city’s civic body is doing, and this is now being copied by other cities too. The modus operandi, so we learn,…

Since COVID cases started surging in Bengaluru, we've heard of several reports of patients not finding hospital beds or being denied treatment. Most recently, even a COVID doctor at Chikkamudavadi PHC (Primary Health Centre) in Ramanagara district, Dr Manjunath S T, succumbed to the virus after being turned away by three Bengaluru hospitals. Despite this, the government has maintained that there are enough COVID beds in the city. Towards the end of June, government had ordered that half the beds in all private hospitals would be reserved for COVID patients. On July 7, Dr K Sudhakar, Minister of Medical Education,…

A famous musician from Delhi, Govind (name changed)* had been addicted to marijuana in the past but quit it a year ago. However, some weeks into the lockdown, he lost his job and slipped back to the old habit of taking marijuana.  Govind had been a member of a Delhi-based Narcotics Anonymous group and attended their meetings every day. That was a key factor behind his successful withdrawal but the sudden suspension of usual meetings due to the lockdown led to loss of all gains made. “It made me anxious and I ended up seeking respite in the old habit,”…