Home Blog Page 4313

‘This is your blessing’: INMAS director whose team developed 2-DG drug thanks his physics teacher Rajnath Singh

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘This is your blessing’: INMAS director whose team developed 2-DG drug thanks his physics teacher Rajnath Singh

On May 17, India launched the first batch of indigenous anti-COVID oral drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The medicine, which is being considered a game-changer in the fight against Covid-19, was launched at an event by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.

Speaking at the launch event, Dr AK Mishra, the director of INMAS, thanked Union Minister Rajnath Singh by reciting the famous doha (couplet) of the 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint Kabir Das: “Guru Govind dou khade kaake lagoon paay, Balihari guru aapne, govind diyo batae” Roughly translated in English as “If both god and my guru (teacher) are standing before me, whom should I first greet. My guru for sure as he is the one who guided me and put me in the path of God”.

Dr Mishra recolleteced how Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was his physics professor in KB Post-Graduate College Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh in the year 1988. He says he is honoured that he got the opportunity to learn from Rajnath Singh. “Yeh aap hi ki dharohar hain jo aapke samaksh prstut hain” (This is your heritage which we now put forth before you).

The scientist stated that he is honoured that his institute is now presenting a valuable scientific work in the form of the drug, through the hands of the very teacher who laid the foundations of his scientific education.

For the uninitiated, Union Minister Rajnath Singh grew up to secure a master’s degree in physics from Gorakhpur University and passed with first division score. Before becoming a politician, he was a lecturer of physics at the KB Post Graduate College. Singh had, basically, started his career as a physics teacher in Mirzapur college.

He then went on to become the Education Minister in the first ever BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and played a prominent role in introducing changes in the education system. Rajnath Singh was also involved in ordering rewriting of history textbooks. He got vedic mathematics included in the syllabus.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh launched the 2-DG drug

While launching the drug, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called it a new ray of hope. “Developed by DRDO and DRL, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) will prove effective against Covid-19. This is a great example of the scientific prowess of our country. I congratulate DRDO and all the institutions involved in the R&D of this drug, on my behalf,” said Singh.

2-deoxy-D-glucose or 2-DG is an oral anti-Covid-19 drug. The drug is expected to help hospitalised Covid-19 patients and reduce their supplemental oxygen dependence. According to DRDO officials, the 2-DG drug, like glucose, spreads through the body and reaches the virus-infected cells and prevents virus growth by stopping viral synthesis and destroying the protein’s energy production. The drug also works on virus infection spread into the lungs which help us to decrease the infected patient’s dependency on oxygen.

Since 2-DG is a generic molecule and analogue of glucose it can be easily manufactured in India and made available in plenty to the citizens.

The first and the second batch of 2-DG will be used in a limited manner. It will be used in AIIMS, Armed Forces Hospitals, DRDO hospitals and any other need which arises. From June 2021 onwards it will be made available to all hospitals.

Rajasthan: Congress leader assaults hospital employee, gets violent after the director could not attend her call

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Rajasthan: Congress leader assaults hospital employee, gets violent after the director could not attend her call

The frontline warriors in India are not just putting up a fight against the Chinese virus, but are also battling some rogue politicians. In yet another incident of a politician creating a ruckus at a Covid care facility, Congress leader Bina Gupta, who is the chairperson of the municipal council in Alwar was caught on camera physically abusing a hospital staff member on duty.

In a video that has now gone viral, Gupta can be seen grabbing the hospital receptionist by her collar to pull her out of her cabin and pushing the medical staff who tried to intervene. The incident was reported at Harish Hospital in Alwar where the Congress leader barged in as the staff allegedly could not attend her call.

The Congress worker not just bullied the staff but also threatened to shut down the hospital. 

As per reports, Bina Gupta had called up the private hospital’s director to speak with him as her acquaintance was admitted in his hospital. However, as the doctor was on duty and could not attend her call, Gupta along with other Congress party workers gatecrashed the hospital and misbehaved with the medical staff.

The Alwar Police Station was alerted immediately and reached the spot to bring the situation under control.

Undeniably upset with the incident, the director of the hospital made it clear that for a doctor treating the Covid-19 patients is a priority. He stated that he keeps his phone on silent while attending to patients. “If the Congress leader wants us to stop the treatment, we will discharge the patient immediately,” he added. 

Congress leaders being violent with healthcare workers

This is not the first incident of a Congress leader manhandling the frontline warriors.

We had earlier reported how a Congress MLA PC Sharma and former corporator Guddu Chauhan, had heckled and humiliated a nodal officer on duty in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. 

In the entire episode which was caught on camera, the duo was seen manhandling JP Hospital’s Chief Medical Officer Yogendra Shrivastav shortly after which the doctor had tendered his resignation.

In another incident, Nagpur Congress corporator Bunty Shelke along with Maharashtra INC Chief Nana Patole had stormed into Nagpur’s Municipality Corporation’s office threatening and misbehaving with the employees.

In the presence of the Pradesh Congress Committee chief Nana Patole, Shelke claimed that the workers ‘deserve to be burned down’ for their incompetence.

Ex-President of Indian Medical Association Dr KK Aggarwal dies due to Covid-19 complications

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Ex-President of Indian Medical Association Dr KK Aggarwal dies due to Covid-19 complications

On Monday (May 17) night, renowned doctor KK Aggarwal passed away due to Coronavirus-related complications. He was the former President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and a recipient of the Padma Shree award.

As per reports, he died at 11:30 pm on Monday night at AIIMS Delhi, after being on ventilator support. He was undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for the last few days. He was 62 years old at the time of his death. Dr KK Aggarwal was popular on social media for raising awareness about Coronavirus infection and the impact of black fungus in Covid-recovered patients through his videos.

The noted doctor was a cardiologist and headed the Heart Care Foundation of India. He had done his schooling in Delhi and received his medical degree from Nagpur University. He was felicitated with the Padma Shree award in 2010 and the Dr. BC Roy award in 2005. In a statement released by the family on his Twitter account, it said, “Ever since he became a doctor, Padma Shri Awardee Dr. KK Aggarwal dedicated his life to the welfare of the public and raising health awareness.”

“Even during the pandemic, he made constant efforts to educate the masses and was able to reach out to over 100 million people through numerous videos and educational programs and saved countless lives. He wanted his life to be celebrated and not mourned. His spirit of spreading positivity in the direst of circumstances must be kept alive in each one of us. Let us remember him for his work and indomitable spirit. Kindly pray for the peace of the departed soul and for strength to the bereaved family,” the family of Dr KK Aggarwal emphasised in a message on social media.

In January this year, a video of Dr Aggarwal had gone viral on social media. Dr Aggarwal had gone for vaccination and was on streaming live TV on his way back when he had received a call from his wife. Mrs Aggarwal’s angry scolding to the doctor leaving her and going for vaccination all by himself had caused a laughter riot on social media. The doctor had later acknowledged the hilarious banter and had encouraged people to get vaccinated.

‘Irrational and ineffective’ Plasma therapy dropped from govt of India’s Covid treatment protocol

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Irrational and ineffective’ Plasma therapy dropped from govt of India’s Covid treatment protocol

The AIIMS-ICMR Covid-19 National Task Force and the Health Ministry on Monday dropped convalescent plasma therapy (CPT) from the national clinical management protocol for Covid-19 as the therapy was found to be ineffective.

The decision comes after all members of the task force on Friday agreed to the removal of the treatment citing its ineffectiveness in reducing progression to severe disease or death.

The revised guidelines however, allowed usage of ‘off label’ plasma at the stage of early to moderate disease.

Several clinicians and scientists had written to Principal Scientific Advisor K Vijay Raghavan informing about the “irrational and non-scientific use” of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 in the country.

The letter which was also marked to ICMR chief Balram Bhargava and AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria, public health professionals claimed that the current guidelines on plasma therapy are not based on existing evidence. 

Signed by vaccinologist Gagandeep Kang, surgeon Pramesh C S and others, the letter pointed out the possibility of an association between the emergence of variants with “lower susceptibility to neutralising antibodies in immunosuppressed” people given plasma therapy.

It also raised alarm over the possibility of more virulent strains being developing due to irrational use of plasma therapy which can potentially fuel the pandemic.

India’s largest trial PLACID and an ICMR study published in October last year too had confirmed that convalescent plasma was ineffective in arresting Covid-19.

The rampant use of plasma therapy had also resulted in black marketing of the same with donors charging thousands for plasma thus commercializing the entire process, as per reports.

Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath reserves ambulances for women and children in all districts to tackle emergencies

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath reserves ambulances for women and children in all districts to tackle emergencies

While Uttar Pradesh is fighting with the second wave of Covid-19 its govt led by Yogi Adityanath has already started formulating a stringent action plan to deal with the possible third wave of the virus as predicted by experts.

Now, since there are predictions that the third wave of the pandemic may affect children, women, and other vulnerable groups, the state administration has decided to reserve ambulances for women and children in all districts.

According to a report by Live Hindustan, Uttar Pradesh Govt has dedicated 2,200 ambulances to women and children to tackle emergencies. Villages are the first priority of the state and the testing have been increased in the state.

Yogi Adityanath Govt takes stringent action to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the state

Additionally, the Yogi Adityanath Government in Uttar Pradesh has extended the partial coronavirus curfew in the state till 7 am on May 24.

During the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Uttar Pradesh became one of the top affected states, with the state recording over 30,000 cases per day for several days. The state administration under Chief Minister Yogi Adtiyanath has managed to control the rise in Chinese coronavirus cases substantially. On May 1, the state’s active ratio was down to 11%, that is, for every 100 positive cases, 11 persons were currently infected. The active ratio in UP on 30th April, when it registered highest active cases of 3,10,783 was nearly 25%.

This evident change was possible only because, CM Yogi Adityanath has himself, taken proactive steps to contain the spread of the deadly pathogen in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

The CM had recently formed a special task force, Team-09, to manage Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh. This monitoring team was entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that the infection can be contained from spreading to the villages and remote hamlets of the state. To make this possible Team-09, under the guidance of Yogi Adityanath, in the last few weeks, took several steps to curb the rise of Covid-19 infection in the state.

Testing facilities were ramped up in the villages and all people with symptoms were provided with medical kits. The main emphasis was on preventive measures and vaccination drives. The village Nigrani Samiti in all the Gram Panchayats were formulated which focused on promoting cleanliness. Safai Karmacharis were hired in every village for regular cleaning, fogging, mopping. In fact, the global health body WHO had also lauded the Yogi Government’s initiative of house-to-house active case finding of Covid-19 in rural areas to contain Covid-19 by testing people with symptoms, disease management, and contact tracing.

As cases decrease, Yogi starts preparing to deal with third wave of the pandemic

Now, with the Covid-19 situation said to be improving in the state, the Yogi government is getting itself equipped and is prepared to deal with the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. In view of the third wave, special emphasis is being given on vaccination. The state administration had said that the vaccination for 18 to 44 years was first opened in the eight most affected districts. After that, it was done in 11 divisional headquarters. And now from May 17, the vaccination drive will begin in another 23 district headquarters.

CM Yogi Adityanath, while addressing a press conference at Noida Film City, said that the state has been equipping itself to fight the anticipated third wave of Covid-19 with complete preparedness. 

Covid-19 in Uttar Pradesh

As of now, there are 1,63,003 active cases in the state. 24,837 patients recovered on May 16, and 308 people lost the battle to Covid-19. Test positive ratio has been dropping consistently and come down to 3.9% on Sunday.

Lebanon launches six rockets towards Israel, all six fall inside Lebanon, IDF retaliates

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Lebanon launches six rockets towards Israel, all six fall inside Lebanon, IDF retaliates

Six rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel late on Monday but all six of them fell inside Lebanon.

Subsequently, the Israel Defence Force launched a retaliatory attack towards the source of the launches. As per reports, no casualties are reported.

After Lebanon launched the rockets, warning sirens went off near the border area within 4 km radius. According to reports, the Lebanese military source told the news agency AFP that the rockets were launched from southern Lebanon towards Israel. As per United Nations Peacekeeping Force, the Israel-Lebanon border is now calm. Last Thursday, too, Lebanon fired three rockets towards Israel, all of which landed in the Mediterranean Sea.

Earlier on Friday, three missiles were shot at Israel from Syria hours after Lebanese Hezbollah terror group said that one of their members was killed at the protest at border in Israeli firing. One rocket fell inside Syria and the other two landed in open areas of the Golan Heights.

Palestine-Israel conflict

Conflict between Israel and Palestine escalated when Palestinian terror unit Hamas fired multiple rockets at Jerusalem, and the Israeli Defense Forces responding back in kind. The main reason behind the current conflict is the Sheikh Jarrah property dispute, a dispute which can lead to the evictions of around 300 Palestinians from the East Jerusalem neighborhood.

Newslaundry columnist Sharjeel Usmani gives communal angle to crime to defame Hindus and ‘Jai Shri Ram’

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Newslaundry columnist Sharjeel Usmani gives communal angle to crime to defame Hindus and ‘Jai Shri Ram’

Sharjeel Usmani, a known Islamist hatemonger, used an unfortunate crime in Haryana to peddle hatred against the Hindu community. As it so happens, the crime, as unfortunate as it was, did not have any communal angle to it.

The Newslaundry columnist said that Hindus who chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ are most likely terrorists.

Source: Twitter

The crime which Sharjeel Usmani used to defame Hindus is suspected to be a case of personal rivalry. One Asif was murdered during a clash between two groups. Only recently, the group Asif was associated with had attacked members of the other group.

Consequently, the other group pulled off a revenge attack during which Asif lost his life. Thus, quite clearly, it does not appear to be motivated by any communal inclinations. However, the allegations that are currently dominating discourse is that the mob that attacked Asif forced him to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

The first witness testimony by Asif’s brother Rashid does not mention any such allegations. He does name some of the accused such as Patwari but ‘Jai Shri Ram’ does not figure in his statement. It is quite a significant detail that does not expect a victim to forget while recording his statement in a video.

Incidentally, ‘Jai Shri Ram’ figured for the first time during the episode in a report by Maktoob Media. “A group of 15 stopped the car and started abusing the passengers. They shouted “maar mulle ko” — Kill Muslims— and lynched Khan,” Asif’s uncle Hasan Khan told Maktoob.

Maktoob, incidentally, has in the past indulged in mischief to peddle propaganda. In the violence at Jamia University episode, Maktoob released a heavily edited video online to cast aspersions at the Delhi Police which was forced to enter the campus to flush out rioters.

The husband of Aysha Renna, Afsal Rahman, is a contributor at Maktoob. Aysha Renna had called India ‘fascist’ for executing Mumbai Blast terrorist Yakub Memon.

According to Supreme Court lawyer Anas Tanwir says that the uncle is not an eyewitness and the eyewitness does not mention ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

Haryana Police has ruled out any communal angle to the crime. According to Police, two cases have been filed against Asif alias Saddu and five against Pradeep alias Patwari, the prime accused in the Asif murder case.

Initial investigation has revealed that Asif is a close aide of BSP leader from Sohna, Javed Ahmed. He is a relative of Congress MLA from Nuh, Chaudhary Aftab Ahmed. Pradeep is a close aide of local BJP leader, Bhalla, who is in turn a close aide of BJP’s Sohna MLA Kanwar Sanjay Singh.

In the village, there are two caste-based groups, one of Zakir caste led by Asif and other of Gurjar caste led by Pradeep. Each have 15-20 members each. About 20 days back, Asif’s group had beaten up members of Pradeep’s group and to avenge the same, Pradeep’s group attacked Asif.

Sharjeel Usmani has a record of instigating communal passions and hatred against the Hindu community. He had earlier celebrated the death of Aaj Tak news anchor Rohit Sardana.

Haryana: Police rules out communal angle in murder of Mewat youth Asif, two groups are old political rivals. Details

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Haryana: Police rules out communal angle in murder of Mewat youth Asif, two groups are old political rivals. Details

Haryana Police has ruled out any communal angle in the murder of Haryana youth Asif, a bodybuilder by profession, on Sunday. As per reports, Asif, along with his two cousins was returning from his sister’s house when he was allegedly attacked by a group of men and was beaten to death.

However, soon after the report of his death poured in, some media houses claimed that he was forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ before being killed, thereby giving it a communal angle.

Maktoob media report

Kerala-based portal Maktoob Media claimed that Asif was ‘forced to chant Jai Shri Ram’ and referred to the religious slogan as ‘warcry of Hindu nationalist militants’. However, Maktoob Media offered no evidence to prove this fact.

In fact, even the initial statement of one of the witnesses said how they were attacked by a group where most men were known to them.

As can be heard, the witness makes no reference whatsoever about the crime being communal.

Now, the Haryana Police has also given a statement and ruled out any communal angle. According to Police, two cases have been filed against Asif alias Saddu and five against Pradeep alias Patwari, the prime accused in Asif murder case.

Initial investigation has revealed that Asif is a close aide of BSP leader from Sohna, Javed Ahmed. He is a relative of Congress MLA from Nuh, Chaudhary Aftab Ahmed. Pradeep is a close aide of local BJP leader, Bhalla, who is in turn a close aide of BJP’s Sohna MLA Kanwar Sanjay Singh.

In the village, there are two caste-based groups, one of Zakir caste led by Asif and other of Gurjar caste led by Pradeep. Each have 15-20 members each. About 20 days back, Asif’s group had beaten up members of Pradeep’s group and to avenge the same, Pradeep’s group attacked Asif.

Tripura government launches portal to support businesses hit by the second wave of COVID-19

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Tripura government launches portal to support businesses hit by the second wave of COVID-19

The Tripura government on Monday launched an online portal for supporting businesses that were impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb took to Twitter to make the announcement about the online portal, dubbed as Jagrut Tripura, which would help pandemic-hit businesses with loan needs and other requirements.

“Our Government under PM Shri @narendramodi ji’s leadership are committed to supporting our people as we continue to recover from COVID,” CM Biplab Kumar Deb tweeted along with the announcement on Jagrut Tripura portal.

The portal asks visitors to log in with their details such as their age, location, gender, religion, academic qualifications, economic status and area of residence. The portal houses a total of 109 schemes that are broadly grouped into various categories: Education (43), Small Business/Employment (16), Agriculture (14), Pension (12), Health and Medical (10), Housing (7), Social Services (6) and Fisheries (1).

Fresh curbs announced in Agartala municipal areas after the highest daily spike in COVID-19 cases in Tripura

Tripura on Sunday announced fresh curbs in the Agartala Municipal areas after it registered the highest daily spike in the coronavirus cases in a single day. A curfew has been announced from May 17-26. The state registered 741 cases in the 24 hour period on Sunday and currently has active 4,561 COVID-19 cases. The state’s positivity rate stands at 5.12 per cent and recovery rate at 87.73% per cent.

On Monday, Thirty-six girls, aged between 5 and 16 years, in two orphanages in the Tripura state capital had tested positive for COVID-19. The state Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath said 32 children at the Jawaharlal Nehru Girls Home in Narsingarh had tested positive for coronavirus while four cases were detected at Ujan Abhoynagar Children’s Home.

The situation across the country is a bit more optimistic as the second wave is showing signs of receding.

Mamata Banerjee continues her tradition of sitting on dharna for accused, TMC leaders released on bail

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Mamata Banerjee continues her tradition of sitting on dharna for accused, TMC leaders released on bail

Hours after Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Mamata Banerjee’s ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee and Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra in the Narada case, the West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee gheraoed the CBI office in Kolkata’s Nizam Palace.

According to reports, the party chief who had reached the 15th floor of the Nizam Palace where the CBI has the office of its anti-corruption cell, sat outside on a dharna, protesting the arrest of her minister.

Her spokesperson, lawyer Anindyo Raut told the media persons waiting outside the CBI office, “Didi (Mamata Banerjee) will not leave this CBI office until her party colleagues are released or until she is also arrested.”

The decision taken by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to stage a sit-in outside the CBI office was not surprising, considering her penchant for ‘Dharna politics’.

Recently, Mamata Banerjee was seen painting while siting on dharna at Gandhi Murti in Kolkata, to protest against a 24-hour ban imposed by ECI on her from campaigning from 8 pm of April 12 till 8 pm of April 13.

In February 2019 too she had started her dharna in support of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar against whom CBI launched a probe in connection with the Saradha scam.

Meanwhile, according to reports, while Mamata Banerjee staged a sit-in outside the 15th floor CBI office, a large number of TMC supporters who protested outside the CBI office over the arrest of its leaders, reportedly, pelted stones on security forces, tried to break barricades and attacked the media vehicles as well.

Since then, the accused TMC leaders have been released on bail.

1...4,3124,3134,314...7,681Page 4,313 of 7,681