Latest news with #VIMS
Hans India
24-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
20-bedded Covid ward now at VIMS
Visakhapatnam: After seeing spike in Covid-19 cases in Singapore and Hong Kong, the State government issued orders to take precautionary measures to tackle Covid cases, which are spreading through a new variant JN1,LF7, NB1.8, said Dr K Rambabu, Director of Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS). As part of it, he informed that a special ward with 20 beds has been facilitated in the hospital. The director mentioned that rapid kits have also been made available for Covid medical tests as a case has been registered in the city. He stated that if the rapid kit result comes out positive, they will immediately be sent for RT PCR tests for further confirmation. Dr Rambabu said that as part of precautionary measures, PP kits have been provided to doctors and the staff. Required medicines have been stored to treat Covid patients, he added. He suggested that elderly people, pregnant women and those with comorbid condition should follow basic safety measures. He appealed to the people to stay alert towards the new variant of Covid, maintain physical distance and avoid mass gatherings. The elderly and pregnant women should be confined to their homes. The use of masks and constant sanitisation are mandatory, he informed.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
COVID isolation wards opened in KGH, VIMS after detection of first case in Vizag
The detection of the first case of COVID-19 in Visakhapatnam city, after a long gap, the increasing number of cases in a few States in the country and a spurt in the cases in Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and China, is once again causing panic among citizens. 'The COVID-19 situation is serious in Singapore, Hong Kong and other countries. The number of cases is increasing in a few States in India but there are no reports of ICU admissions from anywhere in the country. The present virus is a variant of JN.1. Those with co-morbid conditions, and low immunity should preferably wear a mask in public places and avoid crowded areas,' Dr. K. Rambabu, Director of Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS), told The Hindu on Friday, May 23. When his attention was brought to the fact that the woman from Vizag, who has tested positive for COVID-19, has no travel history, Dr. Rambabu, who had served as the State Nodal Officer for COVID-19 in the past, said, 'Though the virus has lost its virulence, it continues to live in a 'dormant' state in humans, who were earlier affected by the disease. The virus has been undergoing mutations, and once the person's immunity drops due to any reason, the virus tries to gain the upper hand.' 'As the new variant JN.1, subvariants LF.7 and NB.1.8, are causing concern among the public, a 20-bed COVID special ward has been opened in VIMS on Friday, on the directions of the government. Rapid Test kits for COVID tests have also been procured,' Dr. Rambabu said. 'Only when a patient tests positive in the Rapid test, his/her sample will be sent for RTPCR test for confirmation of COVID-19. PP kits have been procured for doctors and staff, and medicines for patients, as a precautionary measure,' he added. Random screening 'Random thermal screening of 2% of the international passengers, arriving by the direct flight from Singapore to Vizag is being done as usual. We haven't received any specific guidelines so far from the government on increasing the screening of international passengers,' says Officiating Airport Director N. Purushottam. 'The RTPCR test done at the King George Hospital (KGH) has also confirmed that the woman is COVID positive. However, she is recovering at home and there is no cause for worry. We have opened a 20-bed isolation ward,' said Dr. P. Sivananda, KGH Superintendent. Meanwhile, Praja Arogya Vedika (PAV) general secretary T. Kameswara Rao and president M.V. Ramaiah appealed to Health Minister A. Satya Kumar Yadav to issue guidelines to all districts on implementation of all COVID-19 protocols to check the spread of the virus.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
What's Up? Media Article on Menhaden Fails to Tell Both Sides
WASHINGTON, DC / / May 16, 2025 / A recent article by Lisa Lewis in What's Up? Media ("The Osprey-Menhaden Bay Connection," 5/16) presents a one-sided perspective that echoes the claims of a well-funded coalition of special interest environmental groups, while ignoring the extensive scientific evidence and stakeholder voices that contradict their narrative. The piece amplifies talking points that have been challenged by federal agencies, independent scientists, and frontline workers in the industry, while repeating several inaccurate claims about the menhaden fishery. The Science Is Clear: Menhaden Are Not Overfished The article asserts that industrial fishing is to blame for a decline in menhaden abundance in the Bay, while omitting the overwhelming scientific consensus to the contrary. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the agency that manages menhaden for East Coast states, has repeatedly found the stock to be healthy and sustainably managed. According to the Commission's most recent stock assessment, released in 2022, menhaden are not overfished, and overfishing is not occurring. The fishery operates under Ecological Reference Points, an ecosystem-based management approach that accounts for the needs of predators like striped bass, bluefish, and weakfish. In fact, less than 0.5% of menhaden born each year are harvested. The menhaden fishery is also certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the gold standard for international third-party environmental certification. USGS and VIMS Question Osprey Diet Claims The article relies on preliminary findings from a 2024 survey by the Center for Conservation Biology, suggesting menhaden scarcity is causing osprey chick reproduction failure in parts of the Chesapeake Bay. However, it does not mention a recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) letter to the House Natural Resources Committee, which responded to congressional questions about the osprey claims. In its letter, the USGS found no biologically significant change in the proportion of menhaden in osprey diets from 2006 to 2021. Menhaden made up a slightly higher portion of the diet in 2021, and any apparent changes were not statistically significant. The letter explained that many other factors - including adverse weather, nesting density, predator interactions, and prey accessibility - can impact osprey chick survival. It emphasized that striped bass is a key prey species for ospreys in parts of the Bay; striped bass is currently overfished, primarily due to recreational fishing mortality. Scientists with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) also questioned the purported menhaden-osprey connection in a 2024 peer-reviewed response. VIMS noted that a previous 2023 study on osprey did not establish a causal relationship between menhaden availability and osprey reproduction. Ocean Harvesters Is a U.S. Company with American Crews The article claims the fishery is dominated by a "Canadian-owned company," which is wrong. While Omega Protein is part of the international Cooke, Inc. family of companies, the vessels that harvest menhaden are owned and operated by Ocean Harvesters - a U.S.-based, independently owned company with American-flagged vessels and unionized American crews. In 2024, the U.S. Maritime Administration confirmed the company is in full compliance with the American Fisheries Act, which regulates participation by foreign companies in U.S. fisheries. Omega Protein, based in Reedville, Virginia, processes the fish caught by Ocean Harvesters under a service agreement between the companies. These jobs support rural communities and represent one of the largest unionized workforces in the region. On Transparency and Collaboration The article repeats the false claim that Omega Protein refuses to share data with scientists, citing concerns raised by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Dr. Allison Colden. This suggestion is simply not true. Confidential landings data from the menhaden reduction fishery is routinely provided to NOAA, the ASMFC, and state regulators-including the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. This data is not casually handed out to competitors or to researchers affiliated with advocacy groups seeking to undermine the fishery; rather, it is shared with official scientific and regulatory bodies responsible for stock assessments and management decisions. This data is not publicly distributed because it is protected under federal confidentiality laws, just like commercial data from all fisheries. However, it is actively used in the development of all stock assessments, including the Ecological Reference Points that Dr. Colden herself has publicly supported. The entire scientific understanding of the health of the menhaden stock depends on this data. To suggest otherwise is either a misunderstanding of fisheries science or a willful attempt to mislead the public. In fact, the fishery has supported and participated in more than 15 research projects in collaboration with institutions such as VIMS and NOAA and contributed to the design of the Bay-specific study referenced in the article. Industry critics can't have it both ways-celebrating models built on this data while claiming the data isn't provided. Reasonable Precautions Are Already in Place The article accurately notes the Chesapeake Bay harvest cap has been cut repeatedly, from 109,020 metric tons in 2006 to 51,000 metric tons today - a reduction of more than 50%. That cap remains in place today as a precautionary safeguard, not in response to any scientifically derived or observed population decrease necessitating harvest cuts. Local Economic and Social Contributions In addition to its ecological and regulatory strengths, the menhaden fishery is a major driver of the local economy in Northumberland County, Virginia. The fishery, primarily operated by Omega Protein and its harvesting partner Ocean Harvesters, generates over $100 million in annual economic activity. If operations ceased, the region would face the loss of over 500 direct and indirect jobs, with Northumberland County bearing the brunt of this impact. The industry directly employs over 260 individuals and provides an annual payroll and benefits package of approximately $23 million. Fishery workers are represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 400, which ensures strong collective bargaining rights, fair wages, and safe working conditions. This makes the menhaden fishery one of the largest union-represented private-sector employers in the region. Importantly, the fishery is one of Northumberland County's largest minority employers, providing stable, long-term jobs to a historically underrepresented workforce. The industry's community impact extends to local vendors and businesses supported by its operations. A Note on Media Integrity It's worth noting that Lisa Lewis's article ends with a telling admission: "Special thanks to Valerie Keefer, Maryland communications & media relations manager, CBF, and Kenny Fletcher, director of communications and media relations, CBF." This acknowledgment makes clear that the story was heavily influenced-if not directly shaped-by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's communications team. It raises serious questions about the objectivity of the piece, which lacks input from fisheries scientists, union workers, and others with direct knowledge of the fishery. For readers seeking a balanced view of the Chesapeake Bay's most regulated and scrutinized fishery, this article falls short. One modest but important positive is that Dr. Bryan Watts, quoted throughout the article, acknowledges uncertainty about the cause of reproductive issues in ospreys. This marks a notable shift from his previous public statements, which more definitively attributed the issue to the menhaden fishery. Dr. Watts now says, "We do not know why menhaden have become less available to ospreys," reflecting a more nuanced and scientifically appropriate stance given the complex web of factors at play. The menhaden fishery is highly regulated, science-based, and a vital part of the Bay's economy. The complex ecology of ospreys, striped bass, and menhaden deserves continued research - and that research should be conducted in good faith, not through premature conclusions or special interest narratives. About the Menhaden Fisheries CoalitionThe Menhaden Fisheries Coalition (MFC) is a collective of menhaden fishermen, related businesses, and supporting industries. Comprised of businesses along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition conducts media and public outreach on behalf of the menhaden industry to ensure that members of the public, media, and government are informed of important issues, events, and facts about the fishery. Media Contact:Menhaden Fisheries Coalition(202) SOURCE: Menhaden Fisheries Coalition View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Simhachalam temple wall collapse: Missed writing on the wall
When Umamaheswara Rao and wife Sailaja set out to the Simhachalam hills in Visakhapatnam from their home at Chandrampalem at 2.30 a.m. on April 30, they were probably thinking of the moment they would finally fulfil a long-cherished dream: to witness the 'nijaroopa darshan' of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, a rare sight available only once a year during the temple's 'Chandanotsavam'. The couple were just three years into their marriage, and life seemed good. The two software professionals, both 30 years old, were ambitious as well as deeply spiritual. They reached the temple after short trip of 25 km and joined a sea of devotees hailing from across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and beyond. Many of them had reached the hill the previous evening (April 29) itself to avoid the rush after midnight. All had one objective: to catch a glimpse of the original form of the idol, which remains covered in sandalwood paste throughout the year except this occasion. From around midnight, devotees began taking their place in their respective queues [sarva (free) darshan; ₹300, ₹1,000 and ₹1,500 ticket darshans]. Umamaheswara Rao, Sailaja, her mother P. Venkata Ratnam (50) and his aunt G. Mahalakshmi (55) took up their spot in the ₹300 queue, located close to Rajagopuram and the bus terminus atop the hill. Above them, on a higher elevation, a massive new brick and concrete wall towered. The festival began with 'Suprabhatam' at 1 a.m. on April 30, followed by a few other rituals. The hereditary trustee Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju had the first darshan of the deity at 3 a.m., followed by some ministers and other VVIPs, who entered the main temple through the Rajagopuram. The darshan for common devotees was to begin from 4 a.m. Shortly after, however, the weather took a drastic turn and heavy downpour, accompanied by gales, began pummelling the region. Naresh, a volunteer present at the site, recalls what happened next. 'There was a loud thud, and people began screaming. At first, we thought nobody was hurt, but when we reached the spot, we saw the wall had collapsed onto the queue line, and many were trapped under the debris; it was a horrifying sight.' The hilltop, the divine abode, began echoing with wails of ambulance sirens and the screams of the injured. Seven people lost their lives that day, including Umamaheswara Rao, Sailaja, Mahalakshmi and Venkata Ratnam. While the bodies were taken to King George Hospital (KGH), the injured were shifted to Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) near Hanumanthawaka. Outside the KGH mortuary, heartbroken relatives wept inconsolably; some were stunned into stillness by what had just happened. 'We received a WhatsApp message early in the morning about the accident. I checked Mahesh's [Umamaheswara Rao] message; he had left a voice note saying he was heading to Chandanotsavam. It's hard to accept that someone so full of life is no longer with us,' says a devastated family member. Kin demand answers Anger and grief seized the families of the victims in the aftermath of the tragedy. The grieving kin questioned how a new wall could collapse so easily and why the devotees were allowed to line up so close to an area that was still under construction. Many point fingers at what they call gross negligence in festival arrangements and allege that despite reviews by a group of ministers over the few weeks prior to the festival's commencement, the authorities utterly failed to ensure basic safety measures. Some family members, reflecting on past festivals, say that while there had been instances of inconvenience and crowd management issues, they had never heard of incidents leading to deaths at the temple. 'My son was a god-fearing man. He visited many temples, but never in my worst nightmares did I imagine he would lose his life at one,' says P.V.V. Satyanarayana, father of Durga Swamy Naidu, another victim. He sits on the floor of the mortuary,face slick with tears. He had come all the way from Machavaram in East Godavari district upon hearing the news. Accident waiting to happen According to sources,the wall's construction was completed just five days before the festival began. Residents near the temple cannot recall a precedent to the incident at the temple. The impressive rock pillars and stone walls of the nearly 1,000-year-old temple stood the test of time and continue to inspire awe among devotees. Shortly after the incident, the government formed a three-member committee to inquire into the issue. Deposing before the committee, the contractor had this to say: 'I was under pressure from officials to complete the work though I was against the construction of the wall, which was not part of the original plan.' The engineer tasked with supervising the construction told the panel that he was not present at the site when the wall was constructed. 'I was on camp in Vijayawada,' he had said. The inconsistencies in the statements of the contractor and the engineering officials were not lost on the panel, though. Its chairperson opined that proper quality checks might have been given the go-by during the wall's construction and that other infrastructure works taken up on the hilltop and on the foothills under the Centre's Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) scheme, also need to be inspected. People familiar with the functioning of the temple said on condition of anonymity that the wall was on a higher ground while queue lines with an iron mesh were on a lower plane along the hill slope. The construction of the wall, about 15 ft. long and 10 ft. high, was taken up under the PRASHAD scheme. It was completed in haste ahead of the annual festival and the concrete curing was not done properly. According to sources, the wall gave way owing reportedly to the incessant flow of water from the upper areas. It collapsed on the wire mesh around the queue lines and then slid down the slope along with the mesh upon the devotees, trapping eight under bricks and soil. Personnel of the AP State Disaster Response Force (APSDRF), Police, the Fire Department and NDRF had a tough time rescuing the injured and extricating the bodies. A few roof sheets and iron supporting pillars, too, fell to the ground. A power cable was reportedly snapped, electrifying one of the iron poles. An electrician was brought in to rectify the problem. 'We managed to rescue two injured from under the debris. We retrieved seven bodies from the rubble during the operation, which lasted for nearly two-and-a-half hours,' T. Ramakrishna, RI of SDRF told The Hindu at the accident spot on the day. 'We were initially posted at the temple pushkarini (tank), which is at the foothill, as officials anticipated that a number of devotees would have a dip there before having darshan in the early hours. However, we were asked to come to the hilltop as most of the devotees were directly going to the hilltop,' said Ramana, one of the team members of SDRF 16 Battalion Visakhapatnam. Wall without permission Pasarla Prasad, a former member of the Simhachalam Temple Trust Board and former corporator, says the wall was constructed without authorisation. Another former member of the temple trust board Dadi Devi says that the infrastructure works at the temple had been neglected by the Endowments Department as well as the Tourism Department, which executes the PRASHAD scheme. 'There was no inspection of works by officials, and political interference compounded the problem. The construction of Kalyana Mandapams was taken up at Srinivasa Nagar on the foothills about six years ago, but they are yet to be completed,' Dadi Devi says. 'There is no internal Vigilance Wing in the temple. Works below ₹5 lakh do not require the permission of the Endowments Commissioner. On completion of infra works, third party inspection is needed. The work has to be tested at some places randomly to ensure quality of the construction,' says Pasarla Prasad. A devotee, seeking anonymity, says that a viewpoint built on the way to the hilltop was done in a hurry and has not been provided with a railing or protection wall. 'Many devotees go to this point to take selfies,' the devotee adds. Tragedies at temples The Simhachalam incident is the second major temple tragedy in the State this year. In January, a stampede during the distribution of tokens for the Vaikunta Dwara Darshan at Tirumala left six dead and several others injured. Lack of proper crowd management and sudden opening of gates were said to have contributed to the tragedy. There were also allegations of lack of coordination between TTD Trust Board and officials. It may also be recalled that Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan had sought a public apology from the TTD Board and the officials.
Hans India
05-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
It's a long wait for poor to access City Diagnostic Centre
Visakhapatnam: Even as the construction of an advanced City Diagnostic Centre and a regional drug store got completed months before, the facilities are yet to be made operational. Located at the state-run Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS), the construction work for the diagnostic centre to come up with advanced equipment and the drug store began three years ago in an area of approximately two acres. Although buildings construction was completed in an accelerated mode, they are yet to be made operational. As planned, City Diagnostic Centre is set to offer multiple high-end pathology and radiology services, among others, to the needy free of charge. Initiated by Andhra Pradesh Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (APMSIDC), the buildings were completed at a cost of about Rs 20 crore. With an aim to cater to the high-end healthcare services to the poor, the diagnostic centre was constructed. Among a host of other screenings, the centre will help take up MRIs, cancer screenings, ECG, 2D-echocardiogram and blood tests free of cost for those belonging to weaker sections. Currently, such testing facilities are available in King George Hospital (KGH), which is already being overloaded. Once the new diagnostic centre becomes operational, the load on KGH will be eased to a large extent. At VIMS, such tests are charged nominally. The regional drug store that is proposed along with the diagnostic centre aims to store and supply drugs to hospitals located across North Andhra. However, the drug store is yet to be made operational. However, the government is contemplating to run the centre in a public-private-partnership mode. 'In case the government must run the diagnostic centre, recruitment of manpower needs to be taken up. Also, maintenance of such centres needs crores of investment. At present, the government is considering whether to operate the facility or run it in a PPP mode,' shared K Rambabu, VIMS Director, with The Hans India. It may be recalled that three such diagnostic centres were approved by the Central government in Andhra Pradesh, in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Tirupati. Given the cost factor involved in operating the centre, there are enough indications that the facility will be run in a PPP model as a pilot project either in Visakhapatnam or Vijayawada.
