Ex-Andhra CM Kiran Kumar Reddy rejoins Congress
New Delhi, July 13 : Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday rejoined the Congress that he left in protest against the bifurcation of the state in 2014.
Reddy went to the Congress headquarters here and rejoined the party in the presence of General Secretary and former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Earlier, Reddy met party President Rahul Gandhi.
Reddy was the last Chief Minister of a united Andhra Pradesh before the formation of Telangana on June 2, 2014. He had succeeded K. Rosaiah as Chief Minster in 2011.
Addressing a press briefing, Kiran Reddy said: "I am very happy that I am coming back to the Congress family. Although I resigned as Chief Minister, I cannot be separated from the Congress because in my family we were MLAs for nearly 8 terms - my father and me.
"Whatever identity I have got today is because of the Congress. I was an MLA for four terms, was the Chief Whip, the Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and the Chief Minister. In the present circumstances too, I strongly feel that the Congress should be strengthened and Rahul Gandhiji's (party President) hands should be also strengthened," he added.
"Unless, the Congress comes back to power in Delhi, justice will not be done to the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana."
Chandy praised Reddy for doing "many good things" when he was the Chief Minister.
On the ‘No-confidence motion to be moved by the TDP during Parliament's monsson session, Surjewala said: "(This) will be deliberated upon by the Congress Parliamentary Party."
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Substandard ringer lactate solution might be behind maternal deaths in Ballari: K'taka govt
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Health Department on Friday said the recent maternal deaths in Ballari are suspected to be due to the use of substandard ringer lactate solution that is administered intravenously to restore hydration and fluid balance in the body.
According to a statement, the solution was supplied by Paschim Banga Pharmaceutical Ltd to Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd.
The health department's officials said a sudden spurt in maternal deaths was reported from the Ballari district hospital between November 9 and 11. The deaths were reported to have occurred following caesarean operations at the hospital.
Of the 34 caesarean operations performed in those three days, seven cases developed complications.
In a statement, the health department said that out of the seven patients who developed complications such as acute kidney injury requiring haemodialysis and multi-organ dysfunction, four died.
Two have been discharged from the hospital and one patient is recovering at Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS), Ballari, it stated.
"There was a confidential review of the maternal deaths conducted by a team of specialists doctors constituted by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences at the behest of the principal secretary of health and Family Welfare.
"On perusal of the report, it is evident that there has been no negligence or dereliction of duty by the team at District Hospital, Ballari," the statement said.
Citing the report, the officials said necessary protocols and guidelines for patient care, caesarean section procedure, recognition of complications and management were satisfactorily performed.
Despite the best team effort at the post-operative ward, ICU and dialysis unit of the District Hospital and VIMS Ballari, four patients could not be saved, they said.
"The onset of complications following caesarean operations is being suspected to the ringer lactate solution supplied by Paschim Banga Pharmaceutical Ltd to Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd (KSMSCL). Earlier, all 192 batches supplied by the said company were temporarily frozen by KSMSCL, even though two batches were declared not of standard quality on March 18, 2024, by the Drugs Control Department," a statement said.
"Later, following the certificate of standard quality by Central Drug Laboratories, the usage of ringer lactate of 84 batches was permitted by
KSMSCL on August 13, 2024," it said.
The statement added that currently, the ringer lactate solution batch has been withdrawn across the State and the fluids supplied to the Ballari district hospital have been sent for testing.
