BJP to promotes Hindu unity; aims at reaching out to Dalits ahead of polls

Mangaluru, Mar 5: Chairman of Karnataka Christian Development Committee (CDC) Joylus DSouza on Thursday welcomed the allocation of a Rs 200-crore grant in the state budget for the development of the Christian community.

In his message to the Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa released to the media, DSouza said, "Christians in Karnataka welcome with gratitude the announcement of Rs 200-crore allocation for the community in the budget for fiscal 2020-21."

In 2011-12 fiscal also, Yediyurappa as Chief Minister had allocated a grant of Rs 50 crore for the community for the first time in the history of the state, he said.

The grant of Rs 200 crore this year shows Yediyurappas concern for the Christians.

I congratulate and offer my sincere gratitude on behalf of the Christian community of the state to Yediyurappa, DSouza said.

Udupi, May 16: Close on the heels of six Covid-19 cases being detected in a little over 24 hours, Udupi recorded its first death of a Covid-19 patient. The victim is a 54-year-old man from Mumbai, who died due to a heart attack on Thursday. His reports came back on Saturday, and confirmed that he had Covid-19. The Udupi district administration has arranged to carry out his last rites as per government designated guidelines for Covid-19 victims.

A medical bulletin issued by the superintendent of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, stated that the patient was admitted due to a heart-related issue on May 13.

Some members on the team that treated the patient have been quarantined. The hospital’s emergency department will operate as usual, and the outpatient department will operate as usual from 8.30am to 1pm, following government guidelines, the bulletin said. Deputy commissioner G Jagadeesha said that since the patient was from Mumbai, the authorities collected his swab sample for testing, as a precautionary measure.

The man suffered from chest pain, and was initially taken to the taluk hospital at Kundapur from where he was shifted to Kasturba Hospital, due to the seriousness of his condition. The doctors operated on him on May 13, and he suffered a severe heart attack on May 14 and died, the DC said. “Three hospital staff without PPE kits, who attended to the patient, have been quarantined,” the DC said, adding that the operating doctors and nurses had worn PPE kits.

In addition, 5 others who travelled with the person from Mumbai and 57 people with him at the Kundapur isolation centre, have been designated as primary contacts, and 38 others as secondary contacts, and quarantined. The staff at Kundapur taluk hospital too had taken precautions in handling the patient, the DC said. Udupi presently has six active cases, including a 1-year-old child and 5 others, all of whom returned from Dubai on May 12.