Mangaluru: Basheer buried amidst tears and prayers; family appeals for peace

Bengaluru, Jun 14: Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar on Sunday said there was no question of reimposition of the lockdown amid speculation that it would be done.

"The question of lockdown is not in front of us. There is such speculation as the Prime Minister is holding a video conference with all Chief Ministers on June 16 and 17.

On June 17 our state will be taking part in it at around 3 pm," Mr Sudhakar said in response to a question.

Speaking to reporters at Kalaburagi, he said the current situation would be discussed in that meeting. Mr Sudhakar said the Prime Minister has repeatedly been holding such video conferencing exercises to take stock of the situation and plan for the future.

"There will not be a lockdown anymore according to me," he added.

There has been speculation that there would be another shutdown from this month owing to a rapid rise in the number of cases.

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Mr Sudhakar had on Friday said experts have indicated a surge in COVID-19 cases in the state in August and that the government was taking all precautionary measures in that direction.

As of June 13 evening, cumulatively 6,824 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 81 deaths and 3,648 discharges.

Bengaluru, Jul 6: Criminal cases will be registered against private hospitals that refuse treatment to COVID-19 patients, Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference here at Vidhana Soudha, he said: "No hospital should refuse to admit patients and if any hospital is found denying treatment criminal cases will be registered against them."

He spoke to media persons after returning from his surprise visit to Jayanagar General Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Chest Hospital responded to the questions regarding private hospitals refusing to treat covid patients.

"The government has come up with 6 different systems for treatment of COVID-19 patients. COVID care centres, government medical colleges, private medical college, government hospitals, corporate hospitals and home isolation with proper facilities and according to government guidelines," the minister added.

Dr Sudhakar gave the statistics of 4 metropolitan cities in the country including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.

"Bengaluru's and the mortality rate is the lowest at 1.46%. The aim is to increase testing by optimal utilisation of capacity especially in private labs. Once we increase testing, it is natural that the positive cases will also increase," he said.

"So citizens need not panic due to this but should take all precautionary measures. He advised to get tested in the nearest fever clinics as soon as any symptoms like cough, fever etc are found. Guidelines regarding the home isolation will be released soon," the minister said.

He announced that 400 ambulances will be deployed in Bengaluru and 2 each for every ward.

He said that the government recommended patients at private hospitals will be provided with insurance under Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust.

"If private hospitals refuse to admit the patients, call 1912 helpline to get assistance. If admitted in Private hospital voluntarily the treatment cost will be borne by patients as per the rates fixed by the government," Sudhakar said.

He said that the cost of testing at private labs has been capped at Rs 2,200 as per test.

Belagavi, Feb 22: A madrasa in Karnataka’s Belagavi district hosted a Hindu-Muslim mass marriage on its premises on Friday, sending a strong message of communal amity. As many as 76 Muslim couples and 25 Hindu couples entered marital life on the occasion.

Madarsa Al Arabia Anwarul Ulooma, an Islamic religious institute in Bailhongal, 50km from Belagavi district headquarters, played host to the event that was organised by Jamia Faizan-ul-Quran and Issa Foundation, which has conducted mass marriages on a bigger scale in Gujarat.

The mass marriage comes a month after the 100-year-old Cheravally Jamaat Masjid in Kerala’s Kayamkulam in Alappuzha hosted a Hindu wedding, complete with a vegetarian feast for 4,000 people. A Hindu priest led the rituals, and the couple sought the blessings of chief imam Riyasudeen Faizy of the mosque.

At Bailhongal, moulvis and pontiffs led the marriage proceedings and asked the couples to read passages from Quran and Bhagvad Gita.

The Hindu couples were gifted a copy of the Gita, and newly-married Muslim couples received a copy of Quran. The organisers provided each Hindu bride a mangalsutra. Bailhongal MLA Mahantesh Koujalagi blessed the couples at the event, which was attended by more than 4,000 people.

Mohammad Rafique A Naik, a member of Jamia Faizan-ul-Quran, said they have gifted each couple a refrigerator, an almirah and a tailoring machine. Ranjita Kalala, a bride who married a daily-wage labourer, said her family couldn’t afford the cost of a wedding, adding, “When we learnt about the Bailhongal madrassa’s plan, we agreed to sign up because it also sends out a message of communal harmony.”