APD foundation proposes govt recognition and compensation for ‘covid saviors’

Media Release
July 22, 2020

Mangaluru, Jul 22: City based APD Foundation has mooted the idea of giving state recognition and compensation for ‘Covid Saviors’, namely healthcare workers and civic officials who die in the line of duty in the war against Coronavirus pandemic. This suggestion was formally proposed by Abdullah A. Rehman, Founder & CEO, APD Foundation in a letter addressed to Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minster of India and Shri B. S. Yediyurappa, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka on July 22, 2020.

In the letter Mr. Rehman asserts that COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread devastation in the country and played havoc in the lives of the common man. In this scenario, the healthcare workers, such as doctors, nurses and paramedics along with civic officials have emerged as the saviors of the suffering humanity. They expose themselves to great personal risk while treating Covid patients. Many of them catch infection and a few of them have died. Such persons deserve to be recognized by the government for their supreme sacrifice.

Elaborating the rationale behind the proposal, the letter draws comparisons with practice of soldiers who die on the battlefield being glorified as ‘MARTYRS’. The slain soldiers are decorated posthumously with medals and titles of honour. Their families are provided with generous cash compensation so that the future of their widows, children and parents are safeguarded. They are provided with allotment of land, lucrative business opportunities like petrol pump / gas agency or reservation in government jobs for their spouse and children.

The letter suggests that healthcare workers and civic officials who succumb in the line of duty should also be similarly honoured. “Hence I propose that healthcare workers like doctors, nurses and paramedics who die while treating Covid patients should be recognized as ‘COVID SAVIORS’. Civic officials who are working for the cause should also be included in this scheme. Generous compensation should be paid to their families so that their future welfare is ensured as if they were alive,” Mr. Rehman has written.

The suggestion has been made in the wake of news reports that the Odhisha State Government has announced compensation of Rs. 50 lakhs and state honours for healthcare workers who die on Covid duty. Similarly the French government has announced a major increase in salary to its healthcare workers. In the same manner India too can provide optimum welfare to its health workers and set an example on the world stage.

“Though Covid pandemic is likely to be a temporary phenomenon, there is a need to recognize the service of those who are helping society to overcome this grave crisis. They inspire confidence in the hearts of the common people in the same manner as soldiers in uniform do. Hence I urge you to accept the suggestions made herein and announce the same at the earliest,” Mr. Rehman concludes in his letter.

Copies of the letter have also been sent to Shri Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, Mangalore, Shri D. Vedavyas Kamath, MLA, Mangalore and Smt. Sindhu B. Rupesh, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, DK District for their information and follow up action.

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News Network
July 20,2020

Udupi, July 20: A youth, who was under depression after his business came to a halt due to lockdown, has killed self in Kundapura taluk of Udupi district. 

The deceased has been identified as Nitish Shetty (31), son of Prabhakar Shetty, a resident of Giliyaru in Kota area of Kundapura. 

Shetty was running a secondhand car business in Bengaluru. The business had completely stopped due to covid-19 lockdown. 

After returning to his hometown, he could not find any other job. Hence he was under depression. Hence on July 18 he handed himself to death in his house, police said. 

A case has been registered at jurisdictional Kota police station.

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coastaldigest.com news network
July 31,2020

Mangaluru, July 31: Coronavirus related deaths in Dakshina Kannada continued to surge, with the district administration recording five more fatalities in a day, thus taking the tally to 155.

The district has recorded multiple deaths every day from July 1 to 31. A majority of the deaths are due to comorbid conditions.

Among the five deaths reported today, a 47-year-old man from Mangaluru, was admitted to private hospital on July 30, and breathed his last on the same day. He was suffering from ARDS, Type 1 respiratory failure, COPD, Type II DM, HTN and died due to cardiac arrest.

Another patient was a 75-year-old man from Bantwal, who was admitted to a private hospital on July 23, and passed away on July 30. He was suffering from acute coronary syndrome, pneumonia (ARDS), metabolic encephalopathy, acute kidney injury, systemic hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The third patient was a 63-year-old man from Mangaluru, who was admitted to a private hospital on July 18, and passed away on July 30. He was suffering from ARDS, septic shock, renal failure, and secondary bacterial infection.

The fourth patient was an 88-year-old woman from Davanagere, who was admitted to a private hospital on July 9, and passed away on July 30. She was suffering from septic shock, and secondary bacterial infection.

The fifth patient was a 75-year-old man from Mangaluru. He was admitted to Wenlock hospital on July 15, and passed away on July 30. He was suffering from refractory ARDS, septic shock, renal failure, acute coronary event, arrhythmias, pulmonary thromboembolism, and hemoperitoneum.

The district administration said that though the above patients contracted coronavirus, the exact cause of their deaths is being investigated by a team of experts and their report is awaited.

On the other hand, Dakshina Kannada district recorded a total of 204 fresh cases, taking the tally to 5,713. Among the 204 new cases are 75 primary contacts, 63 with influenza-like illness (ILI), and 14 with severe acute respiratory illness (SARI). As many as 52 cases are under investigation. As many as 70 patients were discharged on Friday from Wenlock as well as private hospitals.

As per the district health bulletin, a total of 40,706 samples have been tested so far and 34,993 out of them have tested negative. Among the 5,713 positive cases reported in the district, only 2,929 are currently active. As many as 2,631 persons have recovered and been discharged.

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News Network
May 26,2020

Bengaluru, May 26: Unknown miscreants have set ablaze 30-40 migrant labourers hutments in Bengaluru east, prompting police to take suo motu cognizance, an official said on Tuesday.

"As many as 30-40 migrant labourers' hutments have been set ablaze by unknown miscreants at Kacharakanahallin in KG Halli, we have taken suo motu cognizance of the crime," said a police official to media.

Police are investigating the arson invoking IPC Sections 143, 147, 188, 436, 123, 504, 506 and others.

"There was no loss of life in the arson as the migrant labourers were away at their hometowns because of COVID lockdown," said the official.

The labourers came from different parts of Karnataka to eke out a living and were living in those huts near the Rama Temple in KG Halli.

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