36 private doctors died of covid-19 in Karnataka in 3 months

News Network
September 12, 2020

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Bengaluru, Sept 12: As many as 36 doctors from private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics succumbed to Covid-19 in the past three months across Karnataka, according to the state chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

The deceased include gynaecologists, psychiatrists and general physicians who are yet to be covered by the government’s compensation scheme.

IMA-Karnataka has written to the CM seeking compensation for their families. A psychiatrist from Ballari, a gynaecologist from Shivamogga, a 65-year-old anaesthetist from Mysuru, a 68-year-old general medical practitioner from Bengaluru and a paediatrician from Athani are among the deceased.

Pvt docs not considered Covid warriors?

Dr Shivanand Murgode, 69, a gynaecologist from Hukkeri in Belagavi district, who was working even during the lockdown, died on July 31.

“He was conducting deliveries, surgeries and consultations throughout the pandemic. All he would ask was if the patient had any symptoms. He may have treated asymptomatic carriers. He was very uncomfortable wearing PPEs and could not use them. He would wear a mask and gloves. We lost him because he was a workaholic,” said his ophthalmologist-son Dr Sachin Murgode.

Dr Madhusudan Kariganuru, president, IMA, Karnataka alleged that the state government has not considered these private healthcare professionals as Covid warriors. “A private doctor should also be covered by government insurance of Rs 50 lakh. The government must look into the matter,” he added.

An IMA member from Bengaluru, who has been treating Covid patients said the death of doctors was the result of hospitals turning into hotspots. “These doctors have treated confirmed and suspected Covid-19 caes but are not considered Covid warriors. They were all infected possibly through patients they treated. No family of dead doctors has been contacted by the government so far,” the doctor said.

In Mysuru, a septuagenarian doctor, who retired from the medical education department, died in July. “He developed fever two days after treating a vegetable vendor with Covid symptoms. He sent his patient for testing and he turned out to be positive,” his relative said.

However, the health and family welfare department is unaware of the deaths of these doctors. Pankaj Kumar Pandey, commissioner, said he has asked all medical and paramedical associations to submit a list of doctors, nurses, technicians and other healthcare workers who have succumbed to Covid-19.

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News Network
March 21,2025

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Assembly on Friday passed Bills doubling the salaries of the chief minister, ministers, and legislators, adding an annual burden of ₹62 crore on the exchequer.

The CM's monthly salary will increase from ₹75,000 to ₹1.5 lakh, while ministers will see a 108% hike, from ₹60,000 to ₹1.25 lakh. MLAs and MLCs will get ₹80,000 per month, up from ₹40,000, and their pension will rise from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000.

The Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill and the Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (Amendment) Bill were passed without debate, as the Opposition BJP protested in the well of the House.

The Bills cited the rising cost of living as justification for the hike. The Assembly Speaker and Legislative Council chairperson will now receive ₹1.25 lakh per month, up from ₹75,000.

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News Network
March 28,2025

chaos.jpg

When the ground violently shook beneath his feet, Prem Kishore Mohanty, an Indian expatriate in Bangkok, was attending his five-year-old daughter's school sports day. What began as a routine event—children competing, parents cheering—quickly turned into a moment of panic as tremors struck.

"I felt my head spinning and had to sit down. The overhead lights swayed, and chairs moved," said Mr. Mohanty, 44. The school's PA system quickly announced an emergency evacuation, directing everyone to the outdoor field while warning against using nearby lanes lined with high-rise towers.

Water from rooftop swimming pools, including those at the InterContinental Bangkok, cascaded down buildings, as captured in viral videos.

Fear and Chaos as Bangkok Shakes
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake, with its epicenter in Myanmar, sent powerful tremors into Thailand, bringing Bangkok to an abrupt standstill. Public transport was suspended, traffic snarled, and people evacuated buildings, waiting anxiously for the all-clear.

Earthquakes are rare in Bangkok, a city more accustomed to heat and monsoons than seismic shocks. For the Mohanty family, who live in a high-rise apartment in Sukhumvit, confusion and fear gripped them as the evacuation began.

"It was terrifying. We were told to take the fire escape stairwell and wait outside. There was no time to think," Mr. Mohanty recalled.

Now safe, he remains shaken by the unexpected jolt that turned a normal day into a moment of chaos for his family and thousands across the city.

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Agencies
March 19,2025

Kanpur (UP): The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad on Wednesday arrested an employee of the Kanpur Ordnance Factory for allegedly sharing classified and sensitive information with a Pakistani intelligence operative through social media, according to a statement.

The accused, identified as Kumar Vikas, was employed as a Junior Works Manager at the Kanpur Ordnance Factory, the ATS said in the statement.

He was in contact with a suspected Pakistani agent who used the alias "Neha Sharma", it said. Investigations revealed that Vikas had been sending confidential documents and sensitive data related to ordnance manufacturing, employee attendance sheets, machine layouts, and production charts via WhatsApp.

On March 13, ATS arrested another Ordnance Factory employee, Ravindra Kumar, from Hazratpur, Firozabad, for similar offenses. His interrogation led ATS officials to Vikas, who had also been in contact with the suspected Pakistani agent since January 2025.

Authorities said the Pakistani agent introduced herself as an employee of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and initially contacted Vikas on Facebook. They later exchanged mobile numbers and continued their communication on WhatsApp.

To avoid detection, they used the Ludo gaming app for covert conversations, the statement read. Vikas was allegedly lured by financial incentives to pass on classified information, it said.

Kumar Vikas has been taken into custody and further legal proceedings are under way.

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