Hindutva extremists attack Muslim cop, attempt to shave his beard

Bengaluru, Apr 25: Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Saturday initiated Phase I clinical trials to use plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients at city-based BMC Victoria Hospital.

Sriramulu was accompanied by Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar.

"Karnataka has taken a lead role as we initiate Phase I clinical trials to use Convalescent Plasma Therapy for severe COVID-19 infected patients. BMC Victoria hospital took the first step today. We are determined to vanquish this enemy of mankind," Sriramulu said in a tweet.

"I wish our team of doctors at BMC Victoria hospital and team led by Dr US Vishal Rao a great success. This will be a torchbearer in our fight against Corona," he said in another tweet.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the state has so far reported 474 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which include 152 discharged or cured patients and 18 deaths.

Mangaluru, May 20: The Third Vande Bharat Mission flight carrying 63 repatriates from Muscat landed at Mangaluru International Airport at 8.35 pm on Wednesday. It was piloted by Mangalurean captain Michael Saldanha.

More than half of the passengers from Muscat alighted in Bengaluru where the flight landed first. Remaining 63 passengers came to Mangaluru. 

After landing, all the passengers were given health kits, food and mobile SIMs, and arrangements were made to change their currency at the airport. 

A health department team screened each passenger, after which emigration formalities were completed. Their throat swab samples will be tested for Covid-19 on Thursday.

Union fertiliser minister D V Sadananda Gowda tweeted on Wednesday that the next Vande Bharat Mission flight is scheduled on Friday from Doha to Mangaluru. The flight will land at Mangaluru at 9.55 pm. 

The third repatriation flight from Dubai to Mangaluru is scheduled on Saturday. It will first land at Bengaluru and later fly to Mangaluru. However, there are no flights from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to Mangaluru.

Bengaluru, Apr 8: In another incident of health staff involved in coronavirus containment facing trouble, two ASHA workers were allegedly manhandled at Kudachi in Belagavi district in Karnataka on Tuesday while undertaking a survey following detection of four COVID-19 cases with Tablighi links in the area, police said.

The district authorities have intensified door-to-door survey in Kudachi after four people who had attended the Tablighi Jamat religious conference in New Delhi last month tested positive for coronavirus in nearby Raibagh.

“Today when two ASHA workers went to Kudachi, some miscreants snatched away their phones. We are investigating whether they were beaten up also,” a police officer investigating the matter told PTI.

A few days ago, four ASHA workers here were manhandled when they went for a door-to-door survey and police have arrested five people from a minority community. They have been remanded to judicial custody by a court.

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda had on Monday condemned incidents of attacks on doctors and health department workers and sought protection for them.