Indian girl beats coronavirus months after surviving cancer in Dubai
Dubai: A four-year-old Indian girl in Dubai, despite her low immune system, has become one of the youngest coronavirus survivors in the UAE after she recovered from the deadly disease last week, according to a media report.
Sivani, who is also a cancer survivor, was admitted on April 1 at the Al Futtaim Health Hub after she got infected with the virus passed on by her mother who is a frontline health worker, the Gulf News reported.
Both Sivani and her dad were also tested despite not having any symptoms and, unlike her father, Sivani was found to be positive, the report said.
Sivani and her mother were kept in the same facility, but extra precautions were made for the girl who had also fought off a rare type of kidney cancer last year called ganglioneuroblastoma.
Sivani was discharged from the hospital on April 20, the report said.
Sivani had undergone chemotherapy sessions only last year and hence her immune system was still weak, said Dr Tholfkar Al Baaj, group medical director at Al Futtaim Health Hub and the consultant in family medicine who treated Sivani.
The doctors were concerned as she was at higher risk of developing a severe form of the disease and therefore, we had put her under close monitoring. Fortunately, she did not develop any complications from the infection, he added.
Sivani remained under treatment for 20 days before two consecutive negative swab tests rendered her all clear. She will now undergo 14-days quarantine at home, the report added.
Sivani's mother has also completed her treatment but remains under observation and is expected to be released soon.
Sivani is believed to be one of the youngest coronavirus recoveries in the UAE. Others were a seven-year-old Syrian girl and a nine-year-old Filipino boy both in Abu Dhabi, the report added.
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Parliamentary panel to summon airline executives, regulator over flight disruptions
New Delhi (PTI): A parliamentary panel is likely to summon top executives of private airlines and the civil aviation regulator over the mass cancellation of IndiGo flights that has left thousands of travellers stranded across the country's airports.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, chaired by JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, is likely to seek an explanation from top executives of airlines and officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation about the cause of disruption in air services and possible solutions.
A member said the panel has taken serious note of the difficulties faced by thousands of passengers due to disruption in air services.
Even parliamentarians, who were in the national capital for the Winter Session, faced the brunt of flight cancellations by IndiGo and delays by other airlines, the panel member said.
Several MPs also received complaints from people about air fares shooting up due to the scenario.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Brittas, who is not part of the standing committee on transport, has demanded setting up of a joint parliamentary committee or a judicial inquiry into the large-scale disruption of flights.
IndiGo cancelled more than 220 flights at Delhi and Mumbai airports on Sunday, as the disruptions entered the sixth day even as efforts were on to normalise operations.
The aviation regulator, DGCA, on Saturday sent notices to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and COO and Accountable Manager Porqueras, seeking explanation.
In a statement issued on Sunday, IndiGo said the Board of Interglobe Aviation, its parent company, has set up a Crisis Management Group, which is meeting regularly to monitor the situation. The company's Board of Directors is doing everything possible to take care of the challenges faced by its customers and ensure refunds to passengers, it said.
