21 from Myanmar arrive in Delhi for organ transplant
Rahul Gandhi says online ‘warriors’ will counter hate
New Delhi, Feb. 8: Twentyone people from Myanmar, with chronic cases of kidney, liver and cardiovascular diseases, have arrived in Delhi to undergo organ transplant at a city hospital.
According to a statement by the hospital, these patients have been waiting for organ transplants for over six months now. Easing of travel restrictions has come as a respite for these patients requiring specialised medical attention, it said.
“The Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals along with the Indian Embassy
◗ TWENTY-ONE people from Myanmar, with chronic cases of kidney, liver and cardiovascular diseases, have arrived in Delhi to undergo organ transplant at a city hospital
has arranged for a special chartered flight to get these patients to India for immediate kidney/liver transplants and expedite treatment for patients requiring attention for cardiovascular ailments. They reached India on February 5,” the hospital said.
The Indian Mission in Myanmar was of great help in transporting these patients. They had been waiting for a while, some even for over six months, to get treated. These are all critically ill patients who were on regular follow up but couldn’’t travel for treatment, it said.
“We tried to treat them optimally through virtual consultations, but now they needed surgery,” said Dr Anupam Sibal, the group medical director at the Apollo Hospitals.
The treatment for these patients will be supervised by Dr Sandeep Guleria, senior consultant in renal transplants, senior nephrologist Dr Sanjiv Jasuja, Dr Neerav Goyal, senior consultant in liver transplants and Dr Amit Mittal, consultant in interventional cardiology at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi.
Leading the renal transplant procedures Dr Guleria said, “The uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, lockdowns, and border restrictions has proved fatal for millions of international patients who choose India for their medical treatments.”
Ease in travel restrictions and also declining COVID-19 positivity rate in India has come as a relief for international patients seeking specialised medical attention, he said.
Dr Mittal said, “We have been in constant touch with the patients and have gone through their reports to access their condition. Most of the patients suffering from cardiovascular ailments have multiple blockages in their arteries and hospitals in their native country are not equipped for treatment hence the need to fly to India.
New Delhi, Feb. 8: The Congress on Monday launched a ‘Join Congress Social Media’ campaign with an aim to have five lakh online “warriors” who, former party chief Rahul Gandhi said, will counter hate and “defend the idea of India”.
The country needs nonviolent warriors to fight for truth, compassion and harmony, Gandhi said in a video message that was streamed at the launch of the campaign.
Launching the campaign along with AICC social media head Rohan Gupta and party spokesperson Pawan Khera, AICC incharge (Administration) Pawan Kumar Bansal said at a press conference that the aim is to have five lakh social media “warriors”.
In his video message, Mr Gandhi said, “As a young person you know what is going on. Nothing is hidden from you, in your schools, colleges and universities, you can see the oppression, you can see the attack on the idea of India.”
“Look outside Delhi, you can see what is happening to the farmers. The backbone of this war on the nation is a troll army. Thousands of people who spread hatred and anger and are paid to do so. We also need warriors to defend liberal values, to defend the ideas of compassion, peace, harmony and affection,” the former Congress chief said.
“Come, join this army. This is not an army of hatred, this is not an army of violence, this is an army of truth and this is an army that will defend the idea of India. We are building this platform for you to give you the tools to fight this battle and win it,” Mr Gandhi said.
Mr Gupta, in his remarks, alleged that the Modi government is scared of social media and “we are giving a platform to the youth to raise their voice”.
People can join the campaign through the party website, toll-free number or by WhatsApp, said Gupta, who took over as the chairperson of the Congress’ social media department in September 2019. The department was earlier headed by Divya Spandana.
Replying to a question, he said the campaign will be purely volunteer centric as basically, the idea is to ensure those who are connected to the Congress or its ideology need to be put together so that they can raise their voice together. “We know that today there are trolls, which are using social media. We need to counter them and show the truth to the people. We cannot allow a wrong narrative to be build in India,” Mr Gupta said.