Category Archives: Community Involvement / Social Issues

Father of 2-yr-old, farmer’s son, 76-yr-old charging Rs 2 fee — the doctors who died of Covid

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Pampore, JAMMU & KASHMIR :

Hundreds of healthcare workers have died while tending to Covid patients around India. But doctors say it’s a risk they can’t avoid on the frontlines of the biggest medical challenge in decades.

Representational image | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

New Delhi:

 Ayat Mir, 18, of Kashmir remembers feeling uneasy when her father Ashraf Mir, a doctor, continued his practice through the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I told Baba not to go to his private clinic. But he told me he had a duty towards his patients,” said Ayat. “He told me, ‘what answer will I give to Allah when I am asked why I didn’t serve my patients?’,” Ayat said. 

Ashraf, 48, is one of the dozens of doctors across India who have died on the frontlines of the battle against Covid-19. 

According to government figures, a total of 300 healthcare workers have died of Covid-19, including doctors. However, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) claims doctor fatalities alone stand at 568.

The number is massive but the true tragedy is brought home by the stories behind the statistics. 

The deaths include starry-eyed beginners looking to make a difference, and those who refused to retire, reluctant to give up helping patients. 

There were the doctors from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra who treated their patients for a pittance, and another from West Bengal who left behind a two-year-old son. Yet another doctor from Maharashtra was planning his son’s wedding when he contracted Covid-19 and died, and a Karnataka practitioner got the disease as he visited different districts to spread awareness about precautions. 

Dr Ashraf of Pampore was a government doctor but ran a private practice on the side where he treated patients for free.

Their grieving families speak of their struggle to move on — of trying to make peace with the empty chair at the dinner table — but also talk about being inspired by the sacrifice their loved ones made. In the journey ahead, it’s this inspiration that is helping many push through the grief.

Jammu & Kashmir  

Dr Ashraf Mir, a senior medical officer at the District Hospital Pulwama, first developed a fever on 16 July. That day, his daughter Ayat said, Ashraf went to the hospital, but isolated himself in the family’s second house upon return. 

“Then I also got Covid. Baba used to come to my door and give me medicines even as he was not well himself,” she added

Dr Ashraf Mir, 48, with his wife and children | By special arrangement

Ashraf was finally admitted to hospital on 23 July. He passed away on 9 August at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar, where he was admitted later.

He is survived by his wife, who is a government school teacher, and two children.

Besides his job at the district hospital, Ashraf also had a private practice where he treated patients free of cost, said Ayat.

“My baba’s loss is too big for us but we must get by. He would have wanted that for us. Both my brother and I are inspired by his sacrifice, and we wish to follow in his footsteps,” said the 18-year-old aspiring doctor. 

According to Dr Atal Dulloo, financial commissioner at the J&K Health and Medical Education Department, a total of five health workers have died of Covid-19 in the union territory. 

West Bengal 

Dr Santosh Bhandari, 64, died of Covid-19 in June. A resident of Howrah, the doctor contracted the disease during his daily rounds to nearby villages, where he offered his services during the lockdown.

“It started with a fever,” his widow Manisha Bhandari told ThePrint. “Initially, we could not even manage to get a bed for him. It was all confusion,” she added. “Nobody helped us. We did not get an ambulance for taking him to the hospital. Neighbours blocked our house. We were not getting food initially,” she said, alleging that market runs for drinking water became difficult too. 

Bhandari had been the sole earning member of the family, as their son lost his job during the lockdown. 

Dr Nitish Kumar, 36, was working at West Bengal’s premier cardiology institute — the Kolkata-based private RN Tagore Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTICS) — when the pandemic struck. He tested positive for Covid in mid-July.

Nitish had no comorbidities, but his condition deteriorated over the next few days. He passed away on 5 August, leaving behind a homemaker wife and a two-year-old son.

In West Bengal, an estimated 36 doctors have died due to coronavirus since April, according to IMA data. 

Maharashtra 

Dr Rajani Jagtap, the chief medical officer at Mumbai’s civic agency-run SVD Savarkar Hospital, lost her husband —  a doctor who ran a private clinic — to Covid in the first week of July. Dr Shridhar Jagtap, 60, set up his private practice after retiring two years ago from Mumbai’s Shatabdi Hospital. 

Many private doctors shut their dispensaries and clinics after the pandemic struck, but Shridhar continued working. 

“He wasn’t the kind of person who liked to stay at home. He was happiest when he was with his patients. He was doing a lot of philanthropic work treating HIV positive patients as well,” Rajani told ThePrint. “He was very gentle and loving. I met him 23 years ago while working with the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation),” she said. 

Rajani added that she had never once imagined a life without him. Nor had she ever thought that she wouldn’t be with him when he drew his last breath.

“I tested positive on 23 June. I had symptoms like exhaustion and fever. Four days later, my husband tested positive. He had a lot of comorbidities and his condition deteriorated very fast,” Rajani said. 

Shridhar, who was originally from Pune, was admitted to the city’s Sassoon Hospital, while Dr Rajani was kept under home quarantine in Mumbai. 

Even as Rajani’s condition improved, her husband’s got worse. He died on 7 July.

“My old mother was living with me and there were two helps too, one of whom tested positive. We were isolated and it was very scary. I was absolutely devastated. I had bouts of crying every day. It felt like I had lost a part of my body,” Rajani said. “My heart went out to my kids. Neither of them got to see their dad, although they were constantly in a video chat with him.”

Since her recovery, Rajani has established a support group, Staying Alive, where members help each other come to terms with the death of loved ones taken away by Covid-19. 

In another part of the city, doctor-couple Shubhangi Patil and Hemant Patil were picking out a date for their 27-year-old son Saket’s wedding when the pandemic hit. 

Hemant Patil, 58, ran a private clinic where he treated patients for Rs 100. He was also a three-time corporator who represented Hitendra Thakur’s Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, a Maharashtra-based party, in the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation. 

“He did a lot of social work and people really respected him in Vasai. Every year, on 1 May, he would organise a blood donation camp. He also helped the civic body in setting up isolation centres, quarantine centres for Covid,” Shubhangi said. 

He had hypertension and diabetes, but insisted on keeping his clinic open throughout the Covid crisis, she added. 

In June, Hemant had to resuscitate a 28-year-old patient by administering CPR — which includes artificial ventilation through mouth-to-mouth or rescue breathing. The patient recovered but tested positive for Covid. On 29 June, Hemant isolated himself in his clinic. That was the last time Shubhangi met her husband. 

As his condition became critical, the family shifted him to a hospital. He passed away on 11 July. 

“The entire family decided not to break the news to me until the next morning. I was Covid positive and admitted to hospital, so I couldn’t even see him,” Shubhangi said. “I am learning to live alone after 39 years of togetherness, first courtship, and then marriage. He was everything for me.”  

With her son’s marriage, the family’s finances and her husband’s medical practice to look after, Shubhangi is unsure of what the future holds. And there’s only Covid to blame. 

“It is a strange disease. It doesn’t give a person time. Even a cardiac arrest gives the doctor and the patient some time to respond, but the hypoxia that can happen due to Covid just doesn’t. The infection spreads so quickly one doesn’t realise what’s happening,” she said.

IMA numbers suggest 65 doctors have died of Covid-19 in Maharashtra.

Karnataka 

Dr Siddana K, 65

Dr Siddanna K, a 65-year-old private practitioner based in Gulbarga city, was a veteran with over three decades in the field. At the time of his death, he was helming his own private clinic after working at Gurmitkal Government Hospital for 31 years.

He died on 26 July. Speaking to ThePrint, his son-in-law said he had “served people for decades”.

Through the pandemic, Dr Manjunath Gowda, a 53-year-old surgeon from Davangere, travelled to different districts in the state to advise people on the precautions to take against Covid-19. 

“He wanted to set an example on how we can upgrade facilities and provide safe treatment for patients in Davanagere,” said a relative, Dr Jayachandra, a practising dental surgeon. 

Gowda died on 8 September.

According to IMA data, 64 doctors have died of Covid-19 in Karnataka.  

Delhi 

Joginder Chaudhary, 28, a junior doctor at Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical Hospital and College, tested positive on 27 June while serving in the Covid ward. Complications caused by the disease killed him on 27 July.

A posthumous profile of the young doctor in the Washington Post features a photograph of him and a colleague volunteering at a medical camp for women. His death in the line of duty came barely a year after he joined the profession.  

Joginder was the son of a farmer, who owns two bighas of land in a Madhya Pradesh village and did all he could to put Joginder on the path to a better future. He was reportedly  sent to a private school in Rajasthan so he could secure a good education, and his father even sold their family home to fund his medical education. 

At the time of his death, Joginder’s income was helping his family get by. His father struggled to pay the bills when Joginder was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram, a private hospital in Delhi, for treatment, but the facility waived his entire fees in recognition of his role as a doctor. 

After his death, the Delhi government gave the family Rs 1 crore as compensation.

“We are financially alright for now,” said his father Rajendra. “But we are mentally distraught. We had put in a lot of effort and hard work to help him get to his position.”

While his father is struggling to move on — with a school-going daughter and another son to look after — the death of Joginder was a blow his mother couldn’t recover from. She died a few weeks after him.

Meanwhile, a veteran doctor’s widow is yet learning to navigate her day without her husband. Dr Asheem Gupta, a senior anaesthesiologist at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital, died in June after serving in the facility’s ICU unit. He was 55. 

“Even routine activities like eating food seem dull now,” his wife Dr Nirupama Gupta, a radiologist working in Noida, said. 

Their son, who lives in Australia, wants to return to India, but his shaken mother doesn’t want that. “He has been insisting that he will come now but I feel it is safer for him there. I can’t bear the thought of another family member getting Covid-19,” she said. 

Dr Gupta was an avid sports fan and the rare anaesthesiologist to share a good rapport with surgeons, a colleague told ThePrint for a profile published after his death. A ward boy at the hospital spoke of his generosity.

“Dr Asheem went out of his way to help people. Be it rich or poor. When many weren’t able to afford ventilators, he had helped them, as he did for two ward boys here,” a ward boy said.

In Delhi, IMA estimates suggest about 14 doctors have died of Covid-19. 

Andhra Pradesh 

The tag of “Rs 2 doctor” for Dr Ismail Hussain, 76, of Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool was a testament to a life lived in benevolence. Over his stint as a doctor, Hussain is believed to have treated lakhs of poor patients for negligible rates. He kept a cardboard box at his nursing home and residence, where patients could pay as much as they wanted as fees. 

His reputation drew patients not from Andhra alone, but also from the nearby districts of Telangana and Karnataka. He passed away on 14 April, and was tested positive for Covid-19 a day later. 

According to Kalkura Chandrashekhar, Ismail’s close friend of 40 years, the doctor continued seeing patients even when most clinics and hospitals shut over Covid-19 concerns. “Ismail’s death is a great loss to the people of Kurnool,” Chandrashekhar said. 

He is one of around 65 doctors who have died of Covid-19 in the state. 

Telangana 

Dr Naresh Kumar was serving as the Deputy Medical & Health Officer (DMHO) of the Bhadradri Kothagudem district, when he contracted the virus and passed away in August. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

After his death, several doctors’ associations rallied to collect funds for his family and raised over Rs 25 lakh. The Telangana government also announced Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia compensation and a gazetted job for his wife.

State health department data suggests there had been 10 doctor fatalities among the over 2,000 healthcare staff tested positive for Covid-19 until August end. The figure has been contested by doctors’ associations.

In March, the central government announced a Rs 50 lakh insurance cover for families of health workers who die of Covid-19 in the line of duty. State governments, including those in West Bengal, Telangana, and Maharashtra, have since followed suit, while some like Andhra Pradesh are yet to announce such a scheme.

According to a senior officer in the Union Health Ministry, so far, the families of 95 healthcare workers have been compensated under the insurance scheme, while 175 applications are pending and 30 are yet to be sent by various states. The sources said this tally of 300 accounts for all the healthcare workers who have died of Covid-19. 

However, the IMA, which has collated data from chapters across the country, pegs the number of doctor fatalities at 568.

ThePrint reached Union Health Ministry spokesperson Manisha Verma to ask about the discrepancy through call, text and email, but the query hasn’t been answered. 

However, a senior officer, speaking off the record, questioned the credibility of IMA data. “The IMA cannot tell you 500 have died. Can they tell you that they have all died because of Covid and not died because of natural causes after having caught Covid?” the officer said.

‘It’s our duty’

The Covid-19 pandemic presents one of the biggest challenges the medical community has faced in recent years — highly infectious in nature, the disease puts healthcare staff at immense risk even as they pull long hours on duty to deal with the onslaught of patients. 

But doctors tending to Covid patients say the risk is a professional hazard, and they can’t overlook their duty.

“We aren’t superhuman, but we are taking risks and doing our jobs,” said Dr Shahid Bharmare, a consulting physician at Mumbai’s Kohinoor Hospital who has been treating Covid patients since March. “Because there is no escape… It’s not about money. It’s a duty we have to do. If I don’t do it, who else will?”

His family, Bharmare added, was “initially reluctant” when he assumed pandemic duty “but they understood that I have to”. 

“Now they’ve gotten used to it. So, I take all precautions. But yes, there are a few things I miss as well. I can’t hug my son anymore. I have to stay away from him,” he said. “That risk is always there in the back of my mind. That is there with every Covid-19 warrior. But it’s my responsibility and I can’t stay away from it.”

According to the doctor, most people will contract Covid-19. “You can’t stay away from it. If you’re anyway going to get infected, why not work and do it?” 

Pulmonologist Dr Ravi Dosi of Indore’s Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS) said he knew two doctors who lost their lives. 

“They made the supreme sacrifice for their passion. Medicine is a passion and these passionate doctors gave up everything they had,” he added. 

Dosi has been treating Covid-19 patients since the very start of the pandemic. 

“I myself became a victim of the Covid-19 virus but I recovered and had the opportunity to keep serving the patients during that time. But I felt the virus inside me, I felt the potency, and the way that the virus engulfs you in its power,” he said. “Being a doctor, you can understand what it does to your body. This is not a good virus. No one is invincible.”

Inputs from Azaan Javaid, Madhuparna Das, Manasi Phadke, Rohini Swamy, Soniya Agrawal, Aneesha Bedi, Rishika Sadam

source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> Health / by Angana Chakrabarti / October 18th, 2020

Muslim councillor of Pudukottai panchayat channels first tranche of Rs 5.34 lakh for temple

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, ,

Pudukottai, TAMIL NADU :

Pudukottai :

An advertisement about an inter-faith couple garnered so much hate online that it had to be pulled down by Tanishq this week.  In a temple in Manamelkudi in Pudukkottai, there is no room for such hate. A muslim district councilor has constructed a pathway in and around the temple with paver blocks at a cost of Rs. 5.34 lakhs.

77-year-old Chidambaram, who has been the temple priest at the Muthu Mariamman Temple in Manamkeludi for several decades had just one demand – a pathway around the temple and one that would connect it to the road. When Najimudeen Jahabersadik came to canvass for votes last year, he told him that he would win, and asked just one thing of him – a pathway for devotees.

“Najimudeen delivered his promise. I am extremely happy, my long pending demand has been fulfilled. I feel even happier that the councilor chose to work on a temple first, proves that God is one,” said Chidambaram.

Najimudeen Jahabersadik has been a union councilor for Manamelkudi since 2011. After a few years when elections weren’t held, he came back to power last year as the District Councilor with the DMK. 

He says that he won with a margin of more than 16,000 votes, one of the highest margins ever. As soon as he received funds, the first thing he did was use it for constructing this pathway at the Muthu Mariamman Temple.

“The locals faced lot of problems as there was no proper structure around the temple, it was all sticks and stones. Due to COVID, fund allotment took time and the districts received funds very late. I was in Dubai during the lockdown and did this work with the help of the Panchayat President. We first received Rs. 5.34 lakhs and decided to use it for this temple,” says Najimudeen.

For Najimudeen, duty trumps all. He wants to show his thanks to voters through his performance. “As a councilor, everyone is same for me. I want to fulfill promises made to everyone, irrespective of religion, caste or creed. I will try to fulfill the commitments made to everyone in my district,” adds Najimudeen.

The councilor already has atleast 5-6 more projects up his sleeve, mostly road laying, tank work and helping two other temples in the district.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Sowmya Mani / Express News Service / October 18th, 2020

Doctor wins support too despite criticism from several quarters

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Science & Technology, , ,

Ernakulam, KERALA :

 Dr Najma Salim believed she had to tell the truth.

BJP workers stage a protest with coffin in front of Ernakulam MCH on Tuesday against alleged medical negligence at the MCH  | A Sanesh

Kochi :  

Dr Najma Salim believed she had to tell the truth. The doctor with the Government Medical College Hospital, Ernakulam, who vouched for a nurse’s claim of lapses at the hospital and stood her ground despite coming under pressure, is facing the consequences of taking a bold stance. She has been attacked on social media, with some even questioning her credibility and raising slanderous allegations against her. But her courage to speak out has also won her respect, with many supporting her vociferously.

The voice message of the hospital’s nursing officer, Jalaja Devi, triggered the fire and Dr Najma stood up for truth even when she knew it was against the entire system.“I know my future is at stake. I don’t know what will happen when I go back to duty. But I stand by what I said and these are instances which I witnessed,” she had said.Several trolls questioning her credibility as a doctor are being circulated on the social media.

“There are a thousand examples of Najma that proves her credibility and dedication,” say her colleagues. Dr Jayasoorya K, a friend and her senior at the Ernakulam MCH, said in a Facebook post on Thursday: “One should enquire with the inmates of the Karunya Old Age Home about Najma to clear the air about her selflessness and dedication.

Her efforts to take the drug bank, which is today being relied upon by so many patients, forward is indeed commendable. Please inquire about her work before questioning her competence as a doctor.” 

Later, he told TNIE, “Let the truth, whatever it is, come out during the investigation. All of us who hold the medical college close to our hearts want just that.”“Some people called it a political stunt. She never intended any of it. She simply stood for truth,” said another colleague, who did not want to be named.Dr Sanil Kumar, member of the V R Krishna Iyer Movement, said a fair and comprehensive investigation is needed to bring out the truth.

In context
The doctor with the Government Medical College Hospital, Ernakulam, who vouched for a nurse’s claim of lapses at the hospital, is facing the consequences of taking a bold stance

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Kochi / by Anuja Susan / Express News Service / October 23rd, 2020

Dubai: Kannadigaru UAE Association helps over 16 lac Rs Aid in COVID pandemic

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, FREE : Food, Karnataka (under research project), NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dubai, UAE :

Dubai :

Corona pandemic began to spread across the heart of the city, Deira, here, one of the oldest districts and was categorized as a hotspot of infection. The Dubai government immediately decided to lockdown the whole area followed by a seal down for about two months to contain the spread of the virus (strict prohibitory orders were issued to restrict the residents from moving out of the area and non-residents from travelling to the area).

During this period the Dubai Health Authority along with Dubai police set up the required programme to contain the spread of the virus and Dubai Hemmeya UAE Kannadigaru (HUK) was exclusively chosen for the volunteering work. It included the supply of food, essentials, medicine and transport of people for COVID testing, isolation, transfer to the hospital (also reaching out to all Kannadigas who sought support). The works under the leadership of Rafeeqali Kodagu, HUK was acknowledged and well appreciated by the UAE rulers, Dubai government, Dubai police, Dubai health authorities, the general public and hailed as corona heroes. To date, the relief work continues.

The pandemic severely affected businesses. Hundreds of Kannadigas lost their jobs, their earnings. Job seekers who were on a visit visa to UAE were stuck indefinitely. The Dubai Hemmeya UAE Kannadigaru team flung into action when they started getting distress calls from bachelors and families seeking urgent help. Mohammad Mustafa, a businessman and philanthropist and other members of HUK opened their hearts and started contributing to the relief fund called Hemmeya UAE Kannadigaru Sahaya Hastha (helping hand). The needy were provided with a food kit lasting a month, medicine, household essentials, air tickets amounting to 16 lac Indian Rupees with the help and support of donors.

The team of Kannada doctors under the initiative of Kannadathi Dr Savitha Mohan treated several patients at this critical time free of cost, free clinic and online consultation. All corona related health tips and guidance were provided from time to time.

Several categories of people were looking for urgent repatriation to India which included pregnant women, patients with critical illness, senior citizens, job seekers, students, tourists, employees who lost their jobs and their families. Spending each day was an expensive affair and the financial and mental situations were worsening. The HUK team again extended their helping hand by associating with the organizers of Vande Bharat Mission by providing complete information to passengers, also arranging exclusive chartered flights and took care of the entire process from registration to take-off of the respective flights. They also enquired about their arrival and well being.

Kannadigas from all walks of life volunteered to help. They brought their own vehicles and their friends to distribute food and medicines to the needy at their places. Special mention goes to Nawaz Kundapura, Harish Kodagu, Cleevan Udupi, Abdul Hadi Bhatkal, Suhail Mangaluru, Noufal Dakshina Kannada, Nizar Kasaragodu Kannadiga, Fayaz Kundapura, Abrar Shivamogga, Hadiya Mandya, Mamatha Sharjah, Senthil Bengaluru, Mohiyuddin Hubli, Sayyed Shivamogga, Vinod D’Souza Mangaluru, Rafeeqali Kodagu who worked relentlessly day and night across seven emirates (states) of UAE to ensure that the relief work goes in full scale wiping the tears of the people.

Hemmeya UAE Kannadigaru has always been the voice for Kannada and Kannadigas in UAE. Their heart also follows and responds to the issues and development related to Kannada and Karnataka.

They have conducted Dasara sports meet, Kannada Rajyotsava, multi-religious Ifthar programme, Sankranthi, Christmas, Republic Day talent show bringing together all the Kannadigas to celebrate the Kannada culture and heritage. They also honor national and international sportspersons, poets, philanthropists, cine and music artistes, Indian defense staff who have brought name and fame to Karnataka.

The job seekers from Karnataka are getting the essential information, guidance through job fairs, workshops, recruitment roadshows, and job groups. Kannadiga businessmen and the Kannadiga job seekers are provided a platform to interact and recruit the candidates. Also, Kannadiga business forum, an exclusive group for Kannadiga businessmen and entrepreneurs is setting new heights through active participation and flow of business.

HUK is on the forefront to extend help during natural calamities of flood, earthquake and also initiates blood donation camps. They also organize guided excursions and tours across UAE.

Team Hemmeya UAE Kannadigaru Sudeep Davanagere (president), Mamatha Raghavendra Mysuru (vice-president), Senthil Bengaluru (chief secretary ), Rafeeqali Kodagu, Mamatha Sharjah, Pallavi Basavaraj Davanagere, Dr Savitha Mohan Mysuru, Anitha Ram Bengaluru, Vishnu Murthy Mysuru, Hadiya Mandya, Shankar Belagavi, Mohiudeen Hubli, Vageesh Mysuru were supported by 50 other members.

video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1CRoL5oqb4&t=8s

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Middle East / by Media Release / October 19th, 2020

Number of Students Clearing NEET Exam After Coaching From Ajmal Foundation’s Increases from 11 to 80

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ASSAM :

Ajmal Foundation’s Super 40 program started with a science topper in board exams (2018) and later prepared students for medical and engineering exams.

Representative image.
Representative image.

New Delhi: 

All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) President Badruddin Ajmal’s integrated educational program with a special focus on students from underprivileged background has fought against all odds to deliver great results in competitive exams such as NEET/ JEE(Main)/(Advance).

On Saturday the MP tweeted: “More than 100 students from our 2-years Integrated Coaching Programme have cleared NEET this year, of which 80+ students likely to get admission in MBBS. My heartfelt thanks to the faculty and other staff members associated with Ajmal Super 40 programme and Ajmal Group of Colleges (sic).”

Badruddin Ajmal was referring to the Ajmal Foundation’s Super 40 program that started with a science topper in board exams (2018) and later prepared students for medical and engineering exams. Eleven students cleared NEET (2019), and more than 100 students cleared NEET in 2020 with 80-plus getting admissions in MBBS.

According to the director of Ajmal Foundation, Khasrul Islam, from 11 students clearing the exam in 2019 to over 80 likely to get admission in MBBS this time, “the result over the year is speaking for itself on how commitment and dedication of teachers and students can make all the difference.”

This year in JEE (Advanced) and (Mains) there were 7 and 18 students clearing the exams, respectively.

The students’ response to Super 40 has been overwhelming over the years. “After seeing the keenness among them to study for medical and engineering, the Foundation increased the sponsored participants from 40 to 160 (80 girls and 80 boys),” he said.

Islam said the key feature of the integrated program is its teachers with most of them being non-Muslims. “About 75% of the teachers are non-Muslims and their dedication is the life of the program. They are committed and available to clear all doubts of the students, who are majorly Muslims, almost 75%”, said Islam.

The Ajmal Foundation is a registered public charitable trust, established in the year 2005 at Hojai, Assam, India. It has 25 educational institutions all over the state of Assam. “The organisation has been working in the fields of modern education, skill development and employment generation, women empowerment, poverty alleviation, relief and rehabilitation, and environmental awareness and health aid programs,” states its official website.

The trustees of the foundation are committed to undertake multifarious schemes and projects in various parts of the country to “serve the downtrodden section of the society.”

source: http://www.news18.com / News18 / Home> News18> India / by Eram Agha / October 18th, 2020

NEET 2020: Abbas and Rizia, the two pillars of Soyeb Aftab’s success

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, , , , , , ,

Kolkata, WEST BENGAL / ODISHA :

Sheikh Mohammed Abbas candidly admits that his in-laws at Kolkata supported him financially during the tough times

Sheikh Mohammed Abbas and his wife Rizia with their children. (Photo | EPS)

Rourkela :

Soyeb Aftab has wowed the entire country with his phenomenal performance in the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET)-2020  scoring a perfect 720 out of 720. 

However, behind his extraordinary feat lies the struggle and resolve of his parents Sheikh Mohammed Abbas and Sultana Rizia who despite their limited means ensured their children got the best education. 

Abbas and his wife Rizia made all the compromises and sacrifices for their children, Soyeb and his 10-year-old sister Alisha, who studies in Class V. Alisha is also a brilliant student. 

Abbas, a graduate said he and his wife laid the foundation for a bright future for their children 20 years back when on his insistence, Rizia, with Soyeb in her womb completed her graduation.

“My orthodox family was adamant on not allowing Rizia to study further after marriage. We moved away from my family and stayed separately for eight-and-a-half years. In the meanwhile, Rizia gave birth to Soyeb and completed her graduation from Burdwan University by travelling frequently from Rourkela to West Bengal,” he said. Since then the couple has left no stones unturned to provide an ideal environment to their children for their studies. 

As a businessman, Abbas often saw many ups and downs but he did not let adversities come in the way of his children’s future. He recently switched to construction work from loose tea leaf trade.

During lockdown, there was no work and then the earning started dipping drastically.

Abbas candidly admits that his in-laws at Kolkata supported him financially during the tough times. 

Rizia said her struggle to complete graduation inspired her to give the best of education to her children. She along with Soyeb and Alisha had moved to Kota, Rajasthan in 2018 where the siblings took admission at Sarvodaya School.

Soyeb also pursued medical coaching at Allen Career Institute in the town. Abbas’ childhood friend Afroz Ahmed said the businessman’s resolve and determination helped him stay all alone in the city for two years.S

The principal who won freedom for Indian hostages

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Gorakhpur, UTTAR PRADESH / Benghazi, LIBYA :

Head of the Indian school in Benghazi, Tabassum Mansoor, led the negotiations with militants in Libya

Tabassum Mansoor  

After almost a month of tense negotiations, the hostage situation involving seven Indians in Libya came to an end with their release on October 11.

In the absence of a resident Ambassador in the country, the delicate task of ensuring the safe release of the Indians workers with Al Shola Al Mudea energy company, fell to Tabassum Mansoor, the Principal of the city’s Indian school and a long-term resident of Bengazhi.

The seven men were abducted by militants at Asshwerif while they were on their way to the airport in Tripoli on September 14. A source with knowledge of the operation said the rescue would not have been possible but for Ms. Mansoor, who carried out negotiations with the militants through the Libyan authorities and tribal elders.

Ms. Mansoor, 59, who was born in Gorakhpur, has been in Benghazi for more than three decades. She has mentored the Indian school in Benghazi and it has emerged as the only Indian-led English-medium educational centre in the city.

Recognition for her long-standing commitment to education amid difficult circumstances came from the Libyan authorities when she was inducted as a member of the National Education Council of Libya. Her work in the larger Indian community first came into the spotlight for her efforts during the 2011 evacuation of nearly 3,000 Indians from Benghazi when the city witnessed intense fighting between pro- and anti-Qadhafi forces.

This time too, Ms. Mansoor swung into action when requested by the Indian authorities.

“I can’t explain the terrible time we have been through. We had initially given up hope of seeing Umed again. But it was at that time that we found strength and support from Tabassumji. The Indian Embassy in Tunis provided excellent diplomatic support, but Tabassum Madam handled the local negotiations to free our people,” said an emotional Firoz, brother-in-law of Umed, one of the seven Indians, in an online interview.

Local recognition helped

The local recognition helped the principal in the talks to ensure the safe release of the Indians. Ms. Mansoor declined to speak about her role when The Hindu reached out to her. But a source familiar with the developments said the negotiation with the militants was extremely risky as they are known to be unpredictable. As the negotiations reached their conclusion, Ms. Mansoor went personally to Brega with Libyan security officials where the captors handed over the Indians.

The Libyan support to the Indian-led initiative were lauded by the External Affairs Ministry which expressed “sincere thanks to the Libyan authorities and the tribal elders from the region”.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National / by Kallol Bhattarcherjee / New Delhi – October 14th, 2020

This boutique in Kannur offers dresses to brides in need

Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , ,

Kannur, KERALA :

Sabitha AK at her boutique

About two months ago, 41-year-old entrepreneur Sabitha AK—founder of Rainbow Women’s Outfits—received an SOS call.

About two months ago, 41-year-old entrepreneur Sabitha AK—founder of Rainbow Women’s Outfits—received an SOS call. The caller, a girl of 23, was inconsolable. Her wedding was in a few days’ time and she was unable to afford a wedding dress. She knew of Sabitha’s eight-year-old boutique that dealt with wedding finery, among other things, and decided to approach her on a whim.

Luck was on her side. Sabitha sent across a beautiful wedding dress with complimentary accessories. All free of cost.

The call got Sabitha thinking. She decided to reach out to her patrons and family through her social media handle to see if she could turn each underprivileged girl’s wedding dreams come true. She was in for a surprise. Her video has got one million views so far.

“The response was overwhelming. Many offered to donate their wedding dress. Bridal wear is mostly a one-time use. It ends up lying in our wardrobes for decades.

Moreover, in the Malabar region weddings last for three to four days.

Expensive outfits are bought for each day. Not many of these see the light of the day again,” she explains, adding that the dresses come from Mumbai, Ernakulam, Kochi, Dubai and even the UK.

She was also pleasantly surprised to get bridal outfits that cost Rs 1 lakh or more.

Now she had the problem of plenty. She decided to open a boutique exclusively for donated outfits, besides the one she runs in Pappinisseri in the coastal city of Kannur, Kerala.

Along with the dresses, many people also donated footwear, purses, jewellery, bed sheets and even makeup sets.

“I have everything a bride may want, and more,” Sabitha smiles. Based on word of mouth, she was inundated with calls from many districts. She has set up outlets in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Ernakulam, Pattambi, Kasaragod, Kozhikode and Mangaluru.

Those who visit these outlets are allowed to take as many dresses as they want, with no compulsion of returning them. “If they want to return it after using it, it’s up to them. I want them to feel like they own the dress,” says Sabitha.

She has helped around 300 brides in the last couple of months. In fact, one might end up spotting a Sabyasachi or a Ritu Kumar outfit at her boutique. She has also started a free makeup arrangement for brides who come to her.

But Sabitha is wary of being taken for a ride and has made it mandatory for brides to produce a letter from community elders endorsing their need. At the same time, she makes it a rule to maintain the privacy of the brides. It’s all about providing a helping hand. But not in exchange for dignity. A story of Cinderellas in our backyard. 

Sabitha has helped around 300 brides in the last couple of months. One might end up spotting a Sabyasachi or a Ritu Kumar outfit at her boutique. She has also started a free makeup arrangement for brides.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Magazine / by Medha Dutta Yadav / October 11th, 2020

This Muslim Cleric’s Initiative Helped 137 Underprivileged Students Crack JEE

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Patna, BIHAR :

Senior cleric, Maulana Wali Rahmani runs Rahmani 30, a movement to provide free coaching to students from economically, socially and educationally backward communities.

This year, the JEE Main results were yet another raging success for the famous ‘Rahmani 30’, with over 137 of its minority students qualifying for the JEE Advanced exams for admissions to India’s premier engineering institutes–like the National Institute of Technology (NITs) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs).

Senior cleric, Maulana Wali Rahmani runs Rahmani 30, a movement to provide free coaching to students from economically, socially and educationally backward communities.

The Rahmani Programme of Excellence includes free residential-cum-coaching programmes for JEE (Main), JEE (Advanced), NEET, chartered accountancy and law entrance exams.

Speaking to The Times of India , Fahad Rahmani, CEO of Rahmani Programme of Excellence, said, “We began in 2008, and till 2017 we have sent 213 students to the IITs. This year’s JEE (Main) results are very encouraging as our overall success rate, including Patna, Hyderabad and Aurangabad centres, is 75% while the Patna centre’s result is 100% (23 out of 23 students).”

The coaching centre which ran in association with Anjuman-I-Islam and financial support from the Memon Chamber of Commerce had coached two batches of JEE aspirants in Mumbai. But unfortunately, the Mumbai centres shut down last year as Anjuman-I-Islam ran into a financial crisis.

Even in the face of the closure of its Mumbai facilities, the authorities weren’t deterred from their will to help students. And so the centre moved to Aurangabad. The programme continues to benefit minority students in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Aurangabad and Chennai.

Rahmani 30 which started with the vision to search, find, house and train deserving students without any stated or implied fees, enrol a student after a screening–this involves a standardised objective written test followed by a behavioural interview for final selection.

Once selected, the students are provided with complete supervised hostel accommodation and nutritious meals during the tenure of coaching.

They are trained with the help of skilled teachers, hired to lecture and demonstrate specialised topics. There is a proper mechanism to measure student progress regularly. Even the lecturer’s progress is measured to maintain transparency between students and the administration and ensure a conducive learning environment. This also helps eliminate any communication issues or cultural misunderstandings and address student grievances.

The students are also thoroughly assisted through the process of applying for various standardised examinations.

As per TOI, over 17 students from the Aurangabad centre have qualified for JEE (Advanced) exams this year. There is hope for the revival of the Mumbai centre nonetheless as activists come together and request Muslim philanthropists and businesspersons to come forward and facilitate it.

(Edited by Shruti Singhal)

source: http://www.thebetterindia.com / The Better India / Home> The Better Home / by Jovia Aranha / May 02nd, 2018

Self-made billionaire petrol station tycoon brothers, 48 and 49, from Blackburn agree deal to buy Asda from Walmart for £6.8bn bringing supermarket giant back under British control

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, FREE : Food, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, Transport, World Opinion, , , ,

Gujarat, INDIA / Blackburn (Lancashire) UNITED KINGDOM:

  • Mohsin Issa, 49, and brother Zuber, 48, stunned the City by being named as lead bidders for fight to buy Asda 
  • Walmart, chain’s US owner, announced they had accepted bid from duo today but will retain a minority stake
  • Last stage of extraordinary rags to riches story that began with them taking over single petrol station in Bury
  • It comes more than a year after planned merger between Asda and Sainsbury’s was torpedoed by regulators

Two self-made billionaire petrol tycoon brothers have agreed to buy Asda from Walmart for £6.8billion to bring the supermarket back under British control.  

Mohsin Issa, 49, and his brother Zuber, 48, from Blackburn, stunned the City by being named as lead bidders to take over the retail giant alongside private equity firm TDR Capital, and concluded the deal today. 

The new owners have committed to keeping the retailer’s headquarters in Leeds and said they will invest to grow its convenience and online operations. Walmart will retain a minority stake in Asda as part of the agreement.

It is the latest stage in the brothers’ extraordinary rags to riches story, which saw them turn a single petrol station in Bury into an empire of 5,900 branches.

The duo, whose parents came to Britain from India  ‘with nothing’, built EG Group – previously known as Euro Garages – from one site bought for £150,000 in 2001 into a £9billion giant employing 44,000 staff.  

Today’s deal comes more than a year after a proposed merger between Asda and UK supermarket rival Sainsbury’s was torpedoed by regulators. 

Mohsin Issa, 49, (left) and his brother Zuber, 48, whose parents came to Britain from India ‘with nothing’, today emerged as the winners of the battle to buy Asda 

The brothers holding trophies at an awards ceremony in London in 2018, which saw them named EY Entrepreneur of the Year

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The billionaire Issa brothers brothers and the rise and rise of EG Group  

1970s – Mohsin and Zuber Issa’s parents arrive to the UK from Gujurat, India and the brothers are born not long afterwards in Blackburn, Lancashire. 

They work at their parents’ petrol station before it closes. 

2001 – The brothers buy their first filling station in Bury, Greater Manchester. 

2015 – Private equity firm TDR Capital acquire a 50% stake in their Euro Garages chain. 

2017 – Euro Garages buys EFR Group, a Dutch-based forecourt operator, and is renamed EG Group. The new company buys 1,000 garages from Esso in Germany. 

2018 – EG Group announces it will buy 800 Kroger convenience stores in the US before buying 1,200 sites in Italy from Esso. Later that year it buys 97 fuel stations in the Netherlands and 540 from the Australian retailer Woolworths. 

2019 – In another US expansion, EG buys 54 Fastrac sites in the US and 69 from Certified Oil.  

2020 – EG becomes KFC’s largest franchisee in Europe after buying 145 KFC outlets in the UK & Ireland.  

___________________________________________

Asda has seen its fortunes improve recently with trading strengthening through 2020, as shoppers have spent more money on groceries during the pandemic.

In the quarter to June, Asda saw online sales double but the new owners will be tasked with expanding its digital business further to take advantage of soaring demand and make ground on rivals, such as Tesco, who have a larger slice of the market.

The new owners will also face the challenge of keeping prices low amid tough economic conditions for shoppers and potential new tariffs on EU-imported foods, with the other big four supermarkets all announcing a raft of price cuts in recent months.

EG Group has sealed the deal after its offer was favoured by Walmart ahead of a move by US private equity firm Apollo.

Last week, a third bid from Lone Star Funds, fronted by former Asda executive Paul Mason, was dropped after failing to meet the price of its rivals during the latter stage of bidding.

Walmart sought a sale after the UK’s competition regulator blocked its merger with Sainsbury’s amid fears the move would push up prices and reduce product quality.

The US grocery started new discussions over a sale of Asda in February, but saw these halted due to disruption as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the auction process restarted in July as Walmart sought to exit the UK, 21 years after first purchasing the Leeds-based retailer.

Blackburn-based EG Group, formerly known as Euro Garages, already runs forecourt convenience stores for Spar and French hypermarket chain Carrefour.

The deal will have to pass through regulators, although it is expected to be given the green light.

Last week, EG Group announced a trial involving three ‘Asda on the Move’ convenience stores at its petrol forecourts.  

The £115,000 terraced house where the brothers grew up in Blackburn. They were born in the town after their parents moved from Gujurat, India 

A wider view of the road in Blackburn where the brothers grew up. Their company is still based in the town 

They are now worth an estimated £3.56bn, including a £25m Kensington townhouse (pictured) and a private jet that is kept in a hangar at Blackpool Airport alongside Donald Trump’s personal helicopter

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Asda history: How Britain’s third-largest supermarket began as a Yorkshire family butcher

1950s: The Asquith family (W.R. Asquith) open a butcher’s shop in Knottingly, West Yorkshire, which was eventually expanded to seven shops. 

1958: They travel to the USA to visit Piggly Wiggly, probably the world’s first supermarket. 

1963: The Asquiths open the UK’s first self-service supermarket in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. 

The first Asda supermarket, which was opened in 1965 in Wakefield, West Yorkshire 

965: Peter Asquith built his first new supermarket from scratch, next to a large car park, knowing that cars would change the way people shop. Associated Dairies were employed to run the in-store butchery operation and the name Asda was born by combining ASquith and DAiries. 

1966: Asda becomes the first major food store to sell general merchandise. 

1968: Associated Dairies buys out the Asquith Brothers.

A newspaper article about one of the first ever Asda stores 

1999 Asda is bought by Walmart.

2020 (February): Walmart says it is looking for a buyer.

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The Issa brothers are now worth an estimated £3.56bn, including a £25m Kensington townhouse and a private jet that is kept in a hangar at Blackpool Airport alongside Donald Trump’s personal helicopter.

They are also building five identical mansions just three miles from the £115,000 Blackburn two-up two-down where they were raised. Mohsin is expected to live there with his wife, Shamim with whom he shares two grown-up children.  

As the children of immigrants who moved to Blackburn from Gujurat, India, in the 1970s, Mohsin and Zuber Issa – who were born in the former mill town – quickly learned the importance of hard work.

Their first experience of business was selling petrol from their parents’ filling station, where they would have their big idea that would revolutionise the industry and make their millions. 

Petrol sales were in decline and fuel duty on the rise, cutting into already wafer-thin fuel margins and leading to hundreds of operators leaving the market.

At the time most garages – if they sold food at all – offered a measly selection of pre-packaged sandwiches, crisps, sweets and chocolate.

But the Issas realised fuel sales still had a purpose in creating a captive market at petrol stations, who could then be offered appetising food rather than the gruel offered elsewhere

The brothers struck franchise agreements with brands including Starbucks, Subway and KFC, before embarking on a buying spree to snap up sites that had previously become vacant.

They now own Europe’s largest forecourt operator, Euro Garages, which in 2019 reported revenues of more than £17.9bn.

The firm is now the largest Subway franchisee in Europe and earlier this year bought a group of 146 KFC stores.

Describing the secret of their success, Zuber told the Financial Times: ‘We wanted to create a destination where you could get fuel, food-to-go and shopping.

‘This is the formula and it works. 

‘We were fortunate that the big players were leaving the market just as we were growing.’

TDR Capital – a London investment firm behind We Buy Any Car and David Lloyd gyms – bought a 50% stake in EG Group in 2015. The Issas retain the remaining 50%.

This prompted a debt-fuelled buying spree that saw the brothers buy thousands of new sites and expand into eight other countries around the world.

‘They never in their wildest dreams would have imagined 5,500 gas stations in nine markets,’ senior executive Ilyas Munshi told the American trade magazine CSP last year.

‘If they had only 20 sites, they would have felt they had done their job.’

As proud Lancastrians, the brothers have insisted on keeping EG Group’s headquarters in Blackburn, and recently unveiled a new £35m headquarters.

‘People are always asking when we will move to London or Manchester,’ Zuber told the FT.

‘But the quality of life here is great. A lot of people do a few years in London then come to the North West.

‘They want to raise a family and have less pressure. We have got a lot of fantastic people that way.’ 

Architect’s plans for one of the five new homes that the brothers are building in countryside near Blackburn

Plans for the large houses, which are located on a quiet rural road outside Blackburn where houses sell for up to £1 million, were lodged in April 2018. They are currently a building site 

Pictured: The homes on Billinge End Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, that was demolished in order to make way for the new houses

Mohsin has a wife Shamim, and their son and a daughter both work for EG. Both brothers rarely give interviews and have adopted a low-key public profile. 

They are now building five identical ‘super-sized’ homes three miles from their childhood home.

Despite the fierce opposition, which saw the council face 30 letters of complaint, eight old houses have now been demolished and builders have laid foundations for the five 5,000 sq ft mansions.

Plans for the large houses, which are located on a quiet rural road outside Blackburn where houses sell for up to £1 million, were lodged in April 2018.

They sparked an uproar, with the properties described as ‘not in fitting with the local area’ as the homes stand over 4.5 metres taller with 1,500 square metres of floor space.

But planning permission was granted and pictures taken earlier this year showed builders had already moved in.

In 2017, the pair purchased a £25million mansion in Knightsbridge, which estate agents said could be worth £80million when planned renovations are carried out according to estate agents.

Their Grade II listed Georgian house is also at the centre of a long-running planning row.

The previous owner began digging a basement and left a vast 30ft-deep crater the size of two tennis courts, described by horrified neighbours to ‘Hitler’s bunker’.

When finished the luxury 22,000 sq ft home will have a huge underground car park, a swimming pool, spa, and cinema. 

The brothers donate 2.5% of their earnings to charity through the Issa Foundation, which funds hospitals and provides free breakfasts for children in Lancashire. 

The five new homes will stand over over 4.5 metres taller that the old homes with 1,500 square metres of floor space

These new photos show the EG Group’s gargantuan new premises in Blackburn, Lancashire, where the Issa’s were born and raised

Building took three years and staff began working there in August, although due to current social distancing only half can be there at once

source: http://dailymail.co.uk / Mail Online / Home> News / by Rory Tingle for Mail Online / October 02nd, 2020