15 people dead as heat wave hits Canada
Ottawa, July 5 : A total of 15 people died from complications related to the hot and humid weather which has been rampaging in Eastern and Central Canada since last weekend, according to CTV on Wednesday.
All the dead were reported in Montreal, Canada where the temperature hit 40 C degree Wednesday when factoring in the humidity, and the heat is expected to last until Friday, Xinhua reported.
The Montreal authorities have called on local people to take precautions to avoid heat-related illness.
Firefighters are going door-to-door to check on at-risk residents in Montreal and health officials have set up drop-in cooling centers in the city to offer respite from sizzling temperatures.
Southern Ontario has been hard hit as well. The humidex in Ottawa on Canada Day was 47 C, the highest recorded for the capital city.
The Montreal city government unveiled an "extreme heat" plan Tuesday that includes distributing water to groups working with the homeless. Mayor Valerie Plante urged people to check on vulnerable neighbors, including seniors.
Toronto's Medical Officer of Health extended the city's heat warning until further notice over the weekend. The city has extended its pool hours and opened its seven cooling centers, which provide air-conditioned spaces and cold drinks. Toronto is also providing transit tokens for people experiencing homelessness to get to cool places.
Temperatures in Toronto, Canada's largest city, have topped 30 degrees every day since last Friday.
The heat wave has hit the Atlantic provinces too. A heat warning is in effect for Halifax as Nova Scotia has been
experiencing temperatures of around 30 C degrees.
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SC notice to Centre on plea to include ayurveda, yoga in Ayushman Bharat
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court sought the Centre's response on a plea seeking inclusion of ayurveda, yoga, and naturopathy in the national Ayushman Bharat scheme.
A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra issued the notice to the Centre and others on the petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.
The plea, which sought inclusion of the practices in PM-JAY, also known as Ayushman Bharat, said the inclusion would allow a significant portion of the country's population to avail affordable healthcare benefits and wellness in various serious diseases, apart from providing employment to many working in the field of Ayurveda.
Ayushman Bharat, which was launched in 2018, has two main components -- PM-JAY and Health and Wellness Centres.
The former provides for a cashless health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per BPL family every year.
The petitioner sought the scheme to be implemented in all states and the Indian healthcare systems.
"PM-JAY, that is, Ayushman Bharat predominantly covers and is limited to allopathic hospitals and dispensaries, while India boasts various indigenous medical systems, including ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, siddha, unani, homeopathy, which are rooted in India's rich traditions and are highly effective in addressing the healthcare needs of the present time," it said.
The plea claimed due to various "policies created by foreign rulers" and "individuals with a colonial mindset" India's cultural and intellectual knowledge, besides scientific heritage, had systematically eroded.
"These foreigners, motivated by a profit-oriented approach, have thoughtfully implemented many laws and schemes during the time of our country's independence that have slowly undermined our rich heritage and history," it alleged.
