Piraman Village (Bharuch District) GUJARAT / NEW DELHI :
Ahmed Patel was one-point contact person for Congress leaders, workers from Gujarat
Ahmed Patel | PTI
When the COVID-19 pandemic started spreading in India in March, many journalists in Gujarat received a call from Ahmed Patel asking about their well-being and also that of their families.
“Hope you and your family are doing well. Do let me know in case any help is needed,” he said.
Even several Congress workers received a call from him. He personally called up a reputed hospital in Ahmedabad to book a room for his colleague, Rajya Sabha member Shaktisinh Gohil, who tested positive for COVID-19.
On Wednesday, when the nation lost Ahmed Patel of post-COVID-19 complications , for the Gujarat Congress, it is a loss that the party and its leaders cannot even imagine.
Ahmed Patel was the one-point contact person for the leaders and party workers from Gujarat. Ahmed Patel was accessible 24×7.
A three-time Lok Sabha member and five-time Rajya Sabha member, Ahmed Patel was a man who was in New Delhi but did not forget his roots in Gujarat and was ever ready to help Gujarat and raise concerns when it mattered.
He had friends across party lines and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and people of Ahmed Patel’s age called him ‘Babubhai’, a name he got from his native Piraman village in Bharuch district of Gujarat. There is a likelihood that he might be buried beside the graves of his parents in Piraman.
Not many know that Ahmed Patel was instrumental in running many gaushalas (cow shelters) in Gujarat. A Congress leader in Rajkot, Dr. Hemang Vasavda, recalled how during drought Ahmed Patel aided gaushalas and the way he stayed in Kutch during the killer earthquake of 2001 to guide the party workers.
Totally dedicated to the party without aspiring for any post and easily accessible is how former Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhwadia described Ahmed Patel. “We have lost a friend, philosopher and a guide,” he said.
Tributes came from the young working president of Gujarat Congress Hardik Patel as well. Hardik recalled how Ahmed Patel inspired him before he joined the party over two years ago. “I remember how he offered me mango ras and puri in peak summer in New Delhi when I went to meet him,” he recalled.
Hardik also said that when he was in jail, Ahmed Patel often called up his parents to comfort them and say that lawyers would be arranged for his case.
Ahmed Patel reaching out to party workers and meeting them personally during his visits to Gujarat in their good and bad times is something that the rank and file of Gujarat Congress is not able to forget.
The manner in which Ahmed Patel won the Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat in a nail-biter in mid-2017 strengthened the Congress and it put up a good show in the Assembly election later that year.
source: http://www.theweek.in / The Week / Home> News> India / by Nandini Oza / November 25th, 2020
The 33-year-old officer says he chose the location outside his office so that he could monitor and supervise the arrangements.
From food items to hangers filled with warm clothes, ‘Wall of Kindness’ in Srinagar brings warmth during this harsh winter | Zahoor Punjabi
As the mercury drops to 2 degree Celsius on a windy Saturday evening in Srinagar, a youngster, Zubair Ahmad, puts up a blanket on a hanger mounted on the ‘Wall of Kindness’, a unique wall set up for the needy and homeless, outside the office of the traffic police department.
Ahmad is among thousands of residents who have come forward to donate their clothes — jackets, coats, suits, mufflers, among others — for those in need of warm clothes during the chilly winter, as a gesture of their “kindness”.
And the ‘architect’ behind the Wall of Kindness initiative is Sheikh Aadil Mushtaq, a 2015-batch Kashmir Police Service (KPS) officer from Baramulla district who is posted as deputy superintendent of police (DSP) traffic police in Srinagar.
Moved by the deplorable conditions of the poor — hit by two shutdowns, after the abrogations of Article 370 in August last year and the Covid-19 lockdown in March — the young police officer took the initiative on November 13 on the occasion of World Kindness Day. The Wall of Kindness was first started in Mashhad in Iran in 2016 and later, the charity initiative spread to other parts of the world.
Starting from food items to hangers filled with warm clothes to sanitary pads, the Wall of Kindness in the heart of summer capital brings warmth during this harsh winter. Painted in white, the wall has a message, too: “If you don’t need it, leave it. If you need it, take it.” “It is not a new idea. It is a corollary effort. This Wall of Kindness is an interface that I have dedicated to the people of Srinagar,” Aadil says.
The 33-year-old officer says he chose the location outside his office so that he could monitor and supervise the arrangements. According to Aadil, there has been an overwhelming response to the initiative. “Every day, hundreds of people come and donate items such as woollen clothes, food and blankets etc.” The DSP, who is pursuing post-graduation diploma in cybercrime, says with the onset of winter, the arrangements for kangris (earthen hot pots) have also been made at the wall.
A coffee and tea vending machine has also been set up there by the donors. “Any homeless or an underprivileged person can have a cup of tea or coffee to beat the chilling winter,” the officer says, adding that it is being ensured that the items reach the needy only. “My initiative has been successful. The things are reaching the needy and the deserving people, and this was the main purpose of my initiative,” Aadil says. Asked whether people have been hesitant in donating, the officer says: “I have been lucky here. The kind of love and affection I get from people is overwhelming.
Without their help, it would have been impossible. I don’t have to instruct much. People are themselves cooperating and donating items.” “I am not doing it as a police officer. Being a police officer is my second identity. I am a responsible citizen first, and I have certain responsibilities towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” says DSP. Aadil says he has been receiving calls from people from Jammu and other places who want to join the initiative and generously donate for the destitute.
The police officer says the winter in Kashmir is harsh and many people struggle in the absence of warm clothing. He said he and other police personnel wanted to help those people. The clothes hanging on the wall catch the attention of people who stop to take a look. Locals have, however, appreciated the initiative. Ahmad, a local who has also donated a pair of blankets, says the initiative should be appreciated to encourage others.
“It hardly matters whether the initiative has been taken by a police officer or a civilian. What matters is that we need to be compassionate towards people, who have been economically hit by two lockdowns since August 5 last year. We need to be compassionate towards each other and help each other in the trying times like Covid-19 pandemic. We should come up with such initiatives regularly,” he says.
Moved by deplorable conditions of the poor in Srinagar, after two lockdowns in seven months, a young traffic police officer sets up a ‘Wall of Kindness’ where people can donate clothes for those in need, reports Fayaz Wani.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Fayaz Wani / Express News Service / November 22nd, 2020
Irfana Zargar was settling in after a long day at work when she received a desperate call from a woman asking for sanitary napkins. Despite the lockdown, Irfana set off to deliver the napkins in person. In a dilapidated house in the downtown locality of Srinagar, she met Sabia Khan who was in a wheelchair. Sabia was the one who had made the call. Due to the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus lockdown, Sabia was unable to buy essentials for herself.
Five years ago, Irfana – who stocks public toilets in Kashmir with sanitary napkins, took an initiative to help Kashmiri women meet feminine hygiene needs. She would prepare an ‘Eva Safety Door’ kit consisting of sanitary napkins, underwear and handwash, for women who cannot afford to buy them. All the arrangements are done from Irfana’s personal savings although, she says, a lot of people are now coming forward to help her.
“Menstruation is a natural phenomenon and I don’t understand why people shy away from talking about it. Some women do not buy pads because they feel ashamed. I want to change this. We have been asked to stay silent all our lives, enough is enough,” says 28-year-old Irfana who works as a Helpline Assistant in Srinagar Municipal Corporation on a consolidated-basis.
Providing kits to women in Covid wards
Irfana came across the case of a woman being treated for coronavirus in a hospital in Kashmir. Due to unavailability of sanitary napkins, the woman was forced to wear a cloth pad cut out of a curtain during her menstrual cycles. Shocked by the incident, Irfana prepared several kits and distributed them in different wards of the hospital.
On the onset of coronavirus lockdown, Irfana received hundreds of calls from women asking for kits as they could not buy pads from the local stores. As people were hoarding up essentials in the initial days of lockdown, a shortage of menstrual products was reported from all over the country. Apparently, it was not looked upon as an essential commodity. When a countrywide lockdown was imposed in India, pads did not make it to the list of essentials, the delivery of which was allowed despite restrictions. Only when the grocery stores and chemist shops ran out of supplies did the government deemed it a necessity.
“I was very anxious at that time. Not everyone can afford to hoard. Also, hospitals should take special care of stocking sanitary napkins. Pandemic or not, periods do not stop,” says Irfana.
According to Irfana, she delivered 19000 sanitary napkins and 16 Eva Safety Door kits during the lockdown. Even then, she could not reach many women due to restrictions on movement. After meeting them in person, Irfana would make sure that they received sanitary napkins every month.
“It was a complete mess. There were days when I could not help these women and it was starting to take a toll on my mental health. This was when I realized that buying sanitary napkins is a privilege a lot of us cannot afford,” says Irfana.
Unaffordable for people with lower incomes
17-year-old Zainab (name changed) lives in a one-storey house in Srinagar with her parents. Her father, a daily wager, experienced financial constraints as his income was seriously affected during the lockdown. Trying to make ends meet, her family struggled to survive the pandemic. Zainab could not muster the courage to ask her parents for money to buy pads.
“One packet of sanitary napkins costs around 40 rupees and you at least require two or three packs a month. For some people, it might be a small cost but for us, it meant a day’s meal. I had no option but to use cloth and cotton,” says Zainab.
Irfana says that under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushdhi Pariyojna (PMBJP), sanitary pads were being sold for Rs 1 per pad at Janaushadhi Kendras. Despite this many women are still unable to make use of such schemes due to lack of awareness.
Zainab is thankful that her father managed to find work after the lockdown. Some of her friends are still facing hardships and continue to use cloth. According to a report of BBC, only 15% of girls had access to sanitary napkins during the lockdown.
“When it comes to food or menstrual products, the obvious choice would be food. But I am happy that I am able to buy pads again,” says Zainab.
Period shaming and Menstrual health
Irfana’s journey started in 2014 when she was walking the streets in one of the busiest places in Srinagar. She got her period and was unable to buy a napkin due to lack of money. Going inside a public washroom, she was appalled to see its condition.
“There was no soap and water. I had no option but to travel like this. Period shaming is so common here and in case you have a stain, you will be landed with insults,” recalls Irfana.
Since that day, Irfana made sure to donate sanitary napkins to public washrooms. Till date, she stocks around 15 washrooms in Srinagar district. After losing her father, Irfana wanted to make him proud by helping people and so she ventured out to help women in need.
Talking to TwoCircles.net about the harmful effects of using dirty or unsterilized cloth during periods, Seema Zahra, a gynaecologist based in Kashmir says, “It can be very dangerous and can cause serious health issues. It can expose them to infections which can later turn out to be more sinister.”
Dr Seema says most of the patients that come for treatment related to this problem are from lower-income groups. Due to their financial state, they are forced to look for alternatives like rags and cloths.
Even though Irfana has not received her salary for months now, she is adamant about working for the cause of women. She says these women look up to her and she cannot abandon them in these tough times.
“I have prepared more kits and I will be distributing them soon. It is important to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene and I will keep doing so no matter what,” says Irfana.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslim> Jammu & Kashmir> Lead Story> TCN Positive> Women / by Asma Hafiz, Twocircles.net / October 30th, 2020
“He ensured everyone got a farewell but his own family couldn’t give him that. They saw his body from afar for a few minutes,” said Jitender Kumar, adding that Khan would have ferried close to 200 bodies since March.
Khan (second from left) was on call 24X7. (Express Photo)
For over six months, Aarif Khan slept in an ambulance parking lot 28 km from his home in northeast Delhi’s Seelampur, staying in touch with his wife and four children on the phone. Khan was on call 24X7, ferrying patients of Covid-19 as well as carrying its victims to their last rites. On Saturday morning, the 48-year-old ambulance driver succumbed to the disease at Hindu Rao Hospital.
Employed with the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal, that provides free emergency services in NCR, Khan would often pitch in with money for the last rites if a family was in need, or help with the rituals if a deceased’s near ones were not around, his colleagues say.
“He ensured everyone got a farewell but his own family couldn’t give him that. They saw his body from afar for a few minutes,” said Jitender Kumar, adding that Khan would have ferried close to 200 bodies since March.
On October 3, Khan fell sick and got a Covid-19 test done, which came positive. He died within a day of getting admitted to hospital.
Khan’s son Aadil, 22, said they had seen him only during his brief visits home since March 21. “We met when he came over to pick up something, like clothes… I used to go to check on him sometimes. We were always worried about him. But he never bothered about Covid, he just wanted to do his job well,” said Aadil, the younger of Khan’s sons, adding that the last time Khan came home, he was already sick.
Khan’s other son, Asif, said, “I didn’t even get to say goodbye to him… How will we survive without him?”
Khan, who earned Rs 16,000 a month, was the sole earning member of the family. Their monthly house rent is Rs 9,000. Aadil said his brother and he did odd jobs once in a while, but work had petered out lately.
“Pariwaar ke liye dukh ka pahaad toot gaya hai (It is a huge blow for the family),” said Kumar, who was present at Khan’s funeral.
“These have been extraordinary times, and even though he was a driver, Khan often helped with the last rites too. Woh Muslim tha par Hinduon ke bhi daah-sanskaar karaata tha (He was a Muslim but he helped out even with cremations of Hindus)… He was very dedicated to his work,” said Jitender Singh Shunty, the founder of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal, adding that Khan worked 12-14 hours a day, responding to calls even as late as 3 am.
Khan was also around when Shunty and his family tested positive for the virus. So, when Khan got infected and took a turn for the worse, he tried to return the kindness. However, the deterioration was sudden. “Aarif did not have any other health conditions but he was having trouble breathing for the last few days,” he said.
Anand Kumar, 32, a fellow driver with the Sewa Dal who also stays in the parking lot for fear of carrying the virus home, said when he joined a year ago, “Aarif was very helpful. He treated me like a brother and guided me.” Conversations between them often revolved around how much they missed their families, Kumar said.
Founded in 1995, the Sewa Dal provides free and accessible emergency services to the needy in the Capital and around, including ambulances and blood donation, and Khan had been working with them from almost the start.
Shunty said not just hospitals but also RWAs and police stations turn to them. Khan was one of their 12 employees. Last month, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital had written an appreciation letter thanking the organisation for transporting over 300 bodies from the hospital of Covid patients, and helping in their last rites, including in cases where family members had not turned up. East Delhi District Magistrate Arun Kumar Mishra had also written a letter noting their contribution during the pandemic.
Giving an example of Khan’s dedication, Shunty said, “On September 30, a hospital refused to release a person’s body because his family couldn’t foot the bill… Khan chipped in. He was a man who genuinely cared for others.”
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Cities> Delhi / by Ashna Butani / New Delhi – October 14th, 2020
Hundreds of healthcare workers have died while tending to Covid patients around India. But doctors say it’s a risk they can’t avoid on the frontlines of the biggest medical challenge in decades.
Representational image | Praveen Jain | ThePrint
New Delhi:
Ayat Mir, 18, of Kashmir remembers feeling uneasy when her father Ashraf Mir, a doctor, continued his practice through the Covid-19 pandemic.
“When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I told Baba not to go to his private clinic. But he told me he had a duty towards his patients,” said Ayat. “He told me, ‘what answer will I give to Allah when I am asked why I didn’t serve my patients?’,” Ayat said.
Ashraf, 48, is one of the dozens of doctors across India who have died on the frontlines of the battle against Covid-19.
According to government figures, a total of 300 healthcare workers have died of Covid-19, including doctors. However, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) claims doctor fatalities alone stand at 568.
The number is massive but the true tragedy is brought home by the stories behind the statistics.
The deaths include starry-eyed beginners looking to make a difference, and those who refused to retire, reluctant to give up helping patients.
There were the doctors from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra who treated their patients for a pittance, and another from West Bengal who left behind a two-year-old son. Yet another doctor from Maharashtra was planning his son’s wedding when he contracted Covid-19 and died, and a Karnataka practitioner got the disease as he visited different districts to spread awareness about precautions.
Dr Ashraf of Pampore was a government doctor but ran a private practice on the side where he treated patients for free.
Their grieving families speak of their struggle to move on — of trying to make peace with the empty chair at the dinner table — but also talk about being inspired by the sacrifice their loved ones made. In the journey ahead, it’s this inspiration that is helping many push through the grief.
Jammu & Kashmir
Dr Ashraf Mir, a senior medical officer at the District Hospital Pulwama, first developed a fever on 16 July. That day, his daughter Ayat said, Ashraf went to the hospital, but isolated himself in the family’s second house upon return.
“Then I also got Covid. Baba used to come to my door and give me medicines even as he was not well himself,” she added
Dr Ashraf Mir, 48, with his wife and children | By special arrangement
Ashraf was finally admitted to hospital on 23 July. He passed away on 9 August at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar, where he was admitted later.
He is survived by his wife, who is a government school teacher, and two children.
Besides his job at the district hospital, Ashraf also had a private practice where he treated patients free of cost, said Ayat.
“My baba’s loss is too big for us but we must get by. He would have wanted that for us. Both my brother and I are inspired by his sacrifice, and we wish to follow in his footsteps,” said the 18-year-old aspiring doctor.
According to Dr Atal Dulloo, financial commissioner at the J&K Health and Medical Education Department, a total of five health workers have died of Covid-19 in the union territory.
West Bengal
Dr Santosh Bhandari, 64, died of Covid-19 in June. A resident of Howrah, the doctor contracted the disease during his daily rounds to nearby villages, where he offered his services during the lockdown.
“It started with a fever,” his widow Manisha Bhandari told ThePrint. “Initially, we could not even manage to get a bed for him. It was all confusion,” she added. “Nobody helped us. We did not get an ambulance for taking him to the hospital. Neighbours blocked our house. We were not getting food initially,” she said, alleging that market runs for drinking water became difficult too.
Bhandari had been the sole earning member of the family, as their son lost his job during the lockdown.
Dr Nitish Kumar, 36, was working at West Bengal’s premier cardiology institute — the Kolkata-based private RN Tagore Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTICS) — when the pandemic struck. He tested positive for Covid in mid-July.
Nitish had no comorbidities, but his condition deteriorated over the next few days. He passed away on 5 August, leaving behind a homemaker wife and a two-year-old son.
In West Bengal, an estimated 36 doctors have died due to coronavirus since April, according to IMA data.
Maharashtra
Dr Rajani Jagtap, the chief medical officer at Mumbai’s civic agency-run SVD Savarkar Hospital, lost her husband — a doctor who ran a private clinic — to Covid in the first week of July. Dr Shridhar Jagtap, 60, set up his private practice after retiring two years ago from Mumbai’s Shatabdi Hospital.
Many private doctors shut their dispensaries and clinics after the pandemic struck, but Shridhar continued working.
“He wasn’t the kind of person who liked to stay at home. He was happiest when he was with his patients. He was doing a lot of philanthropic work treating HIV positive patients as well,” Rajani told ThePrint. “He was very gentle and loving. I met him 23 years ago while working with the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation),” she said.
Rajani added that she had never once imagined a life without him. Nor had she ever thought that she wouldn’t be with him when he drew his last breath.
“I tested positive on 23 June. I had symptoms like exhaustion and fever. Four days later, my husband tested positive. He had a lot of comorbidities and his condition deteriorated very fast,” Rajani said.
Shridhar, who was originally from Pune, was admitted to the city’s Sassoon Hospital, while Dr Rajani was kept under home quarantine in Mumbai.
Even as Rajani’s condition improved, her husband’s got worse. He died on 7 July.
“My old mother was living with me and there were two helps too, one of whom tested positive. We were isolated and it was very scary. I was absolutely devastated. I had bouts of crying every day. It felt like I had lost a part of my body,” Rajani said. “My heart went out to my kids. Neither of them got to see their dad, although they were constantly in a video chat with him.”
Since her recovery, Rajani has established a support group, Staying Alive, where members help each other come to terms with the death of loved ones taken away by Covid-19.
In another part of the city, doctor-couple Shubhangi Patil and Hemant Patil were picking out a date for their 27-year-old son Saket’s wedding when the pandemic hit.
Hemant Patil, 58, ran a private clinic where he treated patients for Rs 100. He was also a three-time corporator who represented Hitendra Thakur’s Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, a Maharashtra-based party, in the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation.
“He did a lot of social work and people really respected him in Vasai. Every year, on 1 May, he would organise a blood donation camp. He also helped the civic body in setting up isolation centres, quarantine centres for Covid,” Shubhangi said.
He had hypertension and diabetes, but insisted on keeping his clinic open throughout the Covid crisis, she added.
In June, Hemant had to resuscitate a 28-year-old patient by administering CPR — which includes artificial ventilation through mouth-to-mouth or rescue breathing. The patient recovered but tested positive for Covid. On 29 June, Hemant isolated himself in his clinic. That was the last time Shubhangi met her husband.
As his condition became critical, the family shifted him to a hospital. He passed away on 11 July.
“The entire family decided not to break the news to me until the next morning. I was Covid positive and admitted to hospital, so I couldn’t even see him,” Shubhangi said. “I am learning to live alone after 39 years of togetherness, first courtship, and then marriage. He was everything for me.”
With her son’s marriage, the family’s finances and her husband’s medical practice to look after, Shubhangi is unsure of what the future holds. And there’s only Covid to blame.
“It is a strange disease. It doesn’t give a person time. Even a cardiac arrest gives the doctor and the patient some time to respond, but the hypoxia that can happen due to Covid just doesn’t. The infection spreads so quickly one doesn’t realise what’s happening,” she said.
IMA numbers suggest 65 doctors have died of Covid-19 in Maharashtra.
Karnataka
Dr Siddana K, 65
Dr Siddanna K, a 65-year-old private practitioner based in Gulbarga city, was a veteran with over three decades in the field. At the time of his death, he was helming his own private clinic after working at Gurmitkal Government Hospital for 31 years.
He died on 26 July. Speaking to ThePrint, his son-in-law said he had “served people for decades”.
Through the pandemic, Dr Manjunath Gowda, a 53-year-old surgeon from Davangere, travelled to different districts in the state to advise people on the precautions to take against Covid-19.
“He wanted to set an example on how we can upgrade facilities and provide safe treatment for patients in Davanagere,” said a relative, Dr Jayachandra, a practising dental surgeon.
Gowda died on 8 September.
According to IMA data, 64 doctors have died of Covid-19 in Karnataka.
Delhi
Joginder Chaudhary, 28, a junior doctor at Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical Hospital and College, tested positive on 27 June while serving in the Covid ward. Complications caused by the disease killed him on 27 July.
A posthumous profile of the young doctor in the Washington Post features a photograph of him and a colleague volunteering at a medical camp for women. His death in the line of duty came barely a year after he joined the profession.
Joginder was the son of a farmer, who owns two bighas of land in a Madhya Pradesh village and did all he could to put Joginder on the path to a better future. He was reportedly sent to a private school in Rajasthan so he could secure a good education, and his father even sold their family home to fund his medical education.
At the time of his death, Joginder’s income was helping his family get by. His father struggled to pay the bills when Joginder was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram, a private hospital in Delhi, for treatment, but the facility waived his entire fees in recognition of his role as a doctor.
After his death, the Delhi government gave the family Rs 1 crore as compensation.
“We are financially alright for now,” said his father Rajendra. “But we are mentally distraught. We had put in a lot of effort and hard work to help him get to his position.”
While his father is struggling to move on — with a school-going daughter and another son to look after — the death of Joginder was a blow his mother couldn’t recover from. She died a few weeks after him.
Meanwhile, a veteran doctor’s widow is yet learning to navigate her day without her husband. Dr Asheem Gupta, a senior anaesthesiologist at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital, died in June after serving in the facility’s ICU unit. He was 55.
“Even routine activities like eating food seem dull now,” his wife Dr Nirupama Gupta, a radiologist working in Noida, said.
Their son, who lives in Australia, wants to return to India, but his shaken mother doesn’t want that. “He has been insisting that he will come now but I feel it is safer for him there. I can’t bear the thought of another family member getting Covid-19,” she said.
Dr Gupta was an avid sports fan and the rare anaesthesiologist to share a good rapport with surgeons, a colleague told ThePrint for a profile published after his death. A ward boy at the hospital spoke of his generosity.
“Dr Asheem went out of his way to help people. Be it rich or poor. When many weren’t able to afford ventilators, he had helped them, as he did for two ward boys here,” a ward boy said.
In Delhi, IMA estimates suggest about 14 doctors have died of Covid-19.
Andhra Pradesh
The tag of “Rs 2 doctor” for Dr Ismail Hussain, 76, of Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool was a testament to a life lived in benevolence. Over his stint as a doctor, Hussain is believed to have treated lakhs of poor patients for negligible rates. He kept a cardboard box at his nursing home and residence, where patients could pay as much as they wanted as fees.
His reputation drew patients not from Andhra alone, but also from the nearby districts of Telangana and Karnataka. He passed away on 14 April, and was tested positive for Covid-19 a day later.
According to Kalkura Chandrashekhar, Ismail’s close friend of 40 years, the doctor continued seeing patients even when most clinics and hospitals shut over Covid-19 concerns. “Ismail’s death is a great loss to the people of Kurnool,” Chandrashekhar said.
He is one of around 65 doctors who have died of Covid-19 in the state.
Telangana
Dr Naresh Kumar was serving as the Deputy Medical & Health Officer (DMHO) of the Bhadradri Kothagudem district, when he contracted the virus and passed away in August. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
After his death, several doctors’ associations rallied to collect funds for his family and raised over Rs 25 lakh. The Telangana government also announced Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia compensation and a gazetted job for his wife.
State health department data suggests there had been 10 doctor fatalities among the over 2,000 healthcare staff tested positive for Covid-19 until August end. The figure has been contested by doctors’ associations.
In March, the central government announced a Rs 50 lakh insurance cover for families of health workers who die of Covid-19 in the line of duty. State governments, including those in West Bengal, Telangana, and Maharashtra, have since followed suit, while some like Andhra Pradesh are yet to announce such a scheme.
According to a senior officer in the Union Health Ministry, so far, the families of 95 healthcare workers have been compensated under the insurance scheme, while 175 applications are pending and 30 are yet to be sent by various states. The sources said this tally of 300 accounts for all the healthcare workers who have died of Covid-19.
However, the IMA, which has collated data from chapters across the country, pegs the number of doctor fatalities at 568.
ThePrint reached Union Health Ministry spokesperson Manisha Verma to ask about the discrepancy through call, text and email, but the query hasn’t been answered.
However, a senior officer, speaking off the record, questioned the credibility of IMA data. “The IMA cannot tell you 500 have died. Can they tell you that they have all died because of Covid and not died because of natural causes after having caught Covid?” the officer said.
‘It’s our duty’
The Covid-19 pandemic presents one of the biggest challenges the medical community has faced in recent years — highly infectious in nature, the disease puts healthcare staff at immense risk even as they pull long hours on duty to deal with the onslaught of patients.
But doctors tending to Covid patients say the risk is a professional hazard, and they can’t overlook their duty.
“We aren’t superhuman, but we are taking risks and doing our jobs,” said Dr Shahid Bharmare, a consulting physician at Mumbai’s Kohinoor Hospital who has been treating Covid patients since March. “Because there is no escape… It’s not about money. It’s a duty we have to do. If I don’t do it, who else will?”
His family, Bharmare added, was “initially reluctant” when he assumed pandemic duty “but they understood that I have to”.
“Now they’ve gotten used to it. So, I take all precautions. But yes, there are a few things I miss as well. I can’t hug my son anymore. I have to stay away from him,” he said. “That risk is always there in the back of my mind. That is there with every Covid-19 warrior. But it’s my responsibility and I can’t stay away from it.”
According to the doctor, most people will contract Covid-19. “You can’t stay away from it. If you’re anyway going to get infected, why not work and do it?”
Pulmonologist Dr Ravi Dosi of Indore’s Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS) said he knew two doctors who lost their lives.
“They made the supreme sacrifice for their passion. Medicine is a passion and these passionate doctors gave up everything they had,” he added.
Dosi has been treating Covid-19 patients since the very start of the pandemic.
“I myself became a victim of the Covid-19 virus but I recovered and had the opportunity to keep serving the patients during that time. But I felt the virus inside me, I felt the potency, and the way that the virus engulfs you in its power,” he said. “Being a doctor, you can understand what it does to your body. This is not a good virus. No one is invincible.”
Inputs from Azaan Javaid, Madhuparna Das, Manasi Phadke, Rohini Swamy, Soniya Agrawal, Aneesha Bedi, Rishika Sadam
source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> Health / by Angana Chakrabarti / October 18th, 2020
Corona pandemic began to spread across the heart of the city, Deira, here, one of the oldest districts and was categorized as a hotspot of infection. The Dubai government immediately decided to lockdown the whole area followed by a seal down for about two months to contain the spread of the virus (strict prohibitory orders were issued to restrict the residents from moving out of the area and non-residents from travelling to the area).
During this period the Dubai Health Authority along with Dubai police set up the required programme to contain the spread of the virus and Dubai Hemmeya UAE Kannadigaru (HUK) was exclusively chosen for the volunteering work. It included the supply of food, essentials, medicine and transport of people for COVID testing, isolation, transfer to the hospital (also reaching out to all Kannadigas who sought support). The works under the leadership of Rafeeqali Kodagu, HUK was acknowledged and well appreciated by the UAE rulers, Dubai government, Dubai police, Dubai health authorities, the general public and hailed as corona heroes. To date, the relief work continues.
The pandemic severely affected businesses. Hundreds of Kannadigas lost their jobs, their earnings. Job seekers who were on a visit visa to UAE were stuck indefinitely. The Dubai Hemmeya UAE Kannadigaru team flung into action when they started getting distress calls from bachelors and families seeking urgent help. Mohammad Mustafa, a businessman and philanthropist and other members of HUK opened their hearts and started contributing to the relief fund called Hemmeya UAE Kannadigaru Sahaya Hastha (helping hand). The needy were provided with a food kit lasting a month, medicine, household essentials, air tickets amounting to 16 lac Indian Rupees with the help and support of donors.
The team of Kannada doctors under the initiative of Kannadathi Dr Savitha Mohan treated several patients at this critical time free of cost, free clinic and online consultation. All corona related health tips and guidance were provided from time to time.
Several categories of people were looking for urgent repatriation to India which included pregnant women, patients with critical illness, senior citizens, job seekers, students, tourists, employees who lost their jobs and their families. Spending each day was an expensive affair and the financial and mental situations were worsening. The HUK team again extended their helping hand by associating with the organizers of Vande Bharat Mission by providing complete information to passengers, also arranging exclusive chartered flights and took care of the entire process from registration to take-off of the respective flights. They also enquired about their arrival and well being.
Kannadigas from all walks of life volunteered to help. They brought their own vehicles and their friends to distribute food and medicines to the needy at their places. Special mention goes to Nawaz Kundapura, Harish Kodagu, Cleevan Udupi, Abdul Hadi Bhatkal, Suhail Mangaluru, Noufal Dakshina Kannada, Nizar Kasaragodu Kannadiga, Fayaz Kundapura, AbrarShivamogga, Hadiya Mandya, Mamatha Sharjah, Senthil Bengaluru, Mohiyuddin Hubli, Sayyed Shivamogga, Vinod D’Souza Mangaluru, Rafeeqali Kodagu who worked relentlessly day and night across seven emirates (states) of UAE to ensure that the relief work goes in full scale wiping the tears of the people.
Hemmeya UAE Kannadigaru has always been the voice for Kannada and Kannadigas in UAE. Their heart also follows and responds to the issues and development related to Kannada and Karnataka.
They have conducted Dasara sports meet, Kannada Rajyotsava, multi-religious Ifthar programme, Sankranthi, Christmas, Republic Day talent show bringing together all the Kannadigas to celebrate the Kannada culture and heritage. They also honor national and international sportspersons, poets, philanthropists, cine and music artistes, Indian defense staff who have brought name and fame to Karnataka.
The job seekers from Karnataka are getting the essential information, guidance through job fairs, workshops, recruitment roadshows, and job groups. Kannadiga businessmen and the Kannadiga job seekers are provided a platform to interact and recruit the candidates. Also, Kannadiga business forum, an exclusive group for Kannadiga businessmen and entrepreneurs is setting new heights through active participation and flow of business.
HUK is on the forefront to extend help during natural calamities of flood, earthquake and also initiates blood donation camps. They also organize guided excursions and tours across UAE.
Team Hemmeya UAE Kannadigaru Sudeep Davanagere (president), Mamatha Raghavendra Mysuru (vice-president), Senthil Bengaluru (chief secretary ), Rafeeqali Kodagu, Mamatha Sharjah, Pallavi Basavaraj Davanagere, Dr Savitha Mohan Mysuru, Anitha Ram Bengaluru, Vishnu Murthy Mysuru, Hadiya Mandya, Shankar Belagavi, Mohiudeen Hubli, Vageesh Mysuru were supported by 50 other members.
KMS Hakkim Biryani also offered biryani for Rs 1 to frontline warriors who are battling the coronavirus pandemic.
Tiruchities throng in large as hotel chain offers biryani for 10 paisa | EPS
Tiruchy :
To celebrate the World Biryani Day in a unique manner, a popular Biryani chain in Tiruchy sold delicious biryani for a mere amount of 10 paise on Sunday. The restaurant chain also offered biryani for Rs 1 to frontline warriors who are battling the coronavirus pandemic .
Contrary to the regular Sunday morning look, the Shastri road in Tiruchy was bustling with activity and excitement after KMS Hakkim Biryani centre sold Biryani to the public for 10 paise. With the outlet advertising that the offer is valid only for the first 100 customers, several people beelined in front of the restaurant holding demonetised 10 paisa coins in their hands.
Speaking to TNIE, KMS Mohideen, owner of the KMS Hakkim Biryani Chain said, “We wanted to appreciate the frontline workers for braving their lives and decided to offer biryani at a cost of Rs 1 on the World Biryani Day. However, we did not want the other customers to be left out, so we introduced an idea to sell biryani for the public who in possession of the demonetised 10 paisa coin.”
With the biryani being offered for such an unbelievable price, several people including children and women tried their luck. Incidentally, few customers waiting in the lines expressed that they spent the last couple of days searching their houses in and out so that they could find 10 paisa coins and purchase biryani.
Ravindran, a city resident who had come along with his son in hope of purchasing a packet said, ” My father in a conversation with my son had taught him about the currency values in the olden days and gave him a few 10 paisa coins as memorabilia. After we saw the advertisement on social media, our entire family started searching the house thoroughly to find the demonetised coin.”
The biryani centre today through its two outlets served a total of 210 people- 100 customers through the 10 paisa offer and 110 COVID warriors. The customers were served with Chicken biryani along with raita and dalcha in neatly packed containers. Although they offered token to frontline workers on Saturday itself by verifying their ID cards, the tokens for 10 paisa offer were issued only on Sunday.
“A total of 110 frontline workers- 45 from the police department, 35 from the Corporation department, 20 from the health department and 10 sanitation workers were served with delicious biryani. Although the parcel to the regular customers was limited to the Biryani and the raita, we had added Chicken 65 and Sweet Kesari for the frontline workers parcels to appreciate their efforts and make them feel special,” said, a manager of the hotel chain.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Jayakumar Madala / Express News Service / October 11th, 2020
Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G Sankar inaugurates Quba Covid Care Centre at Mysuru recently.
Organisations of the Muslim community has opened three Covid Care Centres (CCC) under the Narasimharaja (NR) Assembly constituency in the city as the number of Covid positive patients is on the rise of late.
It has to be noted that NR segment, where Muslims are a majority, was being discussed over the past one week. District In-charge Minister S T Somasekhar has said that among the active cases, over 50% of the patients were from NR constituency and even most of the deaths related to Covid are from the same segment. There were also talks of ‘mini-lockdown in parts of the segment, citing non-cooperation by the residents.
On July 14 (Tuesday), Quba Covid Care Centre and Quba Covid-19 Care Centre and Quba Covid-19 Help Centre was opened, with its own 24/7 helpline number 91640 54053 at Quba Public School in Udayagiri, in the city. Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G Sankar inaugurated the Quba Covid-19 Care Centre and said this CCC should serve as an example for other districts and cities.
He said, it is an example of cooperation to the government by good citizens. “Particularly in such areas, where Covid-19 pandemic is on the rise exponentially, such positive cooperation will check the spread of Covid and help save critical patients.”
The centre initiated instant door-to-door Covid tests by Dr Nayaz Pasha Dr Shiraz Ahmed. Chaand Saab, ex-mayor Ayub Khan, Zaheerul Haq and Shahab Rahman were present.
The Quba CCC has set up three centres — 200 beds at Farooqia College in Udayagiri, 200 beds at Andalus Public School at Rajeev Nagar and Beedi Workers Hospital at Azeez Sait Nagar — in consultation of religious heads, NGOs and corporators. However, the Quba CCC will accommodate and help patients of all other communities also.
The Quba CCC has two ambulances and is used for ferrying Covid patients and unclaimed bodies.
The centre will provide all facilities like food. Besides, Muslim doctors have offered their services voluntarily. Healthcare workers and beds have to be provided by the district administration.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by T R Sathish Kumar / Mysuru – July 15th, 2020
The team swings into action whenever the administration finds it difficult to dispose of a body.
The team performs last rites of a Covid victim in Anantapur district | EXPRESS
Anantapur :
Remember the Rajendra Prasad-starrer Telugu hit movie Aaa Naluguru — about the importance of human relations and the need for at least four people who will take part in the last journey of a person? At a time when even relatives refrain from taking part in the last rites of Covid-19 victims, a team of four from Hindupur in Anantapur district has been volunteering to perform the last rites of bodies abandoned in morgues.
The team swings into action whenever the administration finds it difficult to dispose of a body. “It is appalling that even the families of victims do not come forward to give them a decent farewell,” says Uday, convenor of the Life World Charitable Trust in Hindupur.
He has been performing the last rites of unclaimed bodies ever since he saw an abandoned infant being preyed on by stray dogs on a street in Hindupur. Inspired by Uday, Umar Farooq Khan, of the Muslim Nagara organisation, started performing the last rites of unclaimed bodies.
Amid the Covid-19 outbreak, those who used to assist them backed out, leaving them with the support of just two friends, Sriramulu and Gangadhar. “We perform the last rites as per the religious tradition of the deceased. We do not look into caste, creed, or financial status,” Umar Farooq tells TNIE. Till date, the four have performed the last rites of over 50 Covid-19 victims both as individuals and as a team. Meanwhile, Uday himself has tested positive for coronavirus and is undergoing treatment. “I will continue the service once I recover,” he asserts.
source:http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by CP Venugopal / Express News Service / September 27th, 2020
Mulnivasi Muslim Manch, an organisation headed by Anjum Inamdar, is one of the groups in Pune which have been performing the last rites of Covid-19 patients, as well as those who have died of other illnesses in the last two months.
Activists of Muslim Manch were felicitated by the Gurudwara Guru Nanak Sahab at Pune Camp on Friday.
The stigma and fear surrounding coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is not only hampering efforts to conduct the last rites of those who have died due to the infection, it also posing hurdles in conducting the last rites of those who have died of other illnesses or natural causes.
Mulnivasi Muslim Manch, an organisation headed by Anjum Inamdar, is one of the groups in Pune which have been performing the last rites of Covid-19 patients, as well as those who have died of other illnesses in the last two months. The group has performed the last rites of about 30 persons belonging to various communities, said Inamdar.
The group performs the last rites of those whose family members are either not willing to accept the bodies due to fear, or are unable to perform the rituals due to societal pressures or logistical issues amid the ongoing lockdown.
“There are many cases where the person has died due to some other reason, or even due to old age, but people are not willing to participate in the funeral or help the family,” said Inamdar.
According to activists, performing funerals in case of non-Covid deaths is more challenging as there is no support from civic bodies, as is the case with coronavirus-related deaths.
“We have seen and assisted in many cases where the deaths had no connection with Covid-19 but the family found it difficult to conduct the last rites. The family members are wary of stigma and societal response. When neighbours and relatives run away… they ask us to do the needful,” said Inamdar.
He cited the example of a senior citizen from Maharshi Nagar, who died last week after a prolonged illness. The son and the daughter-in-law of the 65-year-old man were trying to make arrangements for his cremation, but failed to get any help from neighbours and relatives. “The body lay there for six hours before someone from the area called us and we reached there to help. The cremation was finally performed in the local crematorium,” said Inamdar.
In another case, villagers from Kedgaon, on the outskirts of Pune, opposed efforts by the family of a man, who died of cardiac arrest at Sassoon General Hospital, to bring his body back to Kedgaon to perform the last rites. “The daughter of the man then asked us to perform the last rites,” said Inamdar.
As it has been receiving an increasing number of such requests, the Manch has procured a vehicle to use it as a hearse so that it doens’t have to request ambulance owners for help each time. “Many a times, getting a vehicle to transport the body from the hospital to the burial ground or a crematorium becomes a challenge. We have now got a hearse, which we are using for speedy transport and timely cremation,” said Inamdar.
On Friday, the volunteers of Mulnivasi Muslim Manch were felicitated by the Gurudwara Guru Nanak Sahab at Pune Camp. The head of the Gurudwara, Charan Singh Sahani, handed over personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to the group as a token of appreciation for the work that the group was doing for the community “at great personal risk”.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Cities> Pune / Express News Service / May 29th, 2020
