New Delhi, July 1:  Remdesivir, the first approved drug to treat Covid-19 patients, has sparked an unsavoury controversy due to the ‘inordinately’ high price even as the death count soars past half-a-million mark.

The drug, patented by the US pharma giant-Gilead, costs $2350 (Rs. 178,000) per 5-day course when the actual production cost is merely $5, according to Dr. Andrew Hill, senior visiting research fellow at Liverpool University. This is in addition to all other costs including hospitalisation.

More importantly, the drug, which has been under stringent trials for the past five months since the pandemic spiralled beyond control, will remain elusive to the entire world except for the US which has bought up

virtually entire stocks for the next three months.

The company, which originally developed the Remdesivir composition for the treatment of dreaded Ebola pandemic, supplied 140,000 doses for the trials around the world. Although it did not work much against

Ebola, the prognosis in the treatment of Covid-19 proved brighter.

No sooner than the drug was approved by the licencing authorities, the US bought up entire production of Gilead-over 500,000 doses for the month of July and more than 450,000 doses for month of August and

September.

The US manoeuvre, which may inflict a bitter sore in global diplomacy amid the worst ever pandemic, has sent the price and availability of the medicine beyond anybody’s reach, leave alone the developing world.

Dr Hill feels that the mechanism of availability of the drug, which is the first one approved for the treatment of Covid, is not yet in place. If the situation is like this for the treatment-drug, how difficult will be the case

for vaccines, once it is developed.

Dr Hill also stated in a tweet that the ‘ Countries should prioritize dexamethasone, which costs less than $ 20 per person and has proven survival benefit.’ “ Dexamethasone costs only US 25 cents for a 10-day treatment course, when sold in India,” he tweeted.

To expand its access, Gilead said this week it had signed non-exclusive licensing pacts with five generic drugmakers based in India and Pakistan, allowing these countries make and sell remdesivir for 127 countries.

Experts feel that developed countries like the UK may invoke Compulsory Licence overriding the intellectual property rights of the company to secure supplies of the drug from generic companies in India.

Meanwhile, two health advocacy groups have written to the Indian government asking it to rescind patents given to Gilead Sciences so it can be distributed more fairly to coronavirus patients around the world, particularly in poorer nations.

Malaysia-based non-profit group Third World Network and India’s Cancer Patients Aid Association have reportedly written to the Indian Government to revoke the license.

“The licenses divide the global market into two and profitable markets are retained with Gilead and less profitable markets are given to the five generic companies,” quoted K. Gopakumar, senior legal researcher at

Third World Network, as saying.

Another aid group, Doctors Without Borders has also opposed Gilead’s patents on remdesivir, saying such licensing pacts are “not acceptable” amid a global health emergency.

Gilead’s patents on remdesivir in India allow it to exclusively make and sell the drug in the country until 2035 unless it licenses those rights out.

Washington, July 1: Two days after the government announced an interim ban on 59 apps with Chinese links, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Wednesday welcomed the move and said that “India’s clean app approach will boost sovereignty, integrity and national security”.

“We welcome India’s ban on certain mobile apps that can serve as appendages of the Chinese Communist Party’s surveillance state. India’s clean app approach will boost India’s sovereignty, integrity and national security,” Pompeo said in a statement.

Citing the “emergent nature of threats” from mobile applications, including popular ones of Chinese origin such as TikTok, ShareIt, UCBrowser, Club Factory and CamScanner, the Centre Monday banned 59 apps based on information that they were engaged in activities “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity”, defence, security and public order.

New Delhi, July 1: Amid ongoing tension between India and China over border issues in Eastern Ladakh, a military-level meeting was held on Tuesday and more meetings at military as well as diplomatic-level are expected to take place to arrive at mutually agreeable solution.

Sources in the army said, “More meetings are expected both at the military and at the diplomatic level, in future, to arrive at mutually agreeable solution and to ensure peace and tranquility along the LAC as per bilateral agreements and protocols.”

Tuesday’s meeting lasted for around 12 hours and the discussions reflected the commitment of both sides to reduce the tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The process of dis-engagement along the LAC is complex and in such a context, speculative and unsubstantiated reports need to be avoided, the sources said.

The meeting was between XIV Corps commander Lt General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military Region Commander Major General Liu Lin, held at Chusul Border Personnel Meeting point on the Indian side.

This was the third meeting at Corps Commanders-level. The last two meeting were held in Moldo on the Chinese side.

In the meeting, both sides emphasised the need for an expeditious, phased and step wise de-escalation as a priority, the sources said.

This is in keeping with the Agreement between External Affairs Ministers and his Chinese counterpart during their conversation on June 17 that the overall situation would be handled in a responsible manner, and that both sides would implement the disengagement understanding of 6th June sincerely, it said.

The troops of India and China have been engaged at multiple locations in Eastern Ladakh since early May. On June 15, 20 Indian soldiers were killed by the Chinese PLA in a violent clash in the Galwan Valley. Chinese side also suffered a massive casualties but they did not reveal their figures.

New Delhi, July 1: Amid ongoing border tussle between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to visit Ladakh on Friday to review the security scenario.

Army Chief Gen MM Naravane will also accompany him. This would be the first visit of the defence minister since troops of both sides engaged into standoff.

During the visit, the minister will also hold high-level meetings with senior military leadership, sources in the defence establishment said here on Wednesday.

He will also visit the Leh Hospital to meet the soldiers who were injured during the violent clash with Chinese PLA in the Galwan Valley.

The troops of India and China have been engaged in the stalemate at multiple locations in Eastern Ladakh since early May.

The tension escalated which led to killing of 20 Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley on June 15 in a violent clash with the Chinese troops.

The Chinese side also suffered casualties but they have yet not disclosed the details.

Jammu, July 1: The sleuths of Anti-Corruption Bureau on Wednesday arrested former Managing Director SICOP Bhupinder Singh Dua in the case of possessing disproportionate assets case.

Official spokesman of ACB here said that the former MD SICOP Bhupinder Singh Dua, has amassed massive wealth and raised a number of assets in his own name as well as in the names of his family members and close relatives.

He had acquired these assets with the ill-gotten money earned through corrupt practices during his stint in SICOP in various capacities.

He added that during earlier search conducted on October 14, 2019, the valuable assets including gold ornaments total weighing 1.834 kg, silver weighing 1.470 kg and cash amounting Rs 9,57,400/- was recovered and seized from his premises.

During ongoing investigation, it was discovered that Bhupinder Singh Dua has also acquired the many movable and immovable proprieties including 12 different factories under different name and style established by him and his family members.

Names of few factories are M/S Modern Plastics, M/S Neptune Plastics and Modern Fabrications.

Large number of goods carrier and trucks purchased by him as well as his family members comprising two houses and two plots and four luxury vehicles.

The spokesman said that in addition, the retiree public servant has also raised a double storey palatial house in Posh Nanak Nagar area over a piece of land measuring two kanals approximately which clearly indicates that the accused is having property disproportionate to his known sources which has been acquired by him through illegal and corrupt practices during his service career.

“The accused was given ample time and opportunity to provide details of the assets and properties acquired by him,” he said adding that he was taken into custody for questioning regarding assets acquired by him and further investigations are going on.

Srinagar, July 1: Parents of Private Schools Association Wednesday urged all the parents not to pay fees till final decision from the government comes. The Association asked the parents of students studying in private schools to wait for the decision of the government as no final decision has some from the government.

Convener, Parents of Private Schools Association, Mohsin Goni told news agency KNT that Private School owners have capitalist mindset and they simply want to suck the blood of parents. “What is the justification of these schools to grab fee from the parents, when there were no economic as well as academic activities during the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said and requested the government to direct the private schools for waiver of fees.

He said that both the associations of private schools were brought under one roof and they agreed to waive the fees of distressed parents. “These owners of private schools backtracked from the promise they had made with us and started demanding fee from all. Now it is our request to parents not to pay fee till the government takes a final call,” Goni said.

He said that government should take parents into confidence before taking any final decision. “Government should understand that parents are facing worst economic problems and they can’t afford fee this time,” he said.

“The salaries of the staff are always taken up by the schools as a tactic to emotionally blackmail the government and parents as well. We ask the government that if the parents have been cooperating with the schools since August 2019 by paying full fee, why the schools this time can’t waive off the fee for the pandemic period,” Goni said.

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Jun 30: The death toll due to COVID-19 has risen to 101 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir with five more persons, including four from Kashmir and one from Jammu, dying due to the disease on Tuesday.

With these deaths, 65 people have lost their lives due to the infection in 26 days and 86 in 42 days in J&K, where the COVID-19 positive cases have surpassed the 7300-mark.

Official sources said a 65-year-old Srinagar resident tested positive for COVID-19, hours after he died at SHMS hospital on Tuesday.

“The patient, a resident of Qamarwari, was admitted to the hospital on Monday for chest related problem,” they said, adding the patient died on Tuesday morning. They said the swab test of the patient came positive for COVID-19 this afternoon.

They said that a 23-year-old patent from Shopian with serious head injury was shifted from SHMS hospital to Chest Disease hospital after he tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. “The health condition of the patient deteriorated and he died on Tuesday afternoon,” they said.

They said a 65-year-old woman from Barzulla in Srinagar, who was tested positive for COVID-19, also died in CD hospital on Tuesday. “The woman, who was on a ventilator, had diabetic and hypertension, besides other ailments,” they said.

They said another COVID-19 positive patient, a 52-year-old man from Baramulla, died at S K Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Bemina. “The woman was admitted to the hospital on Saturday with bilateral Pneumonia and other ailments,” they said, adding the patient died of a massive heart attack.

Earlier in the day, an 85-year-old woman from Kathua in Jammu died due to COVID-19 in Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu.

Ten districts of Jammu have reported 12 fatalities while 89 people have lost their lived due to COVID-19 in ten districts of Kashmir.

Jahangeer Ganaie

Srinagar, June 30: Fifteen days after a 10 member high level advisory panel was constituted to review the protocol, guidelines and other related issues about the treatment of Covid-19 patients and their implementation, the committee has submitted their views based on research to the government.

Head of the committee Dr. Mohammed Sultan Khuroo while talking exclusively with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that several meetings were held between all the members of the committee on zoom where every issue related to Covid-19 was discussed and the same was put forward to the government.

“We are hopeful that in the next two days the government will approve our recommendations. The committee held discussions based on literature available and have put forward the same to the government,” he said.

He said that in the report they have mentioned which drug is required at which time based on research and have also given a detailed report about isolation, discharge, home quarantine and administrative quarantine with regard to Covid-19 pandemic.

He said that they have also communicated to the government to start plasma therapy on priority basis and be carried out in a meticulous manner.

“If drugs are given at an appropriate time, plasma therapy is being started and other guidelines are followed in letter and spirit, we can save many lives,” he said.

On asking is there any hospital capable here where plasma therapy can be done, he said they have facilities available at SKIMS Soura and GMC Jammu where this process can be started and in future it can be started in other hospitals as well.

“Plasma method has a simple premise. The blood of people who have recovered from an infection contains antibodies. Antibodies are molecules that have learned to recognize and fight the pathogens, such as viruses, that have caused disease,” he said.

He said that doctors can separate plasma, one of the blood components that contain such antibodies and administer it to people whose bodies are currently fighting an infectious disease. “This can help their immune systems reject the pathogen more efficiently.”

He further added that the public must fight this deadly virus seriously and should not believe in a few medicos who are saying that in 3 or 4 months vaccine will be available but all must know that it will take time because even the experimental process takes years.

He said that people must follow guidelines and should not go out unnecessarily and whenever they have to go out wear a mask and maintain social distance.

“Gathering in a closed atmosphere can prove more dangerous in terms of the spread of virus than open gatherings,” he said.

He said that they are hopeful that the government will take their recommendations seriously and all important things mentioned in the report will be approved.

Pertinently, on June 15 the Jammu and Kashmir government constituted a 10 member high level advisory panel headed by Dr Kharoo to review the protocol, guidelines and other related issues about the treatment of COVID-19 patients and their implementation.