A humane gesture of CGI Jeddah towards Indian Umrah pilgrim after mishap

News Network
March 6, 2023

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Within five days of a senior woman's admission at hospital in the city of Madeenah after being fatally hit by an accident, the hospital personnel informed her Umrah agent in Jeddah and her compatriots that the medical insurance coverage of Saudi Riyals 100K has fully been utilized for her medical treatments. 

They also mentioned that the patient or her Umrah agent has to bear the further medical expenses from their own pockets since the insurance coverage was already used. As she is still required to be in ICU in the hospital for longer days, the continuing medical expenses in the hospital have to be borne by the patient's side to the tune of daily SAR. 15k to 20k, which is extremely huge amount to be afforded. 

The agent and other compatriots tried to airlift or shift her to other non-expensive or government hospital in Madeenah upon the request of her family in Bihar. However, the hospital refused to do so based on the extreme medical condition of the woman. 

Following their helplessness with the refusal of the hospital, her family in Bihar contacted Dr P A Hameed Padubidri, a pro-bono lawyer and social worker based in Riyadh, through one of their relatives in Riyadh and his neighbor, Mr. Altaf Mangaluru (Supercool) in Riyadh, to extend his help through the concerned agencies and CGI Jeddah.  

Accordingly, he contacted Consul General of India (CGI) in Jeddah, Shahid Alam, IFS, for his immediate intervention in this case. The CGI Jeddah took up the case on urgent basis and communicated with the concerned person in this regard. Since the patient is still in a critical condition in ICU, the CGI advised to continue her treatment in the same hospital and assured that all kinds of assistances and helps would be provided to the patient. 

Having satisfied with the assurance of helps by the CGI, the woman's family breathed a big sigh of relief and extended their wholehearted thanks to Shahid Alam for showing his personal intervention and his staffs in the CGI office. 

They also expressed their deep gratitude towards Hameed Padubidri for his immediate and timely humane gesture and action. Although the Umrah agent is helpful in this case, but Hameed Padubidri’s voluntary and rapid action as a community worker has been highly appreciated. 

Background 

Mrs Kherunnisa, aged about 78 yrs, w/o Huro Ansari, hailing from Sigarpur in Patna-Bihar, got an accident a week ago & was critically injured in Madeenah. 

She, her husband and other pilgrims came on Umrah visa packages to Makkah couple of weeks ago. They performed Umrah rituals successfully & after that, they left for Madeenah to visit the Prophet (Pbuh)'s Masjid & other Islamic historic places.

It's informed that when she was walking through one of the historical places (near Uhud mountain) in Madeenah, a speeding bus hit the woman causing serious injuries. It's told that her leg was crushed beneath the bus & was immediately admitted in Saudi German Hospital in Madeenah for the treatment. With the intervention & kind gesture of the CGI Jeddah, she has still been under proper treatment in the hospital. 

Her husband and other Umrah pilgrims were already sent to India as their visa was about to expire. The Umrah pilgrims, including the accident woman, were brought on Umrah visa by United Travels Agency in Jeddah. Mohammed Qurbani is the point of contact in United Agency, who is coordinating with the hospital. 

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News Network
November 28,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 28: Karnataka Health Minister and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday handed over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the severe distress faced by farmers due to crashing crop prices.

PM Modi arrived at the Mangaluru International Airport en route to Udupi, where Gundu Rao welcomed him and submitted the letter. The chief minister’s message stressed that farmers are suffering heavy losses because maize and green gram are being bought far below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The state urged the Centre to immediately begin procurement at MSP.

According to the letter, Karnataka has a bumper harvest this year—over 54.74 lakh metric tons of maize and 1.98 lakh metric tons of green gram—yet farmers are unable to secure fair prices. Against the MSP of ₹2,400/MT for maize and ₹8,768/MT for green gram, market rates have plunged to ₹1,600–₹1,800 and ₹5,400 respectively.

The chief minister has requested the Centre to:

• Direct NAFED, FCI and NCCF to start MSP procurement immediately.
• Ensure ethanol units purchase maize directly from farmers or FPOs.
• Increase Karnataka’s ethanol allocation, citing high production capacity.
• Stop maize imports, which have depressed domestic prices.
• Relax quality norms for green gram, allowing up to 10% discoloration due to rains.

The letter stresses that MSP is crucial for farmer dignity and income stability and calls for swift central intervention to prevent a deepening crisis.

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News Network
November 22,2025

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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
November 27,2025

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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday announced that he will convene a high-level meeting in New Delhi with senior leaders — including Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar — to resolve the escalating leadership turmoil in Karnataka and “put an end to the confusion.”

Kharge said the discussions would focus on the way forward for the ruling party, as rumours of a possible leadership change continue to swirl. The speculation has intensified after the Congress government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, reviving talk of an alleged 2023 “power-sharing agreement” between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.

“After reaching Delhi, I will call three or four important leaders and hold discussions. Once we talk, we will decide how to move ahead and end this confusion,” Kharge told reporters in Bengaluru, according to PTI.

When asked specifically about calling Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to Delhi, he responded: “Certainly, we should call them. We will discuss with them and settle the issue.”

He confirmed that Rahul Gandhi, the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and other senior members would be part of the deliberations. “After discussing with everyone, a decision will be made,” he said.

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah held a separate strategy meeting at his Bengaluru residence with ministers and leaders seen as his close confidants, including G. Parameshwara, Satish Jarkiholi, H.C. Mahadevappa, K. Venkatesh and K.N. Rajanna.
Signalling calm, the Chief Minister told reporters, “Will go to Delhi if the high command calls.”

Shivakumar echoed a similar stance, saying he too would head to the national capital if summoned by the party leadership.

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