Mucormycosis or black fungus is a notifiable disease in the state under the Rajasthan Pandemic Act.
Tag: ashok gehlot
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Rajasthan government’s power should be decentralised: Congress MLA hits out at Gehlot
Express News Service
JAIPUR: A day after the resignation of Congress MLA Hemaram Chaudhary, the internal politics in Rajasthan Congress has come to a boil. Another MLA from Sachin Pilot’s camp, Vedprakash Solanki on Wednesday came out in support of Chaudhary, saying the demands of the party MLAs are not being heard by the Ashok Gehlot government. Solanki has threatened that he too will resign if there’s no change in the present scenario.“Many MLAs feel the same. There are MLAs from every faction. It is not about any particular faction. Senior MLAs are not being heard in the government. Many MLAs feel helplessness. Hemaram couldn’t tolerate this and hence resigned. ”
Justifying Hemaram’s move Solanki further said, “There is no one more senior and honest MLA than Hemaram Chaudhary in the Congress. Let the high command investigate why such a senior and honest MLA was forced to resign? If a junior MLA like me resigns, it is not a big deal, but a leader like Hemaram Chaudhary had to resign because his legitimate demands were not being heard.”
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Ignored by Gehlot, Pilot loyalist Hemaram Chaudhary resigns from Rajasthan Assembly
Express News Service
JAIPUR: Senior Congress MLA and former minister Hemaram Choudhary on Tuesday resigned from the Rajasthan Assembly. A Sachin Pilot loyalist, Hemaram, an MLA from Gudhamalani, was among the 19 legislators, who had rebelled against chief minister Ashok Gehlot last year. Sources said he was upset with the party for not giving him any important post.Choudhary’s resignation set social media abuzz with speculations, while sources said the move was aimed at pressuring the high command to start the process of much-delayed Cabinet reshuffle and political appointments in the state. While his resignation does not pose any threat to the Gehlot number, which would still command 105 seats in a House of 200, it is likely to show the leadership in poor light.
The Congress government still has the support of 13 independent members, one RLD and two CPM MLAs to go past the magical figure of 101. “I had resigned earlier, too, but it was not accepted. Now, I have been an MLA for two and a half years. Enough is enough, it does not matter whether I serve the remainder of my term. The reason will be explained after its acceptance,” Choudhary said.
He had previously resigned on February 14, 2019, but the party had convinced him to stay. The resignation was not even made public then. To ward off a recurrence, it seems he has announced his resignation publicly as well.
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Rajasthan now has 4th highest active COVID cases, oxygen supply inadequate: CM Ashok Gehlot
By PTI
JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said that the state now has the fourth-highest active COVID-10 cases but oxygen supply is not adequate.He said the situation is “extremely fragile” as there are also constraints in lifting 100 metric tonnes (MT) of allocated oxygen from Burnpur and Kalinganagar in the East and “this quota has not been adequately utilised by us despite best efforts”.
“Rajasthan has fourth highest active cases at 2.11 lac, which is 5.72% of the total active cases of the country. The present oxygen allocation is 435 MT,” Gehlot tweeted.
The chief minister has urged to revise the allotment of oxygen from Jamnagar and Hazira immediately as active COVID-19 cases are going down in many states, and also allotment of more imported oxygen at the earliest.
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Politics during pandemic: War of words between Congress, BJP over Rajasthan’s COVID situation
By PTI
JAIPUR: Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma on Thursday said COVID-19 vaccination in the state is being affected due to the shortage of doses.He said the state government had placed an order for about 3.75 crore doses with the Serum Institute of India (SII) but had only received 6.75 lakh in the first 12 days of the month.
Sharma said Rajasthan needs 20 lakh doses for immediate immunisation.
Vaccination of people in the 18-44 age group and those above 45 years is being affected due to the shortage of doses, he said.
About 2.09 crore people in the state are above 45 years.
Accordingly, more than 4 crore doses are required.
If there is 10 per cent vaccine wastage, then about 4.5 crore doses are needed for this age group, he said.
However, due to the erratic supply of vaccines, the health minister said, only 1.45 crore people across age groups have been inoculated in the state.
This number includes both first and second doses.
Sharma said Rajasthan has developed the capacity to administer up to seven lakh vaccines per day.
As a result, 80 per cent of the people above 60 years have been given the first dose and about 33 per cent have been given the second dose.
In the 45-60 age group, 64.4 per cent of the people have been given the first dose and 27.4 per cent have been given the second dose.
The Centre is fully responsible for the vaccination of people over 45 years.
However, the vaccine supply is not being expedited even for this age group, he alleged.
Sharma said there are more than 3 crore people in the 18-44 age group in the state.
Therefore, an order for about 3.75 crore doses has been placed with the SII.
In the first 12 days of May, only 6.5 lakh vaccine doses were received from the SII.
Due to this, the pace of vaccination is slow at most of the vaccination sites in the state, he said.
The health department has again spoken to the company officials for the delivery of more than 8 lakh doses but the situation is not clear so far, he added.
Sharma said that Bharat Biotech has also been approached by the government but it is also unable to supply vaccine doses.
The minister also expressed concern over the rising number of black fungus cases among COVID-19 patients recovering from the disease.
Sharma said the state government is cautious about it and instructions have been issued for the purchase of injections used for the treatment of the infection.
The black fungus infection, also known as mucormycosis, is caused by a fungus called mucor.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday demanded the Union Health Ministry thoroughly investigate the purchase of defective ventilators made available through the PM CARES Fund.
“The Centre had made 1,900 ventilators available to the state from the PM Cares Fund. It was responsible for the installation and maintenance of these ventilators. According to doctors, many of these ventilators have technical shortcomings due to which using them can prove to be dangerous for patients,” Gehlot said in a statement.
He further said, “The doctors said that there is a pressure drop problem in these ventilators. These ventilators shut down after working for 1-2 hours continuously. There is a problem of sudden decrease in PIO2, failure of oxygen sensor and compressor.”
He said Dr Lakhan Poswal, Principal of Medical College, Udaipur, had also raised the problem posed by these ventilators in the COVID review meeting held on April 5.
Apart from Rajasthan, different problems in these ventilators have also been reported in the media in Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The Chief Minister said two letters were written by the Government of Rajasthan at the secretary level and one letter at the ministerial level to the Centre to make them aware of the problem of these ventilators and to get them fixed at the earliest.
He said that for the maintenance of all ventilators in Rajasthan, the company appointed by the Centre had informed they would send 11 members, but only 6 people are working here.
They went to fix ventilators on the complaint but due to lack of experience, they are unable to fix it and doctors are not satisfied, the CM lamented.
He said the Union Health Ministry should investigate how such poor ventilators were procured as these can threaten the lives of patients.
He also expressed concern over the occurrence of black fungus infection among recovered COVID-19 patients and said the Centre should take it seriously.
The black fungus infection, also known as mucormycosis, is caused by a fungus called mucor.
“It is very worrying to see cases of mucormycosis disease among patients who have recovered from coronavirus in various states of the country, including Rajasthan. It has been learnt that this disease is affecting diabetics who have recovered from coronavirus more,” Gehlot said in a series of tweets in Hindi.
“The Centre should take it seriously and conduct research to prevent it. Also, medicines and injections needed for the prevention and treatment of this disease such as amphotericin should be arranged so that there is no shortage,” he said.
Earlier this month, Niti Aayog member (health) V K Paul had ruled out an outbreak of COVID-triggered mucormycosis and said that the situation was being monitored.
In another tweet, Gehlot said instead of states, the Centre should have issued global tenders for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines amid a shortage in India.
“So far, 11 states have issued global tenders to purchase vaccines owing to the shortage of vaccines in the country. Due to this, states will get vaccines at different prices,” the chief minister said.
It would have been good if the Centre had issued global tenders and made vaccines available to the states in a planned manner, he said.
Hitting back at Gehlot, Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia on Thursday accused Congress government in the state of mismanagement during the COVID-19 crisis.
“The Congress government has been long trying to hide its shortcomings, weaknesses and incapabilities by blaming the Centre,” he said in a virtual press conference.
“The Centre is ready to develop all facilities in Rajasthan, from oxygen to Remdesivir injections to ventilator. and is doing so. Despite this, Congress leaders are weakening people’s morale through their blatant statements,” he said.
Poonia requested Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to “follow the spirit of cooperative federalism” in the fight against corona.
Referring to a letter written by BJP National President JP Nadda to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, he said that during the pandemic, the opposition should have played a positive role in the country, by building confidence and boosting people’s morale.
He further said that through the helplines run by BJP, people and the government were getting help with oxygen and Remdesivir injections.
The pandemic on Thursday claimed 159 lives in Rajasthan which registered 15,867 more coronavirus positive cases, taking the total fatality toll to 6,317 and infections to 8,21,525.
Jaipur reported the highest number of 47 deaths followed by Jodhpur where as many as 15 people died, an official health bulletin said on Thursday.
Bikaner reported 13 deaths followed by Udaipur (12), Sikar (11), Alwar (10), the statement said, adding fatalities were also reported from other districts of the state.
Of the fresh positive cases, a maximum of 4,099 cases was reported from Jaipur while 1,074 and 997 persons tested positive in Udaipur and Jodhpur respectively.
A total of 6,03,319 persons have recovered from infection and the number of active cases at present is 2,11,889.
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Centre should consider imposing a nationwide lockdown: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot
By PTI
JAIPUR: The Centre should consider imposing a nationwide lockdown in view of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is more unpredictable and deadly, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Sunday.Gehlot was addressing a video conference after he and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan virtually laid foundation stones for medical colleges in the state’s Chittorgarh and Sriganganagar districts.
Several states have imposed lockdowns and restrictions at their level to break the COVID-19 transmission chain, but there is a lack of intra-state coordination, the chief minister said.
In such a situation, the Centre should consider imposing a lockdown again with uniformity across the country after taking into consideration the experiences of the previous nationwide lockdown last year, Gehlot said.
The Rajasthan government has announced a strict lockdown in the state from May 10 to 24 under which intra-state movement has also been disallowed.
Delhi and states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Karnataka have also imposed strict restrictions and lockdowns to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is unpredictable and more deadly, and has taken a terrible form, Gehlot said, adding that vaccination should be given top priority.
During the event, he also urged the Union health minister to increase the number of oxygen plants being installed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the state, to provide additional tankers for oxygen transportation and to allocate oxygen to Rajasthan from nearby states instead of the eastern states of the country.
The chief minister said that the Centre, states and people will have to fight together against the pandemic and then only the country can tide over it.
Union Minister Vardhan said that India is going through a challenging time and the Centre is making all efforts to ensure availability of resources to all states.
He also suggested to state governments that those due for their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine should be equally prioritised.
Vardhan said that the number of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has increased to 22 and it is planned to establish medical colleges in 110 districts.
In this order, out of 75 medical colleges approved in the third phase, the maximum 15 are in Rajasthan.
The medical colleges in Chittorgarh and Sriganganagar are being constructed at a cost of Rs 325 crore each.
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Decision on COVID lockdown should have been taken by Centre, says Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot
By PTI
JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said a decision regarding the coronavirus lockdown should have been made by the Centre for better coordination among states.In a statement, the chief minister said several states have imposed a lockdown to tackle the problem and prohibited the entry of people from other states.
“A lockdown is more needed than ever to prevent the infection spread. It is my opinion, on the basis of previous experience, the decision should have been made at the level of the Centre so that the common people, including the labourers, face minimum hardships and at the same time, there is better coordination among the states,” Gehlot said.
The Rajasthan CM also expressed concern that the infection is spreading fast in rural areas.
He said to stop the virus spread, a strict lockdown will be in place across the state from Monday.
It is the duty of every citizen to follow the guidelines, the chief minister said.
The state government has decided to implement a strict lockdown in the state from May 10 to 24.
During this period, marriage functions, intrastate movement and MGNREGA works have also been suspended.
Only shops dealing in essential items will remain open during the period.
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Rajasthan Assembly bypolls: Ruling Congress wins two seats, BJP one
Express News Service
JAIPUR: The ruling Congress won two seats, while the BJP got the third, in the bypolls for the Rajasthan Assembly. In the counting of votes for the three assembly seats on Sunday, the Congress secured comfortable wins in the Sahada and Sujangarh seats while the BJP retained its hold on the Rajasamand seat.In the Sahada seat in Bhilwara district, Congress candidate Gayatri Trivedi defeated the BJP’s Ratanlal Jat by a thumping margin of 42,099 votes.
In contrast, in Rajasamand, the BJP’s Deepti Maheshwari emerged victorious against her Congress rival Tansukh Bohra by a narrow margin of 5165 votes.
However, in the Sujangarh seat in Churu district, the BJP suffered a major setback as its candidate finished a poor third. Congress candidate Manoj Meghwal led all through the counting process and defeated the RLP’s Sitaram Nayak by 43,642 votes.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to Twitter to congratulate the Congress winners even before the election results were officially declared. “Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Congress candidate Gayatri Devi from Sahada (Bhilwara) and Manoj Meghwal from Sujangarh (Churu). The Rajsamand by-election was also fought unitedly and the BJP’s victory margin here has been quite modest,” he tweeted in Hindi.
In addition, CM Gehlot also thanked the voters. “People of the region have given more strength to the Congress government and have paved a way for development. I thank the voters for their blessings and support to the Congress candidates. I also congratulate party workers and leaders,” Gehlot tweeted.
The BJP had turned these bypolls into a prestige battle by terming this to be a verdict on the Gehlot government’s performance. If the BJP had won two of the three seats, the leadership claims of state BJP Chief Satish Poonia would have been strengthened. But now as the party’s show has been rather ordinary, the camp led by former CM Vasundhara Raje (who stayed aloof from these bypolls) is likely to turn more aggressive. The rift in the state BJP could well intensify further.
Though the Congress too is plagued with infighting, the verdict is likely to strengthen the hands of CM Gehlot. But with the Sachin Pilot camp lobbying for cabinet expansion and political appointments, hectic political activity is likely even in Congress circles in the next few weeks.
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Rajasthan by-polls: Gehlot congratulates Congress candidates; results awaited
By PTI
JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday congratulated Congress candidates Gayatri Devi and Manoj Meghwal while they led in the counting for the Sahada and Sujangarh assembly seats in the bypolls.Though the official announcement was yet to be made by the Election Commission of India (ECI) as counting of votes is underway, Gehlot took to Twitter to congratulate the candidates.
“Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Congress candidate Gayatri Devi from Sahada (Bhilwara) and Manoj Meghwal from Sujangarh (Churu). The Rajsamand by-election was also fought unitedly and the BJP’s victory margin here has been quite normal,” he tweeted.
“People of the region have given more strength to the Congress government and have paved a way for development. I thank the voters for their blessings and support to the Congress candidates. I also congratulate party workers and leaders,” Gehlot added.
Bypolls to Sujangarh, Sahada and Rajsamand assembly seats were held on April 17. The counting of votes for the bypolls to three assembly seats in the state started on Sunday morning. The results are expected by the evening.
Meanwhile, the chief minister announced to not celebrate his birthday on May 3 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are all aware of the situation of COVID-19 in the country. The entire state is going through a difficult phase due to the increasing pace of coronavirus infection. I have decided not to celebrate birthday on May 3 due to the outbreak of the global pandemic,” Gehlot said.
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Rajasthan government launches universal health scheme covering all families
Express News Service
JAIPUR: Amid a deepening COVID crisis, Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday launched a major initiative to turn the goal of ‘Health for All’ into a reality. On International Labour Day, the state launched a universal health scheme covering all families, which will provide cashless insurance of coverage of Rs 5 lakh.Under the Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Yojna, free insurance can be availed by all families that come under BPL, NFSA, SECC, and several other schemes for the poor and under-privileged sections of the society. The families that are not covered under any of these programmes can avail the insurance by paying an annual installment of Rs 850.
Speaking on the occasion of the launch of the scheme, CM Ashok Gehlot said, “The deprived sections of the society are also entitled to live a life of dignity, with full security available to them. We also need to bridge the gap between rich and poor through social security measures.”
“The ‘Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi: Yojna’ is a historic step of the Rajasthan government in this direction whereby the people in the state will not have to spend a lot of money to ensure that they get medical treatment of the best quality,” he added.
Besides, all the major diseases covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi: Yojna will also include COVID-19 care and hemodialysis for poor patients. Gehlot claimed that this initiative of his government can be used as a model by other states.
This ambitious Rs 3,500 crore scheme was announced in the state budget in February. Registrations for it began on April 1