Five people including a doctor have been arrested by the Delhi Police on Friday for allegedly preparing false Covid reports using forged means.
Explaining the modus operandi of the accused, DCP, South Delhi, Atul Bhatia said, “Accused Himansu and Pragyanand are lab technicians who used to collect Covid-19 samples from houses and later hand over the said samples to Dr Singh, application scientist at Genestrings Lab without masking entry in the lab records.”
A Public Interest Litigation has been filed on the Delhi High Court seeking directions for framing guidelines for affordable health services including oxygen cylinders, medical consultations, injections and plasma therapy to home bound patients and who have been denied admission in hospitals due to unavailability of beds.
The plea listed on Friday stated that there is an immediate need to assist patients in self-isolation due to non-availability of beds. Further no guidelines have been formulated by the state government for patients who have been turned away by the hospitals and who are trying to procure any form of Covid medical resources such as medicine, oxygen cylinders, Remdesivir injections, plasma donors, doctors and nurses. This aggravates the situation even more because given the nature of the present virus, even the family members/care-givers are usually Covid positive, therefore by remaining present in the long queues pose an imminent threat to others who may not have been exposed to the virus, reports ANI.
India reports 3,86,452 new Covid cases on Friday along with 3498 related deaths.
Total cases: 1,87,62,976
Total recoveries: 1,53,84,418
Death toll: 2,08,330
Active cases: 31,70,228
Total vaccination: 15,22,45,179
A Lucknow-based hospital and its doctor have been directed by the NCDRC to pay a compensation of Rs. 10 Lakh for medical negligence caused due to retinal displacement of a patient on whom a Lasik Surgery was being performed.
The order from the state commission mentioned, “Medical negligence in conducting the Lasik surgery caused the retinal detachment. Thereafter, timely referral to a higher medical facility was not made.”
The case concerned a Lucknow-based patient, who consulted the treating doctor with complaints of high myopia in his eyes. As the doctor advised Lasik surgery, the patient got admitted to the treating hospital and the procedure was undertaken by the doctor on 19.06.2010. However, the surgery resulted in Retinal displacement in the left eye of the patient.
Holding the doctor and the hospital guilty of the medical negligence, the NCDRC said,
“Permanent damage to an eye cannot be quantified in monetary terms. However, as observed by the State Commission, the Award made by the District Forum appears just and equitable in the facts of the case.”
A sharp rise in the price of raw material of key drugs used in the treatment of Covid over the last few weeks has unnerved manufacturers in the state.
Enquiries reveal the rates of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) like paracetamol, ivermectin, doxycycline, azithromycin, maropenem 1 gm, etc., have increased up to 300 per cent.
“Ivermectin has seen a price hike from Rs 17,000 per kg to Rs 58,000 per kg while paracetamol has gone up from Rs 350 per kg to Rs 680 per kg. Similarly, doxycycline has jumped from Rs 6,000 per kg to Rs 12,000 per kg and the price of azithromycin has increased to Rs 11,500 per kg from Rs 8,000 per kg prevailing in the market a few weeks ago, said Yuvraj Chhoker, who runs Tiruvision Medicare in Baddi.
Even packaging material like foil and cartons has registered a price hike of 10 to 20 per cent and empty capsules have become dearer by 30 to 40 per cent. The price of I gram maropenem, another raw material, has increased from Rs 100 to Rs 180 added Chhoker.
“The price of the APIs has increased by as much as 300 per cent ever since the second wave of Covid has erupted. There was no check on the price by the government. Since the price of the medicines manufactured using these ingredients is regulated under the drug price control order, their maximum price cannot be enhanced,” said SL Singla, adviser, Himachal Pradesh Drug Manufacturers Association.
“Azithromycin has gone off the shelf today as its manufacturing has become unviable. More drugs would follow suit if the government doesn’t intervene to either regulate the price of the APIs or to enhance the price of the final product,” claimed Singla.
Drug manufacturers asserted that they had given up their margins in this hour of crisis, but the government had done little to address their representations.
With China suspending cargo flights to India, the manufacturers feared that more trouble was in the offing. A sizeable chunk of the APIs comes from China.
Pharma companies are largely dependent on China for their API requirement. A sizeable decline in imports from China triggered its shortage in the domestic markets since the advent of Covid. The API shortage led to uncertainty in the market, fuelling price hike. Also, there was a scramble to manufacture these drugs due to their burgeoning demand, said a manufacturer.
A Covid patient (42) admitted to PGIMER, allegedly jumped to death from the fourth floor of the hospital on Thursday.
The investigating police stated, “He was Covid-19 positive and under treatment for post-COVID fungal pneumonia. He was adequately treated in RICU (Respiratory Intensive Care Unit) and shifted to a private ward on April 28.”
The Panchkula resident was admitted to the institute on April 11, the officials added.
The patient jumped out of the window of his room on Thursday afternoon, it said.
“Immediately after that he was taken to (PGIMER) emergency, where he was declared dead. The patient was under treatment for anxiety by the psychiatry department,” the statement said.
In an order issued today, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directed all States and Union Territories (UTs) to consider the containment measures, as had been conveyed in the advisory of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), dated 25.4.2021, for immediate implementation based on the assessment of the situation. It asked the States and UTs to implement the necessary containment measures, under the relevant provisions of the Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005.
MoHFW, in their advisory dated 25.4.2021, had asked the States and UTs to identify districts where either the tests positivity had been more than 10 percent or more in the last one week; or, where bed occupancy was more than 60 percent; districts fulfilling any of the above two criteria should be considered for taking intensive and local containment measures.
The implementation framework for community containment/ large containment areas, as advised by MoHFW, has also been enclosed with the MHA order.
The National Directives for COVID-19 Management shall continue to be strictly followed throughout the country.
The MHA order shall be effective till 31.5.2021.
In a recent announcement made by Bharat Biotech, the price of its Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin has been reduced from Rs. 600 to Rs. 400 for state governments.
The cost for private hospitals remains Rs. 1200 per dose.
In a statement, the company said, “Bharat Biotech is deeply concerned with the critical pandemic circumstances that India is facing at this time. Recognising the enormous challenges to the public health care system, we have made Covaxin available to state governments at a price of ₹ 400 per dose.”
Maharashtra University of Health University (MUHS) has informed all affiliated colleges to conduct academic activities from the next academic year at present, even though final exams for the second and third year batches are yet to be conducted for the current academic year.
In a recent circular released by the University, it was stated that “It is notified that all colleges continue academic activities by optimum utilisation of various learning resources available so that there is no academic loss to the students and their syllabus is completed.”
It further stated that attendance of students will be maintained by colleges as per guidelines previously released circulars by the university.
The dean and principals of colleges have been directed to ensure strict compliance of Covid-19 safety protocols while conducting academic activities. “Teaching schedule of the next academic year should continue uninterrupted, as these students are carried over to the next academic year, irrespective of the exam results,” said the MUHS circular, signed by the registrar.
Usually scheduled to take place in the month of December-January, the second and third year MBBS exams were postponed three times this year due to the rising Covid-19 cases recorded across the state. As per the state government, these exams will now be conducted in the first week of June. However, holding of classes for the next academic year until exams are completed will leave students with very little academic time for the next year.
“While second year batches begin in the month of June, third and fourth year MBBS batches start their academic year in January itself. This year, since exams kept getting delayed, several colleges have already started taking lectures for the next academic year online,” said Brijesh Sutaria, parent of an MBBS student. He added that select few colleges are also conducting physical classes at present.
The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan today visited the Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi to take a comprehensive review of the COVID facilities available at the hospital and further strengthen these facilities. The Union Minister first visited the IPD Block where a 240 bed facility is being setup, to be operational within two weeks. The Union Minister then visited the Vaccination Centre where he praised the efforts of the hospital in vaccinating people in a very well organized, orderly and disciplined manner.
As per the instructions of the Union Health Minister, the academic activities of the college were shifted to the New Academic Block resulting in further enhancement of bed capacity at the Kalawati Saran children hospital and Smt. Sucheta Kriplani hospital that are attached with Lady Hardinge Medical College. The bed capacity at Kalawati Saran Children Hospital has been increased by 30 beds and the bed capacity in Sucheta Kriplani Hospital has been increased by 112 beds by shifting of the academic activities.
Briefing media after the visit, the Union Health Minister appreciated the vaccination efforts of the Union Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and said that more than 15 Crore doses have been given till date to health care workers, front line workers and people above the age of 45. He said that the new phase of the vaccine drive will
start from 1st of May when people above the age of 18 will begin getting vaccinated.
Appreciating the Co-WIN vaccine registration portal, the Union Health Minister said that seamless registrations are being done through the digitally and technologically sound portal. The portal witnessed more than 80 lakh people registering themselves within just 3 hours from
4:00 pm to 7:00 pm yesterday. The Minister further stated that vaccination is a critical component of the containment and management strategy of the Government. The fight against the pandemic is ongoing and Government is using all its experience to tackle the situation, he added.
Dr Harsh Vardhan further said that there has been a sudden jump in the number of cases in the past one month but recoveries are also increasing as the same speed and people are getting better. He said that India has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world but each and every death is tragic and painful, therefore, we need to work towards improving diagnosis and help as many people as possible using teleconsultations to provide right advise to the patients recovering at home and provide necessary medications for a speedy recovery. The National Mortality Rate has been falling and currently stands at 1.11%.
The Union Health Minister asserted that the biggest weapon against COVID-19 is following COVID appropriate behavior. “There is no bigger weapon that wearing a mask, regularly washing hands with soap and maintaining social distancing”. He said that the Prime Minister, right from the beginning of the pandemic, has been exhorting people to follow COVID appropriate behavior as it is essential in the fight against COVID-19 .
The Minister appreciated that the testing capacity in the country has been continuously improving and over 17 lakh tests were done yesterday. Cumulatively, till yesterday, 28,44,71,979 tests have been conducted across the nation with 17,68,190 tests done yesterday.
The Union Health Minister lauded Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for his dynamic leadership in these challenging times and for providing the vision to the Minister and the Ministry to continue active planning on a regular basis. The Minister asserted and assured that just as the active cases were reduced to less than 10,000 in February with a graded response from the government, the active cases will again be reduced. He said that no one knew about the virus last year but now government is better informed about how to deal with the menace and is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to fight the deadly pandemic.