Srinagar: Speaking volumes about the shoddy approach of the SKIMS administration in dealing with COVID-19 positive cases, the doctors and other paramedic staff, having contracted deadly virus complained that frontline warriors receive ‘derisory’ treatment at tertiary care hospital.
Sources at SKIMS Soura told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that COVID-19 affected faculty members including that of doctors and other paramedic staff receives worse treatment as the administration is yet indecisive to reserve separate spaces for them in the sanatorium.
A senior faculty member, who was tested positive for Corona-Virus recently, had to run from pillar to post to get him admitted at SKIMS wherein he had treated hundreds of affected patients since the outbreak of deadly pandemic.
Sources said the senior doctor, after being admitted at SKIMS, struggled for days together to arrange a bed for him in the infectious disease ward. They further said the administration other than tall claims do nothing for its own faculty not to talk of commoners.
Notwithstanding, repeated requests and representations, by the staff members to the Director concerned to reserve space for them in the hospital, no measures were taken by the administrations in this direction thus far.
If sources are to be believed, Director SKIMS, Dr A G Ahangar in an interview to a news channel had rejected as ‘baseless’ that any doctor or paramedic has contracted the virus while treating COVID-19 patients.
Dr Ahangar had also claimed to have ordered an internal inquiry to ascertain the circumstances as to how a senior doctor contracted the virus, however his contentions ripped apart the moment more and more faculty members turned positive at SKIMS.
Talking to KNO, Medical Superintendent SKIMS, Dr. Farooq Jan while refuting the reports that staff members receive poor treatment said the administration takes due care of COVID-19 affected doctors.
“There are only two doctors admitted in the hospital at present and both receive better treatment. We recommend home quarantine for mildly symptomatic patients and those having contracted virus are admitted at isolation wards, we never discriminate against anyone be it a doctor or a commoner,” Dr Jan added.
Sources said several doctors; paramedics which include nurses and technicians were tested positive for Corona-Virus at SKIMS in the recent past. Moreover reports of three HoDs’ also came positive for deadly pandemic.
“Being factually frontline warriors, faculty members at SKIMS are receiving extremely poor treatment. Most of them prefer to isolate themselves at home as there is no space left for them in the hospital. SKIMS administration seems to be least bothered to provide quality treatment to its own staff whose services to the masses in these testing times cannot be ignored at all,” sources said—(KNO)
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday recorded 482 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of infected people to 26,413, even as eight COVID-19 patients died during the last 24 hours in the union territory, officials said.
“Eight people, who were COVID-19 positive, have died over the past 24 hours in Jammu and Kashmir,” the officials said, adding that all the deaths were reported from the Kashmir valley.
The COVID-19 death toll in the union territory has now risen to 498 of which 461 are from the valley and 37 from the Jammu region, they said.
Meanwhile, 376 of the total new COVID-19 cases in the UT are from Kashmir while 106 are from the Jammu region, they said.
There are now 7,392 active cases in the union territory, while 18,523 patients have recovered from the infection, they added.
The cases detected on Wednesday include 59 people who had returned to the union territory recently.
At 88, Srinagar district in central Kashmir recorded the highest number of positive cases followed by 53 in Anantnag district. For the second consecutive day on Wednesday, Srinagar recorded less than 100 new cases in a day, official said.
Leh: A total of 53 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported in Ladakh, taking the Union Territory’s tally to 1,770, officials said on Wednesday.
Ladakh accounted for nine coronavirus-related deaths, while 1,255 patients have recovered from the disease since its outbreak in March.
The officials said while 28 fresh cases of the infection were detected in Kargil, 25 were reported in Leh district.
Among the 1,770 cases recorded in Ladakh so far, 931 were reported in Kargil and 839 in Leh, they said, adding that 742 patients (82 per cent) recovered from COVID-19 in Kargil and 513 (61 per cent) in Leh.
They said the number of active cases in the region stands at 506, of which 321 were reported in Leh and 185 in Kargil.
While five coronavirus patients died in Leh district, four others died of the infection in Kargil district. Eight of the deaths had occurred in the past three weeks, the officials said.
Muslim mob burns down police station, locality in Bengaluru/ Image Source: Bangalore Mirror
A Muslim mob went on a rampage and unleashed extreme violence in Bengaluru on Tuesday evening over a Facebook post that was allegedly derogatory to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
According to the reports, the Muslim mob hit the streets near DJ Halli and KG Halli police station areas on Tuesday evening and attacked a Congress MLA’s house after one of his relatives had allegedly made a derogatory Facebook post.
Over a 100 people had gathered around the residence of Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasamurthy around 7:00 PM on Tuesday. Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasamurthy represents Pulikeshinagar constituency which is reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC). The Muslim mob, armed with sticks, iron rods, sharp metal objects and other weapons, went berserk and barged into the house of the MLA.
The angry Muslim pelted stones and began to torch vehicles, ATMs, shops near the locality while protesting against the alleged derogatory post made by one of the relatives of Dalit Congress MLA Akhanda Shrinivasamurthy. Social media posts of few people involved in the mob violence indicate that the riots could have been pre-planned as calls for the mobilisation of Muslims were allegedly made on social media platforms on Tuesday evening.
Image Source: Chiru Bhat on Twitter
Further, the mob also set two cars on fire. The violent mobsters forced the shopkeepers to down shutters in Pulakeshinagar, Bharatinagar, Commercial Street and Tannery Road.
DJ Halli, along with Tannery Road, Shampura, Davis Road, Frazer Town and Coles Park are one of the most sensitive areas in Bengaluru city. The majority of the population in these localities are Muslims. The Bilal Bagh area in DJ Halli had become the anti-CAA and NRC protest site on the lines of Shaheen Bagh in Delhi.
Angry mob shouted Allah-hu-Akbar, Nara e taqbeer, torched police station
Soon, the situation took an ugly turn after two separate Muslim mobs gathered in front of KG Halli and DJ Halli police stations. The Muslim mobs locked the gates from outside and pelted stones at the police station. At least 10 vehicles, including Innovas of two DCPs, were damaged in front of the stations. The mob also set fire to the vehicles in front of the DJ Halli police station.
In what seems to be a pre-planned attack by the Muslim mob, the Muslim mob, carrying petrol and other weapons, also barged into the nearest police quarters and attack the premises.
The Muslim mob was seen raising Islamic slogans like ‘Allah-hu-Akbar’ and ‘Nara-e-Taqbeer’ outside the police station.
The mob even attacked media persons, who were capturing the violent incident on their phone cameras and Suvarna News journalists have been injured. The cameras and mobiles were snatched and damaged completely.
Image Source: Suvarna News
As the DCP Bheemashankar Guled visited the spot to take control of the situation, the angry mob stopped him in front of the police station gate and also pelted stones at him. Even as the police personnel were escorting the DCP to a safe location, the mob attacked the car and damaged it. They also assaulted the driver of the vehicle.
Our media friends inform me that @DCPNEBCP vehicle has been attacked and driver is injured. Sir are you safe? Can someone from @CPBlr@BlrCityPolice confirm that he's safe?#Bengaluru#Riots
The Muslim mob, armed with all dangerous weapons and petrol, took control of the area and sealed five to six crosses barring access to police personnel and fire and emergency service personnel. The Muslim mob did not allow fire engines to enter the street and douse the fire.
The residents of the localities now gripped by panic, starting to leave houses along with kids and women to other areas in an attempt to save their lives from the Muslim mob.
The mob has burnt down the DCP’s vehicle outside KG Halli police station and have attacked the police personnel. The police are using tear gas outside the police station to bring the mob under control.
Two hours after the Muslim mob unleashed the riots, the Bengaluru police attempted to control the situation and began dispersing the mob. The police fired in the air in front of the KG Halli police station. Despite the firing, there was no sign of control as the mob continued with their violence protest.
In the resulting firing, at least two people have died while a few others were injured severely. At least 60 police personnel including an Additional Commissioner of Police have sustained injuries in the clashes, said Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant. The police have now imposed restrictions under CrPC Section 144 and curfew has been imposed in DJ Halli and KG Halli police station limits of the city.
Reportedly, the relative of the Congress MLA, Naveen, has been arrested for his allegedly offensive Facebook posts on social media, the Commissioner added. More than 100 Muslim mobsters have been arrested on Tuesday evening for unleashing riots in the city.
The senior police officers, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Nath have arrived at the spot. The situation has been brought under control and the mob has dispersed.
Dalit Congress MLA appeals to Muslims for peace
Amidst all the violence, the Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy appealed to the people to maintain peace and said action will be taken against the person, who allegedly posted the post.
“I appeal to all my Muslim brethren to maintain peace and not to get carried away by the rumours and miscreants’ words. Be it a Hindu or Muslim, we all are equal. Whoever it may be trying to disrupt the harmony, they will be dealt with seriously and will be punished by the police as per the law. But let us not resort to this violence and I request all of you to keep calm,” the Congress MLA said.
The police have opened fire in air to warn the mob. Both KG Halli and DJ Halli police stations have been vandalised. The mob has burnt down several vehicles of police. pic.twitter.com/PbjGm0qMtF
Following the incident, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa spoke to Home Minister Basavaraja Bommai and asked him to take all necessary steps to contain further spread of violence. Home Minister Bommai urged people to must maintain peace and those who resort to violence will be dealt with an iron fist.
Jammu: The Pakistani army on Wednesday violated ceasefire by using heavy fire and mortar shells to target forward areas along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, prompting a befitting response from the security forces, officials said.
“At about 1950 hours today, the Pak army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms & shelling with mortars along the LoC in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district”, defence spokesman said.
Beijing is working on a strategic collaboration with Tehran and is supporting a nuclear program in Saudi Arabia, which west can’t afford to keep ignoring
The multiplicity of crises, from political to economic to coronavirus-related, is distracting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz from an important shift in the Middle East, which has major implications for Israel’s security. Namely: China’s moves in Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Representational Picture
When Netanyahu and Gantz talk about Iran, they dwell on the Iranian-Syrian axis and insist that the international community, especially the United States, should escalate the sanctions against the Islamic Republic. But this policy to which they and the entire Israeli defense establishment have been adhering becomes ever less relevant as indications mount that China is stepping up its involvement in Iran and Saudi Arabia. This has been happening as the United States weakens and also because U.S. President Donald Trump doesn’t hide that he has no interest in the Middle East malaise, mainly because the U.S. doesn’t need Arab oil as badly as it used to, and because he isn’t committed to maintaining an American military presence in the region. This is also glaringly evident in Russia’s re-engagement with Syria and recently with Libya as well, and its sale of weapons to Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
File Photo
But China isn’t strengthening only as a corollary of America’s declining global status. It also stems from China’s far-seeing strategy and long-term vision aimed to gain it the pole position as the world’s greatest power.
In June, Iran approved a draft agreement for a 25-year strategic collaboration with China on economic and security-related issues, worth about $600 billion ($17 billion a year). Under the agreement, Iran will sell oil to the Chinese at a discount, in exchange for which it will receive priority for Chinese investments in initiatives involving banking, transportation, energy, communications and technology. Russia is also working on a similar strategic 20-year treaty with Iran.
What should perhaps worry Israel most of all is the Chinese-Iranian plan to form a joint commission for developing weapons and scientific collaborations, including in cyberwarfare, as part of a Chinese move to step up its intelligence and military presence in the entire Middle East, including in Israel. Further evidence of its aspirations is the military exercise it held in the Indian Ocean in late 2019 with the Russian and Iranian navies.
It bears stressing that it remains unclear whether the Iranian-Chinese agreement will be signed, because Beijing has hinted that it is not pleased with Iranian leaks about the treaty.
Apparently Riyadh, under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, realized that if it wants to block Iran from developing nuclear weapons, its salvation won’t come from Trump or Netanyahu; and it may be signaling that it has also decided to embark on the nuclear road.
About a week ago the Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia has a facility for extracting uranium yellowcake from the uranium ore mines in its territory, and that it built the facility with China’s help. Saudi Arabia stated years ago that if Iran develops nuclear weapons, it would too. About a year ago the brother of the Saudi crown prince, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, who also serves as the energy minister, said that his country wants to purchase knowhow in order to achieve control of all the components and stages of the nuclear process. In the past Saudi Arabia tried to purchase nuclear reactors for electricity generation, which would have also given it the knowhow, technology, equipment, materials and infrastructure for a potential military program. The United States was willing to accede to the request but conditioned it on a Saudi commitment not to build facilities for uranium enrichment. Riyadh refused. Israel maintained silence.
The Saudis know that if the U.S. doesn’t build the nuclear power reactors for them, Russia or China would be happy to do so. As its oil reserves dwindle, it’s only natural for Saudi Arabia to want to diversify its energy sources and build nuclear reactors. The question is whether it will also build facilities to enrich uranium, and other sites to necessary to enhance the nuclear program. In that connection China is a familiar supplier for Saudi Arabia, having sold it long-range missiles in the past. Another optional supplier would be its ally Pakistan, which has nuclear weapons.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The Saudi ministry of health has announced the launch of clinical trials for a vaccine against the coronavirus (COVID-19), as part of cooperation with a Chinese company.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the third phase will conduct clinical studies in different countries, including Saudi Arabia, and will be applied to large numbers of volunteers.
The first stage of the study included “a recombinant adenovirus type-5 vectored COVID-19 vaccine” on a total of 108 volunteers in China in March. Later tests on 603 volunteers were conducted between April 11-16, the report added, The New Arab reported.
Both stages showed positive results with little side effects, according to a published study in The Lancet.
In Saudi Arabia, the third phase will see 5,000 healthy volunteers over the age of 18 take part in the trial.
“Research teams will follow up with the participants after giving them the dose to ensure that no side effects appear. The follow-up will be through direct visits with doctors participating in the study,” SPA said.
The experiments will be carried out across Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, Mecca and Dammam. Earlier this month, the UN Human Rights Council stressed the importance of “equitable and unhindered access” to diagnostics, treatments and vaccines, and said any vaccine developed against Covid-19 should be considered a “global public good”.
The death toll from coronavirus reached in Saudi Arabia 3,130 deaths, and the total number of cases rose to 287,262.
Srinagar: Despite clear cut directions from the Ministry of Human Resources and Development to all the universities and colleges to call off the online recruitment process with immediate effect, the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) recently conducted the interview for the post of Registrar online.
On 29 July 2020, Bharat Bushan Baghat, Deputy Secretary (CU) in the Minstry of Human Resources and Development through D.O. No 48-9/2020-CU.III, a copy of which lies with the KNS, clarified to the Vice Chancellor of Central University of Rajasthan not to hold any recruitment process through online mode.
“It is not advisable to conduct online interviews for the selection of teaching faculty. Moreover a policy decision on online recruitment of teaching faculties is yet to be taken in the Ministry. I would therefore request you to call off the online recruitment process with immediate effect and cancel the selection committee meetings held so far,” it reads.
However, despite the directions, the IUST conducted interview for the post of Registrar on August 10 in which nearly 10 shortlisted candidates appeared. Sources said much to the annoyance of the candidates and the experts, there was lot of disturbance due to the slow internet speed during the interview.
One of the candidates who appeared in the interview told KNS that it was an embarrassing situation for both the experts and the candidates as due to 2G internet speed nobody was listening to the other clearly.
“I could not put my point in proper perspective as the video quality was too bad due to slow internet speed. It was an embarrassment for the interview committee as well as the candidates to appear through this mode,” he said.
While appealing to the authorities to hold the interview for the post afresh through normal procedure, he said, “It would be injustice if any candidate is selected through this mode with others.”(KNS)
Opposes merger of different engineering wings in PWD, abolishing reservation for Self Help Groups
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday vehemently opposed the J&K government decision to subsume engineering wings of various departments into Public Works Department saying that the move will create too much of mess and confusion on the ground.
In a statement issued here, Bukhari, who has himself remained a Public Works minister in the previous government in J&K, observed that the R&B department lacks the requisite capacity to handle such a broader mandate.
“A small instance in place is the snow clearance operation which was assigned by the Gulmarag Development Authority (GDA) to the mechanical wing of the Public Works Department at Gulmarag last year. The snow clearance which would otherwise take a few hours took three to four days and the vital roads to this world famous tourist destination remained blocked for days together,” he recalled.
The JKAP president said that there will be joblessness because of the merger decision and the technical staff who are presently working in different departments are bound to face hierarchical issues in addition to the hiccups in their career progression.
On setting up a committee of administrative secretaries to work on modalities for merger of over a dozen departments with PWD, Bukhari observed that such decisions are akin to putting the cart before the horse. “Once the decision of merger has already been taken by the previous Lt. Governor led state administrative council without any prior home work or taking any stakeholders on board, what is the fun of constituting such a committee to chalk out modalities now?” he asked.
Bukhari said that the J&K government should have consulted all the stakeholders for threadbare deliberations before arriving at any such arbitrary decision. “No blueprint was put before the State Administrative Council in this regard. Even no feedback was sought from the technical staff and other stakeholders who are bound to get affected after the merger of their departments into PWD. So the present Lt. Governor should intervene and rescind this unilateral decision at an earliest,” he observed.
Bukhari expressed surprise over the rush in taking policy decisions more so when the new Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha has taken his charge recently and shall require some breathing time and space to understand the working and the mandate of different government departments. “In this situation taking such hasty decisions are bound to impede developmental activities in J&K which are already at their lowest ebb,” he added.
He said that the amalgamation of all the engineering wings in the PWD department will create too much confusion and many issues related to seniority, pay disparity, and other employee welfare measures would crop up subsequently.
Meanwhile, taking a strong exception to the abolishment of reserving projects for Self Help Groups in J&K, Bukhari said that the move will render thousands of educated unemployed youth jobless. “There are around 3000 such groups operating across J&K comprising degree and diploma holders. These groups involve over 15500 engineers who have made this scheme a success. I wonder why our government is pursuing anti youth policies which can have serious ramifications for the overall situation in J&K,” he remarked.
Bukhari said that there can be some shortcomings in the scheme which can be rectified but abolishing the reservation clause defeats the main purpose of the scheme for which it was planned and executed in J&K. “Our government is not in a position to provide government jobs to these educated youth. When you abolish the reservations of projects for such professionals, you are going to add to the burgeoning rate of unemployment which can lead to turmoil,” he added.
He said the GAD order by virtue of which the government has snatched bread and butter of the thousands of families who are completely dependent on these groups should be immediately withdrawn. “Thousands of our educated unemployed youth who have crossed the age bar are associated with these groups. The Lieutenant Governor should not turn a blind eye towards their economic plight and order immediate withdrawal of this controversial order issued by the GAD,” he demanded.
