Pregnant COVID-19 warrior in Karnataka wins accolade, CM expresses gratitude
Bengaluru: A nine-month pregnant nurse on COVID-19 frontline in Karnataka has emerged as a shining example for selfless dedication to work, with Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa expressing his gratitude and requesting her to go on maternity leave.
Roopa, working on a contract basis at Jayachamarajendra Taluk Hospital in Yediyurappa's home district of Shivamogga, insisted on continuing to discharge her duty despite health officials' advising against it citing her advanced pregnancy and surfacing of fresh COVID-19 cases in the district.
"Roopa, I am amazed to learn about your efforts. It is nice to learn that a woman from my district is putting in so much of efforts.
At least now please take rest and return to work after delivery... I humbly request you to take rest from today," the Chief Minister told her over the phone.
Recently, the nurse was deputed to Gajanur in the same district to tackle cases of coronavirus. She has been commuting from Thirthahalli to Gajanur by bus for the past few days.
Meanwhile, Shivamogga, which was under green zone till now, saw a spurt in cases on Sunday with eight people testing positive and one of them was from Thirthahalli.
It was then the district and Taluk health officials realised that Roopa would risk her life if she continued to work and asked her to take a break, sources in the CM office said.
However, Roopa was adamant that she would continue to serve the patients during the pandemic.
Finally, the matter was brought to the notice of Yediyurappa, who called Roopa and requested to take care of her health, following which the woman agreed to go on leave.
According to the Shivamogga District Health Officer Rajesh Suragihalli, Roopa was told that she was in the vulnerable category as per the protocol.
"We had told the Emergency Medical Officer to keep her off from the COVID-19 duty as she is in the vulnerable category because she is pregnant but the EMO replied that she insisted to continue with her work," Dr Suragihalli told PTI.
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Four of family found dead in Maharashtra’s Nanded district in suspected mass suicide
Nanded (PTI): A farmer, his wife and their two sons were found dead in two different locations in Maharashtra’s Nanded district on Thursday morning, in what police suspect to be a mass suicide, an official said.
Around 8 am, the bodies of Ramesh Sonaji Lakhe (51) and his wife Radhabai Lakhe (45) were discovered on a cot in their home at Jawala Murar village in Mudkhed tehsil, he said.
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The bodies of their sons, Umesh (25) and Bajrang (23), were subsequently found on nearby railway lines. It appears they jumped in front of a speeding train, the official said.
Police inspector Dattatray Manthale told reporters, “The parents were found dead inside their home, while the sons took their lives on the railway tracks. We have asked a Forensic Science Laboratory team to collect evidence. The truth will come out only after a thorough technical investigation and autopsy.”
While the nature of their death appears to be part of a suicide pact, police said the exact circumstances remain unclear.
The family belonged to the small-scale farming community, but it is not yet confirmed if financial distress or a domestic crisis triggered the extreme step, the official said.
Neighbours described the Lakhes as a hardworking family who struggled against the odds of small-land farming to sustain themselves.
The Nanded rural police are recording statements of relatives and checking for notes or final messages left by the family.
