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Punjab on Friday successfully performed its first convalescent plasma therapy on a critically ill Covid-19 patient at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College & Hospital, Faridkot. The therapy was performed by Dr Ravinder Garg, Department of Medicine, Dr Neetu Kukar, Department of Blood Transfusion, Dr Neerja Jindal, Department of Microbiology, and Dr Divya Kavita, Department of Critical Care. Punjab Medical Education and Research Minister O P Soni said that the patient is gradually improving. This hospital has become one of the pioneer institutes in the country to initiate this therapy, as a part of National Clinical Trial under the ICMR (Indian Council of…

 June 13, 2020 : K K Shailaja, Kerala Health Minister, has made global headlines for the state’s handling of Covid-19. In this E-Xplained episode before a nationwide audience on Zoom, she discusses how Kerala kept the numbers down, and looks at the challenges ahead. Edited excerpts: On Kerala’s robust Panchayati Raj and healthcare systems In Kerala we implemented [Panchayati Raj] in a democratic way. Our local self-governments are fully charged with power and the distribution of money is also like that… Our Primary Health Centres are now under the panchayat, local-level panchayat. They are well planned; they are implementing so many novel…

13 June, 2020: Amid the spike in the number of Covid-19 deaths in Uttar Pradesh, another concern is growing —more people below the age of 60 without known comorbidity have died of Covid-19 in the state. Despite the assessment that healthy youngsters are at lesser risk from SARS-CoV-2 and only elderly people with underlying conditions have increased risk of severe infection, the latest data from Uttar Pradesh show otherwise. Out of the 321 deaths reported in the state till Wednesday, 209 — roughly 65 per cent — were in the 21-60 years age group. In the remaining cases, 101 (31.5…

Two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district in the early hours of Saturday, police said.Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Nipora area of Kulgam in south Kashmir following specific information about the presence of militants there, a police official said. Earlier this week, security forces killed 14 militants in three major operations in South Kashmir. According to official data, more than half of the militants killed since January 1 were affiliated to Hizbul and most slain militants were local residents.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be holding extensive talks with all the Chief Ministers of states and Union Territories (UTs) on June 16 and 17. This will be Modi first interaction with the Chief Ministers ever since 'Unlock1' was declared. He earlier had rounds of discussions with the Chief Ministers. On June 16, the Prime Minister is scheduled to hold a video conference with Chief Ministers of 21 states and UTs including Punjab, Assam, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Goa, Manipur, Nagaland, Ladakh, Puducherry, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim. The exercise has been planned amid steady…

Over two-and-a-half months after the Covid-19 lockdown was implemented here, markets, including non-essential business establishments, will open in the summer capital on Saturday. However, only 50 percent shops will be allowed to run on alternate days. As per an order issued by the district administration Srinagar headed by Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary, a copy of which is with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), in view of multifarious dimensions involved, suggestions and recommendations were obtained from SKIMS Srinagar, Govt Medical College Srinagar, SKIMS Medical College Bemina and Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, and sector-specific SOPs have been devised…

12 June, 2020: Nagaland has reported fresh 26 coronavirus cases, its highest single-day spike as on Friday, taking the state’s tally to 156 on Friday, Minister for Planning and Coordination Neiba Kronu said. The previous highest single-day spike was on June 4 when 22 cases were reported. Of the total 156 cases, 126 were active and 30 have recovered. he said. The minister also informed that all the positive persons are receiving medical care at the designated COVID-19 hospitals.