Latest news with #Ganguly
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Covid cases in Bengal surge 20 times in 14 days, 82 logged in 24 hours
West Bengal has seen a significant rise in active Covid-19 cases, jumping from 13 in early May to 287 recently KOLKATA: From a mere 13 active cases until the second week of May, active Covid-19 cases in Bengal rose to a staggering 287 on Sunday, increasing more than 20 times over the past fortnight. According to the Centre's Covid dashboard, Bengal had the fifth-highest caseload among all states. Even as 82 fresh Covid cases were reported in the past 24 hours, mostly from Kolkata, health department officials said the situation is under control and there was no need to press the panic button. Doctors emphasised that prevention is key, especially for those vulnerable to severe infection, to keep the virus at bay. In the first week of May, the state logged only one Covid case. Twelve more cases appeared by the second week, raising the active case tally to 13. Sources said the rapid uptick in cases started from the third week. On May 31, the Union health ministry mandated all labs to update Covid-positive data on a daily basis, changing the weekly reporting norm that was in force since June 2024, due to a sharp rise in cases across states. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Truque caseiro noturno eficaz contra a papada (faça hoje mesmo) Revista & Saúde Saiba Mais Undo On Saturday, the first day of the daily reporting mandate, the reported active caseload was 205, with 89 fresh cases. On Sunday, the active caseload rose further to 287. "The situation is under control as most cases are already mild infections, and most of those admitted have pre-existing conditions. There is no reason to panic. We are monitoring the situation closely," said a state health official. Despite the health department's assurance of close monitoring, there has been no guideline issued on testing, treatment or preserving samples for genomic sequencing yet. The only govt guideline issued amid the current spike has been to ask private labs to submit Covid-positive reports parallelly to the health department, in addition to uploading them with the Indian Council of Medical Research. "While there is no reason to press an alarm bell, we need to be proactive, at least by issuing certain guidelines that would trigger the public and doctors to remain alert," said a senior doctor at a govt hospital. Senior pulmonologist Dhiman Ganguly, who was part of the state's expert committee on Covid during the first wave, said the virus is likely to cause mostly mild infections. "If tests are conducted on everyone with respiratory infections, the number of positive cases could be at least 10 times higher than the present data. But even if the virus was half as virulent as what we saw during the first two waves, we would not have a good number of severe cases," Ganguly added. Labs across the city said that while the number of swab samples has increased slightly in the past three to four weeks, the numbers are still not very high, and the positivity rate is between 15% and 20%. "In terms of severity, the situation does not seem alarming. But testing could play a role in preventing the vulnerable — individuals at the extreme ends of age, the immunocompromised and those with comorbidities — because these infections could be a double whammy for them," said microbiologist Partha Guchhait of Peerless Hospital.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
2 cases in a day, Bengal Covid tally rises 20 times in 2 weeks
Kolkata: From a mere 13 active cases until the second week of May, active Covid-19 cases in Bengal rose to a staggering 287 on Sunday, increasing more than 20 times over the past fortnight. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to the Centre's Covid dashboard, Bengal had the fifth-highest caseload among all states. Even as 82 fresh Covid cases were reported in the past 24 hours, mostly from Kolkata, health department officials said the situation is under control and there was no need to press the panic button. Doctors emphasised that prevention is key, especially for those vulnerable to severe infection, to keep the virus at bay. In the first week of May, the state logged only one Covid case. Twelve more cases appeared by the second week, raising the active case tally to 13. Sources said the rapid uptick in cases started from the third week. On May 31, the Union health ministry mandated all labs to update Covid-positive data on a daily basis, changing the weekly reporting norm that was in force since June 2024, due to a sharp rise in cases across states. On Saturday, the first day of the daily reporting mandate, the reported active caseload was 205, with 89 fresh cases. On Sunday, the active caseload rose further to 287. "The situation is under control as most cases are already mild infections, and most of those admitted have pre-existing conditions. There is no reason to panic. We are monitoring the situation closely," said a state health official. Despite the health department's assurance of close monitoring, there has been no guideline issued on testing, treatment or preserving samples for genomic sequencing yet. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The only govt guideline issued amid the current spike has been to ask private labs to submit Covid-positive reports parallelly to the health department, in addition to uploading them with the Indian Council of Medical Research. "While there is no reason to press an alarm bell, we need to be proactive, at least by issuing certain guidelines that would trigger the public and doctors to remain alert," said a senior doctor at a govt hospital. Senior pulmonologist Dhiman Ganguly, who was part of the state's expert committee on Covid during the first wave, said the virus is likely to cause mostly mild infections. "If tests are conducted on everyone with respiratory infections, the number of positive cases could be at least 10 times higher than the present data. But even if the virus was half as virulent as what we saw during the first two waves, we would not have a good number of severe cases," Ganguly added. Labs across the city said that while the number of swab samples has increased slightly in the past three to four weeks, the numbers are still not very high, and the positivity rate is between 15% and 20%. "In terms of severity, the situation does not seem alarming. But testing could play a role in preventing the vulnerable — individuals at the extreme ends of age, the immunocompromised and those with comorbidities — because these infections could be a double whammy for them," said microbiologist Partha Guchhait of Peerless Hospital.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
1 in 2 men, 1 in 10 women in state smoke, finds study; docs flag lung cancer risk
1 2 3 Kolkata: Nearly one in two men and about one in 10 women in Bengal are smokers, one of the highest proportions in the country, making the state's population vulnerable to lung cancer, says the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS) report. The figures are scarier for Kolkata. Here, more than one in two (56.6%) residents are smokers, the survey claims, adding that 82% men and 23.5% women indulge in the habit, the highest among all metros in the country. Overall, tobacco use — not just in smokable form, but in other forms as well — had increased over the last decade in Bengal and Kolkata, the report states. Experts say the findings should serve as a grim reminder that concerted anti-tobacco awareness drives should start targeting the right age-groups, specifically those between 14 and 18, which is the age at which most pick up the habit. So far, awareness initiatives have been largely ineffective, say experts. "Rather than adults, the focus of the initiative should be adolescents or school and college students," said Subir Ganguly, an oncologist with Medica Cancer Centre. "It is between 14 and 18 years that most start smoking, and this is when they should be dissuaded by stressing on the disastrous consequences of tobacco use. It is also necessary to prevent access to tobacco for minors," he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like São Mateus Do Sul: Quanto vale a sua casa? Descubra agora! Valor da casa | Anúncios de pesquisa Saiba Mais Undo "It is between 14 and 18 years that most start smoking, and this is when they should be dissuaded by stressing on the disastrous consequences of tobacco use. It is also necessary to prevent access to tobacco for minors," oncologist Subir Ganguly said. A study among high school students in Bengal found tobacco use is more common among rural male students than female students. Currently, tobacco use ranges from 36.9% to 52.4% among urban and rural students. The total number of lung cancer patients in the eastern region could be around 12 lakh, claims Bengal Oncology, an organisation working to provide cancer treatment to the underprivileged. But muted symptoms are responsible for a huge number of lung cancer cases remaining undiagnosed or detected late, leading to high mortality, say oncologists and pulmonologists. "So, the actual figure is likely to be much more than 12 lakh, as it does not include the huge number of undiagnosed and unreported cases. It could be a few more lakhs," Ganguly added. A persistent cough, fever, breathing distress or sudden weight loss needs immediate medical intervention, said Charnock Hospital pulmonologist Soumya Sengupta. "While tobacco use is the principal trigger, secondary smoking, environmental smoke or smoke from chullahs are equally responsible for lung cancer," Sengupta added. "If early signs are heeded, it can be detected in the first two stages, which makes lung cancer curable through surgical intervention. But that rarely happens." Around 55% afflicted with the ailment is diagnosed in the third or fourth stages of the illness and survive less than five years, according to data and case studies compiled by the Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGMER). Lack of awareness on the part of non-oncologists and faulty first-line treatment are as much responsible for higher mortality rates as ignorance on the part of patients, experts say. . Medica Superspecialty Hospital and Manipal Hospital pulmonologist and intensivist Arnab Bera said this posed a significant health risk. "With nearly 26.7 crore adults using tobacco in India, we must revise tobacco cessation policies to introduce effective alternatives," Bera said. "These alternatives should be reserved for smokers, providing scientifically proven solutions for those eager to quit, by incorporating successful strategies from countries like Japan, Sweden, UK, and US. By consulting experts, we can introduce safer alternatives like HTP for smoking cessation," he added. Physicians often lack the training to recognise and respond to early warning signs, statistics suggest. Most cases wouldn't have been detected late, had the initial warning signals been heeded, said Diptendra Sarkar, head of the department of breast cancer, IPGMER. "There is a set of indications that are easy to identify and should lead to tests to rule out cancer. But it rarely happens. So, more than half of the city's cancer patients seek treatment in the final stages and survive less than five years," Sarkar said.
India Today
22-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Bangladesh's new regime, old tactics? HRW slams crackdown on Hasina's party
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has sharply criticised Bangladesh's interim government for suppressing fundamental freedoms and targeting supporters of the deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. While the government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus had promised a democratic reset, rights advocates now accuse it of replicating the same abuses it vowed to end.'Instead of pursuing its pledge to reform the criminal justice system and bring accountability for serious abuses, the government is attempting to suppress the rights of supporters of the Awami League,' said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights rebuke comes in response to a sweeping "temporary" ban imposed on the Awami League on May 12, under a controversial amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act. The order restricts all forms of expression supporting the party — ranging from social media posts to public gatherings and even media publications. Human Rights Watch called the move draconian and warned that silencing the very party that led Bangladesh to independence sets a dangerous precedent. "Sheikh Hasina's government abused legal powers to silence political opponents, but using similar methods against her supporters would also violate those same fundamental freedoms," Ganguly crackdown follows weeks of unrest that culminated in Hasina's ouster on August 5, 2024, after protests reportedly left around 1,400 people to Human Rights Watch, the interim administration has also introduced flawed legislation on enforced disappearances—an issue that plagued Hasina's 15-year rule. "The draft legislation... does little to advance justice or provide answers for the hundreds of victims and families affected by disappearances under Hasina's rule," said proposed law excludes cases deemed "widespread" or "systematic" and sidelines the commission of enquiry established in August to investigate such crimes. Rights groups say this weakens accountability and pushes justice further out of ban on the Awami League is expected to remain until party leaders face trial for abuses during their rule—a process that could take years. In the meantime, the Election Commission has stripped the party of its registration, further narrowing democratic space."There is widespread anger against the Awami League for the many abuses committed during Hasina's rule," Ganguly acknowledged. "But stripping supporters of opposition parties of their rights isn't a way forward."With inputs from ANI
News18
19-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
Bengal Pro T20 League Season 2 Draft: Shahbaz, Porel, Manoj Tiwary Among Star Picks
802 cricketers were picked by eight franchises in the Bengal Pro T20 League Season 2 draft, attended by Snehasish and Sourav Ganguly at a city hotel. A total of 802 cricketers were drafted in the mega men's draft of the Bengal Pro T20 League Season 2 at a glitzy ceremony at a city hotel on Monday. The players were picked by the eight franchisees, namely Sobisco Smashers Malda, Adamas Howrah Warriors, ServoTech Siliguri Strikers, Harbour Diamonds, Shrachi Rarh Tigers, Lux-Shyam Kolkata Royal Tigers, Murshidabad Kings and Rashmi Medinipur Wizards. CAB Office bearers, led by President Snehasish Ganguly, Vice President Amalendu Biswas, Secretary Naresh Ojha, Treasurer Prabir Chakrabarty, Joint Secretary Debabrata Das, along with India cricket legend Sourav Ganguly, women's cricket icon Jhulan Goswami, were present for the draft. Chairpersons of various CAB committees, former international players, former office bearers and Apex Council Members were also present. Also present were Bengal Pro T20 League committee members – Deep Chatterjee, Subhradeep Ganguly, Lopamudra Banerjee, Keya Ray, Surajit Lahiri, Ambarish Mitra, Soumendu Chatterjee, Joydeep Mukherjee, along with other CAB members. advetisement Speaking about the draft, CAB President Mr Ganguly said: 'I welcome all the current office bearers, former office bearers, international players and all the franchises for the men's draft of the second season of the Bengal Pro T20 League. 'I hope you will all witness an exciting draft process in the next few hours. I am sure we will have an even more successful Bengal Pro T20 League season this time," Mr Ganguly added. Watch CNN-News18 here. Stay updated with all the latest news on IPL 2025, including the schedule, Points Table, IPL Orange Cap, and IPL Purple Cap. Get latest Cricket news, live score and match results on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: May 19, 2025, 22:00 IST
