Amid a record surge in cases, UK is witnessing a huge surge in hospitalizations. In the latest, the Boris Johnson government has asked hospitals to identify sites foe setting up 4,000 emergency beds.

UK to set up makeshift hospitals amid surge in Covid-19 cases

In Buffalo, New York, the Erie County Medical Center plans to suspend elective inpatient surgeries and not take intensive-care patients from other hospitals because it may soon fire about 400 employees who have chosen not to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Officials at Northwell Health, New York’s largest provider of health care, estimate that they might have to fire thousands of people who have refused to get vaccinated.

And while the vast majority of staff members at New York City’s largest private hospital network, NewYork-Presbyterian, had been vaccinated as of this week, more than 200 employees faced termination because they had not.

These are just a fraction of the workers at risk of losing their jobs or being put on unpaid leave after Monday, when a state directive requiring hospital and nursing home employees in the state to have received at least one shot of a virus vaccine takes effect.

As of Wednesday, state data shows, around 84% of New York’s 450,000 hospital workers and 83% of its 145,400 nursing home employees had been fully vaccinated. But tens of thousands of people are estimated not to have gotten a shot despite being threatened with losing their jobs. The holdouts say they fear potential side effects from the vaccines, have natural immunity or believe that the mandate violates their personal freedom.

On Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said that the Monday deadline was firm and that her administration was developing emergency plans to cover for those who are laid off, going so far as to look into recruiting temporary workers from the Philippines or Ireland.

“What is looming for Monday is completely avoidable, and there’s no excuses,” Hochul said, pleading for those who have not done so to get vaccinated.

In New York City, health care workers are not the only ones who face an imminent deadline to be vaccinated or face termination. A requirement that virtually everyone working in the public schools — well over 150,000 people — be vaccinated takes effect at midnight Monday. Although about 90% of the system’s educators and 80% of support staff members have gotten at least one shot, thousands of workers have not. That could cause staff shortages in some schools.

Educators who choose not to get vaccinated will be allowed an unpaid one-year leave with their health insurance intact. But they will not be allowed to enter school buildings starting Tuesday. Unions that represent educators and other school staff members are warning of disruptions for students and have urged Mayor Bill de Blasio to delay enforcement of the mandate.

New York state’s vaccination requirement for health care workers is among the largest mandates of its kind that is set to take effect in the United States, with weekly virus testing not permitted as a substitute measure. How it goes — and whether it leaves hospitals understaffed — will be closely watched. California is requiring health care workers there to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 30, and a similar mandate in Maine will not be enforced until Oct. 29. New York’s willingness to risk large-scale layoffs of health care workers comes amid a national nursing shortage, and the requirement is facing numerous legal challenges.

“We give patients a Bill of Rights, and they are able to choose what procedures or tests or medications they want to put in their system,” said Gregory Serafin, a registered nurse at the Erie County Medical Center and the lead plaintiff in a New York lawsuit that seeks to stop the mandate. “Health care workers deserve the same medical autonomy to make those decisions.”

Depending on how many health care workers are fired, the policy could also test the resiliency of New York’s health care system. Hospitals across the state are activating emergency staffing plans that they typically reserve for natural disasters or, more recently, surges in COVID-19 cases. Volunteers, students and retirees will fill vacancies, along with traveling nurses.

Northwell, which has 77,000 employees, believes it can weather any loss of employees without the care of patients being affected. The Erie County Medical Center is not as sure.

On Monday, the hospital had 553 inpatients, its busiest day on record. A big reason the hospital is so crowded is that it cannot discharge as many patients as usual to nursing or group homes, because they are also limiting admissions in anticipation of their own staff shortages because of the vaccine mandate.

“This is creating an unprecedented crisis for us,” said Tom Quatroche, the Erie County Medical Center Corp.’s president. “I think we need more time to comply, and I’ve asked for that. For all the right reasons, the vaccine mandate was put in place. But the reality is it is creating a public health crisis in hospitals, with nobody to care for patients.”

In New York City, more than 5,000 of the 42,000 employees of the public hospital system were unvaccinated as of Friday. They will be barred from hospitals starting Monday and from other care facilities beginning Oct. 7, and they will be placed on unpaid leave.

The hospital system anticipates the vaccine mandate could reduce the ranks of radiology technologists and phlebotomists, in particular, and some doctors have been urged to limit the amount of imaging and blood work they order next week, according to an internal message.

Firings under the new directive could prove particularly problematic for nursing homes, which are already facing staffing problems. The New York State Health Facilities Association, a trade group that represents about 250 nursing homes, has asked state officials to temporarily let unvaccinated nursing home workers keep working as long as they get tested regularly.

“While we are striving for 100%, we do not feel we will achieve that by Monday,” said Stephen Hanse, the association’s president.

The wider range of workers who must be vaccinated starting Oct. 7 includes those at diagnostic and treatment centers, adult care facilities, certified home health agencies and hospices.

Despite the potential staffing challenges, the Greater New York Hospital Association, which represents about 140 health systems and 55 nursing homes, supports the deadline.

“The mandate is the best way to ensure the safest possible patient care environment and protect the public’s health,” Kenneth E. Raske, the association’s president, said in a statement. “We will work with the state to address any staffing challenges that arise.”

The vaccination mandate for health care workers was issued Aug. 26 as an emergency order by the Health Department. It permits limited medical exemptions, which employers can determine, but does not currently allow religious exemptions.

The lack of religious exemptions has created some confusion, because an earlier order, issued Aug. 18 under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, allowed such exemptions, and some hospitals had granted them. NewYork-Presbyterian, for example, granted 129 religious exemptions but withdrew them after the state’s policy changed, court documents show.

The conflict over religious exemptions has prompted several lawsuits accusing New York of violating either the First Amendment or federal law prohibiting employers from discriminating on the basis of religion. Many of the suits’ plaintiffs argue that they do not want to get a COVID-19 vaccine because cell lines derived from fetuses aborted decades ago were used in the development or production or testing of the vaccines.

In legal papers, most of the plaintiffs, most of whom are identified as John or Jane Doe, insist that as opponents of abortion they must abstain from getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

One plaintiff in a suit filed in Brooklyn, a NewYork-Presbyterian employee, is described in court papers as a Christian Scientist who opposes all vaccines and believes in the healing power of prayer.

For now, the fate of unvaccinated health care workers who have sought religious exemptions remains uncertain, and will not be decided for at least a few weeks. A federal judge in Utica has issued a temporary restraining order preventing the state from enforcing the mandate on those seeking such exemptions until Oct. 12, when he will decide what to do.

In the meantime, the mandate can take effect for all other workers.

At Northwell, the vaccination rate reached 91% on Friday, rising steadily as the deadline approached. Of the employees who still were not vaccinated, about 2,000 had applied for religious or medical exemptions.

Only a small group of people are being approved for medical exemptions, including those who are allergic to vaccine components, Maxine Carrington, the company’s human resources chief, said. Being pregnant or breastfeeding does not qualify. Unvaccinated employees without exemptions that have been approved or are pending have until 11:59 p.m. Monday to get a shot or they will be let go Tuesday, she said.

NewYork-Presbyterian set an earlier deadline for its workers to get vaccinated — Sept. 22 — and officials there said Thursday that fewer than 250 employees would lose their jobs. Still hundreds of employees remain unvaccinated: Around 200 got medical exemptions; more than 500 had pending requests for religious exemptions, according to a court filing.

The state’s emergency order does not dictate exactly how hospitals or other health care employers should enforce the mandate, stating only that compliance is expected by Sept. 27.

Vaccination rates vary among hospital staffs.

John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in Erie County says that 100% of its employees have been fully vaccinated. At Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, 75% of the staff is fully vaccinated, according to state data; nearly 90% have received at least one dose, a spokeswoman said.

Some hospital executives said they did not anticipate that any terminations would have much effect on medical care at their institutions.

At St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, about 12% of the nearly 3,000 employees had not been vaccinated as of midday Friday, the chief medical officer, Eric Appelbaum, said in an interview.

The group included three doctors and a larger number of nurses, Appelbaum said. Most of the rest worked in nonmedical roles, including housekeeping and food services.

Appelbaum, noting that there had been a sharp uptick in vaccinations in the past 48 hours, said he was optimistic that a good number of unvaccinated staff members would soon get the shot. (There was a similar rush at the city’s public hospital system, officials said, with more than 2,000 employees getting vaccinated just this week.)

“Obviously,” Appelbaum said, “Monday’s getting close.”

In Buffalo, New York, the Erie County Medical Center plans to suspend elective inpatient surgeries and not take intensive-care patients from other hospitals because it may soon fire about 400 employees who have chosen not to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

In Buffalo, New York, the Erie County Medical Center plans to suspend elective inpatient surgeries and not take intensive-care patients from other hospitals because it may soon fire about 400 employees who have chosen not to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Officials at Northwell Health, New York’s largest provider of health care, estimate that they might have to fire thousands of people who have refused to get vaccinated. And while the vast majority of staff members at New York City’s largest private hospital network, NewYork-Presbyterian, had been vaccinated as of this week, more than 200 employees faced termination because they had not. These are just a fraction of the workers at risk of losing their jobs or being put on unpaid leave after Monday, when a state directive requiring hospital and nursing home employees in the state to have received at least one shot of a virus vaccine takes effect. As of Wednesday, state data shows, around 84% of New York’s 450,000 hospital workers and 83% of its 145,400 nursing home employees had been fully vaccinated. But tens of thousands of people are estimated not to have gotten a shot despite being threatened with losing their jobs. The holdouts say they fear potential side effects from the vaccines, have natural immunity or believe that the mandate violates their personal freedom. On Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said that the Monday deadline was firm and that her administration was developing emergency plans to cover for those who are laid off, going so far as to look into recruiting temporary workers from the Philippines or Ireland. “What is looming for Monday is completely avoidable, and there’s no excuses,” Hochul said, pleading for those who have not done so to get vaccinated. In New York City, health care workers are not the only ones who face an imminent deadline to be vaccinated or face termination. A requirement that virtually everyone working in the public schools — well over 150,000 people — be vaccinated takes effect at midnight Monday. Although about 90% of the system’s educators and 80% of support staff members have gotten at least one shot, thousands of workers have not. That could cause staff shortages in some schools. Educators who choose not to get vaccinated will be allowed an unpaid one-year leave with their health insurance intact. But they will not be allowed to enter school buildings starting Tuesday. Unions that represent educators and other school staff members are warning of disruptions for students and have urged Mayor Bill de Blasio to delay enforcement of the mandate. New York state’s vaccination requirement for health care workers is among the largest mandates of its kind that is set to take effect in the United States, with weekly virus testing not permitted as a substitute measure. How it goes — and whether it leaves hospitals understaffed — will be closely watched. California is requiring health care workers there to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 30, and a similar mandate in Maine will not be enforced until Oct. 29. New York’s willingness to risk large-scale layoffs of health care workers comes amid a national nursing shortage, and the requirement is facing numerous legal challenges. “We give patients a Bill of Rights, and they are able to choose what procedures or tests or medications they want to put in their system,” said Gregory Serafin, a registered nurse at the Erie County Medical Center and the lead plaintiff in a New York lawsuit that seeks to stop the mandate. “Health care workers deserve the same medical autonomy to make those decisions.” Depending on how many health care workers are fired, the policy could also test the resiliency of New York’s health care system. Hospitals across the state are activating emergency staffing plans that they typically reserve for natural disasters or, more recently, surges in COVID-19 cases. Volunteers, students and retirees will fill vacancies, along with traveling nurses. Northwell, which has 77,000 employees, believes it can weather any loss of employees without the care of patients being affected. The Erie County Medical Center is not as sure. On Monday, the hospital had 553 inpatients, its busiest day on record. A big reason the hospital is so crowded is that it cannot discharge as many patients as usual to nursing or group homes, because they are also limiting admissions in anticipation of their own staff shortages because of the vaccine mandate. “This is creating an unprecedented crisis for us,” said Tom Quatroche, the Erie County Medical Center Corp.’s president. “I think we need more time to comply, and I’ve asked for that. For all the right reasons, the vaccine mandate was put in place. But the reality is it is creating a public health crisis in hospitals, with nobody to care for patients.” In New York City, more than 5,000 of the 42,000 employees of the public hospital system were unvaccinated as of Friday. They will be barred from hospitals starting Monday and from other care facilities beginning Oct. 7, and they will be placed on unpaid leave. The hospital system anticipates the vaccine mandate could reduce the ranks of radiology technologists and phlebotomists, in particular, and some doctors have been urged to limit the amount of imaging and blood work they order next week, according to an internal message. Firings under the new directive could prove particularly problematic for nursing homes, which are already facing staffing problems. The New York State Health Facilities Association, a trade group that represents about 250 nursing homes, has asked state officials to temporarily let unvaccinated nursing home workers keep working as long as they get tested regularly. “While we are striving for 100%, we do not feel we will achieve that by Monday,” said Stephen Hanse, the association’s president. The wider range of workers who must be vaccinated starting Oct. 7 includes those at diagnostic and treatment centers, adult care facilities, certified home health agencies and hospices. Despite the potential staffing challenges, the Greater New York Hospital Association, which represents about 140 health systems and 55 nursing homes, supports the deadline. “The mandate is the best way to ensure the safest possible patient care environment and protect the public’s health,” Kenneth E. Raske, the association’s president, said in a statement. “We will work with the state to address any staffing challenges that arise.” The vaccination mandate for health care workers was issued Aug. 26 as an emergency order by the Health Department. It permits limited medical exemptions, which employers can determine, but does not currently allow religious exemptions. The lack of religious exemptions has created some confusion, because an earlier order, issued Aug. 18 under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, allowed such exemptions, and some hospitals had granted them. NewYork-Presbyterian, for example, granted 129 religious exemptions but withdrew them after the state’s policy changed, court documents show. The conflict over religious exemptions has prompted several lawsuits accusing New York of violating either the First Amendment or federal law prohibiting employers from discriminating on the basis of religion. Many of the suits’ plaintiffs argue that they do not want to get a COVID-19 vaccine because cell lines derived from fetuses aborted decades ago were used in the development or production or testing of the vaccines. In legal papers, most of the plaintiffs, most of whom are identified as John or Jane Doe, insist that as opponents of abortion they must abstain from getting vaccinated against COVID-19. One plaintiff in a suit filed in Brooklyn, a NewYork-Presbyterian employee, is described in court papers as a Christian Scientist who opposes all vaccines and believes in the healing power of prayer. For now, the fate of unvaccinated health care workers who have sought religious exemptions remains uncertain, and will not be decided for at least a few weeks. A federal judge in Utica has issued a temporary restraining order preventing the state from enforcing the mandate on those seeking such exemptions until Oct. 12, when he will decide what to do. In the meantime, the mandate can take effect for all other workers. At Northwell, the vaccination rate reached 91% on Friday, rising steadily as the deadline approached. Of the employees who still were not vaccinated, about 2,000 had applied for religious or medical exemptions. Only a small group of people are being approved for medical exemptions, including those who are allergic to vaccine components, Maxine Carrington, the company’s human resources chief, said. Being pregnant or breastfeeding does not qualify. Unvaccinated employees without exemptions that have been approved or are pending have until 11:59 p.m. Monday to get a shot or they will be let go Tuesday, she said. NewYork-Presbyterian set an earlier deadline for its workers to get vaccinated — Sept. 22 — and officials there said Thursday that fewer than 250 employees would lose their jobs. Still hundreds of employees remain unvaccinated: Around 200 got medical exemptions; more than 500 had pending requests for religious exemptions, according to a court filing. The state’s emergency order does not dictate exactly how hospitals or other health care employers should enforce the mandate, stating only that compliance is expected by Sept. 27. Vaccination rates vary among hospital staffs. John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in Erie County says that 100% of its employees have been fully vaccinated. At Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, 75% of the staff is fully vaccinated, according to state data; nearly 90% have received at least one dose, a spokeswoman said. Some hospital executives said they did not anticipate that any terminations would have much effect on medical care at their institutions. At St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, about 12% of the nearly 3,000 employees had not been vaccinated as of midday Friday, the chief medical officer, Eric Appelbaum, said in an interview. The group included three doctors and a larger number of nurses, Appelbaum said. Most of the rest worked in nonmedical roles, including housekeeping and food services. Appelbaum, noting that there had been a sharp uptick in vaccinations in the past 48 hours, said he was optimistic that a good number of unvaccinated staff members would soon get the shot. (There was a similar rush at the city’s public hospital system, officials said, with more than 2,000 employees getting vaccinated just this week.) “Obviously,” Appelbaum said, “Monday’s getting close.”

New York hospitals face possible mass firings as workers spurn vaccines

Sri&nbsp;Lanka&nbsp;announced a nationwide lockdown Friday, bowing to intense pressure from medical experts as coronavirus infections overwhelmed hospitals, morgues and crematoriums.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who had resisted calls for a lockdown for weeks, agreed to the 10-day closure after dire warnings that hospitals could no longer cope with the inflow of Covid-19 patients.&nbsp;

"Nationwide Lockdown in effect from 10pm today to Monday (30/08)," health minister Keheliya Rambukwella said on Twitter. "All essential services will function as normal. I sincerely request all #lka citizens to adhere to the law and #StayHome."

Officials said the president was due to address the nation later on Friday night to discuss the public health emergency and measures to contain the pandemic.

Supermarkets, grocery stores and fuel depots saw large crowds stocking up on supplies as news of the lockdown spread over social media.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/handling-with-care-us-military-comforts-infants-at-kabul-airport-amid-facilitating-evacuations-407393">Also read |&nbsp;‘Handling with care’: US military comforts infants at Kabul airport amid facilitating evacuations&nbsp;</a>

Long queues were seen at fuel pumps across the country and energy minister Udaya Gammanpila urged consumers not to cause shortages through panic buying.

Record death tolls

The daily death toll hit a record 186 alongside a new high of 3,800 infections on Thursday with no more ICU beds available for virus victims.

Official figures show 6,790 people have died of the virus while 373,165 have been infected.&nbsp;

However, independent health experts have said the actual toll is at least twice as much.

Rambukwella said 10 days ago that the country had not reached a "critical stage" and any lockdown would be a "last resort".

"But we are not there yet," Rambukwella told reporters on August 10. Since then, 1,568 people have died and 40,218 have been infected.

Junior partners in the ruling coalition and the influential Buddhist clergy had urged Rajapaksa to shut the country to contain the rapidly spreading Delta variant.

A junior minister for health, Channa Jayasumana, had called the Delta strain "a powerful bomb which has exploded in Colombo and is spreading elsewhere".

Sri&nbsp;Lanka's third wave of infections has been blamed on traditional Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations in mid-April.&nbsp;

Following a month-long lockdown, the government reopened the country in June relying on an aggressive vaccination drive as its main strategy to deal with the spread.

Despite over five million out of the 21 million population receiving two doses of a vaccine, the virus has claimed more victims beyond the capacity of state and private sector hospitals.

With bodies piling up at several state hospitals, the government resorted to mass cremations last week.

Sri Lanka announced a nationwide lockdown Friday, bowing to intense pressure from medical experts as coronavirus infections overwhelmed hospitals, morgues and crematoriums.

Sri Lanka announced a nationwide lockdown Friday, bowing to intense pressure from medical experts as coronavirus infections overwhelmed hospitals, morgues and crematoriums. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who had resisted calls for a lockdown for weeks, agreed to the 10-day closure after dire warnings that hospitals could no longer cope with the inflow of Covid-19 patients. "Nationwide Lockdown in effect from 10pm today to Monday (30/08)," health minister Keheliya Rambukwella said on Twitter. "All essential services will function as normal. I sincerely request all #lka citizens to adhere to the law and #StayHome." Officials said the president was due to address the nation later on Friday night to discuss the public health emergency and measures to contain the pandemic. Supermarkets, grocery stores and fuel depots saw large crowds stocking up on supplies as news of the lockdown spread over social media. Also read | ‘Handling with care’: US military comforts infants at Kabul airport amid facilitating evacuations Long queues were seen at fuel pumps across the country and energy minister Udaya Gammanpila urged consumers not to cause shortages through panic buying. Record death tolls The daily death toll hit a record 186 alongside a new high of 3,800 infections on Thursday with no more ICU beds available for virus victims. Official figures show 6,790 people have died of the virus while 373,165 have been infected. However, independent health experts have said the actual toll is at least twice as much. Rambukwella said 10 days ago that the country had not reached a "critical stage" and any lockdown would be a "last resort". "But we are not there yet," Rambukwella told reporters on August 10. Since then, 1,568 people have died and 40,218 have been infected. Junior partners in the ruling coalition and the influential Buddhist clergy had urged Rajapaksa to shut the country to contain the rapidly spreading Delta variant. A junior minister for health, Channa Jayasumana, had called the Delta strain "a powerful bomb which has exploded in Colombo and is spreading elsewhere". Sri Lanka's third wave of infections has been blamed on traditional Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations in mid-April. Following a month-long lockdown, the government reopened the country in June relying on an aggressive vaccination drive as its main strategy to deal with the spread. Despite over five million out of the 21 million population receiving two doses of a vaccine, the virus has claimed more victims beyond the capacity of state and private sector hospitals. With bodies piling up at several state hospitals, the government resorted to mass cremations last week.

Sri Lanka locks down as COVID-19 deaths surge, hospitals overflow

Experts are investigating after the computer systems of two central Florida hospitals showed signs of unusual activity, an official said.

The Villages Regional Hospital and the UF Health Leesburg Hospital shut down multiple systems to protect patient information during the event on Monday night, switching to pen and paper to document patient visits, news outlets report.

"We have since learned that the activity was related to a cybersecurity event," Frank Faust, a spokesman for the University of Florida's Health Central Florida, told the Orlando Sentinel.

"With regard to protected information, at this time we do not believe any patient or personnel records have been compromised or shared." Faust said information technology teams from the University of Florida were investigating.

"These types of situations take time to fully resolve," Faust said. "We are continuing to methodically investigate to delicately and precisely understand what happened, and are taking the appropriate actions to resolve any and all issues." The Villages is one of the country's largest retirement communities, with a population of more than 130,000.

(With inputs from agencies)

Experts are investigating after the computer systems of two central Florida hospitals showed signs of unusual activity, an official said. The Villages Regional Hospital and the UF Health Leesburg Hospital shut down multiple systems to protect patient information during the event on Monday night, switching to pen and paper to document patient visits, news outlets report.

Experts are investigating after the computer systems of two central Florida hospitals showed signs of unusual activity, an official said. The Villages Regional Hospital and the UF Health Leesburg Hospital shut down multiple systems to protect patient information during the event on Monday night, switching to pen and paper to document patient visits, news outlets report. "We have since learned that the activity was related to a cybersecurity event," Frank Faust, a spokesman for the University of Florida's Health Central Florida, told the Orlando Sentinel. "With regard to protected information, at this time we do not believe any patient or personnel records have been compromised or shared." Faust said information technology teams from the University of Florida were investigating. "These types of situations take time to fully resolve," Faust said. "We are continuing to methodically investigate to delicately and precisely understand what happened, and are taking the appropriate actions to resolve any and all issues." The Villages is one of the country's largest retirement communities, with a population of more than 130,000. (With inputs from agencies)

Experts look into possible cyberattack at Florida hospitals

With the unprecedented rise in the coronavirus cases, the demand of medical oxygen has shot up in India.

But what exactly is the medical oxygen? Read on to know more.&nbsp;

The air we breathe is a mix of several gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The term ‘medical oxygen’ means high-purity oxygen, which is used for medical treatments and developed for use in the human body.

The medical oxygen cylinders actually contain highly pure oxygen gas.

To get medical oxygen, a person requires a prescription. To prevent contamination, no other types of gases are allowed in the cylinder.&nbsp;

How different is it from industrial oxygen?&nbsp;

Oxygen is also used in industries for combustion, oxidation, cutting and chemical reactions.

The difference is that purity levels of industrial oxygen are not appropriate for human use. There can be impurities, which can make people ill.&nbsp;

Medical oxygen cylinders should also be free of contaminants.

The cylinders need to be thoroughly cleaned before use.&nbsp;

Uses&nbsp;

Medical oxygen is generally administered in medical facilities, such as hospitals and clinics.

It is used as first aid resuscitation for emergencies, during anesthesia, life support for patients, who can’t breathe on their own, and oxygen therapy.

Athletes also use medical oxygen at high altitudes or training.&nbsp;

With the unprecedented rise in the coronavirus cases, the demand of medical oxygen has shot up in India. But what exactly is the medical oxygen? Read on to know more.

With the unprecedented rise in the coronavirus cases, the demand of medical oxygen has shot up in India. But what exactly is the medical oxygen? Read on to know more. The air we breathe is a mix of several gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The term ‘medical oxygen’ means high-purity oxygen, which is used for medical treatments and developed for use in the human body. The medical oxygen cylinders actually contain highly pure oxygen gas. To get medical oxygen, a person requires a prescription. To prevent contamination, no other types of gases are allowed in the cylinder. How different is it from industrial oxygen? Oxygen is also used in industries for combustion, oxidation, cutting and chemical reactions. The difference is that purity levels of industrial oxygen are not appropriate for human use. There can be impurities, which can make people ill. Medical oxygen cylinders should also be free of contaminants. The cylinders need to be thoroughly cleaned before use. Uses Medical oxygen is generally administered in medical facilities, such as hospitals and clinics. It is used as first aid resuscitation for emergencies, during anesthesia, life support for patients, who can’t breathe on their own, and oxygen therapy. Athletes also use medical oxygen at high altitudes or training.

COVID-19: What is medical oxygen?   

On Oct. 30, 2015, a fire ripped through a nightclub in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, leaving 64 people dead. Almost six years later, a documentary about the fire and its tragic aftermath has been nominated for two Oscars.

It would be the first Oscar win for the Eastern European country, but the film’s success is bittersweet for many Romanians, given its painful subject matter — particularly since many believe not enough has changed since 2015.

“Collective,” which has been nominated for best documentary feature and best foreign film, follows a group of investigative journalists from a sports newspaper as they uncover painful truths about the Romanian health care system.

“The situation was so appalling that basically it should have been a big scandal in the whole of Europe,” said Alexander Nanau, the film’s director.

Events on the night of the fire and its immediate aftermath ricocheted across Romania, toppling the government at the time — led by the Social Democratic Party — and mobilizing civil society into large-scale protests.

In the years since, however, there have been further political scandals, and few health care overhauls. The coronavirus pandemic has also put huge new demands on the struggling Romanian health care system. Two fires in COVID-19 wards in the last six months have left at least 20 people dead.

Many Romanians wonder how much has really changed since “Collective.”

While tragic, the nightclub fire is just the film’s starting point. The blaze claimed 27 lives in its immediate aftermath, but 64 people would ultimately die, many victims of a health care system awash with corruption and willing to hide painful truth from the victims and their families.

Standing outside one of Bucharest’s main hospitals, Nanau recalled: “It was basically in front of this hospital where the minister of health always stood flanked by doctors saying ‘We can treat the burn victims at the highest standards.’”

However, as the journalists found out, the burn unit was not even operational at the time, Nanau said. “It’s incredible that they have the guts to lie to all these people that their kids are being given surgery in the most modern burn unit when in fact this was closed.”

The journalists also discovered that the disinfectant used in hospitals across the country was being watered down, to the extent that it was largely ineffectual, probably resulting in many more deaths. The owner of the company involved drove his car into a tree after the truth was brought to light, killing himself.

The documentary shows in real time the reaction of the journalists after a whistleblower sends them footage from a hospital of maggots crawling in the wound of a burn victim.

The film has been compared to both “Spotlight” and “All the President’s Men,” and in a review for The New York Times late last year, Manohla Dargis described “Collective” as a “staggering documentary” that offered “no moment when you can take an easy breath, assured that the terrible things you’ve been watching onscreen are finally over.”

For people in Romania, however, much of what is shown onscreen is painfully familiar.

Catalin Tolontan, then editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor, is one of the main protagonists of “Collective.” Before the documentary, “We used to receive 10 or 15 messages per day from the public, with scoops or information,” he said in an interview. “After the movie we received 70 to 80 a day.”

Tedy Ursuleanu, who suffered severe burns across her head and body, and had her fingers amputated as a result of the fire, is one of the strongest characters in the film.

In an interview, she said that it was not a hard decision to let the filmmakers follow her, but that seeing the film was a painful experience. “When I saw some of the scenes, the impact was as if I lived those moments again,” Ursuleanu said. “I started to cry. I needed to go outside to compose myself.”

Ursuleanu said she believed that not enough progress had been made in the years since the documentary was filmed. “Changes have taken place, but they are few compared to the needs we have here,” she said. “Sadly, tragedies like this could easily happen again, because even now measures are not respected.”

Partway through the documentary, “Collective” introduces a young, reform-minded health minister, Vlad Voiculescu, who is brought in as part of a short-lived technocrat government.

Voiculescu and his team face strong resistance as they try to bring greater transparency to the health care system, while having to accept that the system was culpable in many deaths.

In a recent interview, Voiculescu, who was reappointed as health minister late last year, said that what frustrated him most was that on his return he found an institution that was “even more collapsed than before.” Now, Voiculescu is more focused on dealing with the coronavirus than overhauling the Romanian health care system.

“Collective,” which appeared on streaming platforms late last year, has resonated strongly with audiences around the world, especially at a time when the pandemic has made health care a central issue globally.

Nanau, a Romanian director who spent much of his life in Germany before moving back to his home country in 2015, has a track record of producing powerful documentaries. His previous film, “Toto and His Sisters,” followed the lives of three teenagers left to fend largely for themselves in one of the poorest areas of Bucharest, after their mother was sent to prison on drug charges.

But with “Collective,” he seems to have found a subject that hit at a perfect moment.

The film’s impact has also been felt outside Romania. Earlier this year in Mongolia, when a woman with COVID-19 was transferred from the hospital in freezing temperatures just days after giving birth, journalists began asking tough questions of the government, apparently encouraging one another on Facebook by referencing “Collective,” which a local television station had shown days earlier. Protests followed, and the government ultimately resigned.

“If you are a journalist in a small country and saw ‘Spotlight,’ you could say, ‘Well, this is the U.S., they have a lot of resources, they have a strong democracy, they have a bond between the public and government,’” Tolontan, the newspaper editor, said. “But if you are in Mongolia or the Czech Republic, Indonesia, and you saw this movie, you think ‘They’re like us.’”

Romanian movies like “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” “Beyond the Hills” and “Child’s Pose” have received top awards at international festivals over the years, but none has won an Oscar.

Andrei Gorzo, a Romanian film critic, said that it was harder for Romanian viewers to see “Collective” as a morally clear-cut tale of a few good people fighting to change the rotten system. Instead, he said, it captures a specific moment in Romania, when urban, middle-class voters believed in a new breed of politician, young and unsullied, who could clean up Romanian politics. “It is impossible for me to watch the film without acknowledging that a lot of that romanticism has turned sour since then,” he said.

Others are more optimistic. “The generation that will change things here is not the generation that is 35-plus,” Nanau said. “It’s the younger generation, and these are the people that write to us, that we have met in the cinemas.”

Tolontan said he saw “Collective” as “a point of no return” for Romanian society.

Whether the film wins at the Oscars ceremony next month, many Romanians still hope that the film’s biggest impact will be at home, and that they can leave its content in the past.

On Oct. 30, 2015, a fire ripped through a nightclub in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, leaving 64 people dead. Almost six years later, a documentary about the fire and its tragic aftermath has been nominated for two Oscars.

On Oct. 30, 2015, a fire ripped through a nightclub in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, leaving 64 people dead. Almost six years later, a documentary about the fire and its tragic aftermath has been nominated for two Oscars. It would be the first Oscar win for the Eastern European country, but the film’s success is bittersweet for many Romanians, given its painful subject matter — particularly since many believe not enough has changed since 2015. “Collective,” which has been nominated for best documentary feature and best foreign film, follows a group of investigative journalists from a sports newspaper as they uncover painful truths about the Romanian health care system. “The situation was so appalling that basically it should have been a big scandal in the whole of Europe,” said Alexander Nanau, the film’s director. Events on the night of the fire and its immediate aftermath ricocheted across Romania, toppling the government at the time — led by the Social Democratic Party — and mobilizing civil society into large-scale protests. In the years since, however, there have been further political scandals, and few health care overhauls. The coronavirus pandemic has also put huge new demands on the struggling Romanian health care system. Two fires in COVID-19 wards in the last six months have left at least 20 people dead. Many Romanians wonder how much has really changed since “Collective.” While tragic, the nightclub fire is just the film’s starting point. The blaze claimed 27 lives in its immediate aftermath, but 64 people would ultimately die, many victims of a health care system awash with corruption and willing to hide painful truth from the victims and their families. Standing outside one of Bucharest’s main hospitals, Nanau recalled: “It was basically in front of this hospital where the minister of health always stood flanked by doctors saying ‘We can treat the burn victims at the highest standards.’” However, as the journalists found out, the burn unit was not even operational at the time, Nanau said. “It’s incredible that they have the guts to lie to all these people that their kids are being given surgery in the most modern burn unit when in fact this was closed.” The journalists also discovered that the disinfectant used in hospitals across the country was being watered down, to the extent that it was largely ineffectual, probably resulting in many more deaths. The owner of the company involved drove his car into a tree after the truth was brought to light, killing himself. The documentary shows in real time the reaction of the journalists after a whistleblower sends them footage from a hospital of maggots crawling in the wound of a burn victim. The film has been compared to both “Spotlight” and “All the President’s Men,” and in a review for The New York Times late last year, Manohla Dargis described “Collective” as a “staggering documentary” that offered “no moment when you can take an easy breath, assured that the terrible things you’ve been watching onscreen are finally over.” For people in Romania, however, much of what is shown onscreen is painfully familiar. Catalin Tolontan, then editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor, is one of the main protagonists of “Collective.” Before the documentary, “We used to receive 10 or 15 messages per day from the public, with scoops or information,” he said in an interview. “After the movie we received 70 to 80 a day.” Tedy Ursuleanu, who suffered severe burns across her head and body, and had her fingers amputated as a result of the fire, is one of the strongest characters in the film. In an interview, she said that it was not a hard decision to let the filmmakers follow her, but that seeing the film was a painful experience. “When I saw some of the scenes, the impact was as if I lived those moments again,” Ursuleanu said. “I started to cry. I needed to go outside to compose myself.” Ursuleanu said she believed that not enough progress had been made in the years since the documentary was filmed. “Changes have taken place, but they are few compared to the needs we have here,” she said. “Sadly, tragedies like this could easily happen again, because even now measures are not respected.” Partway through the documentary, “Collective” introduces a young, reform-minded health minister, Vlad Voiculescu, who is brought in as part of a short-lived technocrat government. Voiculescu and his team face strong resistance as they try to bring greater transparency to the health care system, while having to accept that the system was culpable in many deaths. In a recent interview, Voiculescu, who was reappointed as health minister late last year, said that what frustrated him most was that on his return he found an institution that was “even more collapsed than before.” Now, Voiculescu is more focused on dealing with the coronavirus than overhauling the Romanian health care system. “Collective,” which appeared on streaming platforms late last year, has resonated strongly with audiences around the world, especially at a time when the pandemic has made health care a central issue globally. Nanau, a Romanian director who spent much of his life in Germany before moving back to his home country in 2015, has a track record of producing powerful documentaries. His previous film, “Toto and His Sisters,” followed the lives of three teenagers left to fend largely for themselves in one of the poorest areas of Bucharest, after their mother was sent to prison on drug charges. But with “Collective,” he seems to have found a subject that hit at a perfect moment. The film’s impact has also been felt outside Romania. Earlier this year in Mongolia, when a woman with COVID-19 was transferred from the hospital in freezing temperatures just days after giving birth, journalists began asking tough questions of the government, apparently encouraging one another on Facebook by referencing “Collective,” which a local television station had shown days earlier. Protests followed, and the government ultimately resigned. “If you are a journalist in a small country and saw ‘Spotlight,’ you could say, ‘Well, this is the U.S., they have a lot of resources, they have a strong democracy, they have a bond between the public and government,’” Tolontan, the newspaper editor, said. “But if you are in Mongolia or the Czech Republic, Indonesia, and you saw this movie, you think ‘They’re like us.’” Romanian movies like “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” “Beyond the Hills” and “Child’s Pose” have received top awards at international festivals over the years, but none has won an Oscar. Andrei Gorzo, a Romanian film critic, said that it was harder for Romanian viewers to see “Collective” as a morally clear-cut tale of a few good people fighting to change the rotten system. Instead, he said, it captures a specific moment in Romania, when urban, middle-class voters believed in a new breed of politician, young and unsullied, who could clean up Romanian politics. “It is impossible for me to watch the film without acknowledging that a lot of that romanticism has turned sour since then,” he said. Others are more optimistic. “The generation that will change things here is not the generation that is 35-plus,” Nanau said. “It’s the younger generation, and these are the people that write to us, that we have met in the cinemas.” Tolontan said he saw “Collective” as “a point of no return” for Romanian society. Whether the film wins at the Oscars ceremony next month, many Romanians still hope that the film’s biggest impact will be at home, and that they can leave its content in the past.

Since the Oscar-nominated ‘Collective,’ much and little has changed

Experts in the Netherlands are analyzing sewage samples to better understand the spread of COVID-19 in an effort to help health authorities and hospitals adapt countering strategies and anticipate possible new waves of infection.

Netherlands uses sewage samples to better predict, analyze spread of COVID-19

With several countries facing a threat of a possible second wave pf coronavirus, South Korea's&nbsp;National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) President thinks that South Korea needs to improve its medical infrastructure.

Talking about how there can be a second wave of coroavirus, or worse, more of such viruses and pandemics, Dr Kim Yong-ik said,&nbsp;"I think we will see more such disease outbreaks that are more highly transmissible and fatal.&nbsp;We need to be prepared by running simulation exercises on various scenarios: how to switch the existing hospitals, where to send the medical staff, or how to categorize the patients."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korean-regulator-fines-tiktok-over-mishandling-child-data-313634">Also read:&nbsp;South Korean regulator fines TikTok over mishandling child data</a>

While the country's response to coronavirus is being applauded all over the world,&nbsp;its extremely low rate of public hospital beds — only 10% of total —&nbsp;remains a potential weak spot, as the country continues to battle small but persistent outbreaks and front-line public healthcare workers suffer burnout after more than six months of treating COVID-19 patients.

While talking about the country's quick response to the pandemic, he said that while the early state intervention proved out to be a huge success, he is worried that that things could get worse in the upcoming winter season and "it`s very important for healthcare workers not to get exhausted before then."

"South Korea’s efforts (to clamp down on COVID-19) have been called a success, despite a lack of public medical facilities. This evaluation proves the private hospitals and doctors are second to none," he added. He also said that the more effective and efficient way would be to&nbsp;support existing private doctors and hospitals.

The country has reported a total of 13,551 confirmed cases and 289 deaths, sharply lower than most countries.

With several countries facing a threat of a possible second wave pf coronavirus, South Korea's National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) President thinks that South Korea needs to improve its medical infrastructure.

With several countries facing a threat of a possible second wave pf coronavirus, South Korea's National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) President thinks that South Korea needs to improve its medical infrastructure. Talking about how there can be a second wave of coroavirus, or worse, more of such viruses and pandemics, Dr Kim Yong-ik said, "I think we will see more such disease outbreaks that are more highly transmissible and fatal. We need to be prepared by running simulation exercises on various scenarios: how to switch the existing hospitals, where to send the medical staff, or how to categorize the patients." Also read: South Korean regulator fines TikTok over mishandling child data While the country's response to coronavirus is being applauded all over the world, its extremely low rate of public hospital beds — only 10% of total — remains a potential weak spot, as the country continues to battle small but persistent outbreaks and front-line public healthcare workers suffer burnout after more than six months of treating COVID-19 patients. While talking about the country's quick response to the pandemic, he said that while the early state intervention proved out to be a huge success, he is worried that that things could get worse in the upcoming winter season and "it`s very important for healthcare workers not to get exhausted before then." "South Korea’s efforts (to clamp down on COVID-19) have been called a success, despite a lack of public medical facilities. This evaluation proves the private hospitals and doctors are second to none," he added. He also said that the more effective and efficient way would be to support existing private doctors and hospitals. The country has reported a total of 13,551 confirmed cases and 289 deaths, sharply lower than most countries.

This can happen again, and South Korea will need more hospital beds: top health official

Firefighter Saul Pena and his colleague Miguel Angel Pisadon have designed a simple and practical disinfection station they provide free of charge to nursing homes around Valladolid, northwestern Spain, as they hope to contain the spread of coronavirus among the most vulnerable and their carers.

Spanish firefighters build disinfection shower to ease decontamination of PPE users

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that he held an extensive review on the preparedness for novel coronavirus.

"Had an extensive review regarding preparedness on the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. Different ministries and states are working together, from screening people arriving in India to providing prompt medical attention," he said in a tweet.

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-a-letter-pm-modi-offers-assistance-to-chinese-president-xi-jinping-over-coronavirus-outbreak-279583">In a letter, PM Modi offers assistance to Chinese President Xi Jinping over coronavirus outbreak </a>

The Health Ministry on Tuesday said six cases with "high-viral load" were detected during sample testing in Agra and these people have been kept in isolation.

The six people had come in contact with a 45-year-old patient from Delhi, whose case came to light on Monday, and they include his family members.

According to government sources, the man, who is a resident of Mayur Vihar, had visited them in Agra.

The six have been kept in isolation at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi and their samples are being sent to NIV, Pune for confirmation.

&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that he held an extensive review on the preparedness for novel coronavirus. "Had an extensive review regarding preparedness on the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that he held an extensive review on the preparedness for novel coronavirus. "Had an extensive review regarding preparedness on the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. Different ministries and states are working together, from screening people arriving in India to providing prompt medical attention," he said in a tweet. Also Read:In a letter, PM Modi offers assistance to Chinese President Xi Jinping over coronavirus outbreak The Health Ministry on Tuesday said six cases with "high-viral load" were detected during sample testing in Agra and these people have been kept in isolation. The six people had come in contact with a 45-year-old patient from Delhi, whose case came to light on Monday, and they include his family members. According to government sources, the man, who is a resident of Mayur Vihar, had visited them in Agra. The six have been kept in isolation at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi and their samples are being sent to NIV, Pune for confirmation.

PM holds extensive review for coronavirus preparedness

In order to provide better healthcare facilities, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pradhan-mantri-jan-arogya-yojana-has-benefited-50-lakh-patients-across-country-says-dr-harsh-vardhan-255937">National Health Authority</a> (NHA) has adopted the Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) for their claim at adjudication. These STGs have been framed by the Indian Council of Medical Research Institute (ICMR).

For this, NHA and ICMR are continuously discussing the modalities and strategies to develop the adoption and implementation of STGs in the Aysuhman Bharat-Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-bjp-chief-nominates-pm-modi-noble-peace-prize-167574">Jan Arogya Yojna</a> (AB-PMJAY), which is the biggest healthcare scheme in the world that provides a cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year to around 50 crore poor and vulnerable individuals.

"So far, the ICMR has developed STGs for 30 treatment modalities like cataract, COPD, hysterectomy, hemodialysis, emergency management of ureteric stones, respiratory failure due to any cause, PTCA, systemic thrombolysis, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), low cardiac output IABP inspection post-operatively, asthma, epilepsy, stroke, D&amp;C (dilatation and curettage), etc.

NHA has adopted these STGs in the scheme and would likely to increase in future," a senior official at NHA told ANI.

"It will be beneficial for the patients so that they get treatment as per the standardised guidelines. It will be beneficial for doctors as they can get away from the hassles of medico-legal cases.

Hospitals would know the type of treatment and what are the requirements for consumables and drugs. This will also allow insurance experts to fulfill all norms of STGs in their healthcare packages as drafted by ICMR," said the official.

The apex medical research body has defined STGs as standard treatment schedules, standard treatment protocols or therapeutic guidelines, which are systematically developed statements designed to assist practitioners and patients in making informed decisions about suitable healthcare for specific clinical conditions.

According to ICMR, these STGs are used worldwide to prevent the misuse of medicines through the improper treatment of common problems and to encourage the economically efficient and therapeutic effective usage of medicines.

In order to provide better healthcare facilities, the National Health Authority (NHA) has adopted the Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) for their claim at adjudication.

In order to provide better healthcare facilities, the National Health Authority (NHA) has adopted the Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) for their claim at adjudication. These STGs have been framed by the Indian Council of Medical Research Institute (ICMR). For this, NHA and ICMR are continuously discussing the modalities and strategies to develop the adoption and implementation of STGs in the Aysuhman Bharat-Prime Minister Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY), which is the biggest healthcare scheme in the world that provides a cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year to around 50 crore poor and vulnerable individuals. "So far, the ICMR has developed STGs for 30 treatment modalities like cataract, COPD, hysterectomy, hemodialysis, emergency management of ureteric stones, respiratory failure due to any cause, PTCA, systemic thrombolysis, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), low cardiac output IABP inspection post-operatively, asthma, epilepsy, stroke, D&C (dilatation and curettage), etc. NHA has adopted these STGs in the scheme and would likely to increase in future," a senior official at NHA told ANI. "It will be beneficial for the patients so that they get treatment as per the standardised guidelines. It will be beneficial for doctors as they can get away from the hassles of medico-legal cases. Hospitals would know the type of treatment and what are the requirements for consumables and drugs. This will also allow insurance experts to fulfill all norms of STGs in their healthcare packages as drafted by ICMR," said the official. The apex medical research body has defined STGs as standard treatment schedules, standard treatment protocols or therapeutic guidelines, which are systematically developed statements designed to assist practitioners and patients in making informed decisions about suitable healthcare for specific clinical conditions. According to ICMR, these STGs are used worldwide to prevent the misuse of medicines through the improper treatment of common problems and to encourage the economically efficient and therapeutic effective usage of medicines.

ICMR drafts standard treatment guidelines for AB-PMJAY

As many as 3,931 patients suffering from dengue are undergoing treatment at different hospitals and clinics across Bangladesh, said officials of Health Crisis Management and Control Room of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Monday.

According to the DGHS, of the 3,931 dengue patients, around 2,177 patients are taking treatment in Dhaka division while a total of 1,754 are hospitalized outside the capital, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Adding that as many as 71,962 patients got admitted to different hospitals and clinics across Bangladesh since January this year, the health department said, "Of them, 67,843 patients have returned home after recovery.

"According to official data, dengue claimed 57 lives so far and 865 new dengue patients were admitted to different hospitals in the last 24 hours in Bangladesh.

As many as 3,931 patients suffering from dengue are undergoing treatment at different hospitals and clinics across Bangladesh, said officials of Health Crisis Management and Control Room of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Monday.

As many as 3,931 patients suffering from dengue are undergoing treatment at different hospitals and clinics across Bangladesh, said officials of Health Crisis Management and Control Room of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Monday. According to the DGHS, of the 3,931 dengue patients, around 2,177 patients are taking treatment in Dhaka division while a total of 1,754 are hospitalized outside the capital, Dhaka Tribune reported. Adding that as many as 71,962 patients got admitted to different hospitals and clinics across Bangladesh since January this year, the health department said, "Of them, 67,843 patients have returned home after recovery. "According to official data, dengue claimed 57 lives so far and 865 new dengue patients were admitted to different hospitals in the last 24 hours in Bangladesh.

Around 3,931 patients undergoing treatment as dengue wreaks havoc in Bangladesh

Juniors doctors in West Bengal have resumed work at all hospitals providing relief to patients after a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-assurances-by-chief-minister-mamata-banerjee-agitating-doctors-call-off-strike-228076">week-long stir that had disrupted healthcare services</a>.

"Most of our colleagues have resumed work and they are helping the seniors in delivering regular services in the outpatient departments (OPD) since Tuesday morning," a spokesperson of a joint forum of junior doctors told media.

The patient turnout was high at all the hospitals, including the Nil Ratan Sircar (NRS) Medical College and Hospital, which was the epicentre of the junior doctors' agitation.

"It is a relief for us. We are poor and have no other option but to go to government hospitals. The stir had impacted our treatment. I am happy that it has been called off," Ariful Haque from Malda district, who regularly visits the NRS hospital for the treatment of his brother's cardiac ailments, said.

The joint forum of regional junior doctors on Monday evening called off the ongoing impasse after holding talks with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.&nbsp;

The delegation said they were satisfied with the meeting and measures proposed by the government.&nbsp;The chief minister directed Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma to deploy a nodal police officer in every hospital.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-strikes-end-supreme-court-defers-hearing-on-security-of-doctors-keeps-open-larger-issue-of-their-safety-228216">Supreme Court deferred the hearing</a> on a plea seeking protection of doctors in government hospitals, saying since doctors have called off their strike in West Bengal and other states, there is no urgency to hear the matter.

Juniors doctors in West Bengal have resumed work at all hospitals providing relief to patients after a week-long stir that had disrupted healthcare services. "Most of our colleagues have resumed work and they are helping the seniors in delivering regular services in the outpatient departments (OPD) since Tuesday morning," a spokesperson of a joint forum of junior doctors told media.

Juniors doctors in West Bengal have resumed work at all hospitals providing relief to patients after a week-long stir that had disrupted healthcare services. "Most of our colleagues have resumed work and they are helping the seniors in delivering regular services in the outpatient departments (OPD) since Tuesday morning," a spokesperson of a joint forum of junior doctors told media. The patient turnout was high at all the hospitals, including the Nil Ratan Sircar (NRS) Medical College and Hospital, which was the epicentre of the junior doctors' agitation. "It is a relief for us. We are poor and have no other option but to go to government hospitals. The stir had impacted our treatment. I am happy that it has been called off," Ariful Haque from Malda district, who regularly visits the NRS hospital for the treatment of his brother's cardiac ailments, said. The joint forum of regional junior doctors on Monday evening called off the ongoing impasse after holding talks with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The delegation said they were satisfied with the meeting and measures proposed by the government. The chief minister directed Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma to deploy a nodal police officer in every hospital. The Supreme Court deferred the hearing on a plea seeking protection of doctors in government hospitals, saying since doctors have called off their strike in West Bengal and other states, there is no urgency to hear the matter.

West Bengal: Junior doctors resume work, high patient turnout at all hospitals

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday began&nbsp;its strike&nbsp;with the withdrawal of non-essential health services across the country in the wake of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/protesting-doctors-say-cm-mamata-banerjee-free-to-choose-venue-but-meeting-should-be-held-in-open-227627">recent assault on doctors in West Bengal</a>.

The announcement of the strike by IMA&nbsp;came a day after Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan asked states to consider enacting specific legislation for protecting doctors and medical professionals from any form of violence.

The apex medical body, IMA, however, demanded a comprehensive central law in dealing with violence on doctors and healthcare staff, and in hospitals.&nbsp;

Security measures and the determinants leading to violence should also be addressed, it said in a statement.&nbsp;

Exemplary punishment for perpetrators of violence should be a component of the central law and suitable amendments should be brought in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the IMA said.

The IMA said all non-essential services, including outdoor patient department (OPD) services, will be withdrawn for 24 hours from 6am on Monday to 6am Tuesday.&nbsp;

Emergency and casualty services will continue to function, it said.

The medical body had launched a four-day nationwide protest from Friday and wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding enactment of a central law to check violence against healthcare workers.&nbsp;

It had also called for a countrywide strike on June 17 with withdrawal of non-essential health services.&nbsp;

On Saturday, Vardhan, along with a letter to all chief ministers, also attached a copy of the Draft Act provided by the IMA --the Protection of Medical Service Persons and Medical Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss of Property) Act, 2017.

In its statement, the IMA said effective implementation of the central law has to be ensured by incorporating suitable clauses.&nbsp;

Nineteen states have already passed legislations in this regard and in 2016, an inter-ministerial committee's recommendations document was signed by the IMA with the central government, the medical body said.

Hospitals should be declared as "safe zones". Structured safety measures, including three-layer security, CCTV cameras and restriction of entry of visitors should be well defined and enforced uniformly across the country in all sectors, it said.

"Healthcare violence has its origin in high expectations, lack of infrastructure and inadequate human resources. Issues of medical profession involving doctor-patient relationship, effective communication regarding the nature of illness and professional counselling play a part as well. The IMA expects the government of India to provide for each of these components," according to the statement.

The situation in West Bengal is still grave and fear of violence is present in all medical colleges and major hospitals, the IMA claimed.&nbsp;

The violence following the attack on resident doctor Paribaha Mukherjee in West Bengal has been allowed to deteriorate into a major law and order situation, the medical body alleged.

"The crisis should be resolved to the satisfaction of the residents and the medical professionals of West Bengal. IMA proclaims solidarity with the resident doctors of West Bengal and appeals to the government of West Bengal to address and resolve the issue on war footing," the statement said.

Representatives from the IMA and Delhi Medical Association (DMA) had also called on Vardhan on Saturday.

Stressing further on the need for avoiding such incidents in future, Vardhan had said law enforcement should prevail so that doctors and clinical establishments discharge their duties and professional pursuit without fear of any violence.

"Strict action against any person who assaults them, must be ensured by the law enforcement agencies," he had emphasised.

Vardhan cited a letter dated July 7, 2017 sent by the Union Health Ministry to all chief secretaries of states which contains the decision taken by an Inter-Ministerial Committee constituted by the ministry to review the issues raised by IMA.

The committee, in its report, had recommended that the Health Ministry shall suggest to all state governments which do not have specific legislation to protect doctors and health professionals to consider one to strictly enforce the provisions of special legislation wherever they exist or enforce the IPC and CrPC provisions with vigour.

The draft of The Protection of Medical Service Persons and Medical Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss of Property) Act, 2017, circulated to the states, includes clauses on penalty and recovery in case of loss/damage to property.

Doctors at the Centre-run Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital, and RML Hospital, and Delhi government's healthcare facilities such as GTB Hospital, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital and DDU Hospital, boycotted work and held protests on Saturday.

However, emergency and ICU services were not hampered in these hospitals.

Resident doctors of AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital, who resumed work after having boycotted it on Friday, Saturday have a 48-hour ultimatum to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to meet the demands of the state's agitating doctors, failing which they said they would go on an indefinite strike.

They attended patients wearing helmets and bandages on forehead as a sign of protest.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday began its strike with the withdrawal of non-essential health services across the country in the wake of the recent assault on doctors in West Bengal.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday began its strike with the withdrawal of non-essential health services across the country in the wake of the recent assault on doctors in West Bengal. The announcement of the strike by IMA came a day after Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan asked states to consider enacting specific legislation for protecting doctors and medical professionals from any form of violence. The apex medical body, IMA, however, demanded a comprehensive central law in dealing with violence on doctors and healthcare staff, and in hospitals. Security measures and the determinants leading to violence should also be addressed, it said in a statement. Exemplary punishment for perpetrators of violence should be a component of the central law and suitable amendments should be brought in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the IMA said. The IMA said all non-essential services, including outdoor patient department (OPD) services, will be withdrawn for 24 hours from 6am on Monday to 6am Tuesday. Emergency and casualty services will continue to function, it said. The medical body had launched a four-day nationwide protest from Friday and wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding enactment of a central law to check violence against healthcare workers. It had also called for a countrywide strike on June 17 with withdrawal of non-essential health services. On Saturday, Vardhan, along with a letter to all chief ministers, also attached a copy of the Draft Act provided by the IMA --the Protection of Medical Service Persons and Medical Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss of Property) Act, 2017. In its statement, the IMA said effective implementation of the central law has to be ensured by incorporating suitable clauses. Nineteen states have already passed legislations in this regard and in 2016, an inter-ministerial committee's recommendations document was signed by the IMA with the central government, the medical body said. Hospitals should be declared as "safe zones". Structured safety measures, including three-layer security, CCTV cameras and restriction of entry of visitors should be well defined and enforced uniformly across the country in all sectors, it said. "Healthcare violence has its origin in high expectations, lack of infrastructure and inadequate human resources. Issues of medical profession involving doctor-patient relationship, effective communication regarding the nature of illness and professional counselling play a part as well. The IMA expects the government of India to provide for each of these components," according to the statement. The situation in West Bengal is still grave and fear of violence is present in all medical colleges and major hospitals, the IMA claimed. The violence following the attack on resident doctor Paribaha Mukherjee in West Bengal has been allowed to deteriorate into a major law and order situation, the medical body alleged. "The crisis should be resolved to the satisfaction of the residents and the medical professionals of West Bengal. IMA proclaims solidarity with the resident doctors of West Bengal and appeals to the government of West Bengal to address and resolve the issue on war footing," the statement said. Representatives from the IMA and Delhi Medical Association (DMA) had also called on Vardhan on Saturday. Stressing further on the need for avoiding such incidents in future, Vardhan had said law enforcement should prevail so that doctors and clinical establishments discharge their duties and professional pursuit without fear of any violence. "Strict action against any person who assaults them, must be ensured by the law enforcement agencies," he had emphasised. Vardhan cited a letter dated July 7, 2017 sent by the Union Health Ministry to all chief secretaries of states which contains the decision taken by an Inter-Ministerial Committee constituted by the ministry to review the issues raised by IMA. The committee, in its report, had recommended that the Health Ministry shall suggest to all state governments which do not have specific legislation to protect doctors and health professionals to consider one to strictly enforce the provisions of special legislation wherever they exist or enforce the IPC and CrPC provisions with vigour. The draft of The Protection of Medical Service Persons and Medical Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss of Property) Act, 2017, circulated to the states, includes clauses on penalty and recovery in case of loss/damage to property. Doctors at the Centre-run Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital, and RML Hospital, and Delhi government's healthcare facilities such as GTB Hospital, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital and DDU Hospital, boycotted work and held protests on Saturday. However, emergency and ICU services were not hampered in these hospitals. Resident doctors of AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital, who resumed work after having boycotted it on Friday, Saturday have a 48-hour ultimatum to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to meet the demands of the state's agitating doctors, failing which they said they would go on an indefinite strike. They attended patients wearing helmets and bandages on forehead as a sign of protest.

Indian Medical Association begins nationwide strike in support of protesting West Bengal doctors

Medical services across public and private sector hospitals in Kerala have been affected following a nation-wide call by the Indian Medical Association to the medical fraternity to strike work on Monday, in an expression of solidarity with the doctors in West Bengal.

As Demands not accepted, Doctors refuse to meet West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

The private sector’s ability to provide an array of healthcare services to the common masses needs to be put under a microscope.

Many healthcare interventions, which are preventive and promotional in nature — communicable diseases, efforts to minimise pollution, improving food safety, protection from adverse health behaviour and childhood immunisation — need the help of the public sector. &nbsp;

Therefore, the core element of public health that manifests collectivity and benefits all, is essential for improving the health of the population and maintaining a healthy workforce. &nbsp;

However, the other variety of health services, which are exclusively curative in nature, can be provided by the market after charging a price.

Despite the fact that a large part of curative services is subject to a market transaction, state intervention must be considered mandatory for a majority of people, who cannot afford quality healthcare. &nbsp;

Evidence in India and other low and middle-income countries suggest that millions of people are pushed into poverty due to high out-of-pocket expenditure on accessing healthcare.&nbsp;

A recent study estimated that 55 million people had fallen below the poverty line due to exorbitant out-of-pocket health expenditure. The debilitating public health system caused by underfunding, mismanagement of staff, administrative and failure of governance, adds to the woes. &nbsp;

However, the recent rollout of Ayushman Bharat, providing financial protection to a targeted population and strengthening primary care for all citizens, covers the ground for universal health coverage. The all-encompassing approach, which does not exclude anyone from basic services, is certainly forward-looking.&nbsp;

In this scenario, the private sector plugs the gaps in the delivery of services, where they provide quality healthcare, with a price that is paid by the government.&nbsp;

The share of out-of-pocket expenditure is 63 per cent of the total health expenditure in India, which is largely used to purchase medicines, diagnostic services and related services in the private sector.&nbsp;

According to one estimate, the size of the private sector was 8 per cent after independence and in six-and-a-half decades, it has grown nine times, while the public sector has declined in absolute terms by a third of what it was, during the corresponding period. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The structure of the private sector is diverse and functions as single doctor clinics, tiny nursing homes and large corporate hospitals operating in Tier I and II cities. Add to it various health facilities run by faith-based organisations. It can also be said that private healthcare services are demanded by all income groups.&nbsp;

Though limited, there are precedents of partnership with the private sector in specific disease control programmes, without tenable strategies for a scale up.

Several models of public-private partnership (PPP) have been experimented - contract services, joint ventures, demand-side financing, telemedicine and mobile health units in several parts of the country, leading to diverse results.

The country has vast experience of buying healthcare from the private sector through government revenue in the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and state- specific insurance programmes.&nbsp;

From experience, major uncertainties that drove trust deficit in the private sector were pricing, quality, transparency and accreditation of services. There are examples galore of over hospitalisation, redundant procedures and diagnostic tests inflating costs.&nbsp;

The private sector often raises prices of packages in many insurance schemes that do not deliver commensurate services. This issue assumes critical proportions. However, it is difficult to judge the merits of this argument in the absence of comprehensive costing data on different services by various types of health facilities. The unit cost of a service in a big corporate hospital is significantly different from similar service at a district-level hospital.&nbsp;

Land, building and vast administrative machinery propel costs in these hospitals. Do we really need the participation of big corporate hospitals in these schemes, where high-frequency-low cost episodes are more than the low frequency-high cost episodes? &nbsp;

We could negotiate to reserve some extremely critical procedures with a different payment mechanism in these hospitals.&nbsp;

Private hospitals have been given concessional land, customs exemption and liberal tax breaks with a commitment to reserve beds for poor patients, who would be entitled to free treatment.

But the manipulation of this provision is acute. Their behaviour is guided solely by profit motives, which is heightened by the information asymmetry in clinical practice, where the provider is more knowledgeable than the client. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Regulatory frameworks in several forms –National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Drugs Control Authority and the Clinical Establishment Act, are hampered by inadequate capacities in the public sector.&nbsp;

Despite these limitations, the private sector has certain advantages - better management of diseases, efficient utilisation of skills, accessibility, active response to patients’ need, use of technology, good hospitality and superior administration, which need to be appreciated.&nbsp;

Forgetting the dichotomy between public and private sector for the moment, can we make effective collaboration between the two to uplift provision of services? &nbsp;&nbsp;

When the scope of collaboration has widened after the rollout of PMJAY, each other’s merits and pitfalls need to be discussed for meaningful collaboration.&nbsp;

The success is contingent upon how transparent and accountable the private sector is in delivering affordable care.

For any partnership to be successful, accountability, transparency, equality, mutual obligation and commitment to achieve common objectives is the need of the hour. Is the private sector ready for this? &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-time-to-make-the-twain-meet-2726456">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The private sector’s ability to provide an array of healthcare services to the common masses needs to be put under a microscope. Many healthcare interventions, which are preventive and promotional in nature — communicable diseases, efforts to minimise pollution, improving food safety, protection from adverse health behaviour and childhood immunisation — need the help of the public sector.

The private sector’s ability to provide an array of healthcare services to the common masses needs to be put under a microscope. Many healthcare interventions, which are preventive and promotional in nature — communicable diseases, efforts to minimise pollution, improving food safety, protection from adverse health behaviour and childhood immunisation — need the help of the public sector. Therefore, the core element of public health that manifests collectivity and benefits all, is essential for improving the health of the population and maintaining a healthy workforce. However, the other variety of health services, which are exclusively curative in nature, can be provided by the market after charging a price. Despite the fact that a large part of curative services is subject to a market transaction, state intervention must be considered mandatory for a majority of people, who cannot afford quality healthcare. Evidence in India and other low and middle-income countries suggest that millions of people are pushed into poverty due to high out-of-pocket expenditure on accessing healthcare. A recent study estimated that 55 million people had fallen below the poverty line due to exorbitant out-of-pocket health expenditure. The debilitating public health system caused by underfunding, mismanagement of staff, administrative and failure of governance, adds to the woes. However, the recent rollout of Ayushman Bharat, providing financial protection to a targeted population and strengthening primary care for all citizens, covers the ground for universal health coverage. The all-encompassing approach, which does not exclude anyone from basic services, is certainly forward-looking. In this scenario, the private sector plugs the gaps in the delivery of services, where they provide quality healthcare, with a price that is paid by the government. The share of out-of-pocket expenditure is 63 per cent of the total health expenditure in India, which is largely used to purchase medicines, diagnostic services and related services in the private sector. According to one estimate, the size of the private sector was 8 per cent after independence and in six-and-a-half decades, it has grown nine times, while the public sector has declined in absolute terms by a third of what it was, during the corresponding period. The structure of the private sector is diverse and functions as single doctor clinics, tiny nursing homes and large corporate hospitals operating in Tier I and II cities. Add to it various health facilities run by faith-based organisations. It can also be said that private healthcare services are demanded by all income groups. Though limited, there are precedents of partnership with the private sector in specific disease control programmes, without tenable strategies for a scale up. Several models of public-private partnership (PPP) have been experimented - contract services, joint ventures, demand-side financing, telemedicine and mobile health units in several parts of the country, leading to diverse results. The country has vast experience of buying healthcare from the private sector through government revenue in the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and state- specific insurance programmes. From experience, major uncertainties that drove trust deficit in the private sector were pricing, quality, transparency and accreditation of services. There are examples galore of over hospitalisation, redundant procedures and diagnostic tests inflating costs. The private sector often raises prices of packages in many insurance schemes that do not deliver commensurate services. This issue assumes critical proportions. However, it is difficult to judge the merits of this argument in the absence of comprehensive costing data on different services by various types of health facilities. The unit cost of a service in a big corporate hospital is significantly different from similar service at a district-level hospital. Land, building and vast administrative machinery propel costs in these hospitals. Do we really need the participation of big corporate hospitals in these schemes, where high-frequency-low cost episodes are more than the low frequency-high cost episodes? We could negotiate to reserve some extremely critical procedures with a different payment mechanism in these hospitals. Private hospitals have been given concessional land, customs exemption and liberal tax breaks with a commitment to reserve beds for poor patients, who would be entitled to free treatment. But the manipulation of this provision is acute. Their behaviour is guided solely by profit motives, which is heightened by the information asymmetry in clinical practice, where the provider is more knowledgeable than the client. Regulatory frameworks in several forms –National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Drugs Control Authority and the Clinical Establishment Act, are hampered by inadequate capacities in the public sector. Despite these limitations, the private sector has certain advantages - better management of diseases, efficient utilisation of skills, accessibility, active response to patients’ need, use of technology, good hospitality and superior administration, which need to be appreciated. Forgetting the dichotomy between public and private sector for the moment, can we make effective collaboration between the two to uplift provision of services? When the scope of collaboration has widened after the rollout of PMJAY, each other’s merits and pitfalls need to be discussed for meaningful collaboration. The success is contingent upon how transparent and accountable the private sector is in delivering affordable care. For any partnership to be successful, accountability, transparency, equality, mutual obligation and commitment to achieve common objectives is the need of the hour. Is the private sector ready for this? (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Need to collaborate efforts of private and public sector to meet healthcare objectives

Hospitals, universities and other institutions in developed countries receive large endowments due to factors like inheritance tax, which is not the case in India, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/future-roadmap-will-be-to-work-towards-a-single-standard-rate-instead-of-two-arun-jaitley-186136">Finance Minister Arun Jaitley</a> said Tuesday.

Analysing the means of funding for India's healthcare and educational bodies as against the global ways, Jaitley said such institutions in the country receive donations from religious groups and CSR programmes.

"Most hospitals internationally have some of the largest endowments.&nbsp;Most educational institutes have some of the largest endowments. Those endowments come to the educational institutions from their alumni, who have benefitted from the quality of those institutions.''

"Once they are successful in life, they keep supporting the institutions with those endowments. Some IITs have started that experiment now in India. But still it's not very largely prevalent," Jaitley said at an event in AIIMS here.

He said the endowments received by some major hospitals in the US and Europe run into billions of dollars, which are provided by people and patients who have benefitted from them.

"So I was analysing that why that condition doesn't exist in our country. And one of the reasons I found out was that those societies have a very large inheritance tax. Therefore a lot of people in their old age prefer to go for charitable donations in order to get around that inheritance tax. Since we don't have that inheritance tax in India, our charities are not in terms of such endowments," he said.

The finance minister said charities in India depend on social endowments.

"Educational institutions, hospitals are set up by religious groups, caste groups by communities and so on. The social sector in India gets funded more on a community basis, except for this new beginning that we started in the last four years when we started the corporate social responsibility," he noted.

Under the Companies Act, 2013, certain class of profitable entities are required to shell out at least 2 per cent of their three-year annual average net profit towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.

Inheritance tax is levied on the wealth inherited by the legal heirs of a deceased person. Also known as estate tax, it is levied by governments of most western countries, including the US and the UK.

India too had this tax, but it was abolished by the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1985.

Hospitals, universities and other institutions in developed countries receive large endowments due to factors like inheritance tax, which is not the case in India, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Tuesday.

Hospitals, universities and other institutions in developed countries receive large endowments due to factors like inheritance tax, which is not the case in India, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Tuesday. Analysing the means of funding for India's healthcare and educational bodies as against the global ways, Jaitley said such institutions in the country receive donations from religious groups and CSR programmes. "Most hospitals internationally have some of the largest endowments. Most educational institutes have some of the largest endowments. Those endowments come to the educational institutions from their alumni, who have benefitted from the quality of those institutions.'' "Once they are successful in life, they keep supporting the institutions with those endowments. Some IITs have started that experiment now in India. But still it's not very largely prevalent," Jaitley said at an event in AIIMS here. He said the endowments received by some major hospitals in the US and Europe run into billions of dollars, which are provided by people and patients who have benefitted from them. "So I was analysing that why that condition doesn't exist in our country. And one of the reasons I found out was that those societies have a very large inheritance tax. Therefore a lot of people in their old age prefer to go for charitable donations in order to get around that inheritance tax. Since we don't have that inheritance tax in India, our charities are not in terms of such endowments," he said. The finance minister said charities in India depend on social endowments. "Educational institutions, hospitals are set up by religious groups, caste groups by communities and so on. The social sector in India gets funded more on a community basis, except for this new beginning that we started in the last four years when we started the corporate social responsibility," he noted. Under the Companies Act, 2013, certain class of profitable entities are required to shell out at least 2 per cent of their three-year annual average net profit towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities. Inheritance tax is levied on the wealth inherited by the legal heirs of a deceased person. Also known as estate tax, it is levied by governments of most western countries, including the US and the UK. India too had this tax, but it was abolished by the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1985.

Inheritance tax has spurred large endowments to hospitals, universities in West: Jaitley

The Delhi government would come up with a legal framework to check the &quot;loot&quot; and &quot;criminal negligence&quot; by the private hospitals, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today, in the wake of a premature baby being wrongly declared dead by a city hospital.

The chief minister said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had &quot;succeeded&quot; in restraining the private schools from arbitrarily deciding their fee structure, adding that a similar legal framework would be put in place in the health sector to take action against the errant private hospitals.

&quot;We do not want to interfere in the functioning of the private hospitals, but if those suffering from ailments are looted and cheated and the hospitals are guilty of criminal negligence against them, being a responsible government, we will interfere in such cases,&quot; Kejriwal said.

Speaking at a function at the Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences (MAIDS) here, he pointed out two recent incidents - a private hospital charging Rs 15 lakh from a dengue patient and another hospital declaring an infant dead.

On December 1, the city government had ordered an inquiry into a case of alleged criminal negligence by the Max Hospital at Shalimar Bagh, after it surfaced that its doctors had declared an infant dead, who was found to be alive later.

&quot;We will work on it (on the legal framework) and the government will try to ensure that there is no recurrence of such cases,&quot; Kejriwal, who was the chief guest at the &#39;Delhi Smiles - Dental Health Utsav, 2017&#39; at the MAIDS, said.

On the occasion, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said the government would set up 100 dental clinics on the lines of the mohalla clinics.

The chief minister said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had 'succeeded' in restraining the private schools from arbitrarily deciding their fee structure, adding that a similar legal framework would be put in place in the health sector to take action against the errant private hospitals

The Delhi government would come up with a legal framework to check the "loot" and "criminal negligence" by the private hospitals, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today, in the wake of a premature baby being wrongly declared dead by a city hospital. The chief minister said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had "succeeded" in restraining the private schools from arbitrarily deciding their fee structure, adding that a similar legal framework would be put in place in the health sector to take action against the errant private hospitals. "We do not want to interfere in the functioning of the private hospitals, but if those suffering from ailments are looted and cheated and the hospitals are guilty of criminal negligence against them, being a responsible government, we will interfere in such cases," Kejriwal said. Speaking at a function at the Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences (MAIDS) here, he pointed out two recent incidents - a private hospital charging Rs 15 lakh from a dengue patient and another hospital declaring an infant dead. On December 1, the city government had ordered an inquiry into a case of alleged criminal negligence by the Max Hospital at Shalimar Bagh, after it surfaced that its doctors had declared an infant dead, who was found to be alive later. "We will work on it (on the legal framework) and the government will try to ensure that there is no recurrence of such cases," Kejriwal, who was the chief guest at the 'Delhi Smiles - Dental Health Utsav, 2017' at the MAIDS, said. On the occasion, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said the government would set up 100 dental clinics on the lines of the mohalla clinics.

Delhi government to come up with legal framework for errant: Kejriwal

Rescue operations have ended in areas of Iran hit by a powerful weekend earthquake that killed at least 450 people and injured thousands, state television reported on Tuesday, as many survivors, in need of food and water, battled the cold.

Sunday&rsquo;s 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck villages and towns in the mountainous area of Kermanshah province that borders Iraq while many people were at home asleep. At least 14 provinces in Iran were affected.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived in the morning in the earthquake-stricken area in Kermanshah and promised that the government &ldquo;will use all its power to resolve the problems in the shortest time&rdquo;.

State television said thousands were huddling in makeshift camps while many others spent the second night in the open for fear of more tremors after some 193 aftershocks.

A homeless young woman in Sarpol-e Zahab, one of the hardest-hit towns, told state TV that her family was exposed to the night cold because of lack of tents.

&ldquo;We need help. We need everything. The authorities should speed up their help,&rdquo; she said.

Television showed footage of rescue workers frantically combing through the rubble of dozens of villages immediately after the quake. But Iranian officials said the chances of finding any more survivors were extremely low.

&ldquo;The rescue operations in Kermanshah province have ended,&rdquo; Pir-Hossein Kolivand, head of Iran&rsquo;s Emergency Medical Services, said on state TV.

Iran&rsquo;s top authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, offered his condolences on Monday and called on government agencies to do all they could to help.

Iranian police, the elite Revolutionary Guards and its affiliated Basij militia forces were dispatched to affected areas on Sunday night.

BITTER COLD

Hospitals in nearby provinces took in many of the injured, state television said, airing footage of survivors waiting to be treated. Hundreds of critically injured people were dispatched to hospitals in Tehran.

Iran&rsquo;s Red Crescent said emergency shelter had been provided for thousands of homeless people, but a lack of water, electricity, as well as blocked roads in some areas, hindered aid supply efforts.

Local authorities said traffic chaos on roads, caused by people from nearby provinces who were rushing to help, further hampered the flow of aid.

&ldquo;People in some villages are still in dire need of food, water, and shelter,&rdquo; governor of Qasr-e Shirin Faramarz Akbari told state television.

More than 30,000 houses in the area were damaged and at least two villages were completely destroyed, Iranian authorities said.

Houses in Iranian villages are often made of concrete blocks or mud brick that can crumble and collapse in a strong quake. Some people are angry that among the collapsed buildings were houses that the government has built in recent years under its affordable housing programme.

Photographs posted on Iranian news websites showed rescue workers digging people out of collapsed buildings, cars smashed beneath rubble and rescue dogs trying to find signs of life under the twisted remains of collapsed buildings.

&ldquo;More people will die because of cold. My family lives in a village near Sarpol-e Zahab. I cannot even go there. I don&rsquo;t know whether they are dead or alive,&rdquo; Rojan Meshkat, 38, in the Kurdish city of Sanandaj told Reuters by telephone.

Iran is crisscrossed by major fault lines and has suffered several devastating earthquakes in recent years, including a 6.6 magnitude quake in 2003 that reduced the historic southeastern city of Bam to dust and killed some 31,000 people.

The quake, centred in Penjwin in Iraq&rsquo;s Sulaimaniyah province in the Kurdistan region, killed at least six people in Iraq and injured more than 68. In northern Iraq&rsquo;s Kurdish districts, seven were killed and 325 wounded.

State television said thousands were huddling in makeshift camps while many others spent the second night in the open for fear of more tremors after some 193 aftershocks

Rescue operations have ended in areas of Iran hit by a powerful weekend earthquake that killed at least 450 people and injured thousands, state television reported on Tuesday, as many survivors, in need of food and water, battled the cold. Sunday’s 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck villages and towns in the mountainous area of Kermanshah province that borders Iraq while many people were at home asleep. At least 14 provinces in Iran were affected. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived in the morning in the earthquake-stricken area in Kermanshah and promised that the government “will use all its power to resolve the problems in the shortest time”. State television said thousands were huddling in makeshift camps while many others spent the second night in the open for fear of more tremors after some 193 aftershocks. A homeless young woman in Sarpol-e Zahab, one of the hardest-hit towns, told state TV that her family was exposed to the night cold because of lack of tents. “We need help. We need everything. The authorities should speed up their help,” she said. Television showed footage of rescue workers frantically combing through the rubble of dozens of villages immediately after the quake. But Iranian officials said the chances of finding any more survivors were extremely low. “The rescue operations in Kermanshah province have ended,” Pir-Hossein Kolivand, head of Iran’s Emergency Medical Services, said on state TV. Iran’s top authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, offered his condolences on Monday and called on government agencies to do all they could to help. Iranian police, the elite Revolutionary Guards and its affiliated Basij militia forces were dispatched to affected areas on Sunday night. BITTER COLD Hospitals in nearby provinces took in many of the injured, state television said, airing footage of survivors waiting to be treated. Hundreds of critically injured people were dispatched to hospitals in Tehran. Iran’s Red Crescent said emergency shelter had been provided for thousands of homeless people, but a lack of water, electricity, as well as blocked roads in some areas, hindered aid supply efforts. Local authorities said traffic chaos on roads, caused by people from nearby provinces who were rushing to help, further hampered the flow of aid. “People in some villages are still in dire need of food, water, and shelter,” governor of Qasr-e Shirin Faramarz Akbari told state television. More than 30,000 houses in the area were damaged and at least two villages were completely destroyed, Iranian authorities said. Houses in Iranian villages are often made of concrete blocks or mud brick that can crumble and collapse in a strong quake. Some people are angry that among the collapsed buildings were houses that the government has built in recent years under its affordable housing programme. Photographs posted on Iranian news websites showed rescue workers digging people out of collapsed buildings, cars smashed beneath rubble and rescue dogs trying to find signs of life under the twisted remains of collapsed buildings. “More people will die because of cold. My family lives in a village near Sarpol-e Zahab. I cannot even go there. I don’t know whether they are dead or alive,” Rojan Meshkat, 38, in the Kurdish city of Sanandaj told Reuters by telephone. Iran is crisscrossed by major fault lines and has suffered several devastating earthquakes in recent years, including a 6.6 magnitude quake in 2003 that reduced the historic southeastern city of Bam to dust and killed some 31,000 people. The quake, centred in Penjwin in Iraq’s Sulaimaniyah province in the Kurdistan region, killed at least six people in Iraq and injured more than 68. In northern Iraq’s Kurdish districts, seven were killed and 325 wounded.

Iran earthquake: Rescue operations end, several still in makeshift camps

China health authorities have started a nationwide inspection of vaccinations four months after a scandal broke involving nearly $90 million worth of illegal vaccines that were suspected of being sold in dozens of provinces.

Authorities will track purchases as well as the distribution of vaccines and vaccination records, to ensure they are legally traded and properly handled and used, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said in a statement published online.

Random checks will be conducted at 20 per cent of hospitals and clinics providing vaccinations, while all disease control and prevention agencies nationwide will be inspected, it said.

In March, authorities pledged to crack down on the black market sale of vaccines after a mother and daughter in Shandong province were found to have illegally bought vaccines from traders and sold on to hundreds of re-sellers around China.

The vaccines, which police said were made by licensed producers, were not kept and transported in the required cold conditions, which could mean that patients taking them could suffer severe side effects or even death.

Hong Kong limited the number of non-resident children getting vaccinations at government clinics there after the scare raised fears that mainland families would go to the city for inoculations and put pressure on supplies. 
 
(Reuters)

Licensed vaccines weren't transported in the required conditions, which could lead to patients suffering severe side effects, even death

China health authorities have started a nationwide inspection of vaccinations four months after a scandal broke involving nearly $90 million worth of illegal vaccines that were suspected of being sold in dozens of provinces. Authorities will track purchases as well as the distribution of vaccines and vaccination records, to ensure they are legally traded and properly handled and used, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said in a statement published online. Random checks will be conducted at 20 per cent of hospitals and clinics providing vaccinations, while all disease control and prevention agencies nationwide will be inspected, it said. In March, authorities pledged to crack down on the black market sale of vaccines after a mother and daughter in Shandong province were found to have illegally bought vaccines from traders and sold on to hundreds of re-sellers around China. The vaccines, which police said were made by licensed producers, were not kept and transported in the required cold conditions, which could mean that patients taking them could suffer severe side effects or even death. Hong Kong limited the number of non-resident children getting vaccinations at government clinics there after the scare raised fears that mainland families would go to the city for inoculations and put pressure on supplies. (Reuters)

China launches nationwide inspection of vaccines

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