In a first, covid-19 positive NRI shifted from UAE to India

Agencies
January 17, 2021

India's first three COVID-19 survivors and how life has changed for them -  The Economic Times

Abu Dhabi, Jan 17: An Indian expat, who suffered serious medical complications after being diagnosed with Covid-19, has become the first patient to be transferred to India for further treatment, according to social workers.

Keralite Abdul Jabbar Chettian is said to be the first person to be medically evacuated from a foreign country to Kerala, by following the Covid-19 protocol transfer for a patient who has tested positive for coronavirus.

Ajman-based businessman Jabbar tested positive for Covid-19 in the UAE on January 6, 2021. However, as the viral infection progressed, Jabbar was diagnosed with pneumonia with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

The family wanted to shift him to Kerala for advanced treatment, said Praveen Kumar, social worker and member of the medical team at the Consulate-General of India in Dubai. “The transfer was initiated by air ambulance company Universal Medical Transfer Services, which has operations in the UAE and India,” he added.

Jabbar’s nephew Adil CT told media: “We decided to transfer him because 90 per cent of his family is back home in Kerala. Also, my uncle was keen to continue his treatment there. As of now, he is still critical. However, we hope that his condition would improve soon,”

The transfer was completed successfully on January 14 from Ajman Hospital to MIMS Kozhikode, Kerala, by Chartered Air Ambulance with Universal Medical Transfers special medical team trained in transferring Covid-19 positive patients using an ISOVAC Isolation Pod. The air ambulance with the patient landed at 5.30pm (UAE time) at Kozhikode International Airport, following which, the patient was transferred to MIMS hospital.

“The transfer was done following the complete Covid-19 protocols and taking special safety precautions. While the patient turned Covid-19 negative on January 13, considering pneumonia with severe ARDS, we followed the protocols for transferring him,” according to Dr Afsal Mohammed, medical director of Universal Medical Transfer Services.

“We had to take special permission from the government of UAE and Kerala. The special first-time permission for the transfer was taken from the Collectorate, Malappuram, and Kozhikode Airport Public Health Officer,” explained Kumar. In addition, a special NOC from the UAE Ministry of Health was required, with special efforts put in by the Indian Consulate, said Kumar.

Comments

sameer
 - 
Monday, 18 Jan 2021

only kerala people can do this no other state govt will give the permission or do the paper work in a timely way .Great job by the people who had help this guys.

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News Network
November 22,2025

gaza.jpg

The Israeli regime’s forces have killed two Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip every day since the ceasefire began in early October, UNICEF has warned.

The UN children’s agency said on Friday that Israeli forces continue to attack Palestinians in Gaza even though the agreement was meant to stop the killing.

“Since 11 October, while the ceasefire has been in effect, at least 67 children have been killed in conflict-related incidents in the Gaza Strip. Dozens more have been injured. That is an average of almost two children killed every day since the ceasefire took effect,” UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said in Geneva, reminding that each number in the statistics represents a child whose life had ended violently.

“These are not statistics,” he said. “Each child had a story, a family, and a future that was stolen from them.”

Data from Palestinian factions, human rights groups, and government bodies recorded since the US-brokered ceasefire deal went into effect on October 10 show that Israeli forces have carried out numerous attacks, each constituting a separate ceasefire violation.

UNICEF teams say they repeatedly continue to witness heart-wrenching scenes of fearful Palestinian children sleeping outdoors with amputated limbs, while others live as orphans in flooded, makeshift shelters.

“I saw this myself in August. There is no safe place for them. The world cannot normalize their suffering,” Pires said, lamenting that the UN could “do a lot more if the aid that is really needed was entering faster.”

The UNICEF spokesperson warned that with the advent of winter, the risks for hundreds of thousands of displaced children will increase.

He warned, “The stakes are incredibly high” for children as winter acts as a threat multiplier, where children have no heating, no insulation, and few blankets. He said respiratory infections rise.

“Too many children have already paid the highest price,” Pires said. “Too many are still paying it, even under a ceasefire. The world promised them it would stop and that we would protect them.”

“Now we must act like it,” the UNICEF spokesperson added.

Since the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023, it has killed nearly 70,000 people in the territory, most of them women and children, and injured over 170,000 more, while reducing most of the structures in the enclave to rubble.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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News Network
November 27,2025

Bengaluru, Nov 27: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s camp is reportedly on alert as the Congress leadership tussle in the state intensifies, particularly amid speculation over the potential promotion of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Siddaramaiah is said to be in a “wait-and-watch” mode after admitting to “confusion” earlier this week and urging the party to “put a full stop” to it.

Sources say his supporters are ready to act if senior leaders — including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi — give any indication of backing Shivakumar. If the party insists on a leadership change, Siddaramaiah’s camp has a list of alternatives, underscoring the deep rift between the two leaders. One possible candidate is Home Minister G. Parameshwara, a Siddaramaiah loyalist and influential Dalit leader.

The strategy was reportedly finalized at a meeting led by PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, another Siddaramaiah supporter, who stressed that Delhi leaders need to resolve the issue. Kharge and the Gandhis are expected to meet soon, after which Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar may be summoned to Delhi.

Shivakumar has largely stayed non-confrontational, publicly endorsing Siddaramaiah and downplaying speculation about his own ambitions. However, he has made pointed comments emphasizing the importance of honoring promises, directed at Siddaramaiah.

The feud traces back to the 2023 state election, when Siddaramaiah was chosen as Chief Minister while Shivakumar, who led the party’s campaign, was made Deputy CM and state party chief — a departure from the Congress’ usual “one post per person” rule.

There were also hints of a prior understanding that Siddaramaiah would step down midway through the term. As the halfway mark passed last week, Shivakumar-aligned lawmakers have ramped up pressure on the party for a leadership change, with Shivakumar himself hinting at stepping down as state party chief to pursue the top job.

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