<ul><li>The Delhi government on Saturday declared small and <keyword id="9398788" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="medium-multispeciality-nursing-homes">medium multispeciality nursing homes</keyword> having 10 to 49 beds as "COVID nursing homes" to increase the bed capacity for <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> patients </li><li>All such nursing homes (10 bedded to 49 bedded) are required to make their COVID beds functional within three days of the issuance of the order. </li><li>The government on May 24 had directed 117 nursing homes/private hospitals having bed strength of 50 beds or more to reserve/ earmark at least 20 per cent of their total bed strength for COVID-19 patients. </li></ul> The Delhi government on Saturday declared small and medium multispeciality nursing homes having 10 to 49 beds as "COVID nursing homes" to increase the bed capacity for coronavirus patients, according to an <keyword id="7890330" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="official-order">official order</keyword>. Only standalone exclusive eye centres, <keyword id="9398786" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ent-centres">ENT centres</keyword>, <keyword id="30603" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dialysis">dialysis</keyword> centres, maternity homes and IVF centres are presently exempted, the order said. "In order to avoid intermingling of COVID and non-COVID patients in small and medium multispeciality nursing homes (10 bedded to 49 bedded) and also to augment the bed capacity for COVID-19 patients, all nursing homes in NCT of Delhi having bed strength of 10 beds or more up to 49 beds are declared as COVID nursing homes," it said. All such nursing homes (10 bedded to 49 bedded) are required to make their COVID beds functional within three days of the issuance of the order failing which it would be treated as violation of Clause 14.1 of the schedule appended to Rule 14 of the Delhi Nursing Homes Registration (Amendment) Rules, 2011, it said. It added that "action, as deemed fit, would be initiated against the defaulter nursing home". According to Clause 14.1, in the event of any natural calamity, including outbreak and epidemics or disaster, the owner or the keeper of every nursing home shall, on being directed by the supervising authority in writing, co-operate and provide reasonable assistance and medical aid as may be considered essential by the supervising authority at the time of natural calamity. The government on May 24 had directed 117 nursing homes/private hospitals having bed strength of 50 beds or more to reserve/ earmark at least 20 per cent of their total bed strength for COVID-19 patients. The occupancy of the beds earmarked for COVID patients is displayed on a real-time basis on <keyword id="9398787" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-delhi-corona-app">the Delhi Corona App</keyword>. More than 70 per cent COVID beds in the private sector are already occupied. Further, it is projected that there would be a requirement of over 15,000 COVID beds till June 30 and by the end of first fortnight of July, the requirement would further swell up to more than 33,000 COVID beds. SLB

Nursing homes in Delhi having 10 to 49 beds declared as COVID facilities

New Delhi, Jan 15 (IANS) The Delhi government has rationed the tranche of two Covid-19 vaccines it has stocked in 81 hospitals finalised for the launch of a massive immunization drive against the novel coronavirus in the national capital. However, the distribution pattern has raised a few eyebrows as the Cvaccine by Bharat Biotech, Covaxin, has been allotted only to six Centre-run hospitals, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Safdarjung, and Ram Manohar Lohia (RML), a list of hospitals with the vaccines allotted by the Delhi government revealed. Meanwhile, 75 hospitals which include state-run and private hospitals, will receive Covishield, developed by Oxford/AstraZeneca with Serum Institute of India (SII), which is handling its marketing and production in the country. While no official clarification or reason were presented by the Delhi government behind the distribution pattern of the vaccine, a top official from the state health department told IANS that it was done at the Centre's behest. "The vaccine and its doses are allocated as per specific directions from the Central government," the official said. However, the move is expected to court a controversy since the healthcare workers already have a reservation against the Bharat Biotech's Covaxin which received approval for restricted emergency use in clinical trial mode by India's drug regulator without submitting the phase III efficacy data. Many healthcare workers who spoke to IANS also revealed their apprehensions towards the Covaxin. "I'm all in to get vaccinated but would not take Covaxin," an ENT specialist at the Centre-run Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) said. The healthcare workers of the LHMC will be offered Covaxin as its associated hospital Kalawati Saran is listed in the 6 Centre-run hospitals which would receive the Bharat Biotech's vaccine. Jugal Kishore, Professor and Head, Department of Community Medicine, Safdarjung, said that one vaccine candidate should have been provided to all centres to avoid any controversy. "It would have been better if the government had provided one vaccine candidate to all the centres so that no confusion gets into the minds of the people," he added. However, Kishore also concurred with reservations against the Covaxin seemingly among the healthcare workers. He cited a statement of a leading clinical scientist, Gagandeep Kang, who is also a vice-chairperson of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Inventions (CEPI), a global consortium facilitating promising vaccine candidates for Covid-19. Kang had said that she "would not take Covaxin until its required efficacy data is made public". Covaxin has been in the spotlight of controversy since it was recommended for restricted emergency use by the Subject Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). Later, it was approved on January 3 for the roll-out in Covid immunization programme. Its approval for the immunization programme has drawn flak from public health advocacy groups, researchers, scientists and activists in the domain. The concern with the Covaxin largely remains with its approval for inoculation without the data from phase III clinical trials which determine efficacy of the drug since the trials are still ongoing. So far, any data proving the vaccine's efficacy has not been published in the public domain, including any results of an interim analysis. The national capital has received a total 2.84 lakh Covid vaccines in the last two days. On Tuesday, the city received 2.64 lakh doses of Covishield, while a consignment carrying 20,000 doses of Covaxin was delivered to the city's vaccine storage facility on Wednesday. The roll-out of at 81 locations will begin with vaccinating around 2.25 lakh healthcare workers of Delhi in the phase I of the Covid immunization drive. --IANS str/pgh/ksk/

Delhi govt diverts Covaxin to 6 Centre-run hospitals

<keyword id="6358777" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-Delhi">New Delhi</keyword>, The cases of rare black fungus infection linked with <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">Covid-19</keyword> have started to appear across the hospitals in the national capital after being higlighted by <keyword id="237993" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ganga-Ram-Hospital">Ganga Ram hospital</keyword> a few days ago. However, doctors said this alarming affliction called Mucormycosis is rare but not new. What is new is the impact of Covid behind triggering this <keyword id="6226166" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="deadly-infection">deadly infection</keyword>. Max Superspeciality hospital in Delhi has reported as many as 24 cases amid the Covid pandemic as against four cases reported last year. Sanjay Sachdeva, Principal Director of ENT, Max hospital, told IANS that all these patients had Covid-19 while 20 of them lost their eyesight. "While we lost one patient, three were recovered without any incision," he added. Sachdeva observed that Covid is also somehow aggrieving the fungal infection. "Its aggressiveness has increased in the Covid times, as within two days of detection, people have started to lose their eyes, nose and other body parts," he said. Sonali Malhotra, Senior resident, ENT, at Centre-run Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), told IANS that in the last one-and-a-half months, at least five cases have been reported in the hospital. Of them, three were Covid-linked. "Two were Covid positive at the time of its (Mucormycosis) detection while another one was reinfected with the Covid-19 infection," she said. Aparna Mahajan, Consultant ENT surgeon, Fortis Escorts Hospital at Faridabad, also informed that the hospital had reported four cases recently. As per doctors, Mucormycosis has been a cause of disease and death in transplants, ICU and Immunodeficient individuals since long, however, it is the rapid increase in numbers seen in unsuspected Covid patients which is matter of grave concern. Bhiya Ram, Assistant professor, ENT department, <keyword id="6365231" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="all-india-institute-of-medical-sciences">All India Institute of Medical Sciences</keyword> (AIIMS) Rishikesh, said Covid patients, who are already immunocompromised with the underlying condition, had faced severe Covid-19 and been on steroids, are at a greater risk of contracting Mucormycosis and fatality associated to it which ranges as high as 80 per cent. Of the ten patients Ganga Ram reported in December, lives of five patients could not be saved. "The frequency with which we are witnessing the occurrence of high morbidity and mortality in Covid-triggered Mucormycosis has never been seen before which is shocking and alarming," Manish Munjal, senior ENT surgeon, Ganga Ram hospital, told IANS. Uma Malliah, Senior Consultant, Ophthalmology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, informed that three of the seven cases the hospital reported could not be saved. The doctors said early detection of Mucormycosis could save lives as well as control the infection spread. "Symptoms such as nose obstruction, swelling in the eye or cheeks and black dry crusts inside the nose should be reported immediately and anti-fungal therapy must be initiated as early as possible," Ram said. "Patients should immediately rush to their nearest ENT clinics for problems such as pressure in the eyes and numbness in the cheeks. The investigation of nose through endoscope can easily reveal the typical purple or black spots developing in the nose and if spotted, treatment should be started without any delay," Ram added. Malliah said the patients reported in Apollo hospital were largely diabetic. They were specifically severe in diabetes, renal failures and transplant, and have been on steroids for a very long time," she added. Sonali Malhotra said diabetes is the major common link found between the Mucor patients which makes them susceptible to Covid-19. "Since they already have underlying conditions, their chances of getting infected with Covid fare higher," she added. Another distinct property being reported in the Mucor patients is that the majority were elderly people. Malliah informed IANS that the patients reported to her hospital were majorly between 45 and 60 years. Sachdeva told IANS that his patients varied from 47 to 72 years. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ikea-india-cfo-says-she-still-has-3500-crore-to-be-spent-in-india-the-pandemic-has-changed-targets-but-not-the-investment-plan/articleshow/79790938.cms">INTERVIEW: Ikea CFO says she still has ₹3,500 crore to be spent in India⁠— the pandemic has changed targets but not the investment plan</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/india-will-produce-300-million-doses-of-the-russian-sputnik-v-covid-19-vaccine-next-year/articleshow/79795341.cms">India will produce 300 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine next year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/how-to-check-mrs-bectors-food-specialities-ipo-allotment-status-online/articleshow/79808672.cms">Mrs Bectors Food Specialities IPO allotment: Here’s how to check share allotment status</a>

Covid-19 cases linked 'black fungus infection' appears across Delhi hospitals

People who suffer from mild Covid-19 infection could be at risk of sudden deafness and hearing loss, according to a study. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) - also known as sudden deafness - is a little known and poorly understood side effect of Covid-19 that is not even listed as a common symptom by doctors, said <keyword id="1312156" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kim-gibson" source="Orion">Kim Gibson</keyword>, a fully vaccinated nursing lecturer at the <keyword id="1025970" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="university-of-south-australia" source="Orion">University of South Australia</keyword>. <keyword id="17630" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="gibson" source="Orion">Gibson</keyword>, a registered nurse with a clinical background in neonatal intensive care, developed acute hearing loss in one ear, along with vertigo and tinnitus five weeks after experiencing a mild <keyword id="8764262" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">Covid</keyword> infection in 2022. Her experience is published in the British Medical Journal Case Reports. "My experience shows that even people who have a minor Covid-19 infection could be at risk of potentially permanent and debilitating long-term effects. High quality, person-centred care is so critical." Previous studies have linked SSNHL with Covid-19, as well as a potential side effect of Covid vaccination, but the evidence is still limited, Gibson said. Gibson said that despite working in health education, she was not aware of Covid-19 causing hearing loss. "This was a shocking experience for me that had a significant impact on my quality of life for several months as I had never had any problems with hearing before; not even an ear infection. "I was unable to drive a car while experiencing severe vertigo. I needed to reduce my workload, negotiate flexible working hours with my employers and take a leave of absence from study. This was all due to a mild Covid-19 infection. "I was worried that the hearing loss would be permanent and that I would need a hearing aid. I now feel very nervous about a second Covid-19 infection. What if I experience this again, or even worse?" According to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, sudden sensorineural hearing loss - also known as sudden deafness - occurs when you lose your hearing very quickly, typically only in one ear. It can happen instantly or over a span of several days. People can experience mild hearing impairment or total loss of hearing and it may be temporary or permanent. After experiencing the sudden hearing loss Gibson was referred to an <keyword id="3006950" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="otolaryngologist" source="Orion">otolaryngologist</keyword> (an ear, nose, and throat doctor, or an ENT) who confirmed SSNHL. A course of oral prednisolone and betahistine was prescribed, and Gibson's hearing slowly improved over subsequent months, although she continues to experience intermittent tinnitus. "The evidence around the short and long-term impacts of Covid-19 and vaccines is still emerging and the aim of this paper is to highlight the lesser-known side effects of the virus," Gibson said. "We believe that clinicians should include sudden hearing loss as a potential side effect of Covid-19 when talking to patients. High-dose corticosteroids are a recommended first line of treatment for SSNHL and it is important that GPs promptly refer patients to specialists as soon as symptoms develop. "Hearing loss and associated symptoms can have a significant impact on a person's quality of life -- they did in my case -- and are closely related with anxiety and depression," she noted A study of hearing loss during the pandemic showed that approximately one-third of patients with SSNHL were positive for Covid-19 when they were referred to an audiologist. Other studies reported an increase in SSNHL in 2020 and 2021, including among asymptomatic people. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/samosas-versus-burgers-the-great-indian-dilemma/articleshow/99488590.cms">Samosas versus burgers: The Great Indian Dilemma</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/what-can-1-get-you-30-minutes-of-trailers-at-pvr-inox/articleshow/99487702.cms">What can ₹1 get you? 30 minutes of trailers at PVR Inox</a>

Even mild Covid infection can cause sudden hearing loss: Study

<ul><li><keyword id="7716660" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pristyn-care" source="Orion">Pristyn Care</keyword> has raised $96 million in funding at a valuation of $1.4 billion.</li><li>Pristyn Care’s Series E round was led by Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global and others.</li><li>It plans to increase its geographical footprint by expanding to over cities, and set up 1000+ surgical centres.</li></ul>Gurugram-based healthcare startup Pristyn Care, which offers affordable advanced surgical care, has raised $96 million in external funding at a valuation of $1.4 billion. It is the second Indian healthtech company to enter the unicorn club, after Innovaccer that was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/india-saw-the-birth-of-two-new-unicorns-this-week-both-their-valuations-have-swelled-multiple-times-in-just-a-few-months/articleshow/81221476.cms">valued at $1.3 billion</a> in February 2021. A unicorn, in startup parlance, is a company valued at or over a billion dollars. Business Insider last week reported that Pristyn Care had become the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/surgical-care-startup-pristyn-care-is-the-42-startup-to-be-valued-over-1-billion/articleshow/88157965.cms">42nd Indian unicorn</a>. Pristyn Care’s Series E round was led by Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global, Winter Capital, Epiq Capital, Hummingbird Ventures and Trifecta Capital. CRED’s Kunal Shah, Zomato’s Deepinder Goual, Urban Company’s Abhiraj Singh Bhal and Mamaearth’s Varun Alagh also participated in the round. It will use the capital to enhance its offerings by adopting the latest surgical technologies, expanding into new disease categories, strengthening and modernizing partner-hospital infrastructure, training its surgeons and further developing its product and technology. “We will continue to invest in newer, world-class surgical technology to ensure faster patient recovery, shorter hospital stay and the smoothest surgery experience possible for patients and their families,” Harsimarbir Singh, cofounder of Pristyn Care, added. The Gurugram-based company also plans to increase its geographical footprint by expanding to over 50 cities, and set up 1000+ surgical centres. A part of the funding will also be used to double its team size and hire for technology roles. The company has doubled its valuation since April 2021, when it raised <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/tiger-global-invests-in-healthcare-startup-pristyn-care-valuation-more-than-doubles-in-six-months/articleshow/82158467.cms">$53 million in Series D round</a>. Pristyn Care was founded in 2018 by Harsimarbir Singh, Vaibhav Kapoor and Garima Sawhney. The company has partnered with 150 clinics and 700 hospitals across 40 cities to provide surgeries and treatment for proctology, urology, ENT, vascular, gynaecology and more. The Gurugram-based company had reported a revenue of ₹25.78 crore in fiscal year 2020, with losses touching ₹33 crore. It has reported a profit of ₹2 lakh in FY2019 and revenue of ₹3.43 crore. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/state-bank-of-india-to-sell-stake-in-sbi-mutual-fund-ipo/articleshow/88292698.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">SBI Mutual Fund to come up with an IPO; SBI to sell 6% out of 63% stake via the public issue</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-1rs-data-plan-recharge-benefits-cheapest-4g-data-plan/articleshow/88292543.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">At ₹1, Reliance Jio’s latest data pack is the cheapest in the world – costs less than a packet of water</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/google-says-workers-that-those-who-do-not-comply-with-vaccination-policy-will-eventually-lose-their-jobs-cnbc/articleshow/88291338.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Google says workers that those who do not comply with vaccination policy will eventually lose their jobs: CNBC</a>

Surgical care startup Pristyn Care raises $96 million from Tiger Global, Sequoia

Chennai, Apr 24 (): The Tamil Nadu Government MedicalLaboratory Technicians Association has moved the Madras HighCourt seeking to restrain the state government from makingthe association members take samples of suspected COVID-19patients. The association, while making it clear that labtechnicians are not qualified to collect samples of throatswab and nasal swab to test for COVID-19, submitted that onlyqualified ENT doctors can be engaged for such jobs.Referring to the Centre's letter dated April 8 which hasalso given guidelines in respect of qualified personnel tocollect samples, the association submitted that making itsmembers takethe samples would amount to violation of medicalrules, the petitioner-association moved the court. When the petition came up for hearing before it, theDivision Bench comprising Justice M. Sathyanarayanan andJustice M. Nirmal Kumar adjourned the plea to May 13. According to the association, the country is in the midstof an unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 and one of the keycomponents of the association's strategy to combat thisoutbreak is contact tracing and collecting of throat swab(oropharyngeal) and nasal swab (nasopharyngeal) samples ofpotentially infected persons. "They said samples can be collected only through thetrained healthcare worker in presence of a clinician. Onlyqualified and trained persons particularly ENT specialistdoctors and postgraduate training doctors who have studiedthe anatomy and physiology of throat and nasal swab can dothe job," the petitioner said.Even the Union government through a communication datedApril 8 has issued guidelines and has directed all the statesand union territories to take necessary steps to utilise theservices of ENT professionals and post-graduate trainees totake such samples. The WHO has also issued a similarguideline, the association added.This apart, the lab technicians have only basicqualification of diploma in medical laboratory technologywithout any expertise in the anatomy and physiology of ahuman body making them ineligible to collect such samples,they said. Therefore, the petitioner-association wanted the court todirect the state to immediately stop engaging lab techniciansfor collecting swab samples and instead engage qualified ENTdoctors for the purpose. CORNVG NVG

'Lab technicians not qualified for taking COVID-19 samples'

(Eds: Updating with govt's withdrawal of earlier notification) New Delhi, Jun 14 () The Delhi government on Sunday withdrew its decision to declare small and medium multi-speciality nursing homes as "COVID nursing homes". The decision came after the Delhi Medical Association wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying the move will harm the healthcare needs of non-COVID patients. According to a new order issued by the Delhi government, the decision to declare nursing homes as COVID facilities has now been "withdrawn with immediate effect". Small and medium multi-speciality nursing homes in the city having 10 to 49 beds were declared as "COVID nursing homes" by the Delhi government on Saturday. Only standalone exclusive eye centres, ENT centres, dialysis centres, maternity homes and IVF centres were exempted, according to its order on Saturday. "With the Delhi government's decision, over 5,000 beds will be available for coronavirus patients. In the next few days, our officials will talk to owners of each nursing home to solve their problems," Kejriwal had tweeted in Hindi earlier in the day. According to the Delhi Corona app, there are 9,856 beds available for coronavirus patients, with 5,455 beds being occupied at 10.35 pm on Sunday. SNE SNE

Delhi govt withdraws its decision to declare nursing homes as COVID facilities

(Eds: updating wtih cm's tweet) New Delhi, Jun 14 () Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the bed strength in the national capital for treating coronavirus patients will increase by 5000 after the city government decided to declare small and medium multi-speciality nursing homes as "COVID nursing homes". Small and medium multi-speciality nursing homes in the city having 10 to 49 beds have been declared as "COVID nursing homes" by the Delhi government to increase the bed capacity for coronavirus patients, according to an official order issued on Saturday. Only standalone exclusive eye centres, ENT centres, dialysis centres, maternity homes and IVF centres are presently exempted, the order said. "With the Delhi government's decision, over 5000 beds will be available for coronavirus patients. In the next few days, our officials will talk to owners of each nursing home to solve their problems," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi. According to the Delhi Corona app, there are 9,802 beds available for coronavirus patients, with 5,367 beds being occupied at 11 am on Sunday. The order to convert small and medium nursing homes into COVID facilities was issued on Saturday. "In order to avoid intermingling of COVID and non-COVID patients in small and medium multi-speciality nursing homes (10 bedded to 49 bedded) and also to augment the bed capacity for COVID-19 patients, all nursing homes in NCT of Delhi having bed strength of 10 beds or more up to 49 beds are declared as COVID nursing homes," it said. All such nursing homes are required to make their COVID beds functional within three days of the issuance of the order failing which it would be treated as violation of Clause 14.1 of the schedule appended to Rule 14 of the Delhi Nursing Homes Registration (Amendment) Rules, 2011, it said. It added that "action, as deemed fit, would be initiated against the defaulter nursing home". According to Clause 14.1, in the event of any natural calamity, including outbreak and epidemics or disaster, the owner or the keeper of every nursing home shall, on being directed by the supervising authority in writing, cooperate and provide reasonable assistance and medical aid as may be considered essential by the supervising authority at the time of natural calamity. The government on May 24 had directed 117 nursing homes/private hospitals having bed strength of 50 beds or more to reserve/ earmark at least 20 per cent of their total bed strength for COVID-19 patients. The occupancy of the beds earmarked for COVID patients is displayed on a real-time basis on the Delhi Corona App. More than 70 per cent COVID beds in the private sector are already occupied. Further, it is projected that there would be a requirement of over 15,000 COVID beds till June 30 and by the end of first fortnight of July, the requirement would further swell up to more than 33,000 COVID beds. SLB DV DV

Beds for COVID-19 patients in Delhi to increase by 5000: CM

New Delhi, Jun 15 () From rescinding its directive to convert small and medium nursing homes into dedicated COVID-19 facilities to withdrawing its order on "indiscriminately" sending doctors and other medical workers in quarantine, the Delhi government has reversed its own instructions during the pandemic, much after facing flak from the medical community. On June 14, the city government withdrew its order to convert small and medium nursing homes into dedicated COVID-19 facilities. This was not the only order that the AAP government had to withdraw. However, the reversal of the decision came after intense criticism from the Delhi Medical Association (DMA), which said the move will harm the healthcare needs of non-COVID-19 patients. According to a new order issued by the Delhi government on Sunday, the decision to declare nursing homes as COVID facilities was "withdrawn with immediate effect". Small and medium multi-speciality nursing homes in the city with 10 to 49 beds were declared as "COVID nursing homes" by the city government on Saturday. Only standalone exclusive eye centres, ENT centres, dialysis centres, maternity homes and IVF centres were exempted. Earlier this month, another Delhi government order had triggered a controversy in the political circles. It was subsequently overruled by Lieutenant Governor (LG) Anil Baijal. Baijal had overruled the order to reserve the Delhi government-run as well as private hospitals in the national capital for the residents of the city during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the LG voiced his disapproval, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that his government would implement the LG's order as this was not the time for "disagreements and politics". The LG also overruled the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's order for coronavirus testing only for symptomatic patients. Baijal said people in all the nine categories, including those asymptomatic, should be examined, as prescribed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). In an order issued last month, the Delhi government had said the quarantine facilities for doctors in hotels be cancelled. This was opposed by doctors, following which the order was withdrawn. The Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital had also informed its doctors and paramedical staff to vacate the hotels or pay for their own stay. As the government withdrew its order, the hospital also put the order on hold. On May 1, the city government had asked medical directors to get written explanations from COVID-19-infected healthcare workers on how they contracted the disease, despite wearing protective gear. However, the government later said the order was kept in abeyance. According to another Delhi government order, medical directors of non-coronavirus hospitals were "indiscriminately" sending doctors and other medical workers in quarantine for 14 days. "This practice is causing an unnecessary shortage of doctors and staff at hospitals," Health Secretary Padmini Singla had said. The government said "it seems it is happening because either hospitals are not following the standard operating procedures or such persons are not following the guidelines prescribed for healthcare workers". "All medical directors are directed to obtain a written explanation from all such persons as to how they got infected or became a contact, in spite of wearing the required protective gear, maintaining safe distance and following precautions," it said. SLB RC

Delhi govt reversed multiple decisions during COVID-19 pandemic after facing flak

New Delhi, Jun 14 () The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) has written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressing opposition to the city government's decision to declare small and medium multi-speciality nursing homes as "COVID nursing homes". Kejriwal on Sunday said the bed strength in the national capital for treating coronavirus patients will increase by 5,000 due to the decision. Small and medium multi-speciality nursing homes in the city having 10 to 49 beds have been declared as "COVID nursing homes" by the Delhi government to increase the bed capacity for coronavirus patients, according to an official order issued on Saturday. Only standalone exclusive eye centres, ENT centres, dialysis centres, maternity homes and IVF centres are presently exempted, the order said. The DMA, in the letter, raised concerns over the decision saying the order is going to harm healthcare needs of the non-COVID patients and will put residents of small colonies at severe risk. All doctors at such medical set-ups have been equally contributing with the government in this grave situation by meeting primary healthcare needs of thousands of non-COVID-19 patients in the last two-and-a-half months, by being available 24X7 to common people in need of a medical service, the letter said. It claimed that the government health structure has been unable to provide sufficient support to thousands of OPD patients and those requiring medical intervention/surgeries during pandemic. "Large number of non-COVID patients i.e. pediatric, pregnant women, diabetes , hypertension, COPD, surgical, orthopaedic patients and many other non-COVID patients, who have been getting treatment at all these medical establishments will be left with no economical, doorstep healthcare facilities," the letter said. There are already follow-up patients, patients under hospitalisation, some pregnant women are approaching their due date of delivery and such cases cannot be refused medical services and be left at the mercy of destiny to deal with their medical needs, it added. The letter also said that according to the protocol, moderate COVID-19 cases may need ICU, which is not available in most small nursing homes and severe cases need ICU and ventilators, which are not available in such facilities. "Most of the doctors are having their residences in the same premises in these small nursing homes, which if converted into COVID set-up, will put families of these doctors, which include senior citizens and children, at great risk of infection," the letter said. The letter also expressed concern about the health of doctors running these nursing homes. "Many doctors running these nursing homes are themselves of an age group between 50 years to 65 years of age, which if directed to convert their existing set-ups to COVID nursing homes, will put them to a risk of infection, without there being sufficient arrangement for safety and soial distancing," it said. Most of these small nursing homes do not have sufficient staff, as many have already left for their hometowns and also the one available are not trained or capable to deal with critical care required for COVID-19 patients, the DMA said. All small nursing homes are located upon small plot sizes and inside small residential areas or streets and colonies and they will become epicentres of coronavirus spread in the community, and this move is being opposed by RWAs, it added. The DMA also suggested that the Delhi government can convert more of its hospitals and create more COVID beds as only five hospitals out of a total of 34 state-run medical institutions have been utilised to create COVID treatment facilities. Improving the facilities in their own medical institutions is the need of the hour and will provide much-needed quality and timely care to COVID-19 patients, the DMA said. There are many government medical institutions that can be converted to COVID care hospitals like municipal corporation hospitals, railways hospitals, ESI hospitals, Army hospitals, the DMA suggested, adding that these set-ups are already equipped with required infrastructure and healthcare facilities There are more than 30 large hospitals built on institutional land provided by the government, who can dedicate more beds for this purpose. "We wish to reinforce that the need of the hour is not isolation beds but beds to treat moderate and severely ill COVID-19 patients which can be done with the addition of ICU and HDU beds," the DMA suggested. It said that small and medium sized nursing homes should be allowed to continue to contribute and serve the healthcare needs of a large number of non-COVID-19 patients of Delhi. SLB KJ KJ

DMA writes to CM over Delhi's govt's decision to declare nursing homes as COVID facility

By Yoshita Singh United Nations, Apr 21 () Indian peacekeepers serving in the UN missions across the world continue to provide essential humanitarian and healthcare assistance to the local communities notwithstanding the threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Indian peacekeepers with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) repaired an important road intersection in Khor Adar, restoring connections between Bunj and Melut. "#UNMISS continues assisting local communities across #SouthSudan, despite challenges (from) #COVID19; our #peacekeepers (from) India repaired a major intersection in under a month, enabling people in a region of Malakal 2 resume road travel (between) 2 major towns," a tweet from UNMISS said. The engineers from the Indian Horizontal and Mechanical Company undertook intensive rehabilitation of the roadways to reopen the main supply routes between Bunj and Melut and Malakal. An UNMISS report quoted Commanding Officer Lieutenant-Colonel MPS Ghai as saying that recent floods had destroyed the five-kilometer main junction connecting two major towns in the Upper Nile region-Bunj and Melut. "We knew that we absolutely had to do something to help them as soon as possible," he said. Rehabilitation of the roadways helped improve conditions for local communities living in the area and enabled humanitarian assistance to reach them swiftly. The Indian contingent worked with local authorities, providing labour, machinery and technical expertise. Ghai said that he is very proud of the dedication shown by the Indian troops as "they worked extra hours and performed punishing physical labour in harsh weather conditions without complaints." Local authorities in Malakal expressed their gratitude to the UNMISS peacekeepers. "What the Indian engineers from UNMISS have done is almost a miracle," Acting Governor James Agwer Awer said in the UNMISS report. In addition to road repairs, UNMISS peacekeepers have also built an artificial water channel to facilitate irrigation for farms and created a playing field for young sport enthusiasts in the region. United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) healthcare peacekeepers are working relentlessly to prevent the COVID19 spread. Commanding Officer Lt Col GS Suri of UNIFIL Naqoura Hospital, who is also an ENT surgeon from India, said extra measures have been taken to establish triage centre outside the hospital and patients coming into the hospital are examined for fever and other COVID symptoms. An UNIFIL article said Suri and many other healthcare practitioners like him in the forefront of COVID-19 response are putting their own health at risk to protect fellow peacekeepers and the host population in south Lebanon. UNIFIL medical team is implementing rigorous precautionary measures and World Health Organization guidelines to ensure their own safety as well as that of their patients. UNIFIL has been providing medical supplies and equipment as part of the mission's broader efforts to assist the local population and communities in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. On UNIFIL's part, the Mission has taken all necessary precautionary measures to prevent any infection of the virus among the Mission's more than 11,000 military and civilian peacekeepers as well as the host populations. YAS CPS

Indian peacekeepers continue to provide humanitarian, healthcare assistance amidst COVID-19 threat

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Doctors in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> say <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> patients have unusual <keyword id="44308" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Symptoms">symptoms</keyword> that could be due to the <keyword id="6383835" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="delta">Delta</keyword> variant.</li><li>They include gangrene and hearing loss.</li><li>There aren't enough sequencing tests sent to labs to know if these are unique to the Delta variant.</li></ul>Doctors in India claim that the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-variants-uk-south-africa-brazil-us-facts-questions-2021-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highly infectious Delta variant</a> could cause unusual symptoms such as gangrene and hearing loss, which they say are becoming more common in COVID-19 patients of all ages.Alarming details of the symptoms were <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-07/gangrene-hearing-loss-point-to-delta-variant-being-more-severe">reported by Bloomberg</a> on June 7 and followed up by <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9661367/Coronavirus-Doctors-India-claim-new-Covid-variant-giving-people-gangrene-hearing-loss.html">the Daily Mail</a> and <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/new-symptoms-linked-delta-variant-24274465">Daily Mirror</a> in the UK, where the Delta variant now accounts for 91% of new COVID cases.The highly infectious variant has spread to 67 countries and is becoming more common around the world. But, with fewer cases in India sequenced, there isn't enough data to know for sure whether the symptoms are unique to the variant, or are caused by COVID more generally, which has already been linked to unusual symptoms such as diarrhea and blood circulation issues.The Delta variant is estimated to be 60% more infectious than the Alpha variant that's currently the most common in the US. It also has mutations that mean it can partially avoid the immune response.Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical advisor, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-variant-covid-coronavirus-india-fauci-second-shot-dose-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned last week </a>that the fast-spreading Delta variant could take hold in the US, if more Americans didn't get their COVID-19 shots. A <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1346#:~:text=Covid%2D19%3A%20Single%20vaccine%20dose,India%2C%20data%20show%20%7C%20The%20BMJ">Public Health England document from May</a> reported the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines were respectively 88% and 60% effective against the Delta variant after both doses.Dr. Ganesh Manudhane, consultant cardiologist at Seven Hills Hospital in Mumbai, told Insider that he used to see four patients a year who had small blood clots causing gangrene, a serious condition where a loss of blood supply causes body tissue to die. Now it's one person every week, he said."I suspect it could be because of the Delta variant, because of the increased number of cases," Manudhane said - but he added that he hadn't genetically sequenced the patient's <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> tests to check for the Delta variant, which has become the most common COVID variant in the country since first being identified there in October.Dr. Abdul Ghafur, infectious disease consultant at Apollo Hospital in Chennai told Insider that he had experienced far more cases of people with COVID-19 presenting with diarrhea than in the first wave in 2020.But "all of the inferences from local doctors across the country were based on their clinical experience and not on any published data," he said.It isn't clear how many people in India are infected with Delta compared with other <keyword id="112799" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="variants">variants</keyword>. It is one of three similar virus strains that all originated in India.Some statistics group these three together, and not all positive coronavirus tests are sequenced in the lab to check for variants. As of April, 0.75% of all India's cases were sequenced, according to a report in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01427-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nature</a>. The country has had 29.45 million recorded cases since the pandemic began.This lack of data is holding back doctor's understanding of the variant.Ghafur added that "despite having the second highest number of [COVID-19] patients in the world, India's premier research institute, the Indian Council of Medical Research, hadn't conducted any scientific studies of value." Anurag Agarwal, director at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology in Delhi, told Insider that there was no clear link between the Delta variant and atypical symptoms.Agarwal said the rise in people with atypical symptoms may be because of the increases in overall COVID cases in India, rather than the rise of the Delta variant.Neil Ferguson, director at the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London, explained at a briefing in the UK on Wednesday that, when a large number of people get sick, there can be a spectrum of rare conditions that aren't typical at all.Dr Jeffery Barrett, director at the COVID-19 Genomics Initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK said at the same briefing that the UK processes up to 20,000 tests each week.INSACOG, a group of research labs that conducts India's sequencing, said it had sequenced more than 10,000 samples since it was set up in December.Barrett told the briefing there was no data to suggest the Delta variants caused different symptoms to other variants.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vaccine-mrna-covid-drug-treatment-future-of-medicine-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Experts explain why the mRNA tech that revolutionized COVID-19 vaccines could be the answer to incurable diseases, heart attacks, and even snake bites: 'The possibilities are endless'</a><div type="image" title="free covid test india" height="1468" width="1957" msid="83509721" hostid="261"></div><h2>Black fungus</h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-covid-19-patients-are-developing-deadly-fungal-infections-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black fungus</a> isn't a symptom of coronavirus but a complication that occurs <a href="https://www.insider.com/indias-covid-crisis-compounded-by-black-fungus-epidemic-spreading-hospitals-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during the weeks after infection.</a> Doctors in India have anecdotally associated it with the Delta variant.Dr. Harsh Vardhan, India's <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> minister, said Monday that there were more than 28,000 recorded cases of black fungus infection that occurs in people with compromised immunity or diabetes. Of these, 86% had had COVID-19. The link between black fungus and suppressed immunity or diabetes is not proven - but it's been suggested the high numbers of both in India could explain the number of cases of it.Ghafur said he believed the Delta variant was most likely the cause of the rise in black fungus cases."India has always been the diabetes capital of the world and use of [immune system suppressing] steroids was rampant in the first wave,'' Ghafur told Insider. "The only difference this time is the Delta variant."Dr Shailesh Kothalkar, an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon at Seven Star Hospital in the western city of Nagpur, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/indias-black-fungus-wards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the Telegraph</a> that the Delta variant was "causing damage to the beta cells in the pancreas, which produce insulin and regulate blood glucose levels.""We need more investigation into this but [...] around 40% more patients are developing diabetes after having COVID-19 during this second wave," he said.Professor David Denning, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Manchester and chief executive of the Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections told the Telegraph: "It's possible that a different variant would produce more disruption of the lining of the nose or the lungs… and then that would allow fungus to get in more easily." "But it's a bit tenuous," he said.

Doctors in India are reporting COVID-19 patients with gangrene, hearing loss, and diarrhea - but there's not enough data to prove they're caused by the Delta variant

By Manish Sain, Trisha Mukherjee, Manik Gupta New Delhi, Jun 18 () As masks covering most of the face except the eyes become the new normal, people with speech and hearing disabilities who lip read and use sign language are struggling to communicate with each other – and the outside world. It is difficult to both understand and be understood with the masks, a critical measure to ward off COVID-19, posing a formidable communications barrier and adding another layer of complication to the lives of those who don't use words. They take – and give -- cues from facial expressions and lip reading. "Sign language is not simply hand gestures but a combination of hand movements, facial expressions and body language," Anuj Jain, executive director of the National Association for the Deaf, told through an interpreter. Describing the 'mask times' as a challenge, he said, "At this time, communicating online is the best way. But when we have to interact face to face, we do have to take off the masks." According to the 2011 Indian census, there are 1.3 million people with "hearing impairment". However, a spokesperson for the Association of Sign Language Interpreters estimates that 18 million people have speech and hearing disabilities. With everyone donning masks in public spaces and governments penalising those who don't do so, there is no end to the problems faced by speech and hearing impaired people, said Gyanendra Purohit, director of the Indore-based Anand Service Society. "People with hearing and speech disabilities rely on lip reading and facial expressions, especially when they are communicating with able-bodied persons," he explained. It was because of this inability to communicate that several people were left stranded thousands of kilometres from home as India went under lockdown on March 25. "There were instances of deaf-mute people getting beaten up by the police because they couldn't communicate. They had problems while boarding trains and buses to go back home. "And when they reached, the quarantine centres had nobody who could understand if they needed water, food, or if they were feeling sick," the social worker told over phone, listing some of the problems faced by speech and hearing impaired persons. After reading a news story in March about 10 speech and hearing disabled persons being stuck in Gurgaon, Purohit and his wife Monica, both sign language experts, started an online campaign to connect with more such people. "With the help of the government we have managed to send over 350 deaf and mute people to their homes. We have been in touch with them through video calls," he added. Some beginnings are being made to accommodate the special needs of the community. Fast food chain KFC, among those hiring differently abled people at its outlets, has realised that communication has become a challenge for the 200 odd workers and has begun making changes. Specially-designed posters, menu cards, writing pads and pens at counters are some of the changes made at KFC outlets across the country, Aman Lal, Chief People Officer, KFC India, told over an email interaction. "We have ensured that it is easy for consumers to interact with these team members in the restaurant as well as with other team members.... This also ensures there's no miscommunication, especially in current scenarios when everyone is wearing masks," Lal said. Several café chains also employ those with who have speech and hearing disabilities. It is also imperative to make information related to the coronavirus accessible to people with disabilities. "Another challenge that people with disabilities are facing includes their inability to access information, especially which is related to COVID-19. None of the government instructions or news are available in formats that can be accessed by those who are speech, hearing, or visually impaired," said Muralidharan, general secretary, National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD). An easier way to communicate would be to just remove the mask and maintain physical distance, advised Muralidharan, who goes by only one name. As the number of COVID-29 cases continues to spiral -- with almost 3,70,000 cases in India on Thursday -- what is the solution? Training and awareness of the essential workers, creative experiments with facial masks, and cochlear implants in the longer run are some of the suggestions. And while masks of all kinds and all price ranges have flooded markets in India, transparent masks are yet to make their presence felt in any significant way. "In order to enable these hearing impaired people to function normally, many people have suggested the device of transparent masks. Also, the field of otolaryngology (study of diseases of ears and throat) has taken leaps of great development in order to rehabilitate the deaf population, in the way of the cochlear implant programme," said Aparna Mahajan, consultant-ENT, Fortis Escorts Hospital. A cochlear implant is a small electronic device to stimulate the nerve for hearing. A little compassion goes a long way, stressed Purohit. "This whole situation is more confusing and frustrating to people with disabilities. They can easily get depressed during such times. There should be counselling sessions with sign language experts for such cases. "There have been corona positive cases in deaf and mute people, for them the hospitals should have trained staff. If not, they should carry visual aids like images of medicine, graphic instructions for the special cases," Purohit said. MAH/TRS/MG MIN MIN MIN

You Searched For "ent centres" and got 13 results

Nursing homes in Delhi having 10 to 49 beds declared as COVID facilities

PTI

Delhi govt diverts Covaxin to 6 Centre-run hospitals

IANS

Covid-19 cases linked 'black fungus infection' appears across Delhi hospitals

IANS

Even mild Covid infection can cause sudden hearing loss: Study

IANS

Surgical care startup Pristyn Care raises $96 million from Tiger Global, Sequoia

Kritti Bhalla

'Lab technicians not qualified for taking COVID-19 samples'

PTI

Delhi govt withdraws its decision to declare nursing homes as COVID facilities

PTI

Beds for COVID-19 patients in Delhi to increase by 5000: CM

PTI

Delhi govt reversed multiple decisions during COVID-19 pandemic after facing flak

PTI

DMA writes to CM over Delhi's govt's decision to declare nursing homes as COVID facility

PTI

Indian peacekeepers continue to provide humanitarian, healthcare assistance amidst COVID-19 threat

PTI

Doctors in India are reporting COVID-19 patients with gangrene, hearing loss, and diarrhea - but there's not enough data to prove they're caused by the Delta variant

Dr. Catherine Schuster-Bruce,Swagata Yadavar

Hidden behind masks: People with speech, hearing disabilities struggle to communicate in COVID-19 times

PTI