Bhat sees immense potential for heli-tourism in coastal Karnataka

Bengaluru, Jul 19: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa convened a meeting with Private Medical College Hospitals on Saturday to assess COVID-19 management and directed them to provide 50 per cent of the beds, as promised, with effect from Sunday.

The chief minister said that private medical college hospitals need to cooperate as there is a sharp rise in COVID-10 cases in the city. He further said that it has come to the notice of the government that some institutes are denying treatment of COVID-19 as well as non-COVID patients.

The chief minister expressed his concerns over media reports stating several people died as they didn't get timely treatment due to denial from the hospitals. He said that Bengaluru should continue to lead the country as a role model in COVID-19 management.

During previous meetings, private medical colleges had agreed upon providing around 4,500 beds, which would make the total beds available in government and private medical colleges 6,500.

The chief minister expressed dismay over some colleges not providing the number of beds as promised and also about certain lacunae which were noticed by ministers during their visit.
During this emergency situation, we should show humanity. COVID and non-COVID patients shall not be denied treatment and the balance in healthcare system shall be maintained, he advised.

He assured them of all support, including providing doctors and nurses if need be.
The private medical colleges had assured to provide 50 per cent of beds and some colleges offered 80 per cent of the beds for COVID treatment.

Nodal officers have already been appointed to monitor the availability of beds in these medical colleges.

It was decided to issue a notice to Vaidehi Medical College for their absence in the meeting.

Ballari, Apr 18: Hosapete town in Ballari district of Karnataka gasped in disbelief as it turned out that 11 members of one single family are positive for the coronavirus.

The whole town has been declared a containment zone and is being surveilled 24X7.

The family includes seven members whose tests returned positive today, three who tested Covid-19 positive on March 30 and one other member subsequently.

The seven who tested positive today had been negative when they were earlier tested along with the others.

They have all now been shifted to isolation wards at the District Hospital in Ballari.

Including this family of 11, Ballari has 13 positive cases so far, with one case each reported from Ballari and Siraguppa towns.

Startled by this sudden upsurge from Hosapete, the district administration has set up 16 fever clinics to screen people and six COVID care centres to treat positive cases. There are two dedicated COVID hospitals, one at Ballari and another at Torangallu in Sandur.

A team of psychological counsellors have been put on duty to provide support to the patients at the isolation centres.

New Delhi, Feb 21: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the sedition case registered against a Karnataka school management for allegedly allowing students to stage an anti-CAA, anti-NRC drama that 'portrayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in poor light'.

The petition seeks quashing of the FIR against the principal and other staff of the Shaheen School at Bidar who have been booked under sections 124-A (sedition) and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the Indian Penal Code.

In the petition filed on Thursday, social activist Yogita Bhayana has also sought an apex court direction for a proper mechanism to deal with alleged government misuse of the sedition law.

Section 124A of the IPC says that "whoever brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards... the Government shall be punished with imprisonment for life...".

Bhayana, in the plea, has sought a direction to the Centre and the Karnataka government "to quash the FIR registered in connection of seditious charges against the school management, teacher and a widowed parent of a student for staging a play criticizing CAA, NRC, and NPR."

The petition claimed the police "also questioned students, and videos and screenshots of CCTV footage showing them speaking to the students were shared widely on social media, prompting criticism."

It further quoted the school principal, alleging that "on one occasion, police in uniform questioned students, with no child welfare officials present".

The plea said that the "proceedings were violative of Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty) of the Constitution and abuse of process of law."

"Issue an order directing the Centre to constitute a committee to scrutinise complaints under 124-A IPC and adhere to judgments by the apex court before registering the FIR under the section 124-A IPC," the petition said.

The drama was staged on January 21 by students of fourth, fifth and sixth standard.

The sedition case was filed based on a complaint from social worker Neelesh Rakshyal on January 26.

The complainant has alleged that the school authorities "used" the students to perform a drama where they "abused" Modi in the context of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens.