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  • Domicile law murder of democracy: Nazimuddin

    Srinagar: Jammu Kashmir Save Front has flayed the Domicile Law for Jammu and Kashmir saying it is aimed at to change the demography of erstwhile state.

    The party patron Mufti Nazimuddin told news agency KNT that accused BJP led government in New Delhi of speeding up new ordinances in the midst of a pandemic to change demography of Jammu and Kashmir.

    “We appeal Prime Minister of India to take back this law which has been implemented against the wishes and aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Mufti Nazimuddin said.

    Terming the domicile law as a murder of democracy, he said that Supreme Court of India and the Modi-led government are working in tandem to usurp the democratic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

    He also flayed Government of India for implementing Building Operations Act. He said that construction of over 1 lakh structures for army personnel will change Kashmir into a colony and it will completely change the demography of Jammu and Kashmir.

    “After the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the political voices have fallen silent. Jammu Kashmir Save Party has decided to organize a strong sustained democratic and transparent movement for restoration of democratic and constitutional rights of the people. (KNT)

  • Remdesivir Drug unaffordable for Poor Covid-19 patients: Dr Nisar Ul Hassan

    Srinagar: While antiviral drug remdesivir reduces the risk of death among Covid-19 patients, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Wednesday said the drug is unaffordable for poor patients.

    “Because of high cost, remdesivir is out of reach for poor people” said DAK President and influenza expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan.

    “The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has approved remdesivir injection under emergency use authorization for the treatment of suspected or lab confirmed Covid-19 cases who are hospitalized with severe disease,” he said.
    “It is a five day treatment. The loading dose of 200 mg (shot) on day 1 is followed by 100 mg (shot) daily for 4 days (total 5 days),” he added.

    Dr Nisar said each vial of remdesivir costs between Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,400. Thus for a five day treatment, a patient has to pay anywhere between Rs 24,000 and Rs 32,400 as the cost the drug.

    “The price makes it inaccessible to those patients who desperately need it,” he said.

    Dr Nisar said besides affordability, non-availability of the drug is equally breeding the concern on the ground.

    “Un-affordability and non-availability of the drug is putting lives of Covid patients at serious risk,” he said.

    Dr Nisar said government needs to make sure any treatment that has the potential to save lives is accessible and affordable to all those who need it,” he said.

    “We must remove all obstacles to the widespread use of one of the most effective treatments that the novel virus has at this point in time,” he said.

    Dr Nisar said studies have shown that patients who received remdesivir recovered faster than those who did not receive the drug.

    Quoting a study, he said the drug cuts the recovery time by nearly one-third, reducing the median recovery time for Covid-19 patients by four days.

    “Another clinical trial has found the drug to reduce the risk of death by 62% among Covid patients,” said Dr Nisar.

  • COVID-19: SKIMS installs sophisticated machinery for conducting Plasmapheresis

    Doctors, paramedics hail the Director for installing state-of-the-art medical equipment

    Srinagar: Continuing its remarkable endeavours to provide quality healthcare across Jammu and Kashmir, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura has installed sophisticated machinery for conducting plasmapheresis for COVID-19 patients.

    “This is an outstanding development. With these sophisticated machines, we would be now able to conduct plasmapheresis for COVID-19 patients with some precision,” Director, SKIMS and Ex-Officio Secretary to Government, Dr A.G Ahangar said.

    He said that SKIMS has started plasmapheresis—using Spectra Optia Cell Separator apheresis machine which is the state-of-art machine used for plasmapheresis in COVID patients.
     
    “The machine was procured on a war front basis to combat the COVID-19 crisis and the machine is fitted with a highly sophisticated connector device,” he said.

    Plasmapheresis has been used on a trial basis for COVID- 19 patients and has shown promising results. Plasmapheresis is a process in which the liquid part of the blood, or plasma, is separated from the blood cells. Typically, the plasma is replaced with another solution such as saline or albumin, or the plasma is treated and then returned to your body.

    It may be recalled here that Plasma Therapy was started for COVID patients about a month back at SKIMS. The Director said that the use of this machine is ideal for the extraction of plasma in donors who have recovered from this disease. He said that Plasmapheresis helps to extract more plasma per operation and returns the blood cells of the donor to him.

    “This way more plasma can be extracted and one -time a donor can donate for 2 patients. Since only Plasma is used a donor can donate plasma more frequently,” Dr Ahangar said.

    Today, for the first time the procedure of plasmapheresis was done on a doctor who had come to SKIMS Blood Bank as a volunteer plasma donor. The Director, Prof A G Ahangar, Medical Superintendent, Prof Faruq Jan, and Head, Blood Transfusion Medicine, Prof Rumana Makhdoomi personally supervised the procedure—which was carried out without any complications.

    Meanwhile the doctors, paramedics and the officials at SKIMS have hailed the Director for tirelessly working to install the state-of-the-art medical equipment installed at the Department.
     
    “Installation of this machine has brought SKIMS at par with leading institutions of the country which are leading from the front on plasma therapy for COVID. It is the first step towards the establishment of a plasma bank in Kashmir,” said, Head, Blood Transfusion Medicine, Prof Rumana Makhdoomi.  “It is really amazing how the Director is bringing many developments on board and incorporating the newest ideas and features to the Medical Institute,” she said.(GNS)

  • Six-day lockdown in Kashmir Valley to stem COVID-19 spread

    The decision comes into effect on Wednesday evening.

    As Jammu and Kashmir’s COVID-19 cases crossed the 15,000 mark, the J&K administration on Wednesday decided to re-impose a strict lockdown across Kashmir up to July 28.

    A man crosses a barricade during lockdown reimposed in Srinagar on July 13, 2020.
    A man crosses a barricade during lockdown reimposed in Srinagar on July 13, 2020. | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad

    A government spokesperson announced “a complete lockdown in all red districts, excluding Bandipora, of the Kashmir division from today [Wednesday] evening till 6 a.m. of July 27.”

    He added that activities related to agriculture, horticulture and construction will continue in accordance with the DMRR guidelines. “The movement of goods carriers, LPG and oil tankers [are] to continue unhindered,” he added.

    The lockdown comes a day after 608 new positive cases of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus were reported — 106 from the Jammu division and 502 from the Kashmir division — taking the total number of positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir to 15,258.

    “Out of 15,258 positive cases, 6,540 are active positive cases and 8,455 have recovered,” the official said.

    At least 263 people have died due to COVID-19 in J&K so far.

    Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar has the highest number of positive cases at 3,283, of which 1,961 are active positive. At 69 deaths, Srinagar has also recorded the highest number of deaths in J&K so far.

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • Covid death: Man living in Srinagar from past 14 years buried at native Hajin village

    Srinagar: A man who died of Covid-19 infection, living in Srinagar was buried at his native Hajin village of North Kashmir’s Banipora district on Wednesday.

    Sources told news agency KNT that 47 year old man died of Covid infection at SKIMS Soura on Wednesday morning. The deceased was living in Zoonimar area of Eidgah Srinagar from past 14 years. However, family decided to bury him at his native Shahgund Hajin village of Bandipora.

    “We are thankful to Zoonimar locals who had insisted us to bury the departed soul in the local graveyard, but as per the last wish of the deceased, we buried him in his native village,” said a relative of the deceased.

    Pertinently, the cumulative total of Covid-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir has crossed 15000 mark with four more deaths on Wednesday. Four more patients who had tested Covid-19 positive have died, taking the number of people who have succumbed to the novel Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir to 270. (KNT)

  • Mass entry permission to unscreened migrant labourers brings Budgam at the brink of a big Covid blast: Hakeem Yaseen

    Says district grapples with unprecedented health emergency. Negligence of administration needs to be probed

    Srinagar: Chairman People’s Democratic Front (PDF) Hakeem Yaseen has expressed serious concern over manifolds spike in Coronavirus cases among migrant labourers in Budgam district from last few days. He said only Covid infection free labourers should be allowed to enter the district.

    In a statement issued to KNS on Wednesday, Hakeem Yaseen has expressed serious concern over the massive spread in Coronavirus infection in district Bugam adding that about 80 migrant lanbourers were tested positive yesterday. Urging for declaring health emergency in the district to check further spread of Pandemic, Hakeem Yaseen said that it was due to the wrong policy of the administration to permit entry of labourers in the kashmir valley without conducting thier mandatory health screening at Lakhanpur entry point, that Coronovirus was spreading at an alarming speed.

    He said whole district was heading towards a major health catastrophy, if damage control measures to check further spread of infection was not taken on emergency basis. He has also demanded an independent investigation into the serious negligence as to how un-screened labourers were allowed to enter the valley particularly in district Bugam.

    He said only those migrant labourers should be allowed to enter in the valley who are detected coronovirus infection free at the lakhanpur entry point. He said in view of the covid infection surpassing each passing day, administration should take urgent measures to check further spread of the disease on war footing basis.

    “By allowing migrant labourers to enter the valley directly without conducting their health screening and Covid testing at Lakhanpur entry point , the administration has itself resorted to violation of Covid SOPs, ” Hakeem Yaseen observed adding that authorities at the helm of affairs shall have to be answerable before the people of kashmir for this lapse.

    Hakeem Yaseen said though medical fraternity was fighting the dreadful disease with all its might, even at the cost of their lives and thier loved children, the callous attitude and flawed decision making of the administration has made thier sacrifice too to go in waste. He has demanded stern action against the black sheep in the administration, who have comitted the blunder to permit migrant labourers to enter the valley without conducting their health screening and covid testing at the Lakhanpur entry point as per the mandatory health advisories and protocol.

    Hakeem Yaseen said revival of the dying economy was all ok but it should not be at the cost of life. Life comes first, then livelihood. He said even the annual Amarnath Yara has been postponed this year to save the precious life of pilgrims, so what was the emergency in bringing migrant labourers in the valley particularly in Budgam district clandestinely at a time when COVID has started showing its ugly face in Kashmir and we see hospitals are flooded with positive cases, patients are gasping, their attendants wailing and the health workers helpless.

    Hakeem Yaseen has appealed to the people to take care of their lives by themselves as the administration seems to be least bothered about it’s responsibilities towards it’s people to safeguard thier lives . He has asked the people to follow health advisories religiously adding that use of face masks and keeping mandatory social distancing should not be violated in violated in any case. (KNS)

  • Infected non-local labourers: Locals demand shifting of quarantine centre in populated area

    Budgam: Locals in Arizal area of Central Kashmir’s Budgam are up in arms against district administration for admitting over 30 infected non-local labourers at a government school in the area. The locals demand immediate shifting of these labourers from the area.

    Locals told news agency KNT that there are 36 Covid-19 positive patients mainly non-local labourers under quarantine at Government High School Arizal. They said school building is surrounded by village population and there are chances that infection may spread in the area and locals may fall for it.

    “If these infected labourers are not shifted to any other isolated place, we will hit to roads and stage protest against district administration,” the locals said.

    They alleged that non-local labourers were allowed to enter into the district without any screening. “After the outcry, screening of these labourers was done and scores of them have been found positive for Covid-19 infection,” they said adding that brick kilns are latest hot spots for this lethal infection. (KNT)

  • After $400B Deal With China, Iran Set To Ink 20-Year Agreement With Russia

    Russia-China-Iran Axis: The $400 billion pact has generated both anxiety and interest in Iran, with critics of Hassan Rouhani’s government terming it a “secretive” agreement. However, Rouhani and his Cabinet colleagues have strongly come out in its defence.

    Iran and Russia are likely to renew their “20-year agreement”, which expires in March 2021, Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said during his official visit to Moscow on Tuesday.

    Speaking to Iranian media in Moscow, Zarif said another “long-term deal” with Russia is “on the agenda”, terming the relations between the two all-weather allies as “strategic.”

    Zarif, accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araqchi, left for Moscow early on Tuesday for talks with the Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

    It is the second visit by the Iranian foreign minister to Moscow in a month and coincides with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi’s first official visit to Tehran. Zarif had visited Baghdad on Sunday.

    While it was not immediately clear which “20-year agreement” Zarif was referring to, according to reports it pertains to a series of petrochemical and weapons deals signed by the two sides in 2001.

    The long-term deals were signed in Kremlin in March 2001 between then Iran’s President Mohammad Khatami and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, when Putin agreed to sell Russian conventional arms to Iran after a gap of six years.

    In what was the first meeting in four decades between the top political functionaries of the two countries, Moscow had also expressed its willingness to help Iran complete work on the country’s only nuclear power plant in the Persian Gulf region.

    Since 2001, the relations between the two countries have strengthened while Iran’s relations with the US have gradually deteriorated.

    Extension of Arms Embargo

    Pertinently, Russia is one of the countries that have opposed the US’ demand for extending the UN arms embargo on Iran, which is slated to expire in October this year. The US government officials have upped the ante in recent weeks, calling for an extension of the arms embargo on Iran, and threatening to invoke sanctions snapback.

    Commenting on why he chose to visit Moscow just a month after his last visit, Zarif said: “continued dialogue with Russia and other friendly countries such as China is essential given the major international developments.”

    On Monday, Iran’s envoy to Moscow Kazem Jalali had told a Russian daily that Iran was interested in buying new weapons from Russia “to enhance its defence capacities”. The talks about extending a long-term agreement with Russia comes after Iran’s proposed 25-year “comprehensive cooperation agreement” with China that has hogged headlines in recent weeks.

    The $400 billion pact has generated both anxiety and interest in Iran, with critics of Hassan Rouhani’s government terming it a “secretive” agreement. However, Rouhani and his Cabinet colleagues have strongly come out in its defence.

    The agreement is presently in the “negotiation phase” and is expected to be submitted in Iran’s parliament for approval in coming weeks. While the government has stopped short of divulging details of the agreement, government spokesperson Ali Rabiei last week said “recognizing cultural commonalities, encouraging multilateralism, supporting equal rights of the nations, and insisting on domestic development” were parts of the “plan.”

    With inputs from EurAsian Times

  • Rajnath asks IAF to stay prepared for any eventuality amid border row

    In his address, RKS Bhadauria said the air force was well prepared to counter short-term as well as strategic threats and the units were evenly poised to counter any aggressive action by the adversary.

    IAF chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said the air force was poised to counter any aggressive action by the adversary
    IAF chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said the air force was poised to counter any aggressive action by the adversary. (HT Photo)

    Amid the border row with China, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asked the Indian Air Force (IAF) to be prepared for any eventuality, saying the rapid deployment of aerial assets at forward locations in eastern Ladakh had “sent a strong message” to the adversary.

    The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, said his force was poised to counter any aggressive action by the adversary.

    Singh was addressing IAF’s top commanders on the opening day of a three-day commanders’ conference.

    In his inaugural address, he said the professional manner in which IAF conducted air strikes in Pakistan’s Balakot last year and the rapid deployment of aerial assets at forward locations in response to the prevailing situation in eastern Ladakh has sent a strong message to India’s adversaries.

    The country’s resolve to defend its sovereignty stands firm on the faith its people have in the military’s capability, he said.

    Singh appreciated IAF’s “proactive response” in bolstering operational capabilities over the past few months. He assured the IAF’s top brass that all needs of the armed forces will be fulfilled.

    In his speech, Bhadauria said the IAF was well prepared to counter short-term and strategic threats and its units were evenly poised to counter any aggressive action by the adversary. He emphasised on the need to focus on the ability to handle situations at short notice for a robust response.

    The conference is being held days ahead of the IAF inducting its first batch of five Rafale combats jets acquired from France. They will be inducted at Ambala airbase on July 29.

    IAF is inducting the jets against the backdrop of heightened tensions with China. It can deploy the new Rafale jets in Ladakh sector as part of India’s overarching plan to strengthen its military posture in the region, where Indian and Chinese forces have been locked in a tense confrontation for months. A protracted process of disengagement began recently and is still ongoing.

    India-specific enhancements on the Rafales include cold engine start capability to operate from high-altitude bases.

    India ordered 36 Rafale jets from France in a deal worth Rs 59,000 crore in September 2016, as an emergency purchase to arrest a worrying slide in IAF’s combat capabilities.

    The possible deployment of Rafale fighters in Ladakh could be discussed at the commanders’ conference, where the air force brass is expected to focus on the border row with China, IAF’s preparedness and new purchases that have to be made quickly.

    With inputs from Hindustan Times

  • Two married women missing, girl kidnapped in Kashmir

    Srinagar: Two married women have gone missing while a girl has been kidnapped in Kashmir Valley.

    Police sources told news agency KNT that a 31 year old woman, who is the wife of one Maqsood Ahmed of Chinabal Pattan is missing since 9 July of this month.

    Similarly another woman (38) who is wife of one Farooq Ahmed Ganaie of Gund Roshan Ganderbal has also gone missing.

    Police have registered missing reports at police post Shadipora Ganderbal and Police Station Pattan.

    Sources further added that police registered a case after a man Ghulam Nabi Sheikh of Gurseer Sopore reported at Police Station Tarzoo that his daughter has been kidnapped by one Abdul Hamid Dar son of Ghulam Muhammad of Hathlangoo Sopore.

    “A hunt has been launched to trace the kidnapped girl,” said an official. (KNT)