3 DELHI SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2021 CITY/REGION Specially abled AIIMS staff helping patients in testing times NEW DELHI Santdev is running a commu- have also donated my one year's When asked about his experi- from their responsibilities and they are in distress because of nity kitchen, feeding about fifty salary to PM-Cares fund." ence, he said that he has helped some are indulging in illegal ac- the load in the hospital and his SANTDeV Chauhan is an em- people daily and also helps peo- Santdev hails from Mau in hundreds of people and today tivities like black marketing and small help provides them sol- ployee in AIIMS for the last 25 ple in lodging. uP. he said that he got the pas- also I have paid for a patient's other means to make money. In ace. he said that he sometimes years and is working day and While talking to IANS, he sion for social service from his tests. he is also helping the spe- this situation, a person like arranges free lodging facility for night to help the poor during said, "I am working in AIIMS grandfather. Santdev is the head cially abled community to get Santdev is a hope for the soci- those who are not from well-to- this pandemic. he is facilitating for many years but it is now that of AIIMS Disabled employees vaccinated as soon as possible. ety. do families, in the neighbour- the treatment of the people I get satisfaction when I help Federation which has around The country is facing tough Santdev says most of the peo- hood. coming to AIIMS from far flung people who are in distress, 2,000 members including some times during the pandemic and ple who are coming to AIIMS The Federation also pools re- areas. sometimes financially also. I doctors, nurses and other staff. many people are running away are from poor background and sources for such people. Oxygen to be sold in UP 4 held for black marketing of Remdesivir in UP on doc’s prescription only LUCKNOW FOuR persons, including two LUCKNOW tors to uttar Pradesh for distri- doctors, were arrested in ut- bution in hospitals. tar Pradesh for black market- The uttar Pradesh government each concentrator is meant for ing and hoarding of Remde- has now made a doctor's pre- one patient and will ensure they sivir, a key drug used in the scription mandatory for buying do not require further interven- treatment of Covid patients. oxygen or refilling cylinders. tion. The four were arrested from Additional chief secretary (in- The has also or- Thakurganj area in Lucknow formation) Navneet Sehgal said, dered to set up a control room to on Thursday night from near the decision was taken to curb monitor availability of oxygen in the era Medical College hoarding of oxygen cylinders in the state. The food safety and where they had planned to de- homes. drug administration department liver the consignment. "While we are continuously and home department have been The police have also seized taking steps to ensure oxygen directed to monitor the control 34 vials and Rs 4.90 lakh from supply and it will not be possible room. their possession. to meet the rising demand, if peo- Industrial units using oxygen Two accused were identi- ple begin hoarding oxygen at for manufacturing have been fied as Athar Rashid and Sam- marketing of Remdesivir drug vealed they used to receive home in anticipation of an emer- given the nod to convert the sup- rat Pandey, who have done in Thakurganj. the consignment from Kan- gency. Oxygen will now be sold ply for medicinal purpose. Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medi- "We have trapped a member pur," added Singh. Police are only if one presents a doctor's Chief minister from the air, thus curbing de- Those factories which manu- cine, and Surgery (BAMS), of the gang by posing as a cus- now tracing the main supplier prescription, even if it's on What- has said that police should also pendence on liquid oxygen sup- facture medical oxygen and have while the other two, Tehzeeb tomer and after meeting the in Kanpur. sApp," he said. be deputed at filling centres. ply. been lying shut will also be re- hasan and Vipin Kumar, gang, the price of one vial was Officials have been deployed to Sehgal said, 31 hospitals in the The plant will be operational vived. Private hospitals are also worked as their aides. fixed at Rs 20,000," said the oxygen filling centres to ensure state are also setting up an air in two weeks. The centre has al- being encouraged to set up their ACP, Chowk, IP Singh said officer. there is no black-marketing. separator to manufacture oxygen located 1,500 oxygen concentra- own oxygen plants. acting on a tip off about black "The gang members re- Punjab to recruit Centre supplying drugs in biased th 400 nurses, 140 Virtual celebrations of 400 medical technicians manner, alleges Rajasthan govt Prakash Purab in Punjab

TO strengthen the state's healthcare capa- CHANDIGARH to the virtual mode in view of the crisis bilities amid the Covid surge, Punjab Chief situation. Minister on Friday ordered The Punjab government has decided While he and the whole state had immediate recruitment of 400 nurses and to hold virtual celebrations to kick off been looking forward to celebrate the 140 technicians to the government medical the 400th Prakash Purab of Guru Tegh great event in a befitting manner in colleges, while directing the department to Bahadur from April 28 amid the uncer- memory of Guru's sacrifice for hindus, expedite the medical college projects ap- tain situation resulting from the con- the situation was not conducive to proved. tinuous surge in Covid-19 cases, Chief grand celebrations, noted the Chief The Chief Minister, who also raised the is- Minister Amarinder Singh said on Fri- Minister. sue during the virtual meeting earlier with day. Online 'kirtans' will be organised All programmes will be held as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said he will by the government on television and scheduled now, but through virtual be writing soon to the latter seeking a direc- social media channels, with people be- medium, with no physical gatherings, tion to PGI Satellite Centres and Military ing urged to offer 'ardas' for 'sarbat da an official spokesperson told the media Hospitals in Punjab to provide Covid beds to bhala' from their homes, he said, after a meeting of the executive com- citizens. Pre-fabricated structures could be adding that he will speak to SGPC chief mittee set up to oversee the historic used for this purpose, he stressed. JAIPUR higher number of active cases than Bibi Jagir Kaur to shift all celebrations celebrations. Virtually reviewing the functioning of the these two states, said the ministers. Department of Medical Education and Re- The Rajasthan Government has come Going with the distribution per- search, particularly against the backdrop of out openly accusing the central gov- centage, it is clear that Rajasthan has the Covid crisis, he also approved amend- ernment of adopting a biased attitude received just 27.50 pc of injections as ment to rules for re-designating the depart- in supplying life saving drugs to the compared to active cases while Gujarat ment faculty members in a time-bound desert state as the COVID numbers has been given 194 pc and MP has been manner to bring them on a par with their surge each day, raising the demand for given 112%, they added. peers on this count. Remdesivir and oxygen in the state. earlier, state health minister Raghu On the recruitment drive, the Chief Minis- The Rajasthan ministers released a Sharma alleged that the supply of ter said that of the 900 posts sanctioned af- few figures to showcase the alleged bi- Remdesivir by Cipla to Rajasthan was ter the department restructuring, 400 should ased attitude of the central govern- stopped with the interference of the be filled immediately in phase one with hir- ment and said that Rajasthan is getting Goa government and later its supply ing of nurses. 205 metric tonne of oxygen while the by other companies was stopped due In hiring of technicians, reasonable weigh- Gujarat government is getting much to interference by the Karnataka Gov- tage should be given to those who are al- more oxygen when the active cases are ernment. ready working on contract with the state low there compared to Rajasthan. Rajasthan, till Thursday, has 107157 government, he said. The state government received just active cases. A total of 14468 cases Medical Education Minister O.P. Soni 28,500 Remdesivir injections while were registered on Thursday while 59 shared details of the various hospitals and Gujarat got 1.63 lakh injections and deaths were reported taking the cu- medical colleges that are coming up in Mo- MP received 92,200 injections despite mulative death figures to 3389, said hali, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala. the fact that Rajasthan has a much health officials. Amarinder seeks Centre-State parity on vaccination for 18+ group CHANDIGARH

TeRMING the new vaccination policy for the 18-plus age group as unfair to the states, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday sought Centre-state parity in vaccination for that age group from May 1, while call- ing for urgent steps to ensure adequate oxygen supply. While the Punjab government has adopted all measures to minimise de- mand for oxygen, given its criticality as the most essential drug for the treat- ment of serious Covid-19 patients, the govrnment of must ensure that all commitments with regard to its al- sion to make the cost a fit charge on the purchasers. location are complied with by the liq- SDRF funds in the interim. The state government, on its part, uid oxygen manufacturers in the other Regular vaccine supply must be en- has constituted an experts' group un- states, the Chief Minister demanded. sured to maintain the supply chain to der virologist Gagandeep Kang to ad- Punjab's supplies come from the last vaccination booth, he said, vise on the vaccination strategy for haryana, himachal Pradesh and ut- adding that due to supply shortage, those in the age group of 18-45 years, tarakhand, and there are reports of vaccinations in the last one week have whom the states have been allowed to supplies being 'hijacked', Amarinder been slightly low, i.e., around 75,000- vaccinate at their cost, he said. Singh said at the virtual conference 80,000 a day. The Chief Minister also pointed to held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi While Punjab received fresh sup- the shortage and blackmarketing of on Friday to discuss the Covid situa- plies on Thursday, the current stocks medicines like Remdesivir, which he tion with the CMs of the worst hit can last only three days as demand for said is creating great panic among the states. On the vaccination front, the vaccine is increasing, he stressed. general public. Chief Minister said that the new rates Amarinder Singh also expressed Though the Central government is announced by one of the manufactur- concern over lack of clarity on the making efforts to increase its supply, a ers will cost the Punjab government quantity of vaccine to be made avail- clearer message is required to inform over Rs 1,000 crore. able by the Centre after May 1, and how the public that it is not a magic wand, he sought Central government the manufacturers will regulate sup- and also about the available substi- funding for vaccination, with permis- plies to different states and private tutes, he stressed.