A team of medical professionals has come forward to assess the concerns around the impending third wave.
Madikeri :
The Kodagu district administration is prepping up for the predicted third wave of coronavirus even as the Covid positivity rate has gradually decreased below five percent. Keeping this in mind, the Paediatric wing of the district Covid hospital is being enhanced with suitable medical equipment and requests in this regard have been forwarded to the state government.
Somal also revealed that a team of medical professionals has come forward to assess the concerns around the impending third wave.
Dr Cariappa, Dean of Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences confirmed that the paediatric ventilator facility is being increased to 40 from current seven at the district hospital.
A new oxygen generator unit will soon be installed at the KIMS campus. District superintendent of KIMS confirmed that the nursing staff will be trained to handle the paediatric cases.
According to the official data, nine paediatric positive cases have been reported in Kodagu till date.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Prajna GR, Express News Service / June 17th, 2021
Journalists turn active partners in servicing Covid affected people
HIGHLIGHTS
Journalists in this hill district have proved that they can go beyond their call of duty and serve society actively.
Madikeri:
Journalists in this hill district have proved that they can go beyond their call of duty and serve society actively.
The Kodagu district Press Club president Ramesh Kuttappa has formed ‘Madhyama Spandana’ to reach out to the poor, disabled and Covid patients after the pandemic broke out in the country over a year ago.
The team supplies food and medicines to coronavirus patients with the money raised from donors. As the district is hilly terrain, no public transport is available for the poor to buy medicines. The team comprising 50 journalists have supported poor families by paying school fees of their children.
The State government has declared journalists as Covid warriors keeping in view their exposure to the danger of getting infected with coronavirus while covering news. Some journalists have proved true to the distinction conferred on them by the government by volunteering to serve Covid patients in their leisure time. In one instance, the team of journalists arranged a vehicle to ferry five patients to Mysuru hospital for a medical emergency.
Amid lockdown rural people, in particular, are facing much trouble in seeking medical help. But a phone call to ‘Madhyama Spandana’ is enough. A team of journalists readily help them reach hospital. If needed, medicines are delivered at their doorstep. The team also distributed free food kits to the poor.
On May 16, when volunteers were unavailable, ‘Madhyama Spandana’ team stepped in to perform the final rites of an 85-year-old resident of Balamuri village near Madikeri. The family of the deceased, who had also tested positive for Covid, wanted to cremate him at an estate located half a km away from their residence.
But as they were Covid positive, none of the villagers came forward to help them. The son of the deceased man then turned to volunteers of ‘Madhyama Spandana’ who cremated the body. The team has provided a laptop to a poor college student in another case.
Speaking to The Hans India on Saturday, Press Club president Ramesh Kuttappa said his team was doing a humble service in their own small way. “Everyday, we hear tragic stories of deaths, hunger and disease. These are all depressing. Instead of merely reporting daily miseries, we have planned to support the poor and needy.”
source: http://www.thehansindia.com / The Hans India / Home> News> State> Karnataka / by Coovercolly Indresh, Hans News Service / June 13th, 2021
BM Pushpavathi, an Anganwadi teacher from rural Kodagu, has donned multiple hats during the pandemic.
BM Pushpavathi
Madikeri :
BM Pushpavathi, an Anganwadi teacher from rural Kodagu, has donned multiple hats during the pandemic. Her job as school teacher might have taken a backseat, but her responsibilities have trebled, as she shuffles her roles as healthcare worker, inspector, motivator and nurse.
“Anganwadis across the district shut their doors on March 14 last year. Since then, we are on the field, fighting the pandemic,” said Pushpavathi.
She is from Bettageri village in Madikeri taluk, and has so far visited 120 houses in the area to check on residents who have tested Covid-19 positive.
“I, alongwith an ASHA worker and healthcare assistant, visit houses of patients in my area and ensure that they stay indoors for 14 days. We also ensure that no one enters containment zones. During the first wave of the pandemic, we faced a lot of hostility as our visit exposed residents who had tested positive. But we pushed through and created awareness among people to fight the infection,” she explained.
Her responsibility as Anganwadi worker also has to be fulfilled, and she follows up on the health of pregnant women and toddlers in her area.
“Even during the pandemic, we did not shirk our responsibilities,” she said proudly.
“My job demands that I check the health of pregnant women and children aged 0-6 years. We have to ensure that pregnant women follow an ideal diet, and after delivery, we follow up on how they breastfeed babies. We create awareness on health.”
With online classes due to start soon for toddlers, she has kept ready materials that are to be shared with parents.
“I am in charge of nearly 260 families in Bettageri area and our team walks up to estates to keep track of residents’ health. However, not many know that Anganawadi teachers are involved in fighting Covid, and that sometimes makes me sad,” she said.
And all this warrior has got until now from the panchayat is free masks, and no special benefits.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Prajna G R, Express News Service / June 13th, 2021
Growers agree not to bring workers to estates from other places until June 21 as a measure to control the spread of infection
Coffee workers in Kodagu will soon get the jabs against COVID-19 with the authorities planning to launch vaccination drive in plantations for making the coffee land safe from the pandemic.
The support of large plantations and companies operating in the district has been sought for making it successful.
Former Speaker and MLA K.G. Bopaiah, who spoke about the vaccination plans, advised the owners of plantations not to use workers returning from COVID-19 Care Centres, after recovering from COVID-19, immediately for work in estates. They must be placed in quarantine for at least a week before redeployment.
“The owners must follow the guidelines and ensure control of the infection. Give priority for saving lives and health. The essential works in estates can be done using the locally available workers,” he said at a growers’ meeting in Madikeri on Thursday.
Various coffee growers’ associations in Kodagu have pledged support to the district administration for making Kodagu COVID-19 free even as the lockdown in the coffee land has been extended till June 21 based on its positivity rate.
The growers have resolved not to bring workers from other places for work in estates across Kodagu until June 21. It was decided to make use of the locally available workers.
Earlier, Mr .Bopaiah, who chaired the meeting, said COVID-19 was coming under control in Kodagu. However, there have been reports of infection being reported among workers coming here for work. “The estate owners must avoid bringing workers from other places for the time being. This measure can help us in fighting the pandemic effectively and preventing the spread,” he observed.
Mr. Bopaiah warned of seizing vehicles ferrying workers from other places.
The growers urged the former Speaker to take a delegation to New Delhi after the lockdown ends to highlight the plight of coffee growers and the difficulties faced by the industry.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – June 11th, 2021
Once completed, free flow of oxygen supply is likely to be enabled to nearly 100 beds to treat COVID patients.
Virajpet Government Hospital
Madikeri :
Kodagu has become the first district in Karnataka to be sanctioned an oxygen converter plant. The plant is currently being installed at Virajpet Government Hospital. An oxygen converter generates oxygen from natural air.
The 1-tonne capacity oxygen converter plant is expected to be ready in the next 15 days. Once completed, there will be uninterrupted oxygen supply to nearly 100 beds to treat Covid patients. While the Madikeri Covid-19 Hospital was the only centre in the district that treated severe and moderate Covid patients, the administration opened dedicated Covid care centres (CCCs) in Virajpet and Somwarpet taluks.
However, due to shortage of availability of jumbo oxygen cylinders, the 50-bed capacity CCC in Virajpet Hospital remained shut. “The plant is being set up at a cost of Rs 1 crore. This is the first of its kind in the state and once installed, we do not have to worry about oxygen shortage,” said Dr Yatiraj, Virajpet taluk Health Officer. “We had placed a proposal for jumbo cylinders.
However, with the oxygen converter plant, we will not require any such cylinders,” Dr Yatiraj further said.
Meanwhile, the current 50 beds with oxygen units are now being expanded to 98 beds which will be connected to the oxygen converter plant. “Currently, no Covid-19 patient is being treated at the centre due to lack of oxygen cylinders. However, once the plant is ready, there will be no hurdle in treating patients,” he added.
US Surgeon Gen’s foundation donates supplies
Madikeri:
The Scope Foundation, headed by United States Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy, has donated medical supplies worth Rs 70 lakh to Kodagu. The supplies were handed over to Deputy Commissioner Charulatha Somal by senior advocate HS Chandramouli on Sunday.
Many advanced medical supplies, including 70 oxygen converters, 70 medical transformers, 5,000 face shields, Rs 1.30 lakh worth N95 masks, 50 oxygen tubes and 25 oximeters, were donated by Scope Foundation. Dr Vivek is a native of Mandya district.
The support from the foundation to Kodagu was made possible after Chandramauli, a native of the district, contacted Dr Vivek’s father Lakshmi Narasimha Murthy. The foundation has also donated similar supplies across Karnataka, including Mandya.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / June 06th, 2021
BV Prashanth, An auto driver from Kodagu, in Karnataka came forward and took the responsibility of transporting residents who had tested positive for the virus in the pandemic
________________________________
BV Prashanth, An auto driver from Kodagu, in Karnataka came forward and took the responsibility of transporting residents who had tested positive for the virus in the pandemic.
He has so far assisted in the transport of 55 COVID patients and will continue to do so till the lockdown is lifted.
Prashanth, a resident of Suntikoppa, has become a COVID warrior. Parvathy (65), his mother, was diagnosed with COVID-19 about a month ago. Her health was critical, and she was sent to the COVID Hospital in Madikeri, where she was placed on a ventilator. After a successful treatment, she returned to her home.
Prashanth saw the helplessness of many COVID sufferers during the pandemic. He had witnessed a lot of people deteriorating their situations as not being able to reach hospitals in the essential time. Many COVID patients, he noted, were hampered by the lack of transportation options.
A school teacher and her entire family, who live close to his home, also tested positive for COVID. No one offered to drive them to the COVID Hospital in Madikeri, which is about 15 kilometers distant. Prashanth recalls that he took the risk and dropped them off at the hospital. After that, he shared his phone number with WhatsApp groups and began his service on April 30.
He asked permission from the panchayat and obtained the ID card and the pass required to run the auto during the curfew in the pandemic.
He also mentioned the people whom he had carried to the hospital and lost their lives due to the disease.
Jeevan, a doctor at Suntikoppa Hospital, gives Prashanth personal protective equipment (PPE) to safeguard his safety. Sunil, a panchayat member, Rakesh, a social worker, and members of the Suntikoppa Rakshana Vedike are also supporting the project by assisting with fuel arrangements.
His initiative also includes an HIV-positive pregnant woman whom he had carried to the Madikeri Hospital. He says his work brings him great pleasure. At first, his family was concerned about his safety. However, they are now proud of her accomplishments.
source: http://www.thehansindia.com / The Hans India / Home> News> State> Karnataka / by Susmita Modak, Hans News Service / June 01st, 2021
In her letter to the Health Minister, Dr Kavery has stated that Ivermectin, particularly in the early stages of the disease, is highly effective and very safe as it does not have any side effects.
Representational image (Photo | PTI)
Madikeri :
A retired surgeon from Kodagu has written to the Union Health Minister suggesting the drug Ivermectin as a safe and economical medicine to treat COVID patients.
Dr Kavery Nambisan is a retired surgeon who completed her surgical training in England and FRCS in London. She is currently running a private clinic in the rural part of Ponnampet in Kodagu and has now written to the Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to endorse Ivermectin as an early treatment for COVID. She explained that Ivermectin was largely used in India a few years ago as a deworming tablet and has proven effective to treat COVID now.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it must be noted, has been categorical in disapproving the drug’s use, stating that they have “not approved ivermectin for use in treating or preventing COVID-19 in humans. Ivermectin tablets are approved at very specific doses for some parasitic worms, and there are topical (on the skin) formulations for head lice and skin conditions like rosacea. Ivermectin is not an anti-viral (a drug for treating viruses)”.
The World Health Organisation too has recommended that ivermectin must only be used for COVID-19 treatment within clinical trials.
Dr Kavery though disagrees. “A scientist in Australia conducted an in vitro study last year and published a paper on how Ivermectin is an effective drug to treat COVID-19. This was practically followed by a doctor in Bangladesh and the drug proved to be effective. An Indian origin doctor in South Africa, Dr Shankara Chetty, has treated over 4000 COVID patients successfully with Ivermectin,” she told The New Indian Express.
The doctor confirmed that the drug has been approved by ICMR and AIIMS Delhi. She added that the states of Orissa, Goa and Uttar Pradesh are largely using Ivermectin as an early treatment for COVID patients.
In her letter to the Health Minister, Dr Kavery has stated that Ivermectin, particularly in the early stages of the disease, is highly effective and very safe as it does not have any side effects. “It is safer than any antibiotic currently in use and it is cheap,” she has written.
She affirmed that more than 20 large clinical, peer-reviewed trials around the world have shown that the drug Ivermectin reduces virus multiplication effectively in 74% of patients and prevents second or inflammatory stage. “Even if an Ivermectin user gets COVID, it will be a mild attack and not serious,” she has affirmed in the letter.
She has analyzed that the vaccination drive across the country will take another eight to ten months to witness completion, during which the unprotected population will continue to get infected and transmit the disease.
“The repeated mutations will lead to a cycle of repeated vaccinations and booster and India will remain in the pandemic mode for many years. The use of Ivermectin will reduce COVID infections, transmission, virus mutations and death. It is only among the very few who reach the second stage of the disease that we need to do blood tests and give a short course of low-dose steroid and anticoagulant. The percentage of patients that will need hospital admission, oxygen and critical care will be greatly reduced with the use of Ivermectin,” she has written.
She has requested the Health Minister to take a decisive step and make the use of Ivermectin mandatory in the early stages of the disease.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / June 01st, 2021
United States surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy has donated Covid related medical equipment to small hospitals in Mandya and Kodagu districts.
Murthy a native of Hallegere in Mandya district contributing through his Scope Foundation.
Madikeri:
United States surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy has donated Covid related medical equipment to small hospitals in Mandya and Kodagu districts. Murthy a native of Hallegere in Mandya district contributing through his Scope Foundation.
Vivek’s father Lakshmi Narasimha Murthy told reporters on Monday that shipment of medical equipments worth Rs 1.40 crores already despatched to 12 hospitals in two districts which facing a shortage of equipments. He said taluk hospitals and two PHCs were selected for this.
He said consignment contains 70 oxygen concentrators with adapter, 25 digital oral thermometers, 1,96,000 K95 face masks, 5000 full-face shields, 5000 forehead foam, 300 surgical earlobe masks, 1200 medical face shields, 400 nitrile powder-free gloves, 50 oxygen cannula and five voltage transformers.
The foundation also plans to build a Covid ward at the cost of Rs one crore.
source: http://www.thehansindia.com / The Hans India / Home> News> States>Karnataka / by Hans News Service / June 01st, 2021
Giving a dignified closure to unclaimed, untouched bodies
Kushalnagar:
COVID-19 is a lonely disease where last rites have become a tragic, solitary affair. At times, families who have lost their loved ones to the contagion are reluctant to perform the final rites and even refuse to claim the bodies of their kin.
That’s where volunteers of the Seva Bharati organisation in Kushalnagar, Kodagu, come in, treating these unclaimed bodies as more than a name tag, a body bag or a cadaver and giving them a dignified farewell. The worst of times have brought out the best among people, as these unsung heroes quietly perform last rites without compromising on rituals, such as the faith of the deceased.
The pandemic has wreaked havoc on Kodagu and given the spread of the virus, family members are wary of performing the last rites of their loved ones, and are relying on the kindness of these volunteers. Every day, around 18 volunteers are busy performing the last rites of those who succumbed to COVID-19. Kodagu has seen over 204 deaths so far due to the virus.
“A man had died after contracting COVID-19 last year and his family was not aware of the protocol. Those were the early days when the caseload was manageable. “Nobody came forward to do the final rites of the deceased person. It was then that we decided to step in and perform the last rites ourselves. This is where we have started and we have been continuing this work even now, during the second wave where the death rate has spiked,” said advocate from Harangi Bharat Machaiah, who leads the Seva Bharati team.
58 bodies cremated so far
“We have so far cremated 58 bodies in the second wave alone and the numbers keep growing by the day. It is heart-breaking as families refuse to perform the last rites of their loved one who has passed away. We have performed the last rites of people belonging to all communities with the sole intention of giving them a dignified send-off,” he said.
The volunteers do not charge a single rupee from the family of the deceased and perform all the tasks free of cost. Their contact numbers are circulating across the hospitals and crematoriums and they are continuously getting calls from families. Hospital and crematoriums are also approaching them.
The Seva Bharati volunteers have been carrying out the last rites as per the religious practices of the deceased, by following all precautionary measures suggested by the Government and World Health Organisation and they get their PPE kits from the Government.
Alert round-the-clock
The team of dedicated workers is on alert round-the-clock and as soon as they receive information on the need to perform last rites, they reach the spot and begin preparations. Not only Madikeri, the team goes anywhere in the district if they get a call and perform the last rites — distance and terrain do not matter here. Before conducting the rituals, the deceased’s family members are consulted to know about the rituals as per their religion and caste.
Along with Bharat Machaiah, the other team members who are doing this noble deed are Navneeth Ponnetti, Rajiv, Dinesh, K.K. Janardhan, Ranjit, P.K. Raghu, Tanmay, Sandeep, Roopesh, Prashanth, Nuthan, Nandan, Akshay, Manjunath, Vinu and Shivaram. “Some relatives do not come even for immersion of ashes. They are scared despite we all knowing that the virus dies in fire. We also perform the last rituals like immersion of ashes where rivers meet after the body is burnt,” Bharat Machaiah said.
“Cremating the dead while wearing PPE suits is difficult especially when the temperatures are rising but the courage and inspiration to offer service comes from within and there is a supernatural power guiding us,” said a volunteer. “We have had to face quite a bit of opposition from our families initially. We have had a hard time making them understand that we are taking all precautions. Even our families are worried about our safety. Now they have started recognising our work and they appreciate our tireless service,” he said.
Journalists also pitch in
Apart from doing their routine job in media, a group of journalists performed the last rites of an elderly man who died of COVID-19. Reporters associated with ‘Madhyama Spandana’ that was formed for COVID relief works got a call from a remote village near Parane as local villagers were reluctant to help the victim’s family perform the last rites.
The team comprising Rejith Kumar Guyya, Pappu Thimmaiah, Praveen and Anish and another person Shareen rushed to the village after collecting PPE kits from Siddapura Panchayat and performed the last rites as per the family tradition.
The house was located at a hilly terrain and this did not deter the journalists.
The reporters said that they helped poor people get beds in hospitals and supplied food kits, medicines and other essentials to the needy after spending from their own pockets.
This is for the first time that they performed the last rites of a COVID victim.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 20th, 2021
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