Month: May 2021

** Oxygen on wheels

It’s been over a month since Yatish Babu last went home.

He’s been working with his friends to supply oxygen cylinders to Covid patients all over the city.

Early in April, at the insistence of his loved ones, he procured two cylinders. But soon, it was evident that the virus was making it difficult for people to breathe and oxygen supplies were stretched. By the last week of April, he and his friends began to procure cylinders and supply them to patients at their homes free of charge.

Babu, who works as a private consultant, and his friends Vijay S, Praveen Gowda, Krishna Sagar, and Basavaraju have been living in a hotel for the past month or so as to avoid putting their families at risk. “I have not been able to talk to them these days. I have dedicated myself to working on the ground,” says Babu

** South Korean firm donates high-end medical supplies

South Korea-based multinational company Seoul Semiconductors handed over medical supplies worth ₹7.5 crore under its CSR fund to the State government on Friday, to support the battle against COVID-19.

** Saxophone artiste Machendranath Pandeshwar passes away

Machendranath Pandeshwar and Kadri Gopalnath, who passed away in 2019, made saxophone popular in this region. He gave a lot of concerts across the country and abroad. He regularly played the saxophone at the Mangaladevi Temple here during the puja in the morning, afternoon and evening hours, for over 25 years.

He was holding saxophone classes in a room adjoining the temple.

He was awarded the District Rajyotsava Award. His daughter Sindhu Bhairavi is a well-known saxophone artiste.

** Ex-bank employees runs home delivery service for those in need

Jaggesh M.P gets the items and delivers it to their doorsteps.

Understanding the needs of such people, Jaggesh M.P., 30, a graduate in business management, has started home delivery service in Mudigere town in Chikkamagaluru district.

People place orders over the phone and Mr. Jaggesh goes around town on his bike to procure the items and deliver it their doorsteps and take service charge.

** Over 34000 kg of Zeolite for oxygen production reaches Bengaluru airport from Rome

In yet another move that would help tide over the oxygen shortage in Karnataka, a total of 34,200 kilograms of Zeolite, a key component in production of oxygen, reached the Bengaluru airport from Rome via two Air India cargo flights on Sunday morning.

** Oxygen Express piloted by ‘All female crew’ reaches Bengaluru

An Oxygen Express train piloted by an ‘All Female Crew’ arrived in the city with 120 metric tonnes of medical oxygen from Jamshedpur.

“The 7th Oxygen Express to Karnataka has arrived in Bengaluru from Tatanagar (Jamshedpur) on Friday. This Oxygen Express train piloted by an all female crew will ensure continued supply of oxygen for COVID-19 patients in the State,” Railway Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted on Saturday.

** Agri university alumni link mango farmers with urban market

The University of Agricultural Sciences’ Alumni Association has again stepped in to help farmers in distress on account of COVID-19 and the lockdown. The Association, which had lent a helping hand in marketing of grapes during the last year’s lockdown, has this time chosen mango growers for direct marketing assistance.

About 30 mango farmers have been identified by the Association for assistance in not just marketing, but also scientific method of harvesting of fruit and its ripening and packaging.

** 40 U.K. docs of Mysuru origin join telemedicine initiative

More than 40 doctors of Mysuru origin settled in the United Kingdom have joined the telemedicine initiative launched by the Mysuru district administration for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in home isolation.

** IISc start-up gets regulatory approvals for new COVID-19 test

A COVID-19 test developed by PathShodh Healthcare, a start-up incubated at the Society for Innovation and Development (SID), Indian Institute of Science (IISc),has received the license to manufacture the test for sale from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

The test is touted to be the first-of-its-kind, semi-quantitative electrochemical ELISA test for COVID-19 IgM and IgG antibodies, received the licence after due diligence validation at the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, as per the requirements of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), an IISc release said.