Falling tree kills woman

Veda Ramaswamy, Mumbai,
June 29, 2012 - Mid Day

The torrential downpours have just begun in the city, and the monsoon menace has already claimed its first victim. Ashwini Satpute (24) lost her life in a tree-falling incident at Ganpatrao Kadam Marg in Lower Parel.

Crushed: As a strong gust of wind blew by, the tree fell on the victim. Pic/Sunit Mehta

“Around 11 am, she was on her way to work at Marathon Tower, accompanied by a friend. While her friend stopped for a snack, she decided to walk ahead. It was raining and suddenly a strong gust of wind blew by and a tree fell on her,” mourned Suresh Satpute, the victim’s father. 

Her friend and bystanders rushed her to KEM hospital. “She was brought here in a critical state, and she succumbed to her injuries at 12.45 pm,” said Dr Pravin Bangar.

An accidental death report has been registered at NM Joshi Marg police station. “We are yet to visit the accident spot. Only after our inspection can we comment whether the tree was on BMC or private land,” said PSI Dattatray Sanab. 

Link to the original article here.

17-yr-old cyclist dies under BEST wheels

Anuradha Varanasi and Veda Ramaswamy, Mumbai
June 4, 2012 - Mid Day

Teenager sustained grievous head and chest injuries after bus rammed him from behind; succumbed to injuries before he could reach the hospital.

In yet another case of rash driving by a BEST driver, a 17-year-old boy lost his life when the bus driver rammed the teen’s bicyle from behind at Dadar (W) yesterday.

The boy, identified as Shubham Shinde, a Std X student of Sharadashram Vidyamandir School, was on his way to his tuition classes when tragedy struck.

The bus conductor rushed the youth to KEM Hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police said the accident happened close to Portuguese Church at 10.45 am, in which Shubham suffered severe head and chest injuries.

The bus driver Sanjeev Jandev Bholnagale (44) has been placed under police custody and has been booked under section 304A of the IPC (causing death by negligence).

The young boy’s father, Ram Krishna Shinde (48), is a head constable at the Mumbai Police’s Social Service branch (SS) at Crawford Market, and the family resides at Worli police camp.

In mourning

“The family members are in a state of shock right now. The post mortem of the boy has been conducted and an FIR has been lodged against the bus driver by the father,” said Balakrishna Ghadigaonkar, assistant police inspector at Dadar police station.

Speaking to MiD DAY, the victim’s father said, “My son had breakfast and left home as usual for his classes. But at around 11:30 am we got a call from KEM Hospital notifying us about the accident. When we reached the hospital, we were informed about his death. My family will leave for our native place in Satara to perform his last rites.”

They were informed about what happened at the scene by the cops. “I wonder why God has snatched my son away. We are devastated,” he added.

Link to the original article available here. 

BMC and hospitals set to fight malaria this monsoon

Team Sunday Mid Day, Mumbai
June 10, 2012 - Mid Day

A BMC worker carries out fogging at Parel ahead of body’s drive to control malaria and dengue during the monsoons last year

Although malaria cases in the city have dropped by almost 60 per cent for the period of January to May as compared to the same period last year, this monsoon, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will also survey abandoned buildings in addition to under-construction sites to keep a check on the spread of the disease.

According to Additional Municipal Commissioner (Health) Manisha Mhaisakar, “There has been a 50 per cent drop in cases from 2010-11. Over 6,000 cases of malaria have been recorded in the city from January to May. This shows a reduction of almost 60 per cent as compared to the same period last year.

This time we will also conduct 100 health camps across the city.” A BMC official from the health department added, on condition of anonymity, that as soon as cases of jaundice and gastroenteritis are reported at any of the civic hospitals, hydraulic engineers will be directed to the locality where the patients reside, to repair any leakage.

Of 2,622 construction sites, civic officials have visited 2,078. They found water stagnation and vector breeding at 619 buildings, of which 600 have been cleared. This year, the BMC has marked G South ward, E ward and K East ward as critical malaria-prone areas in the city. Six thousand posters have been distributed and an awareness campaign will be conducted across 1,38,000 buildings in the city.

“Data for 2012 shows a positive trend, with 6,762 cases of malaria registered in five months, as compared to 21,366 cases for the same time duration, last year. There was a 48 per cent decline in 2011, with 39,822 cases registered as compared to 76,755 cases in 2010. We hope to tackle malaria successfully this year as well,” said Dr Mangala Gomade, head of epidemiology, BMC.

Hospitals ready

City hospitals say they are ready to combat an outbreak, if it happens. At KEM Hospital, Lower Parel, AMO Dr Pravin Bangar said that no cases of malaria or dengue have come in so far. While part of the ground floor in the old building continues to undergo renovation, an OPD is scheduled to be set up on Monday to provide treatment for monsoon-related illnesses.

One hundred and eighty, 120, 140 and 590 beds have been set up for malaria and dengue cases in KEM, Nair, Sion and Kasturba Hospital, respectively. There are 2,147 beds at the other 16 peripheral hospitals of the BMC in the city.

While the malaria menace has started to blanket the Chembur suburbs, it is yet to become a peril in areas like Ghatkopar and Sion. The medical superintendent of Rajawadi Hospital, Dr Shubhash Poyekar, said, “Our hospital has not yet registered an outbreak of malaria cases.

Being a malaria-endemic region, receiving 10-12 cases a day is a regular trend in the monsoon.” Dr Rajeev Singh, AMO, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Sion, added, “The monsoon has just hit the city. Cases of malaria will increase soon.”

Reality bites

6,762 cases of malaria have been registered in five months, as compared to 21,366 cases for the same period last year. There was a 48 per cent decline in 2011, with 39,822 cases registered as compared to 76,755 cases in 2010

(With inputs from Rinkita Gurav, Aditya Hariharan, Anuradha Varanasi & Veda Ramaswamy)

Link to the original article available here.