A patient suffering from coronavirus waits to be admitted outside the casualty ward at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in New Dheli. Reuters.
A patient suffering from coronavirus waits to be admitted outside the casualty ward at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in New Dheli. Reuters.
A patient suffering from coronavirus waits to be admitted outside the casualty ward at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in New Dheli. Reuters.
A patient suffering from coronavirus waits to be admitted outside the casualty ward at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in New Dheli. Reuters.

India's hospitals choke under oxygen shortage amid raging pandemic


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At least 25 coronavirus patients died at an Indian hospital overnight Friday as a grave oxygen shortage choked hospitals and patients across the country amid a catastrophic second wave of Covid-19.

"Twenty-five [of the] sickest patients have died in the last 24 hours. Oxygen will last another two hours,” Sir Ganga Ram Hospital director Ashok Kumar Chaturvedi said, and added that “lives of another 60 such patients are at risk".

Some 700 Covid-19 patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital, which issued urgent appeals to authorities to replenish their depleting oxygen stocks to avoid a disaster.

At least 24 patients died at a western Maharashtra state hospital this week following a leak in the hospital's oxygen gas tank.

India’s Health Ministry said Friday over 335,000 cases were detected in the country, the second straight day of record numbers.

India’s caseload has risen alarmingly this month to 16 million, making it the second worst-affected nation in the world, with about 2.5 million active cases and over 185,000 deaths.

Family members mourn after a man is declared dead amid a surge in coronavirus cases in India. Reuters
Family members mourn after a man is declared dead amid a surge in coronavirus cases in India. Reuters

The country had witnessed a steep decline in cases in February after infections peaked in September, with many believing the pandemic had ebbed in the world's second most populous country before the next wave hit in March.

But more worrying is the shortage of oxygen, life-saving medicines and hospital beds as the creaking healthcare system is overwhelmed by a deluge of sick patients.

At least five private hospitals in the capital have petitioned a regional court to intervene and secure oxygen supplies after the neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh blocked supplies to meet local demands.

Five other regional courts were hearing similar petitions over the deteriorating situation of medicines and oxygen supplies that has triggered an “oxygen war” between several states.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has faced flak for failing to upgrade healthcare centres during the past year and over its apathetic response at the beginning of the second wave.

Mr Modi’s government has called in the Indian Air Force and railways to transport oxygen from across the country to deal with the crises in Delhi and Mumbai.

But for thousands of families, the scramble for beds and oxygen supplies continues across hospitals and cities, including in Delhi, which is in the throes of the brutal wave.

Dozens of Covid-19 patients were being treated in the open at Delhi’s Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital after beds ran out.

Relatives were carrying oxygen canisters on their shoulders and fixing air tubes on the patients lying on stretchers outside the main building as many more jostled to gain admission for sick loved ones.

Delhi is one of the 10 regions in the country that have seen an exponential rise in the cases this month, with over 25,000 cases recorded daily.

On Friday evening, the city of 20 million residents had just 22 intensive care beds available out of the total 4,594 beds.

The situation is worse in smaller cities and towns where health infrastructure has buckled under the load of fresh cases.

In neighbouring Noida, many hospitals were turning away patients as they ran out of space to admit new cases or were struggling to cope with depleting oxygen and medical supplies.

"The situation is awful. We are getting patients every moment. The ICU is full ... there are no beds. We are working morning to evening," a nurse at Jaypee Hospital in Noida told The National.

"We are getting requests from 120 people at least for tests. That has definitely increased manifold. We have 133 beds and all are full,” a hospital staff member said.

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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

Expo details

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia

The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.

It is expected to attract 25 million visits

Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.

More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020

The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area

It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South

PROFILE OF SWVL

Started: April 2017

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport

Size: 450 employees

Investment: approximately $80 million

Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

New Zealand 57-0 South Africa

Tries: Rieko Ioane, Nehe Milner-Skudder (2), Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Ofa Tu'ungfasi, Lima Sopoaga, Codie Taylor. Conversions: Beauden Barrett (7). Penalty: Beauden Barrett

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Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar

Pathaan
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Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Calls

Directed by: Fede Alvarez

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Karen Gillian, Aaron Taylor-Johnson

4/5

Meydan race card

6pm Dubai Trophy – Conditions(TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m 

6.35Dubai Trophy – Conditions(TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
1,800m 

7.10pm Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m ,400m 

7.45pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB)  $180,000  (T) 1,800m 

8.20pm Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m 

8.55pm Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m 

9.30pm Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m  

The story of Edge

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.

It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.

Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.

Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab

 

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

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