SP Annamalai warns saffron groups, media against trying to twist Dhanyashree suicide case

Bengaluru, May 14: As many as 22 new cases have been reported in Karnataka taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 981. 

The new cases include five in Bengaluru Urban - all with a contact history, four each in Gadag - with history of travel to Ahemadabad, Mandya with travel history to Mumbai, Maharashtra and Bidar - with three from containment zone and one with travel history to Mumbai, three from Davangere and one each from Belagavi and Bagalkote.

Meanwhile, two more deaths have been reported in the state on Thursday morning taking the total toll to 35. This is apart from a non-COVID-19 death.

An 80-year-old resident of Dakshina Kannada, got admitted at private hospital following a stroke. She was shifted to the icu on confirmation for Covid-19 at a designated hospital on April 26. She died on Thursday due to septic shock.

Another 60-year-old male, resident of Ananthapur in Andhra Pradesh, admitted at Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru with severe pneumonia and respiratory distress died due to cardiac arrest on Thursday morning. He had hypotension and Diabetes Mellitus, according to the morning health bulletin.

Sources in Victoria Hospital said this person was the first patient to undergo clinical trial for plasma therapy. He was infused plasma on Monday. However, his condition continued to remain the same.

Bengaluru, Jun 5: The Karnataka government has asked all its departments and authorities to avoid during all official transactions the nomenclature "Dalit" for members belonging to the Scheduled Castes.

"All the departments and authorities of government of Karnataka are requested that (use of name Dalit) for all official transactions, matters, dealings, certificates, among others," the official circular said.

The Constitutional term Scheduled Caste in English and its appropriate translation in other national languages should alone be used for denoting the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes notified in the presidential orders issued under Article 341 of the Constitution, the circular said.

The circular issued on May 20 notes instructions issued by the Central government in 2018, with reference to the order of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior Bench.

"That the Central government/state government and its functionaries would refrain from using the nomenclature "Dalit" for the members belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as the same does not find mentioned in the Constitution or any statute," the order had said.

Pointing out that the Central government had earlier issued instructions that the words "Harijan" and "Girijan" should not be used, the circular said accordingly the Karnataka government also had issued a Government Order in 2010.

Bengaluru, May 28: In a first of its kind initiative, the Karnataka government will soon launch 'Statewide Health Register', a project to maintain the health database of all its citizens, announced Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Wednesday.

The project will kick start from Chikkaballapura and Dakshina Kannada districts.

"With a vision to efficiently deliver quality healthcare to every citizen, Karnataka will soon have a Statewide Health Register. The pilot project will be implemented in Chikkaballapura & Dakshina Kannada dist shortly and completed in 3-4 months. @CMofKarnataka @PMOIndia @JPNadda," tweeted the Minister.

The government plans to get the data collected with the help of a team of Primary Health Centre (PHC) officials, revenue officials, Education Department staff and ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers.

"They will visit each household and collect health data of all the members of the family. This will not just help the government to provide better health care facilities, but also build an efficient resource allocation, management and better implementation of various citizen-centric schemes in the state," the minister added.

Sudhakar also said that the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the necessity of having a robust, real-time public health system.

"Very few countries in the world have taken such an initiative. It is a futuristic project which will include 50 per cent partnership of private hospitals. It would be a cumbersome process but if we do this and digitise it, the data could be used for multiple purposes. The data would help us prioritise healthcare based on geography, demography, and other targeted measures. It would also help medical professionals and scientists for innumerable studies," he said.

"We have consulted all specialists from 18 different departments, and taken their advice into account," said the minister.