UK medics to help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
London: A team of British medical staff is travelling to Bangladesh to help tackle an outbreak of diphtheria affecting Rohingya Muslim refugee camps, the media reported on Thursday.
More than 40 doctors, nurses and firefighters will arrive at the fishing port Cox's Bazar following a request from the World Health Organisation (WHO), reports the BBC.
Cox's Bazar is home to more than 600,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled violence in bordering Myanmar.
The British government said the deployment was "another proud moment for the NHS (National Health Service)".
This is the first deployment of Britain's emergency medical team (EMT) since it was certified by the WHO in 2016.
The staff will be at the camps for six weeks working to fight the spread of diphtheria, as up to 160 new cases of the disease were being reported every day.
The highly contagious disease has already killed at least 27 people, according to health officials.
As of December 21, the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said it had seen more than 2,000 suspected cases in its health facilities. The majority of patients were between five and 14 years old, the BBC reported.
An estimated 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh following persecution from the Burmese military in their native state of Rakhine, since August.
The UN described the military offensive in Rakhine, which provoked the exodus, as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing".
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HC Bench upholds single judge ruling allowing lighting of deepam on Thirupparankundram hill
Madurai (PTI): The Madras High Court's Madurai Bench on Tuesday upheld a single judge's order allowing the lighting of a lamp on a 'Deepathoon' on the Thirupparankundram hill here.
A Division Bench of Justices G Jayachandran and KK Ramakrishnan delivered the judgment, making it clear that the spot on which the stone pillar (Deepathoon) is located belongs to the Sri Subramania Swamy Temple.
Tamil Nadu Minister for Natural Resources, S Regupathy faulted the judgment and said the government has the right to prefer an appeal in the Supreme Court.
"No evidence was provided to prove that deepam was lit on the deepathoon....why a new practice should be introduced," the former Law minister asked.
In its order, the HC bench said the Devasthanam (temple management) must light the lamp at the Deepathoon.
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"In addition to the prohibitions and restrictions as found in Ancient Monument and Archaeological Sites and Remains Acts and Rules, ASI shall impose conditions appropriate and necessary to preserve the monuments in the hill."
The Devasthanam through their team has to light the lamp in the Deepathoon on the event of Karthigaideepam festival falling in the Tamil month, Karthigai (November-December). No public shall be allowed to accompany the Devasthanam team and the number of the team members is to be decided in consultation with the ASI and police. The District Collector shall co-ordinate and supervise the event, the court ruled.
The petitioner, Rama Ravikumar, welcomed the judgment and described it as a victory for the devotees of Lord Muruga. The BJP hailed the judgment and said it was a slap on the face of the DMK regime.
