Sri Lanka bans covering the face with veils after terror attacks

Ballari, June 30: A video clip of dead bodies of covid-19 victims being disgracefully thrown into a pit said to be in Karnataka’s Ballari has gone viral on social media triggering outrage from netizens.

Ballari Deputy Commissioner SS Nakul ordered a probe. He told media persons that the veracity of the video is still under question and that it still needs to be established if the video was taken in Ballari.

In the video, a pit is seen which appears to be disinfected. The video features masked men covered in body suits bringing dead bodies from a black hearse van in black body bags one by one and throwing the dead bodies into the same pit. In all, three dead bodies are thrown into the same pit in the video.

"We have assigned an Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) to enquire and verify the same. We are awaiting reports. We don't know yet if it (the video) is from Ballari or not," Nakul said.

The district which has so far reported around 800 cases in the last three months has also witnessed around two dozen deaths.

Twitterati on Tuesday raised questions about the handling of the bodies. "Even dead have some respect and they deserved a decent burial," said a social activist from Ballari. Similar reactions echoed on social media and some also pointed out on how the family members who have to stay away from burials feel about it.

Covid burial protocol

According to the protocol set by the Union Health Ministry for the burial of Covid-19 patients, the patients' orifices (nose, mouth and ears) have to be sealed and the body has to be wrapped in three layers of personal protective equipment (PPE). Thereafter it should be placed in a body bag. Family members should not be allowed to accompany the body in the hearse van. Covid-19 victims have to be given a deep burial. The grave should be minimum 10-feet deep.

The grave should be disinfected with bleaching powder and the area should be cordoned off so that the general public is not in the vicinity.  The vehicle used to transport the dead body of a Covid-19 victim -- ambulance or a hearse van -- has to be disinfected for 16 hours before being used again. Most Covid-19 victims in the state have had burials in the absence of family members as they are generally in quarantine for being the primary contacts of the patient.

Karnataka | Covid victims’ bodies thrown into pit; probe ordered after video goes viral pic.twitter.com/gOykDU7UKn

— coastaldigest.com (@coastaldigest) June 30, 2020

Bengaluru, Jun 30: Private medical colleges in Bengaluru have agreed to join hands with the Karnataka government for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

The representatives from private medical colleges have promised the state government to provide 2000 beds immediately and another 4500 beds will be added within a week.

The development took place as Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday held a second round of meeting with representatives of private hospitals at Vidhana Soudha over COVID-19. 

The Chief Minister and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar held separate meetings with the representatives from private colleges administration and all the private colleges have assured to extend their support to the government decision. 

"There are 11 private and three government medical colleges in the city and we will get about 6500 beds from these for COVID treatment," Dr Sudhakar informed media after the meeting.

He further said, "These facilities including doctors and staff will be made available to the government within a week and the beds will be allocated to COVID patients through BBMP's centralised system. The insurance facility will be extended to the doctors and staff serving in these private hospitals also."

PG students in private medical colleges and other staff will be utilised in COVID Care Centres, the minister said.

"There will be some changes in the treatment protocols going forward. The decision regarding this will be taken in the meeting that will be held in the evening under the chairmanship of the CM," the minister explained.

According to him, symptomatic patients, persons aged above 60 years and those with comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension and serious kidney, liver, lungs and heart-related ailments will be admitted to hospitals. 

Other asymptomatic persons will be monitored in COVID care centres. Detailed notification with these guidelines will be released tomorrow, the minister said.

The meeting was chaired by CM BS Yediyurappa and Deputy CM Ashwatnarayana, Ministers Basavaraj Bommai, R Ashoka and senior officials were also present.

Belagavi, Jul 23: As many as 14 persons have been arrested following last night’s violence at Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS) - District Hospital.

Angered over the death of a Covid-19 patient, family members had turned violent and damaged the BIMS with stones and set an ambulance on fire alleging medical negligence. 

The 55-year-old male had been admitted to the hospital for treatment on July 19, for treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and was positive for Covid-19 according to the report received on Wednesday. He died on Wednesday night while being shifted to Intensive Care Unit for treatment of respiratory problems.

Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Two persons were detained in the spot and 12 persons later. The matter is under investigation and the police have launched a manhunt to nab the other accused.

During the violence, a police personnel and five other hospital staff suffered injuries.

Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC were imposed in the areas surrounding the hospital to prevent crowd gathering. 

Deputy Commissioner M G Hiremath visited BIMS on Wednesday night and held a meeting with the doctors and nurses treating the patients and those who were at the receiving end of the violence.

Hiremath said that he instilled confidence among the doctors and nurses and assured them that safety measures would be taken. Security arrangements will be made and prohibitory orders will be imposed. Presently entry of people has been banned, he said.

Police Commissioner Dr K Thiyagarajan said that cases will be filed against all those responsible for the violence. People whose vehicles have been damaged can also file complaints.