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Coronavirus: WHO had stopped HCQ trials based on fake data from a dubious company which employs a sci-fi writer and adult content model

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus: WHO had stopped HCQ trials based on fake data from a dubious company which employs a sci-fi writer and adult content model

The discrepancies in two influential studies over the efficacy of the effect of antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine on coronavirus patients by an insignificant US healthcare analytics company, which was later picked up by World Health Organization and a number of national governments to alter their response has now caught the attention of health experts, as per a report in The Guardian.

According to the report, a US-based company – Surgisphere, whose employees include a science fiction writer and an adult-content model, had provided data for multiple studies on coronavirus, which was co-authored by company’s chief executive, one Sapan Desai.

The data developed by the Surgisphere has been used in studies published in The Lancet and also New England Journal of Medicine, the world’s two most highly-cited medical journals, raising questions regarding the integrity of key studies published by these ‘renowned’ medical journals.

WHO halted trials of HCQ based on the study

The Chicago-based firm had claimed to have obtained data from more than a thousand hospitals worldwide, which was later used by several governments in Latin America to alter coronavirus treatment policies. The World Health Organization had also halted its trials of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine based on the ‘studies’ conducted by Surgisphere.

The medical journals – the Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine, had published studies based on Surgisphere data. The studies were co-authored by the firm’s chief executive, Sapan Desai.

According to the Guardian’s investigation, the employees at Surgisphere have little or no data or scientific background. An employee listed as a ‘science editor’ appears to be a science fiction author and fantasy artist. Another employee listed as a marketing executive in an adult content model and events hostess.

Further, the company has a very limited online presence, with just 100 followers on Linkedin and less than 200 on Twitter. The chief executive, Sapan Desai, has been named in three medical malpractice suits. Up to recently, the ‘Get in touch’ section of Surgisphere used to direct to the WordPress template of a dubious cryptocurrency webpage.

Surgisphere’s study on HCQ was based on dubious data

Based on the data given by the Surgisphere, the Lancet, on 22 May, had published a study which declared that the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine was associated with a higher mortality rate in coronavirus.

The Lancet study, to which Desai was one of the co-authors, claimed to have collected and studied Surgisphere data collected from nearly 15,000 coronavirus patients from 1,200 hospitals around the world, who received hydroxychloroquine alone or in combination with antibiotics.

Shockingly, the negative findings of The Lancet prompted the WHO to halt the hydroxychloroquine arm of its global trials.

The Lancet study co-authored by Sapan Desai

The claims by the Lancet study were soon taken seriously worldwide. Many media portals touted it and since US President Trump had emphasised on Hydroxychloroquine as an effective treatment for COVID-19 symptoms, there was probably a sudden urgency to dismiss it.

Many large randomised trials of the drug were halted. And within days, the WHO, which was conducting a mega trial, halted it too.

Similarly, another study using the Surgisphere database, again co-authored by Desai, had discovered that the anti-parasite drug ivermectin reduced death rates in critical coronavirus patients. It was published online in the Social Science Research Network e-library, before peer-review or publication in a medical journal. This data was used by the Peruvian government to add ivermectin to its national coronavirus therapeutic guidelines.

However, glaring errors in the study were soon pointed out by many researchers. When Guardian Australia contacted five hospitals in Melbourne and 2 in Sydney, they denied any role and even stated that they have never been contacted by Surgisphere or have contributed data to its study in any way. The number of deaths mentioned in Australia due to COVID-19 also did not match the actual Australian database.

In addition, it was found that an Asian hospital was ‘accidentally’ added to the Australian database, as admitted by Desai.

Science journals to investigate the matter

On Wednesday, the science journal Lancet published an expression of concern about their hydroxychloroquine study.

Lancet editor Richard Horton said, “Given the questions raised about the reliability of the data gathered by Surgisphere, we have today issued an Expression of Concern, pending further investigation.”

“We are issuing an Expression of Concern to alert readers to the fact that serious scientific questions have been brought to our attention. We will update this notice as soon as we have further information,” said a statement issued by The Lancet on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the WHO has resumed the use of HCQ from Wednesday after the Lancet said that it was analysing the data and methods of the shoddy study on the anti-malarial drug.

Dubious company

Sapan Desai’s Surgisphere was founded in 2008, to publish textbooks. The Guardian report says nobody knows how the company suddenly became the owner of an international database of over 96,000 patients ad 1200 hospitals around the world.

Also, the employees listed by Surgisphere, 11 of them, have mentioned in the LinkedIn pages that they had joined the company just 2 months back. Many of them do not even have a background in science or statistics. Instead, experiences in strategy, editing, copywriting and ‘leadership’ are mentioned.

“The govt failed us,” woman grieves as her father dies of coronavirus after Delhi govt run hospital refuses to admit him

OpIndia Staff
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“The govt failed us,” woman grieves as her father dies of coronavirus after Delhi govt run hospital refuses to admit him

A Delhi resident, Amarpreet, today lost her father to coronavirus after Delhi government run LNJP Hospital refused to admit him for further treatment. He was suffering from high fever and had to be shifted from Gangaram hospital to LNJP. Amarpreet took to Twitter today morning at 8 AM and said that her father had high fever and breathing troubles and that she was waiting outside Delhi government run LNJP hospital to get her father admitted.

She had even tagged Delhi MLA Dilip Pandey, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

She even shared an audio file where in she had said that her father had to be shifted to LNJP Hospital from Gangaram Hospital but they refused to admit him without referral. So she was made to run to Gangaram hospital for the same. Delhi Government-run LNJP Hospital comes under administration of Health Minister Satyendra Jain.

However, just an hour later, she again took to Twitter to inform that her father could not make it and he passed away while waiting for treatment outside LNJP Hospital.

As per Delhi government’s coronavirus dashboard, out of total 2,000 beds available in LNJP hospital, 1,129 beds are currently vacant.

Delhi govt coronavirus helpline numbers not responding

Earlier this week she had taken to Twitter to seek help from Delhi government for her father who had tested positive for coronavirus.

Amarpreet’s June 2 tweets

On 2nd June, Amarpreet had stated that her father had tested positive for coronavirus and while she tried the helpline numbers, none were working. She had later thanked Delhi MLA Dilip Pandey and others for help back then.

From Tahir Hussain’s involvement in rioting and murder to Tablighi Jamaat connection in Delhi riots. Here is all we know about the charge sheets filed so far

OpIndia Staff
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From Tahir Hussain’s involvement in rioting and murder to Tablighi Jamaat connection in Delhi riots. Here is all we know about the charge sheets filed so far

Delhi Police Crime Branch on Tuesday filed its charge-sheet in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots which took place in February 2020. Since then, shocking details have emerged regarding the deep conspiracy involved. The role of former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain in the entire series of events has become increasingly clear. Ex-JNU student Umar Khalid has also featured prominently in the charge-sheet. Simultaneously, a charge-sheet has also been filed against far-left organisation Pinjra Tod for their role in the Jafrabad riots.

In this report, we shall summarise the recent developments in each case.

Tahir Hussain planned IB officer Ankit Sharma’s murder

The charge-sheet says that there was a deep-rooted conspiracy behind the murder of Intelligence Bureau Constable Ankit Sharma. It says that he was specifically targeted by a mob led by Tahir Hussain. According to the charge-sheet, Ankit Sharma was murdered on the 25th of February at Khajuri Khas outside the home of the former AAP Councillor.

Portion of charge sheet on Ankit Sharma murder case

The doctors found 51 sharp and blunt injuries on the deceased Sharma’s body. A witness recorded the entire series of events on his phone in which a mob could be seen dumping his corpse in a drain. His body was recovered from it the next morning. The knife that was used to murder him has been recovered and so have been the blood-stained clothes of the murderer.

The charge-sheet also says that Tahir Hussain transferred Rs. 1.1 crore to shell companies in the second week of January which was later withdrawn in cash and used to prepare for the riots. The investigation says that Tahir Hussain transferred Rs. 92 lakh to the accounts of Meenu Fabrication and SP Financial Services, Rs 20 lakh to Show Effect Pvt Ltd and another Rs 20 lakh to Yudhvee Impex.

As for the role of son of former SIMI leader Umar Khalid, the charge-sheet says that he told the former AAP leader “to be prepared for something big/riots at the time of Trump’s visit”, and “he and other PFI members will help him (Hussain) financially”.

The charge-sheet states, “Hussain claimed Saifi gave him money for preparations and he, from the account of companies owned by him, transferred Rs 1.10 crore to fake companies in the second week of January. He later got that amount in cash through a chain of transactions and started his preparations. He also distributed cash to anti-CAA protesters.”

“His co-accused and several other persons in his locality also told his other supporters to get ready for big action. He also got his licensed pistol released from Khajuri Khas police station when he learnt that some persons were organising pro-CAA demonstrations nearby, to teach them a lesson,” the charge-sheet adds.

The charge-sheet says that as many as fifteen people, including Tahir Hussain, played a pivotal role in the riots that took place outside Hussain’s house in Khajuri Khas, Delhi. His younger brother, Shah Alam was arrested earlier as well. Hussain’s licensed pistol, which he used during the riots, was impounded by the police during the investigation.

Hussain, along with others, has been booked under sections 109, 114, 147, 148, 149, 186, 353, 395, 427, 435, 436, 452, 454, 153A, 505, 120B, of the Indian Penal Code and 3/4 PDPP Act and Arms Act. The charge-sheet notes that the AAP councillor had released his pistol from PS Khajuri Khas on the 22nd of February 2020, one day prior to the riots in Delhi. Hussain was in contact with Umar Khalid and Khalid Saifi, who were a part of a larger group of persons involved in inciting riots in Delhi.

Tablighi Jamaat connection in Delhi riots

Another charge-sheet was filed on Wednesday in connection with the Rajdhani school case. The FIR was lodged on March 5 in the riots that took place on February 24 outside the premises of Rajdhani school at Shiv Vihar, New Mustafabad, Delhi. The FIR was registered on the complaint filed by the owner and manager of DRP Convent school which is adjacent to the Rajdhani school building.

The charge sheet says that on 24 February, many children from Muslim families had left the school early, along with their parents, which indicate that the riot was pre-planned. Presence of Glass bottles for Molotov cocktails, rope and iron catapult on the terrace of Rajdhani school point towards the execution of a well-planned strategy and assault on the other party, the charge sheet states.

Rajdhani school charge sheet

It is also alleged that the rioters looted computers from the DRP Convent school and other expensive assets. The Mob also burned down the building of Anil sweets which was exactly opposite to the school in question. An employee of Anil Sweets, Dilbar Negi, was trapped and killed inside the building. His charred body was found by the police later.

The owner of the Rajdhani school Faisal Farooque, along with eighteen persons, was arrested in the matter. Investigations revealed that Faisal Farooque planned to orchestrate riots in and around the Rajdhani school area. On his instruction, both the buildings of DRP Convent school and Anil sweets were set on fire, the statement of the witnesses revealed. His call details revealed his links with prominent members of Popular Front of India, Pinjra tod group, Jamia Coordination Committee, Hazrat Nizamuddin Markaz, and some other Muslim clerics.

The Jafrabad riots and far-left groups

On May 23, the Special cell of Delhi police had arrested two women named Natasha Narwal and Devangna Kalita in the North-east Delhi riots case. Both the women are founding members of Pinjra Tod, which was established in 2015.

The Delhi Police had alleged that both the women-Natasha and Devangana were involved in hatching a conspiracy to incite riots in Jafrabad. Natasha was booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for her role in inciting the anti-Hindu communal riots in Northeast Delhi in February.

The FIR against them mentions that they are charged under sections 147, 148, 149, 186, 353, 332, 333, 323, 283, 188, 427, 307, 302, 120B, 34 of the Indian Penal Code and under the Arms Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. The two arrested women were also a part of a larger conspiracy and were found to be associated with “India Against Hate” group and Umar Khalid.

portion of charge-sheet

The damning WhatsApp messages retrieved from the phone of one of the accused, mentioned in the charge-sheet, demonstrates their incendiary designs. “Ghar me garam khaulta hua pani or tel ka intezam kare (Keep boiling water and oil handy in your house)”, “Tezab ki bottle ghar me rakhe (Keep bottles of acid in your houses)”, Cars/bikes se petrol nikalkar rakhe (extract petrol from your car/bike and keep with you)”, Balcony/terrace par eit or patthar rakhe (store bricks or stones on your balcony or terrace)”, “Lohe ke darwazo me switch se current ka istemal kare (metal doors should be electrified using switches)” are some of the instructive messages that were propagated in Whatsapp groups as preparation for the violence in Delhi.

USA riots: Mahatma Gandhi statue outside the Indian Embassy in Washington DC vandalised by rioters

OpIndia Staff
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USA riots: Mahatma Gandhi statue outside the Indian Embassy in Washington DC vandalised by rioters

Using the background of the ongoing #BalckLivesMatter protests in the US, some unruly elements have vandalised the statue of Mahatma Gandhi outside the Indian Embassy in Washington DC. United States Park Police are investigating the incident that took place on 3rd June.

The statue was inaugurated in 2000 in front of the Indian Embassy in Massachusetts Avenue. It is designed by artist Gautam Pal. Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had inaugurated the statue in September 2000 in the presence of the then US President Bill Clinton.

Protests turned violent in the US

As per the reports, the protests against racial discrimination in the US have turned violent and protesters are damaging properties worth millions every day. In several American cities, violent rioters and looters have been running rampage, destroying public and private properties. Several public monuments have been damaged, and vandalised too.

In Washington DC’s National Mall, a large World War II monument was also vandalised and graffiti painted by protestors.

Massive protests over George Floyd’s murder

George Floyd, an unarmed black man, had died on 25th May after a Minneapolis police officer placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes after an altercation. Massive protests have erupted across the USA against racial injustice. However, as the protestors ran amok, countless incidents of vandalism, looting, assault and arson have been reported. Many shops of luxury brands have been looted too.

Family of deceased Coronavirus positive doctor says that reports of him having to wait 10 hours in Mumbai hospital to get a bed is fake

OpIndia Staff
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Family of deceased Coronavirus positive doctor says that reports of him having to wait 10 hours in Mumbai hospital to get a bed is fake

In a shocking incident, renowned Mumbai doctor Chittaranjan Bhave, a surgeon at GSMC hospital, Mumbai – one of the leading hospitals in the country, passed away in Mumbai due to coronavirus on Tuesday. According to the reports, Dr Bhave, who had got tested positive for coronavirus, had gone to the Raheja Hospital to get himself admitted but had to wait for 10 hours before he could get a bed. The noted ENT specialist, unfortunately, passed away while undergoing treatment, the reports said.

But now the family of the doctor has denied the allegations that he had to wait 10 hours to get treatment, along with other claims made in the reports. The doctor’s daughter Shraddha Chittaranjan Bhave has issued a statement dismissing the reports and said that the incorrect news being circulated about her father has greatly added to the grief of the family.

“My mother Mrs. Sujata Chittaranjan Bhave and myself i.e. Shraddha Chittaranjan Bhave have come across certain false frivolous and baseless facts narrated about my father Dr. Chittaranjan Gopal Bhave’s illness especially about the detection of his covid illness, his admission with Raheja Hospital. Some of the print and electronic and social media gave their own mostly baseless and imaginary version. The incorrect news being circulated about my father has greatly added to the grief of the family. My father would not have liked it at all,” says the statement sent by Shraddha C Bhave.

Saying that the claim “He had to wait in hospital for 10hrs for want of Bed” is false, she asserted that Raheja Hospital and Staff were very cooperative and admission was done immediately with no wait time. She also denied the claims that Dr Raheja drove himself to the hospital, saying that he was driven to the hospital by a family member on 19th at around 10 pm.

Shraddha Bhave also said that the reports of “His wife and daughter are also admitted” are also false, as they are not at all admitted and they have maintained strict home quarantine as per advice. The media reports that “he operated a COVID-19 patient in Raheja just before his illness is also false. He had operated emergency, non-COVID patient in Maru hospital, the daughter of the deceased doctor said.

“These false statements aggravated and have caused great additional despair to my mother and me. Instead of aligning myself with this loss, I have had to cope with rectifying false news whole day. What we would want to state is that he fought his battle bravely. Throughout his treatment, Raheja staff and doctors gave their best service to my Baba and helped him in his battle. I do not believe I am even writing this but all I wish to end with is that I am proud of my Baba for being the bravest soul I have ever known,” the grieving daughter writes at the end of the statement.

Maharashtra remains the most-affected state in the country, with nearly 72,300 cases reported from the state. The state has also reported 2465 deaths due to Coronavirus.

Note: This article has been updated with relevant information

Internet security firm Malwarebytes Labs report says coronavirus campaigns causing a surge in malware attacks

OpIndia Staff
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Internet security firm Malwarebytes Labs report says coronavirus campaigns causing a surge in malware attacks

Internet security company Malwarebytes Labs has released a Covid-19 themed quarterly Cybercrime Tactics and Techniques report. The experts at the firm have suggested in the reports that they have noticed a spike in malware attacks in the last three months. The attackers are using a common ground that is coronavirus to lure the users. The report named “Cybercrime tactics and techniques: Attack on home base” revolved around the recent malware threats. The experts at Malwarebytes Labs have analyzed botnets, Trojans and info stealers and found out that unsuspecting victims are falling for the attacks more often compared to the past attacks.

Covid-19 pandemic changed how the world functions

In the last three months, the world has changed drastically. Millions of workers have been asked to work from home. Everyone is trying to practice social distancing to curb the spread of coronavirus. This pandemic has brought an unexpected opportunity for cybercriminals. Experts said that while working from home, the employees have access to their company’s resources using VPNs and cloud-based services. They are spending countless hours to stay connected to the team members via communication tools.

Cybercriminals using fear and empathy to lure victims

Cybercriminals are using this opportunity to deploy campaigns that lure the victims to install malicious codes in the form of malware on their computers. These malware can not only steal personal information and login credentials from the victim’s computer but are also capable of granting remote access of the computers to the attackers.

The CTNT report has captured the actual models these attackers are using to lure unsuspecting victims. They found that there were emails and attachments with malicious code where the email’s content suggested ways to use face mask properly. In one instance, the email was designed in such a way that it looked like a campaign by UNICEF. The attackers have even impersonated the global case trackers from John Hopkins University.

After following these attack methods for months, the researchers at Malwarebytes Labs found that those who have the desire to offer support during a pandemic are more prone to such attacks. During the investigations, they also alerted about a possible Pakistani state-sponsored threat actor that contained a remote access Trojan. It was targeting high ranking officials to steal sensitive information. The team found countless campaigns designed to look like snake-oil pitches but contained data stealers, keyloggers and ransomware.

Notable takeaways from the Malwarebytes Labs report

  • The experts suggested that cybercriminals are using years-old malware after rebranding them with new campaigns and preying on the uncertainty, fear and confusion during coronavirus pandemic.
  • They found out that the backdoor malware NetWiredRC has emerged again at the beginning of 2020 after staying dormant for around five months in 2019. They noticed a 200 percent increase in its detection.
  • Between January and February, researchers noticed a spike in the malware activity, but it was only a precursor to the considerable increase in activity in later February and March.
  • There was an increase of 110 percent in the detection of malware AveMaria during February and March. It is a potent remote access Trojan that grants access to webcam and computer to the attackers. It is also capable of stealing passwords and credentials.
  • The researchers at Malwarebytes Labs noted an increase of 160 percent in the detection of malware DanaBot, an invasive Trojan known to steal credentials for online banking accounts.
  • Phishing campaigns remained the most popular method of initiating an attack. The cybercriminals were very careful while designing fraudulent websites to ensure the malware is not traceable to regular users.
  • There was an increase of 26 percent of credit card skimming activity during March that puts home shoppers at higher risk.

What should you do?

If you are an administrator in an organization, inform the employees about the possible threats. Ask them not to open any email or attachment from unknown mail ids. It goes for the messages as well. If the link has been originated from an unknown source, you should not click it. Do not click on the shortened URLs from unknown sources. Only use reputed antivirus and antispyware and keep them updated.

Read Malwarebytes Labs report here.

Civil liberties group sues US President Donald Trump for his executive order to regulate social media, alleges the order curbs free speech

OpIndia Staff
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Civil liberties group sues US President Donald Trump for his executive order to regulate social media, alleges the order curbs free speech

A Washington DC-based civil-liberties group has filed a federal lawsuit against US President Donald Trump’s executive order to regulate social media alleging that it violates the first amendment and curbs free speech. The nonprofit organization Centre for Democracy and Technology (CDT) has named President Trump as the defendant “in his official capacity as the President of the United States of America”.

The suit has been filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that Trump’s executive order violates the first amendment by curtailing and chilling the constitutionally protected speech of online platforms and individuals. The lawsuit says that claims the order “seeks to curtail and chill the constitutionally protected speech of all online platforms and individuals.”

Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization with a mission to strengthen individual rights and freedoms by defining, promoting, and influencing technology policy and the architecture of the Internet. Their expertise includes law, technology, and policy. CDT works to preserve the unique nature of the Internet, enhance freedom of expression globally, protect fundamental rights of privacy, and stronger legal controls on government surveillance by finding practical and innovative solutions to public policy challenges while protecting civil liberties.

Trump’s Executive order

Trump’s executive order has directed the Federal Communications Commission to make new regulations under section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which may be resultant in removing the legal liability shield for social networks that engage in censoring or any political conduct.

CDT said that the President’s order said that Trump’s executive order violates the First Amendment as it attacked twitter for putting the fact checks on President Trump’s tweets. CDT affirmed that being a private company that is the right of twitter.

CDT’s CEO Alexandra Givens claimed in an e-mail statement, “The government cannot and should not force online intermediaries into moderating speech according to the president’s whims.”

Donald trump signed the executive order

The censorship of Donald Trump’s tweet came hours after the US President signed an executive order limiting liability protections for social media companies. “I’m signing an executive order to protect and uphold the free speech rights of the American people,” he said. “Currently, social media giants like Twitter receive an unprecedented liability shield based on the theory that they’re a neutral platform, which they’re not.” He also said that if it were legal for him to shut down Twitter, he would do it.

It appears that the Donald Trump versus Twitter feud has reached new heights with neither side in the mood to deescalate. Censorship of conservative opinions on the website has long been a cause for concern and it appears not even the US President is safe from it. It remains to be seen what the future holds and but one thing is clear, we have not yet seen the end of it.

Maharashtra governor overrules CM Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to cancel final year university exams, calls it ‘violations of University Act’

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra governor overrules CM Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to cancel final year university exams, calls it ‘violations of University Act’

The tiff between Maharashtra Governor, Bhagat Singh Koshyari and CM Uddhav Thackeray over the issue of final year university exams snowballed on Tuesday, with the governor overruling the decision taken by Thackeray of cancelling university exams on account of the coronavirus outbreak. Since the governor is also the chancellor of universities in the state, he sought to assert his right, saying that the chancellor has the final say and that the decision to hold exams for final year students “shall be taken in consonance with the provisions of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act”.

In a strongly worded letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray, Koshyari described the announcement of the cancellation of examination by the Chief Minister as “unprecedented”, “arbitrary” and made “without any profound thinking on the legal repercussions”, furthering that the decision, if implemented, would jeopardize the future of students.

He was “surprised” to learn through media reports that the CM had declared that “no examinations shall be conducted this year”, Koshyari said.

The governor said that the Committee of Vice-Chancellors constituted by the Minister for Higher and Technical Education to analyse the situation and to explore various options available to conduct the examinations had prepared a report which had not presented to him.

Koshyari also pointed out that during his video conference with Vice chancellors all the Vice chancellors of state universities had communicated their preparedness for conducting their respective examinations.

Maharashtra Governor said examinations cannot be made optional

The Governor has objected to the state government’s move to take aggregate marks of the previous semesters to the final year students. “The arbitrary decision has violated the basic principle that to obtain an identical degree, there cannot be two sets of criteria, one who has given examination and for the other who has obtained marks on an average. The examinations cannot be made optional.” Koshyari has written in his letter to the Chief Minister.

Thackeray announced to cancel final exams for university students

Thackeray in an address to the State on Sunday evening announced that with the lockdown extended till June 30, the state has no choice but to promote final-year students based on their performance of the previous semester and academic year.

Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana said in its editorial on Tuesday that the Governor insisted on holding the final year exams of degree students, but Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray rejected it, showing “the spine Thackerays are known for”.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, nurses of AIIMS Delhi continue to protest for better facilities

OpIndia Staff
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Amid the coronavirus pandemic, nurses of AIIMS Delhi continue to protest for better facilities

Amid the raging Wuhan coronavirus pandemic, the Nurse union of AIIMS Delhi has continued to hold protests for the third consecutive day. The Union is demanding better facilities for nursing staff especially female staffers who are working for longer hours during the times of pandemic.

The President of AIIMS Nurdse union, Harish Kaleja has written a letter to the director of the institute expressing his concern. He said, “Nurses are severely affected by longer working hours (exceeded upto 7 to 8 hours) while wearing PPE in corona virus management. Conditions of women nurses are largely affected. We are demanding better facilities at work place for our nurses who are backbone for any medical institute.”

“Our demand includes implementation of uniform 04 hours duty with PPE in COVID areas, the safety of female nurses, uniform rotation policy between COVID and NON-COVID areas, the establishment of proper donning and doffing area, refreshment after doffing, display of duty roster, shuttle service during the night shift, provision of ambulance facility for COVID screening/COVID positive staff among others,” Kajla said. He also said that the administration has not responded yet to the letter.

Reportedly, 47 nurses at the AIIMS have tested for COVID-19. However, AIIMS authorities have stated that no one from the medical staff has been tested positive of coronavirus.

While Dr DK Sharma, MS of AIIMS said that “atleast 329 health care workers have been found positive since February 1. 47 out them are nurses, 86 hospital attendants, 62 sanitation staff and 7 security personnel among others but none of them were infected from the hospital.”

Reportedly, three persons from AIIMS has been declared dead due to Corona virus pandemic including an electrician, a cook and a sanitation supervisor.

Indian Railways refunds Rs 1,885 crore to passengers against cancellation of trains due to coronavirus lockdown

OpIndia Staff
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Indian Railways refunds Rs 1,885 crore to passengers against cancellation of trains due to coronavirus lockdown

The Indian Railways has, till date, refunded Rs 1,885 crore towards cancellation of tickets to passengers due to the lockdown. The refund was initiated for passengers whose tickets were booked from March 21 to May 31, 2020, through the online mode. The railway has refunded the entire cost of the reserved tickets.

The amount owed to passengers has been directly transfered to the account from where the payment was earlier made to book the tickets. The Railways suspended its regular passenger train services from March 25, 2020, as the nationwide lockdown was announced to check the spread of the deadly pathogen in India. Since trains were cancelled en masse, the Indian Railways faced the challenge of returning a huge amount of refund to its passengers. 

Indian Railways announced resumption of 200 trains from June 1

On May 21, Indian Railways had announced the restart of services of 200 passenger trains and issued a list of 100 pairs of trains that it will operate from June 1. 

The decision to allow trains to resume operations comes after the Modi government announced the resumption of domestic flight services, in a phased manner.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal took to Twitter on Tuesday to announce the decision. The Indian Railways will run 100 pairs of trains— to and fro. The bookings will open on Thursday, 21 May and booking can be made 30 days in advance. The tickets can only be booked from the IRCTC website.

Indian Railways had also issued some guidelines to be followed during the resumption of railway services across the country. The Railways also ordered that the food stalls and canteens at stations are to be opened, bringing back some normalcy on railway stations.

Second phase of resumption of trains

Earlier, the Indian Railways had announced the gradual resumption of passenger train services in the country. In the first phase, 15 pairs of trains, which will mean a total of 30 return journeys were opened for booking for general passengers, unlike the Shramik special trains which are booked by individual state governments to transport people stranded at various places due to the coronavirus Lockdown.

The Indian Railways had also started running special trains, named Shramik Special trains, on the exclusive request of state governments to enable migrant labours, pilgrims, students and others to reach their native places after remaining stranded at various places for over a month due to the lockdown.

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