Health

Chennai, May 29 (PTI) Renowned academician and Padmashri recipient M Anandakrishnan died here on Saturday.

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister M K Stalin and many others condoled the death of the former Vice Chancellor of Anna University.

The deceased, in his early 90s, was reportedly under treatment for COVID-19.

Anandakrishnan had earlier served as chairman of the Board of Governors of IIT, Kanpur.

In his condolence message, Purohit expressed anguish over the demise of the educationist.

Aizawl, May 29 (PTI) The African Swine Fever (ASF) continued to wreak havoc in Mizoram, killing 4,650 pigs and piglets in a little over two months, an official said on Saturday.

The ASF outbreak has caused a loss of Rs 18.60 crore to the farmers of the state, said Dr Lalhmingthanga, the Joint Director (Livestock Health) at the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science Department.

The first pig death due to ASF was reported on March 21 at Lungsen village in south Mizoram's Lunglei district, bordering Bangladesh, he said.

Bhopal, May 29 (PTI) Some 3,000 junior doctors in Madhya Pradesh have threatened to go on strike if their demands like free treatment for them and their families in case they contract COVID-19 are not met by Sunday.

MP Junior Doctors Association president Arvind Meena told PTI on Saturday that, if the demands are not met, its members will abstain from work from Monday and stop COVID-19 duties by Tuesday.

NEW DELHI, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday in his monthly radio programme said the production of liquid medical oxygen, a key component in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, in the country has gone up by 10 times.

"In the normal course, here we were producing 900 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen in a day. Now the production has gone over 10 times to 9,500 metric tonnes a day," said the Prime Minister.

29 May 2021; MEMO: The World Health Organisation has called for access to patients in the Gaza Strip and free passage to evacuate them for medical treatment, Reuters reported on Friday.

Jammu, May 29 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday inaugurated the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) 500-bed Covid hospital in Jammu to ramp up the healthcare infrastructure to effectively deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Of the total 500 beds here at Bhagwati Nagar Centre, 125 would be Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, while others would be a set of Covid beds with 24 hours oxygen facility.

Los Angeles, May 28 (AP-PTI) Californians will be eligible for USD 116.5 million in prize money for getting coronavirus shots, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday, a windfall aimed at getting millions more vaccinated before the nation's most populous state fully reopens next month.

The state estimates about 12 million Californians 12 and older have not been vaccinated. About 63 per cent of the 34 million eligible have gotten shots, though the pace has slowed markedly in recent weeks as infection rates have plummeted to record lows.

New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Thursday allowed duty free import of Amphotericin B, used for treating black fungus patients, primarily those affected by it after recovering from COVID-19, on furnishing of a bond by the importers till the Centre takes a final decision on waiving the customs duty on it.

The high court said the medicine is required to save lives of thousands of people suffering from Mucormycosis and the central government shall seriously consider waiver of customs duty till the drug is in short supply in India.

Bengaluru, May 27 (PTI) Two more people were arrested in connection with a scam related to blocking beds meant for COVID patients in Bengaluru hospitals including private ones, police said.

The police have identified the accused as Yashwanth and Varun.

With the two arrests, the total number went up to 11, police said.

"Varun worked in the South zone war room helpline, who shared patient numbers with his friend Yashwanth. Yashwanth used to contact the patient and demand money," police said in a statement.

26 May 2021; MEMO: Screams, air raids, scattered pools of blood and constant fears and nightmares, this is how the children of Gaza live their lives. With every war they witness, the feelings and scenes are repeated in their minds and work to distort their view of the world, which they see as a place of war and in which they must constantly prepare for losing their lives, homes, their loved ones at any moment.