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Police torture victims still wait for compensation

June 8, 2012
Mangalore, June 8: Engineering student Joel Vaz said on Thursday that he and his father are still waiting for the compensation ordered by the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) from two policemen found guilty of treating them in an inhuman manner.

The Mangalore Police Commissionerate is yet to realise the compensation amount from the two policemen and take disciplinary action as directed by the Commission. The case is related to the incident involving engineering student Joel Vaz, his father Justine Vaz and Gangadhara Shetty. The then police sub-inspector of Mangalore Rural Police station K. Prakash and constable David D'Souza were accused of making the three stand naked in the police station and then making one of them remove the pubic hair of the other in June 2010.

The KSHRC took sou motu notice of the incident and had directed the then Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Ramesh to submit a report. Mr. Ramesh found the allegations to be true. In his report, Mr. Ramesh termed the act of the two policemen as “unfortunate, inhuman, and undesirable”.

Accepting his report, the SHRC on August 6, 2011 directed the two policemen to pay compensation of Rs. 25,000 to each of the three victims. The Commission directed the Police Commissioner to recover the compensation amount in three months and also take disciplinary action against the two policemen.

Mr. Joel Vaz told presspersons on Thursday that they had not yet received compensation amount announced by the SHRC.

The Mangalore Police Commissioner was yet to initiate any disciplinary action as recommended by the SHRC. “I have submitted a representation in this regard to the Police Commissioner few days ago. I have not received any reply so far,” Mr. Joel said. Just a few days ago, he received intimation from the High Court about appeal filed by Mr. Prakash against the SHRC order, he added.

Mr. Joel and two others said in the statement that the disciplinary inquiry, which started in 2010, had not concluded yet. They accused Police Commissioner of instituting the inquiry in order to favour Mr. Prakash.

P.B. D'Sa from Peoples Union for Civic Liberties, who spoke on behalf of the three victims, said directions of SHRC holds good as the High Court had not stayed the SHRC order.

Reaction

Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said following the SHRC order he did issue orders for recovery of the compensation. The process stopped following objection raised by Mr. Prakash.

“As the officer no longer works under me, the file has been moved to the unit officer under whom Prakash is now working,” he said.

Mr. Singh said the inquiry was still going on. When pointed out to the long time taken for concluding the inquiry, Mr. Singh said “there cannot be a long or short inquiry”.

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News Network
July 3,2020

New Delhi, Jul 3: Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in Karnataka have emerged as a "crucial pillar in the state's success" in combating Covid-19, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.

Acknowledging and praising their work, the ministry said they have been actively participating in household surveys in the state, screening inter-state passengers, migrant workers and others in the community for symptoms of the infection,

“Around 42,000 ASHAs have emerged as a crucial pillar in the state's success” in combating Covid-19, the ministry said.

"Recognizing the increased vulnerability of certain population groups to Covid-19, in a one-time survey to identify households with the elderly, persons with co-morbidities, and immune-compromised individuals, about 1.59 crore households were covered," the ministry said in a statement.

ASHAs regularly monitor such high-risk groups in their area with a periodicity of follow-up visits varying from once a day in the containment zones to once every 15 days in other areas, it said.

They also visit the houses of persons complaining influenza-like-illness (ILI) symptoms and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), besides high-risk individuals who have called the state health department helpline numbers, the ministry said.

ASHAs are a part of the Rural Task Force, headed by Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) at the Gram Panchayat level, for addressing public grievances on both Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 related services.

ASHAs are trained female community health activists selected from the village itself and accountable to it. They are trained to work as an interface between the community and the public health system.

In the urban areas too, they have been at the forefront of dissemination of various awareness activities in fever clinics and swab collection centres in urban areas.

They have also actively screened cases of ILI and SARI in urban areas. They are also part of the screening teams at international and interstate check-posts.

Karnataka has reported 272 Covid-19 deaths and 18,016 cases, according to the health ministry data updated at 8 AM.

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News Network
August 6,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 6: No private hospital in Karnataka can turn away a patient without attending to him or her, irrespective of the Coronavirus status, an official has said.

"Private medical establishments shall not deny treatment and admission to any patient approaching the establishment irrespective of the fact that such patient may or may not be suffering from Covid-19," an official from the state Health and Family Welfare Department said on Wednesday.

Likewise, no private hospital can insist on a patient for a Covid-19 test report, said the official invoking the Disaster Management Act.

"The establishments also cannot insist for Covid test report," he said, directing all private hospitals to strictly abide by their responsibilities.

According to the department, it is the duty of every private hospital to provide first aid and take lifesaving steps when any patient approaches it.

"It is the duty of every private medical establishment to provide first aid and take lifesaving measures to stabilise the patient," he said.

The department also invoked statutes from Karnataka Medical Establishments Act 2017, under sections 11 and 11 (A) to drive home the message.

The directives assume significance at a time when several cases of private hospitals denying admissions and fleecing patients across the state have emerged.

"It has been noticed that some of the private hospitals are refusing treatment and admission to emergency patients, causing distress and this has resulted in complications, leading to death in certain cases," said the official.

The district authorities have been directed to take action on the erring hospitals as the department reiterated the responsibilities of private medical establishments.

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News Network
May 21,2020

Kozhikode, May 21: Six employees of a private clinic here and a taxi driver have been put on mandatory 14 days quarantine as a lady gynaecologist running the dispensary tested positive for COVID-19 in Bengaluru.

District Medical Officer Dr V Jayashree said the gynaecologist had returned to Karnataka a fortnight ago and tested positive while she was on quarantine there. Six staff members of the clinic at nearby Thamarassery and the taxi driver who dropped her inBengaluruon May 5 have been asked to go on quarantine, she said.

Patients had visited the clinic, belonging to the gynaecologist and her doctor husband, till April-end. Sources said the district administration is trying to figure out thecontacts of the gynaecologist, including pregnant women, for being quarantined.

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