Chennai-based firm disinfects public places for free

June 9, 2020Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technologiesadmin

Green Globe Probiotics and Renewables Pvt Ltd. is offering its services to old age homes, orphanages and other non-profit organisations

The firm uses CSR funds to disinfect not-for-profit organisations | Photo Credit: Special Arrangemen

If you want to disinfect a public place, old age home, orphanage or blind school and do not have funds, help is just a call away.

Over the last 30 days, city-based Green Globe Probiotics and Renewables Pvt Ltd, has disinfected more than 60 buildings in Chennai and will be offering its services pan-India next week.

“We have rendered our services to non-profit organisations and frontline warrior departments such as fire and rescue service buildings, police stations and government buildings in Chennai. Disinfecting temples will start soon. In all, we have covered 60 crore square foot of space, of which 35% has been done using CSR funds,” said Senthil Kumar, group managing director, Green Globe Probiotics.

“It is like a CSR activity. Non-profit organisations, old age homes, blind schools and orphanages are serviced through CSR funds or community/crowd sourced funds. NGOs and educational non-profit institutions are disinfected at lower rates,” he added.

Green Globe Probiotics is one of the subsidiaries of GSR Travels and Retail Ventures Pvt Ltd. that deals in retail, aviation, housekeeping and hospitality, education services, staffing and HR consultancy sservices.

The parent firm has a tie-up with Australia-based Callington, which manufactures disinfectant products to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Callington India, through Green Globe Probiotics, is marketing and distributing disinfectant products in India.

The company uses a hand-held device and disinfects around 25,000 sq.ft., of space within 10 minutes. It charges 80 paise to ₹2.50 per sq.ft.

“In the next few days, we will be rolling our services pan-India to disinfect 70 cities and towns,” he said.

To avail of the services, one can write to contact@ggprobio.com.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by N Anand / Chennai – June 09th, 2020

Chennai doctor back on COVID-19 duty after winning fight against virus

June 8, 2020Amazing Feats, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Science & Technologiesadmin

“Despite following all the hygiene measures and wearing kits, I still got infected. It could be because of the high viral load that doctors are exposed to,’’ says Dr Ravi.

Dr A Ravi (in orange shirt) speaking to the press after recovering from COVID-19

Chennai :

It was a happy moment for Dr A Ravi when he donned his white coat again and got back to treating COVID-19 patients after a fortnight.

Appointed as the nodal officer for COVID-19 treatment at Stanley Hospital in January, Dr Ravi has treated hundreds of patients and has been part of all the official meetings in the hospital. But he didn’t know at the time that he would contract the virus and turn into a patient himself.

“I had a high fever some 15 days ago but got well the next day. But again, I got fatigue and a dry cough, which is when I decided to take a test,’’ he told reporters at a press conference at the hospital on Monday.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, the Salem native said it was an emotional setback for him when he tested positive but later on he self-isolated himself. “In ten days, I showed improvement and recovered 75 percent. After that, I tested negative and now am ready to get back,’’ he said.

On Monday, Health Minister C Vijayabhaskar had taken to Twitter to congratulate Dr Ravi. The Minister along with the Health Secretary also met the doctor at the hospital.

“Despite following all the hygiene measures and wearing kits, I still got infected. It could be because of the high viral load that doctors are exposed to,’’ says Dr Ravi.

Like any other patient affected by COVID-19, Dr Ravi also grappled with loneliness during his isolation. “Yes, I felt lonely as I needed to be in self-isolation. I also tend to overthink about the complications,’’ he said.

He tells people with comorbid conditions to be cautious. “People with diabetes must not just take tablets but also check their blood sugar levels and ensure it has come down. If we are taking our medications correctly, we will come out well,’’ he added.

Dr Ravi suggests that Kabasura Kudineer and vitamin tablets would also help in boosting immunity. “Take proper food and have adequate sleep,’’ he adds.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Omjasvin MD / Express News Service / June 01st, 2020

NASS award for Ganga Hospital research team

June 7, 2020Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinionadmin

A research team of Coimbatore-based Ganga Hospital has won the Outstanding Paper Award of the North American Spine Society (NASS) in basic science category for 2020.

The research was a molecular level study probing the cause for lumbar disc degeneration, main cause of lower back pain, and attempts to identify molecular targets for biological repair of damaged discs.

The research, “Uncovering molecular targets for regenerative therapy in degenerative disc disease: Do Small Leucine-Rich Proteoglycans hold the Key?” won the award, instituted by NASS and the society’s official research publication The Spine Journal.

Social impact

The study, a pointer to regenerative interventions for lumbar disc degeneration in future, gains significance as lower back pain significantly reduces the quality of life of nearly 70% of the patients worldwide, causing a considerable economic and social impact, said the research team head S. Rajasekaran, chairman, Department of Orthopaedic and Spine Surgery at Ganga Hospital.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Staff Reporter / Coimbatore – June 02nd, 2020

Meet the water baby: This two-year-old sensation swims like Aquagirl

June 6, 2020Amazing Feats, Records, Alladmin

Poised on the edge of the farm well, Yazhini is nearly four feet above the surface of the water.

Vellore :

Poised on the edge of the farm well, Yazhini is nearly four feet above the surface of the water. There’s no show of hesitation as she dives in; she does a neat lap across the well and meets her father Angmuthu, positioned on the opposite edge of the well. They will be at this for two hours, a step-up from the one-hour sessions she had been used to in the months before the lockdown was put in place. Sidebar: Yazhini is two years old.

For the 43-year-old father, a farmer, teaching his infant daughter to swim was just a matter of aiding her growth; as commonplace as teaching her to pick herself up after a fall. Residing in a quiet corner of Melmonavur in Vellore district, the well in his farmland provided ideal grounds for the exercise too. And so, there was simply no reason to wait.

“It was about six months ago when I first took her to the well. I guided her into the water, holding her hand and letting her get over the initial fear,” Angamuthu narrates. The child responded as well as he could have hoped for. So began the lessons — with a can tied around her waist, acting as a buoyant, Yazhini got to waddle in the well day after day, kicking and pushing till her limbs grew strong enough to keep her afloat. Now, she swims with support and is comfortable diving from a height of eight feet, Angamuthu declares.

Yazhini’s prowess notwithstanding, he makes sure to be swimming alongside her at every practice session. Just to let her know she is safe around him. That is why her mother Dhanalakshmi has no qualms sending the kid off to the well every day. If anything, she is happy that the child gets to tick this life skill off the list at such a young age. Especially when children below the age of 14 years made up 13 per cent of people who died of drowning in the country in 2018.

Yazhini may have picked up swimming even before she could run well, but she isn’t alone. Her siblings — Sushmitha (10) and Ashwin (7) — got there before her. Ashwin, who got his first lessons when he was two-and-a-half years old, is now enrolled in the swimming academy in Kancheepuram. For him, the swimming sessions have progressed from being just a domestic, play-time activity to one with prospects and promise for the future. While teaching his kids to swim came easily to Angamuthu, pushing his son through the grind for what’s to come called for more than just grit and technique. Taking his son back and forth to the academy is enough to burn through the family’s extra cash. Perhaps a free bus pass, courtesy the collector, could let them sustain the lessons and child’s pipeline dreams.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Shyamsundar N / Express News Service / June 06th, 2020