Latest news with #PayalShah
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump stokes fear, confusion with pulled emergency abortion guidance
The Trump administration sowed confusion and fear among physicians with its move this past week to rescind Biden-era guidelines to hospitals that provide life-saving abortions. While the move doesn't change the law, doctors and reproductive-rights advocates fear it will have a chilling effect on health care workers in states with abortion bans, ultimately harming pregnant women. Earlier this past week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced they would rescind guidance issued during the Biden administration, which reinforced to hospitals that under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA,) abortions qualify as stabilizing care in medical emergencies. Emergency rooms in states with abortion bans have been struggling since the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade to understand when they can legally provide emergency abortions. After President Trump pulled the Biden-era guidance seeking to clarify that question, emergency room doctors will experience 'more confusion' and 'more fear,' according to health and legal experts who spoke with The Hill. 'Clinicians are scared to provide basic medical care, and this care is clearly in line with medical ethics … medical standards of care, and they're being put in this situation where they can't win,' said Payal Shah, director of research, legal and advocacy at Physicians for Human Rights. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, at least 13 states have enacted near-total abortion bans, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute. There are exceptions in these states when continuing a pregnancy poses a threat to the health or life of the mother. However, most of the language in state laws is unclear on how that determination is made, resulting in instances of emergency rooms denying care. Doctors in states like Idaho, Texas and Tennessee have filed lawsuits requesting that lawmakers clarify when an abortion is allowed to save the life of a pregnant person. The doctors and patients involved in the lawsuits argue that state laws do not adequately protect pregnant patients in emergencies. Many of these states have severe punishments for doctors who violate abortion bans, like steep fines and prison time. 'For clinicians, there is actually no safe way to navigate this in this moment, and ultimately, that's how these laws are designed,' Shah said. 'They're designed to cause chaos and confusion. They're often written in ways that don't use medical terminology.' Without clear guidance, pregnant women suffer and sometimes die, as ProPublica has reported. One striking example of this is the 2023 case of Kyleigh Thurman, a Texas woman who was repeatedly denied care for a nonviable pregnancy after days of experiencing bleeding and pain. Health care workers discovered that she had an ectopic pregnancy, which is when a fertilized egg implants and begins to grow outside of the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube. Ectopic pregnancies are never viable and are life-threatening if not treated properly. It wasn't until her OB/GYN 'pleaded to hospital staff that she be given care,' that the hospital administered a shot ending her pregnancy, according to a complaint filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of Thurman. The shot came too late, and the ectopic pregnancy ruptured Thurman's right fallopian tube, which was then removed. 'If a patient is actively hemorrhaging or experiencing an ectopic pregnancy which is also life-threatening, doctors need that clear guidance that yes, EMTALA applied,' said Autumn Katz, associate director of U.S. litigation at the Center for Reproductive Rights. A federal investigation into Thurman's case found that the Texas hospital violated EMTALA, according to a recent letter from the CMS. 'I finally got some justice,' Thurman said in a statement. 'I hope this decision will do some good in encouraging hospitals to help women in situations like mine.' Hospitals that violate EMTALA are subject to heavy fines and, in some extreme cases, risk losing a portion of their Medicare and Medicaid hospital funding, according to the National Institutes of Health. Former President Biden leaned on the law to preserve access to emergency abortion across the country, leading to a legal fight with Idaho, which has a strict abortion ban. The Supreme Court last year dismissed the case, declining to rule on the merits of a politically charged case. The rescinding of these guidelines also means hospitals that violate the law will likely not be investigated as often as they were under previous administrations, according to Shah. That lack of punitive risk means that hospitals could be incentivized to deny life-saving care for patients. 'The standard of EMTALA is pretty high,' said Katherine Hempstead, senior policy adviser at Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 'This kind of takes that layer of reassurance away, and it will make a lot of providers feel very vulnerable.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
'Visit only if necessary': Gujarat travel agents advise against trips to Turkey, Azerbaijan
AHMEDABAD: Travel agents across Gujarat have begun advising international passengers against planning trips to Turkey and Azerbaijan, as tensions between India and Pakistan flare up in the wake of Operation Sindoor. The diplomatic fallout has spilled into the travel sector, with travel agencies dissuading tourists from visiting the countries unless absolutely essential. Turkey and Azerbaijan, long favoured by Indian tourists for their cultural experiences and picturesque locales—Baku, in particular, emerging as a trendy destination—have now found themselves in the eye of a political storm. Calls for boycotting the two nations have grown louder across social media and public discourse, leading to major online platforms and travel agents pulling the plug on travel promotions for these destinations. Several travel platforms, including EaseMyTrip, have issued cautionary advisories. 'Following the Pahalgam attack and escalating tensions between India & Pakistan, travellers are urged to stay aware. As Turkey & Azerbaijan have shown support for Pakistan, we strongly recommend visiting only if absolutely necessary. Stay informed. Travel responsibly,' the company said in a statement. Local travel operators in Gujarat echoed similar sentiments, urging passengers to reconsider or defer plans involving these countries in the current geopolitical climate. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Complete protection with iPru All-in-one Term Plan ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo 'At a meeting of national TAFI members on Saturday, members across states expressed growing concern about traveller sentiment towards countries like Turkey and Azerbaijan. There is a clear shift — travel industry players are ready to boycott these destinations. Turkey and Baku had become easy-sell locations for Indian tourists due to affordable packages and relaxed visa norms, making them accessible across all budgets. In fact, last year, at least 50-55% of total international travellers went to Turkey and Azerbaijan,' said Ankit Bajaj, a senior TAFI member and a travel expert based in Ahmedabad. Travel industry insiders note that while cancellations and rerouted plans may cause a temporary dip in outbound traffic, safety and national sentiment are currently guiding customer choices. 'One of our groups which was travelling to Turkey cancelled their plans recently largely due to uncertainty and also the country's geopolitical stand. Other clients are pretty much travelling to other destinations but concerns certainly remain. So as an agency, we're doubly ensuring that local transportation, flights and accommodations are well in place,' said Payal Shah, founder of a travel company. 'Gujarat's travel industry has seen a major blow thanks to the recent terror attacks in Pahalgam followed by escalated border tensions. Summer is the peak travel season which accounts for about 60% of our annual revenues at travel companies. However, the safety concerns, followed by airport shutdowns and escalated border tensions, have impacted tourism sentiment in a big way. As a result, last-minute cancellations are aplenty. We will lose out on about 70% of our revenue from the season,' explained an Ahmedabad-based travel expert.
Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
BMC bleeds crores on defunct cycle track
MUMBAI: Once hailed as a bold step towards a greener, fitter city, a 39-km cycling track from Sion to Mulund now lies in shambles. Never used by cyclists, it has been draining crores of rupees in maintenance costs each year – hard-earned taxpayers' money – while serving as a den for all kinds of illicit activities, a refuge for encroachers, and a dumping ground for locals. The latest maintenance tender, a ₹9.5-crore contract for two years, is pending issuance to BB Infratech, the same firm awarded a ₹3.7-crore maintenance contract last year. Built in 2020, along the Tansa pipeline that supplies water to the city, the track snakes through Sion, Kurla, Ghatkopar and Saki Naka, before ending in Mulund. It cost the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) a staggering ₹500 crore to build. Local residents are becoming increasingly vocal about the track's decline. 'The design was flawed from the start – uneven surfaces, steps, boulders and encroachments make it unsuitable for cyclists. Repeated calls to convert it into parking space, which Mumbai desperately needs, have fallen on deaf ears,' said Payal Shah, representing the HB & JY Marg Forum. Alleging mismanagement of funds, Shah said the BMC is now considering CSR funds and NGO involvement to cover costs, indicating budget constraints in one of India's richest municipal bodies. She also criticised the BMC's Hydraulic Engineering department, which owns the land, for failing to deploy security guards or manage the site effectively. Residents say the track has become a public hazard. Hardeep Singh, a shop owner near Gandhi Market, said, 'It's become a dumping ground. People litter after visiting Shanmukananda Hall, and by evening it turns into a den for drinking and gambling. It should be repurposed for parking, especially with hospitals and malls in the area.' The cycling track, a flagship project of Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray, is a symbol of poor planning and mismanagement. The project has its origins in 2017, in a series of massive demolition drives to remove more than 16,000 encroachments for the security of the Tansa pipeline following a Bombay High Court order. To make sure that encroachers did not return, the BMC designed a project called 'Green Wheels Along Blue Lines' – a 10-metre-wide cycling and jogging track on the land cleared of encroachments. In 2018, the municipality decided to build the track along the Tansa pipeline between Sion and Mulund, connecting the suburban railway stations in between, at a cost of ₹300 crore. Within two years, the cost rose to nearly ₹500 crore. Purshottam Malawade, chief engineer of the BMC's Hydraulic Engineering department, said there are no plans to dismantle the track. 'We have floated a ₹9.5-crore tender for two years, covering cleanliness, plantation and security. It awaits approval from the municipal commissioner,' he said. BB Infratech, who had bagged the maintenance contract last year, claimed it fulfilled its contractual duties, but lacked the authority to address encroachments or provide security. 'We're still waiting for the new work order. Meanwhile, BMC is exploring CSR partnerships to fund the maintenance,' a representative of the contractor said. 'The only place where the track is being used is in Mulund. The rest is a disaster. The area should be beautified for people's recreation. Spending more money on maintenance is a waste of taxpayers' money,' said Ravi Raja, former leader of the opposition in the BMC.
