BENGALURU: Close on the heels of the 24 Covid deaths in Chamarajanagar due to shortage of oxygen, at least 14 more such cases were reported from various parts of the state on Tuesday. Even as the deaths were attributed to oxygen shortage and messages went viral on social media, the authorities have remained in denial that the life saving gas was in short supply.

Two of the patients died due to Covid-19 while two others, who were brought to the hospital in critical condition, suspected Covid-19 patients, on Monday afternoon, died in the evening. Sources said it was not possible to even take the throat swabs of two of them as they were brought in a critical condition.Officials, however, maintained that there was no shortage of oxygen in any of the hospitals in Kalaburagi district and that the district administration is rushing oxygen cylinders as soon as requests are received.

Three persons of a family died in a span of 10 days, allegedly due to shortage of oxygen in a private hospital in Belagavi where they were admitted after they had tested Covid19 positive. The deceased are Parvati Krishna Teragaon (76), her husband Krishna Bhimappa Teragaon (80) and son Prashant Teragaon (46), all from Vidya Nagar, Belagavi. Parvati died due to Covid-19 on April 24, Krishna died on April 29 and Prashant on May 3. One of the deceased was suffering from asthma, sources said.

Chamarajanagar limping to normal
A day after 24 patients died due to lack of oxygen in Chamarajanagar, the district is limping back to normal amidst adequate supplies of oxygen, and patients getting admitted at the district hospital.

BENGALURU: At a time when hospitals are running out of oxygen and fresh Covid-19 cases in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are seeing a surge, fueling speculation over a possible extension of the existing Corona Curfew, CM BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday said that curbs already in place will continue for now. The state is under a strict ‘close down’ till May 12 with a six-hour daily window.

A miffed Yediyurappa is said to have lashed out at ministers in the cabinet meeting for failing to stay in the districts they are in charge of during this public health crisis. Yediyurappa’s government has come under severe public scrutiny, especially after 24 people — 23 of them Covid-19 patients — died in Chamarajanagar. To manage the crisis better, the CM has appointed five senior ministers of his cabinet and entrusted them with specific responsibilities.

“Jagadish Shettar will be in charge of oxygen centres and will coordinate with the Central Government to see that there is no shortage of oxygen. Deputy CM Dr C N Ashwath Narayan will coordinate with all medical colleges in the state and see to it that there is no shortage of Remdesivir doses and human resources. Ministers Basavaraj Bommai and R Ashok will look into the requirement of beds in government and private hospitals and medical colleges while Aravind Limbavali will be in charge of the BBMP War Room and ensure smooth connectivity for helplines,” he said. 

AlL district in-charge ministers have been asked to immediately camp in their districts to coordinate pandemic containment efforts.The State Government has also decided to rope in final-year nursing and AYUSH students for Covid-19 management. “We discussed the immediate need for increased oxygen supply to the state. After our request, the Union Government increased allocation from 350 tons to 850 tons per day. There is a delay in transporting oxygen from other states. Now that cases are reducing in Maharashtra, we are requesting the government to reallocate their oxygen quota to Karnataka from Jindal Steel’s supply,” Yediyurappa said. The government has appealed to the media to create awareness about patients who require hospitalisation.

“Our government has decided to consider journalists as frontline workers and accord priority in vaccination against Covid-19. We appeal to mediapersons, especially television journalists, to help us create awareness and avoid panic over the need for hospitalisation, oxygen, ventilators etc. You can help create awareness about who needs hospitalisation and who doesn’t. During times of a public health crisis, all of us have to come together,”  Yediyurappa said. Since the state is facing a shortage of vaccines, inoculating journalists under the ‘frontline workers’ quota may take a day or two to take off. 

State governments to recognise journalists as frontline workers. In April this year, the Editor’s Guild had even written to the Centre to acknowledge the work of journalists as frontline services.More than 150 journalists have died due to Covid-19 while on duty in India. Karnataka joined the likes of Punjab, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu in deeming journalists as frontline workers.

Opposition leaders as well as those from the BJP has been calling for the government to identify journalists as frontline workers and administer vaccines to them considering they report on the ground and come in close contact with Covid-19 patients and their kin apart from doctors, healthcare workers and crematorium staff. 

Former Union Minister and senior congress leader and M L C C .M Ibrahim mother Bibi Sara passed away at her residence at the age of 93 owing to age old related dieseases . she was discharged from hospital a few days ago .

NEW DELHI: More than 75 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine are available with states and union territories and they will receive over 48 lakh more within the next three days, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday.

Of this, the total consumption, including wastage, is 15,94,75,507, according to ministry data updated at 8 am.

“More than 75 lakh (75,24,903) COVID vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered.

“Furthermore, more than 48 lakh (48,41,670) vaccine doses will be received in addition by the states and UTs within the next three days,” the ministry said.

The government of India is leading the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in collaboration with the states and UT through a “Whole of Government” approach.

Vaccination forms an integral component of the government’s five-point strategy for containment and management of the pandemic, it said.

The third phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive to cover people in the 18-44 age group started from May 1 and the registration for the eligible population groups commenced from April 28.

Potential beneficiaries can either register directly on the CoWIN portal (http://cowin.gov.in) or through the Aarogya Setu app.