Hindutva activists brutally attack migrant workers, call them terrorists'

Bengaluru, Apr 22: In order to infuse confidence among people to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Karnataka government on Wednesday launched a helpline 'Apthamitra' with an exclusive toll free number and a mobile app, aimed at providing required medical advice and guidance for those in need.

The help line and app was launched by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in the presence of senior Ministers and officials of the department.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Yediyurappa said that the help line was need at this crucial juncture. “If anyone has symptoms of Coronavirus, they can call the helpline from their home, get medical advice or assistance and get their doubts cleared. 

People who call to know the symptoms, an expert team of doctors will advice on what to do next.”

Bengaluru, Jul 20: Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy has urged the Karnataka government to stop putting warning signboards in front of COVID-19 patients' houses alleging that they are leading to "social discrimination and untouchability" in the present times.

"A local government warning signboards in front of the homes of COVID-19 infected people is leading to neo-social discrimination and untouchability in the new age. Even after infection, the individual and family should live with dignity. The government should immediately stop the practice of placing signboards," Kumaraswamy's first tweet read.

"Instead of placing them in front of their homes and creating untouchability, send health workers to their homes to create courage and awareness. They should be told not to leave the house. There is no such degrading practice left behind. I would like to ask Chief Minister Karnataka BS Yediyurappa to pay attention to this," he added.

The former chief minister further said that threatening to cancel the licenses of medical colleges for refusing treatment to patients would not solve the problem and urged the government to take them into confidence instead of rebuking them.

"Refusing treatment is the fault of any hospital. But for the same reason, threatening to cancel government medical college licenses is not right. There is no profit in this emergency of health. MCI also has the power to revoke the licenses of medical colleges. Remember not the government," he said.

"In this case, the government should look to the Medical Colleges to get their services in order to get them to trust them instead of getting angry. Let them focus on meeting their needs. I insist on a collective fight against the coronavirus through this," he further added.

The COVID-19 count in Karnataka reached 63,772 on Sunday, including 39,370 active cases and 23,065 cured and discharged patients.

Mangaluru, Jan 1: Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said here on Tuesday that the State government will think about making policy on giving compensation to the families of those who have died in police firing.

Speaking to newsmen here on Tuesday, he said that the government withholding compensation to the families of two persons who died in police firing in the city on December 19 after a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act turned violent and even in 2006 when two persons had died in police firing at Mulky in Dakshina Kannada the then State government had not given any compensation to their families.

In the latest case, the First Information Report (FIR) has named the two persons who had died in the firing as the accused. After the incident, there were demands to provide compensation to the families of the victims.