Karnataka slashes cost of RT-PCR tests by Rs 500
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government's COVID-19 task force has decided to reduce the cost of the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests by Rs 500, Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan said on Friday.
The cost of RT-PCR tests for those referred from government hospitals to private labs have been reduced from Rs 2,000 to Rs 1,500 and for those going directly to private labs from Rs 3,000 to Rs 2,500, the DCM's office quoted him as saying after the task force meeting.
He said, at the meeting it was also decided to purchase 20 lakh new rapid antigen test kits and 18 lakh RT- PCR test kits.
Stating that the ICMR has warned about infections increasing in state capital Bengaluru, and necessary precautionary measures are being taken, Narayan said, it was decided at the meeting to purchase equipment worth Rs 12 crore to start 115 bed ICU at the KC General Hospital in the city.
All necessary measures are being taken to bring down the death rate, for which certain tests should be done.
If it is difficult to conduct such tests at government hospitals, it will done at private labs, the minister said.
"By doing such tests, the stage of disease can be identified so as to administer required treatment and thereby bring down the death rate," he said, adding that plasma therapy will be extended across the state and necessary arrangements will be made for this.
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Udupi: Two men from Belthangady awarded life imprisonment for attempt to murder a woman in 2022
Udupi: Two men from Belthangady have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Udupi for attempting to murder a woman in Manchikumeri in 2022.
The sentenced men, Mithun and Nagesh Poojary, are learned to have attempted to murder Sumathi, wife of Ramanath Rai, a resident of Manchikumeri, who had a Nandini Milk Parlour at Tiger Circle, Manipal.
On February 18, 2022, Sumathi was reportedly alone at home when, at around 7 pm, Mithun, learned to be her nephew, and his friend Poojary came to the house. As Sumathi opened the door, the duo barged in and tried to strangulate her with an intention of murdering her. Sumathi reportedly lost consciousness under the attack.
The men packed her body in a sack and were then putting the sack into a suitcase to carry the body out, when they noticed that Rai and neighbours had arrived. They are learned to have opened the door when Rai knocked the door and then tried to escape. They were, however, caught by the neighbours and handed over to the police.
Further, Sumathi was found by the group in an unconscious state inside the suitcase in the house. She was rushed to the Manipal Hospital and learned to have recovered after a week of medical treatment.
A case had been registered at the Manipal Police Station.
The Udupi Principal District and Sessions Court judge Kiran S Gangannavar, who heard the case, has declared both Mithun and Poojary guilty in the case. He has awarded them life imprisonment, fined them Rs 20,000 each and, under Column 325, sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment of 5 years and fined them Rs 5,000 each.
Judge Gangannavar has directed that, of the fine, Rs 45,000 be handed to the attack victim Sumathi as relief.
Jayarama Shetty represented the government as Public Prosecutor.
