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
December 2,2025

Puttur: The long-cherished dream of a government medical college in Puttur has moved a decisive step closer to reality, with the Karnataka State Finance Department granting its official approval for the construction of a new 300-bed hospital.

Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai announced the crucial development to reporters on Monday, confirming that the official communication from the finance department was issued on November 27. This 300-bed facility is intended to be the cornerstone for the establishment of the government medical college, a project announced in the state budget.

Fast-Track Implementation

The MLA outlined an aggressive timeline for the project:

•    A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the hospital is expected to be ready within 45 days.

•    The tender process for the construction will be completed within two months.

Following the completion of the tender process, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the project.

"Setting up a medical college in Puttur is a historical decision by the Congress government in Karnataka," Rai stated. The project has an estimated budget allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the medical college.

Focus on Medical Education Department

The MLA highlighted a key strategic move: requesting the government to implement the hospital construction through the Medical Education Department instead of the Health and Family Welfare Department. This is intended to streamline the entire process of establishing the full medical college, ensuring the facilities—including labs, operation theatres, and other necessary infrastructure—adhere to the strict guidelines set by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The proposed site for the project is in Bannur.

Rai also took the opportunity to address political criticism, stating that the government has fulfilled its promise despite "apprehensions" and "mocking and criticising" from opposition parties who had failed to take similar initiatives when they were in power. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept his word," he added.

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Media Release
November 24,2025

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Sharjah, UAE: Ayisha Basheer Esra, a talented young writer hailing from Aramboor in Dakshina Kannada’s Sullia taluk, marked a significant milestone in her burgeoning literary career with the launch of her debut novel, The Betrayal of the Kingdom, at the Sharjah International Book Fair. The prestigious event, recognized as the world’s largest book fair, provided a fitting stage for the unveiling of Esra’s work.

The official release ceremony was conducted by Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Director of the Religious Affairs Office of the Sharjah Government and a distinguished member of the royal family, underscoring the significance of Esra’s achievement. Mrs. Lini Shivaprasad, Principal of GEMS Millennium School, Sharjah, had the honor of receiving the first copy of the novel.

The event was graced by the presence of numerous distinguished guests, reflecting the widespread recognition of Esra’s literary talent and the anticipation surrounding her debut novel. Among the notable attendees were Syed Panakkad Munawwarali Shihab Tangal, Dr. Mariam Al Shenasi, the UAE’s renowned writer and Head of Dar Al Yasmin Publications, Dr. K. K. N. Kurup, Retired Vice Chancellor of Calicut University and Historian, Sharjah Businessman Shamsuddin Bin Mohideen, Nizar Talangara, President of the Sharjah Indian Association, V. T Salim, Director of Silver Home Real Estate, Munir Al Wafa, MD of Lipi Publication Akbar, and other esteemed individuals.

At the remarkably young age of eight, Esra has already established herself as a prolific writer, authoring and publishing collections of short stories in addition to her newly released full-length novel. Her dedication to writing and her exceptional talent have positioned her as one of the youngest authors to achieve such literary success. 

Esra is the daughter of Basheer and Haseena, residents of Aramboor, Sullia, and currently a student at Sharjah’s GEMS Millennium School. Her early accomplishments serve as an inspiration to aspiring young writers and a testament to the power of nurturing creativity from a young age.

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Agencies
November 22,2025

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New York/Washington: US President Donald Trump has again claimed to have solved the conflict between India and Pakistan, repeating his assertion during a meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office.

Mamdani flew to Washington DC for his first meeting with Trump in the White House on Friday. Trump said he “enjoyed” the meeting, which he described as “great.”

During remarks in the Oval Office, with Mamdani standing next to him, Trump repeated his claim that he solved the May conflict between India and Pakistan.

"I did eight peace deals of countries, including India and Pakistan,” he said.

On Wednesday, Trump had said he threatened to put 350 per cent tariffs on India and Pakistan if they did not end their conflict, repeating his claim that he solved the fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called him to say “we're not going to go to war.”

Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between India and Pakistan.

India has consistently denied any third-party intervention. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

Mamdani emerged victorious in the closely-watched battle for New York City Mayor, becoming the first South Asian and Muslim to be elected to sit at the helm of the largest city in the US.

He had been the front-runner in the NYC Mayoral election for months and defeated Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and political heavyweight former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent candidate and was officially endorsed by Trump just hours before the elections.

Indian-descent Mamdani is the son of renowned filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani. He was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda and moved to New York City with his family when he was 7. Mamdani became a naturalised US citizen only recently, in 2018.

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