A Kodagu origin Psychiatrist, settled in New Jersey, USA and gofundme.org have jointly donated medical equipment to Kodagu District COVID Hospital.
The Psychiatrist, Dr. Chottera Shobha Tuttu, a native of Guyya village near Siddapura and America’s gofundme.org have donated 53 Oxygen Concentrators (5 lts. and 10 lts. capacity) to the District COVID Hospital, which was received by Dean of Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences Dr. K.B. Cariappa in the presence of Dr. Sannuvanda Kaverappa of Napoklu, Dr. Vishal Kumar, Dr. Manjunath, Dr. Roopesh and others.
Dr. Kaverappa said that the doctors in the US had created a WhatsApp group and discussed with Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Charulatha Somal on helping the district and accordingly, 53 Oxygen Concentrators were donated by them, which was handed over to the Hospital.
He also said that because of the efforts of retired IAS Officer Avaremadanda K. Monnappa, the medical equipment was received from the US and Dr. Tuttu has sent these equipment for the benefit of COVID positive patients, who are undergoing treatment.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 27th, 2021
Medical help is pouring in for Kodagu, not just locally but also from overseas, for its fight against COVID-19.
With medical oxygen becoming vital for saving the lives of those battling the infection, Chottera Shobha Tuttu, a psychiatrist of Kodagu origin who is settled in New Jersey, and the United States’ gofundme.org have joined hands to support the battle against the virus in the district.
The 5-litre and 10-litre oxygen concentrators donated by Dr. Tuttu and gofundme.org were handed over to the district COVID-19 hospital in Madikeri on Sunday. Cariappa, Dean of Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Sunnavunda Kaverappa of Napoklu village, and doctors from the institute were present when KIMS received the equipment.
It was thanks to the efforts of retired IAS officer K. Monnappa that Dr. Tuttu, who belongs to Guyya village in Siddapura, offered help to Kodagu.
In a note released by the Information Department, Madikeri, Dr. Kaverappa said doctors in the U.S., including Dr. Tuttu, had created a WhatsApp group and discussed with the Kodagu Deputy Commissioner ways to help the district. Accordingly, the oxygen concentrators were donated.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – May 23rd, 2021
Lopamudra Medical Centre, Karuna Trust, donors and volunteers make the much-needed facility a reality
Mysore/Mysuru:
A 30-bed dedicated COVID Healthcare Centre has begun functioning at Lopamudra Medical Centre (LMC) at Gonikoppal in South Kodagu. COVID patients will be treated here free of cost. This Hospital will prove a boon to patients in South Kodagu who were earlier forced to travel either to Mysuru or Bengaluru that are already under pressure due to mounting infections.
The facility was inaugurated last evening by Kodagu District Minister V. Somanna who holds the Housing portfolio. He assured the Hospital authorities that he would take measures to give 30 oxygen cylinders to 30 beds and an additional stock of 60 cylinders as a back-up.
The COVID Healthcare Centre has been established by Karuna Trust, a Charitable Trust that has enabled integrated rural development and empowered the masses, Kodava Koota in the US, Kodava Deenabandhu Charitable Trust, Kodava Samajas and a dedicated team of volunteers, donors and various organisations, who have spared no efforts in making the COVID Centre a reality.
Businessman Jammada Aiyanna, Dr. Kalyatanda Gautham Subbaiah from University of Florida, Brigadier (Retd.) Maletira Devaiah, Kokkanda Pavan Aiyappa, Cheppudira Geetha Chengappa, Karuna Trust Joint Secretary Venkat Chekuri, Ponnampet Kodava Samaja President Chottekmada Rajeev Bopaiah and several others have made invaluable contribution to the facility.
They have raised funds alongside the Karuna Trust for infrastructure and also equipment and even many residents of Kodagu have contributed to the noble cause. The centre officially began functioning on May 15 under the leadership of Mukkatira Amrit Nanaiah, Consultant Physician and Diabetologist, and is located on the third floor of the LMC at Athur village, two kilometres from Gonikoppal.
Minister Somanna, MLA K.G. Bopaiah, Dr. Amrit Nanaiah, Dr. Sudarshan and hospital staff during the inauguration last evening.
Apart from Madikeri District Hospital and the Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences there is no hospital in Kodagu to treat COVID patients. Thanks to the negligence of the Government and elected representatives who did not bother all these years to set up an advanced hospital. In this direction, the COVID Healthcare Centre at LMC will help save lives at the time of crisis.
The COVID Healthcare Centre will have 15 beds with piped oxygen, five beds with oxygen concentrators and 10 beds with BiPAP machines, a sort of a ventilator that is used to treat chronic conditions that affect breathing. The centre will have a pharmacy and lab facility and will be a high dependency unit. Separate entrances have been made to facilitate the entry of COVID patients so that other patients who come to the LMC are not affected in any way.
The LMC administration and the Karuna Trust will take care of providing doctors and nurses including consultations from doctors who are working in foreign shores. Donors are contributing to purchase oxygen, medicines including life-saving ones and also free food to the patients. On an average, a COVID patient has to spend lakhs of rupees for treatment and this healthcare centre provides free treatment and quality care.
The centre will treat moderate COVID patients, who will be referred by the Kodagu District Administration and Deputy Commissioner Charulata Somal has assured full support. The authorities are providing ambulance facility to the centre and the administration has assured to provide hassle-free oxygen supply from Mysuru.
A 200 Kilo Litre oxygen unit will be installed at the LMC facility by Karuna Trust. Well-known social worker and tribal activist recognised for his work with the Soligas in B.R. Hills Dr. H. Sudarshan is a guiding force behind the COVID Healthcare Centre and he is also the founder and Honorary Secretary of the Karuna Trust.
Dr. Mukkatira Amrit Nanaiah
‘Committed to treat patients’
The hospital has become a reality, thanks to the efforts of Karuna Trust. We have an aim to provide the finest care and are committed to treat patients in complete transparency and the centre is a zero-billing facility. Our intention is to come to the rescue of patients who are in need of medical care. The COVID Healthcare Centre has been created in such a way that it is bifurcated from the other treatment units of the hospital.
Dr. Kalyatanda Gautham Subbaiah, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, who has treated over 1,000 COVID patients in the US, will guide doctors at the facility.— Dr. Mukkatira Amrit Nanaiah, head of Lopamudra Medical Centre
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 16th, 2021
“The facility will have 15 beds with pipelined oxygen, five beds with oxygen concentrators and 10 beds with Bipap machines (a type of ventilator),” said Venkat Chekuri, joint secretary of Karuna Trust.
The COVID care centre in Kodagu (Photo | Special arrangement)
Madikeri :
A 30-bed Dedicated Covid Healthcare Centre (DCHC) will be inaugurated at a private hospital in Gonikoppal to provide improved treatment to COVID patients free of cost. The DCHC has been established following efforts by the Karuna Trust – a charitable trust that has enabled integrated rural development.
The facility will start functioning from May 15 at Lopamudra Private Hospital in Gonikoppal. “The facility will have 15 beds with pipelined oxygen, five beds with oxygen concentrators and 10 beds with Bipap machines (a type of ventilator),” explained Venkat Chekuri, joint secretary of Karuna Trust.
He explained that the facility has seen the light of day following efforts from Kodava Koota members in the US, Concerned Citizens of Coorg organization members and members of Kodava Samaj who have raised funds alongside Karuna Turst to establish the DCHC. The centre will have a pharmacy and lab facility and will be a high dependency unit.
“The centre will treat moderate COVID patients who will be referred by the district administration. The centre will provide free treatment to the patients alongside three meals a day and snacks. The administration of Kodagu alongside DC Charulata Somal has offered complete support and the ambulance facility to the centre is being provided by the district administration. The administration has also assured to provide hassle-free oxygen supply to the centre from Mysuru,” explained Venkat. He further added that a 200-litre oxygen unit will shortly be installed at the centre by the trust.
The trust will bear the rent charges for the place provided at the private hospital and will have doctors and nurses appointed by the trust itself. “Dr Sudarshan, the founding member of the trust, is guiding the entire project. Also, Dr Gautham Subbaiah, assistant professor at the University of Florida – who has treated over 1000 COVID patients in the US – will guide local doctors in treating the patients. Experts from the University of Florida will review the ground work at the centre,” added Venkat.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Prajna GR, Express News Service / May 14th, 2021
Shravan Manjunath Nagesh, a native of Kodagu, has been appointed as Justice of the Peace (JP) in the State of New South Wales, Australia. He took Oath of Office in Court during February 2021.
After passing the ‘Justice of the Peace’ exam with 100 percent marks, Shravan was nominated by a Member of Parliament (MP) following which the Governor of New South Wales State approved his appointment.
A native of Gonikoppal, Kodagu, 28-year-old Shravan was born to Nagesh Krishna and Deena Nagesh.
As his father was working as a Senior General Manager at a Multi-National Company in Sydney, Australia, Shravan did his basic education at Australia and completed his graduation in Mechanical Engineering at BMS Engineering College in Bengaluru.
His mother Deena is a realtor.
Shravan is the grandson of late B.S. Ganesh Kumar, Joint Director of Agriculture, Mysuru district.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / April 15th, 2021
Lohitash Karumbaiah, assistant professor in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, led the team that designed and created Brain Glue.
Hydrogel mimics the composition and mechanics of the brain.
Researchers at the University of Georgia’s Regenerative Bioscience Center have developed Brain Glue, a substance that could one day serve as a treatment for traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs.
The Brain Glue is a hydrogel matrix with a gelatin-like consistency that acts as a scaffolding for transplanted stem cells, which are capable of repairing damaged tissue. With the unique ability to take the shape of the void left in the brain after a severe trauma, the Brain Glue will enable a more natural healing environment for stem cells to colonize and regenerate.
Lohitash Karumbaiah, assistant professor in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, led the team that designed and created Brain Glue. The main difference between Brain Glue and other synthetic hydrogels, according to the team, is the variety of possibilities to trap neural stem cells, improve integration and reduce the likelihood of rejection.
“It’s very common with these invasive injuries that surgeons will actually remove the part of the dead brain leaving behind a cavity or hole,” said Karumbaiah. “The question is, then, can you replace that with something like our Brain Glue, loaded up with compounds native to the brain together with a mix of protective agents that can be incorporated for the best therapeutic outcome.
“The cool thing about this chemistry is that you can take our Brain Glue liquid formulation and then very briefly expose it to long-wave UV light and form a hydrogel in any shape you like,” he said.
Every day, 153 people in the U.S. die from injuries that include TBI, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those who survive a TBI may live with impaired thinking, memory, movement or sensation. TBIs can also lead to personality and emotional changes.
The new approach is described in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering and a recently awarded abstract from the International Brain Injury Association.
For more than two years now, Karumbaiah has been awarded seed-funding for his collaborative TBI work with Maysam Ghovanloo, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The TBI research was initially funded by the Center for Regenerative Engineering & Medicine, known as REM, a collaborative initiative launched in 2011 between the University of Georgia, Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology.
The REM collaboration is an extension of Karumbaiah’s work to further study neuroplasticity: the brain’s ability to self-renew, adapt and compensate for injury and disease. His future studies will focus on how neural networks form and change in response to traumatic insults, and he will investigate the therapeutic use of electrical stimulation to help return loss of function in any given region of the brain.
“Multiple methods are needed in these kinds of studies,” said Karumbaiah. “The Brain Glue is where we make the scaffold, and the neuro-network function is really this other arm — learning how neurons fire and wire together and what this really means in terms of function.”
Steven Stice, director of the Regenerative Bioscience Center, is working with Karumbaiah on a licensed technology for commercialization of the new Brain Glue, which was recently named best abstract at a meeting of the International Brain Injury Association.
Karumbaiah’s work recently attracted a four-year, $1.5 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health.
“Lohitash sets an example for other junior faculty to emulate,” said Stice, GRA Eminent Scholar and D.W. Brooks Professor in CAES. “To be recognized internationally at such an early stage takes great skill and dedication.”
The Regenerative Bioscience Center at the University of Georgia links researchers and resources collaborating in a wide range of disciplines to develop new cures for devastating diseases that affect animals and people. With its potential restorative powers, regenerative medicine could offer new ways of treating diseases for which there are currently no treatments-including heart disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and stroke. For more information, see www.rbc.uga.edu.
source: http://www.news.uga.edu / UGA Today / Home> Health & Wellness> Science & Technology / by Charlene Betourney / December 19th, 2017
While the district annually hosted the record-breaking hockey tournament, the same has met with hurdles from the past three years.
The Coorg Challengers Chickpet Association members. (Photo | Express)
Madikeri :
The passion for hockey in Kodagu is unmatchable and the district has contributed largely to the Indian Hockey team.
Nevertheless, the passionate hockey lovers have alternate platforms to showcase their enthusiasm and one such pompous hockey tournament will soon be launched at FMKM Cariappa Hockey Arena in Bengaluru.
CCCA 5 A side open Hockey tournament will unfurl from April 2 to April 4 and will witness participation from 24 teams across South India.
What is notable about this tournament is that it is being hosted by hockey enthusiasts from Kodagu – who call themselves the Coorg Challengers Chickpet Association (CCCA).
Further, this tournament will enable a close competition among hockey veterans even as NRIs from Kodagu who recently moved back to India following the pandemic, have formed a new team to take part in the tournament.
“CCCA is a group of hockey-loving people. The group consists of nearly 40 individuals from 14 different Kodava families. And we are all natives of Chickpet in Virajpet who are now settled in Bengaluru,” explained Mukkatira Somaiah, one of the core members of CCCA.
He stated that CCCA was formed with a vision to promote hockey while also providing support to the needy.
“Through CCCA 5A hockey tournament, we raise funds from hockey lovers and philanthropists. The money from the tournament is then donated to Cheshire Home Bangalore in Bengaluru,” he said. The association also promotes sports learning among youngsters as it has supported many sports aspirants financially.
“The tournament is organized under the aegis of Hockey India and Hockey Karnataka and will witness participation from many professional hockey players. We have chosen 5A Hockey tournament as this is a skillful game and it involves unique stick work. The cash prizes to winners are also elaborate,” he added.
The tournament has grabbed the attention of hockey players from across the country even as a new team from Kodagu – Team Coorg Gulf will take part this year.
A group of residents who are natives of Kodagu and who were settled in Muscat and UAE continued their passion for hockey aboard with the founding of Team Coorg Muscat and Team Coorg UAE a few years ago.
“Mekerira Bellu Kuttappa, a hockey enthusiast who was working in Muscat founded Team Coorg Muscat. Similarly, natives of Kodagu working in UAE formed the Team Coorg UAE. We used to often take part in hockey tournaments in Oman. However, all of us have returned to India following the pandemic and the two teams have been reformed as Team Coorg Gulf,” explained Vikram Uthappa, one of the core members of the team.
While the pandemic situation had put most of the sports activities to rest, the Team Coorg Gulf members are excited to launch themselves in India with the CCCA 5A hockey tournament.
While 24 teams have registered for the tournament, three teams in total will take part from Kodagu. Further, veteran hockey players VR Raghurathan, Nikhin Thimmaiah, and Arjun Halappa among others will be part of the event.
Somaiah also confirmed that hockey player Dhanraj Pilay is likely to be present during the final game of the tournament, which is likely to witness an exhibition match between former Olympians and international hockey players.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Prajna GR, Express News Service / March 28th, 2021
Princess Gouramma depicted in Indian dress and rich jewellery, leaning on an Indian table. She is holding a Bible, an allusion to her conversion to Christianity. (Franz Xaver Winterhalter)
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Snapshot
The short life of princess Gowramma of Coorg serves as a reminder of the potential detachment and loss of identity a fiercely Western education can ensure.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s recent interview with Oprah Winfrey has brought to fore the tumultuous relationship the British monarchy has with all things concerning race. Markle alleged that a member of the royal family had expressed concerns over how dark their baby Archie’s skin would be.
Notably, the Duchess of Sussex is not the first person of colour to be subjected to royal racism.
The institution’s colonial past is filled with instances of the ‘firm’ ( as Markle calls it) taking upon itself the duty of civilising the ‘coloured’ citizens of the colonies it conquered.
In this regard, the remarkable life of Princess Gowramma, the Princess of Coorg and the goddaughter of Queen Victoria, provides interesting insights into the treatment of people of colour by the imperial echelons of the nineteenth century British society.
Princess Gowramma was born in Banaras, to the deposed king of Coorg — Chikka Veerarajendra Wodeyar, who had been exiled by the British in 1834.
She was the Raja’s favourite daughter and was thus his natural choice when it came to accompanying him on his journey to England, where he intended to demand in court the return of his wealth from the East India Company.
Some sources claim that Veerarajendra conveyed his intent of converting Gowramma to Christianity to gain the good graces of the company, so as to receive permission to travel to England.
Governor General Lord Dalhousie and other directors of the company found the idea of voluntary conversion by an Indian royal quite appealing, especially since it would help improve their sagging image in Britain.
Thus, in 1852, after Gowramma had received an education in Christian mannerisms and scripture, she and her father set sail to become the first Indian royals to ever set foot in England.
Princess Gouramma depicted in Indian dress and rich jewellery, leaning on an Indian table. She is holding a Bible, an allusion to her conversion to Christianity. (Franz Xaver Winterhalter)
Upon reaching the island, the 11-year-old Gowramma was presented to Queen Victoria. The Queen, quite taken by the princess declared that she would become the godmother and even endowed Gowramma with her own name — ‘Victoria’.
The Princess of Coorg was then baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury, at a private chapel in the Buckingham Palace, in the presence of Queen Victoria, her family, senior officials of the government and directors of the company.
Post the baptism, the Queen gifted Victoria Gowramma a bound and autographed Bible with gold embellishments. She then entrusted the princess to the care of Major and Mrs Drummond, who were to groom her with Western thought and education.
Queen Victoria took great initiative in expanding Gowramma’s social circles. She would invite Gowramma to regularly interact with her children and also bestowed upon her a title that made her equivalent to European princesses.
However, Gowramma, who was made to abandon her traditional Indian clothing for Western wear was depressed. She was cut off from all connection with her father and was instead forced to talk, dress and behave like a British aristocrat.
Unable to cope with the pressures of high society, Gowramma tried running away multiple times. She often expressed her desire for privacy and even stated that she rather live like a servant with the handmaidens than suffer the compulsions of regal life. Her troubles were dismissed by the Queen and her consort Prince Albert as ‘innate oriental weakness’ that seeks to escape civilisation.
Meanwhile, back home in India, the British had defeated Maharaja Ranjit Singh to annex Punjab. They then took his minor son, Duleep Singh, under their care.
Exiled to Fatehpur and kept away from Lahore so as to avoid chances of revolt, Duleep Singh was subjected to a Western education that eventually culminated with his acceptance of Christianity out of his own ‘free’will. He then set sail to Britain in order to formalise his conversion under the Church of England.
The Queen, to whom Duleep Singh presented the Kohinoor Diamond, took an instant liking of the Maharaja and became his godmother. She and Prince Albert in cahoots with the company plotted an alliance between Singh and Gowramma.
The hope was to use the influence generated by the marriage between two Christian Indian royals as a tool for proselytising the Indian population. This idea also had the endorsement of Singh’s English guardians — the Logins. They were firm believers in the European responsibility of spreading the word of the Bible amongst the pagan worshippers of India.
However, upon introduction, Singh was lukewarm in his response to Gowramma. He made it known to the Logins that he considered the princess more an honorary sister than a potential wife.
Gowramma, who had earlier been forgiven by the Queen for her torrid affair with a stable boy and her attempted elopement with an under-butler decided instead to marry a close friend of Singh — Lieutenant Colonel John Campbell, who had served in Bellary and was 30 years her senior.
Meanwhile, Chikka Veerajendra, who had lost a seven-year-long legal battle with the company had died.
Gowramma gave birth to a daughter named Edith Campbell on 2 July 1861. By the time Edith was three years old, Gowramma had developed signs of tuberculosis.
She died from the disease on 30 March 1864 just a few months short of her 23rd birthday.
Lieutenant Campbell, who in their short marriage had either neglected his wife or had persistently pestered her for money, disappeared after her death along with the crown jewels of Coorg that had been in her possession.
It is believed that he had only married the princess for her 1,000 pound allowance, the Queen’s favour and of course the jewels of Coorg.
The tragic life of Victoria Gowramma, a princess who had been alienated from her own land and language, was perhaps the paradigm the Britain had for the citizens of her colonies to follow.
Had Duleep Singh and Gowramma not fell short of the royal scheme envisioned by Queen Victoria, they might have had a significant role in shifting India’s religious history.
After all, colonial rulers did find religious conversion a greater instrument for the control of the colonised than plain force.
Gowramma today serves as a reminder of the potential detachment and loss of identity a fiercely Western education can ensure.
Victoria Gowramma was buried in the Brompton Cemetery, her tombstone bears the epithet composed by Queen Victoria, it contains the poignant words — “Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold” (John X,16).
source: http://www.swarajyamag.com / Swarajya / Home> Ideas / by Adithi Gurkar / March 17th, 2021
Dr Priya Atwal, a historian, took to Twitter and spoke about the little-known life of Princess Gouramma of Coorg who was adopted by Queen Victoria as one of her godchildren.
The history of Princess Gourumma of Coorg was shared on Twitter by Dr Priya Atwal.
While Meghan Markel’s revelations into the British Royal family has once again triggered the debate of race in UK, a historian from India has claimed that Meghan is probably not the first woman of colour to be a part of the monarch family. While there is mention of Queen Charlotte’s (1744-1818) black ancestry, Queen Voctoria had her imperial godchildren too, according to the Victorian historian. Dr Priya Atwal took to Twitter amid raging debate about Meghan’s acceptance in the Royal family and spoke about the little-known life of Princess Gouramma of Coorg.
“Princess Gouramma (1841-64) was brought to Britain in 1852 by her father, the deposed Rajah of Coorg. The Rajah campaigned to win back his family wealth from the East India Company, but also asked Victoria to adopt his daughter, believing the Queen would give her a good life (sic),” Atwal wrote. It was Princess Gouramma’s father, Rajah of Coorg, who offered her to the Queen after baptising her with the hope that she would be brought up with “aristocratic guardians and secure her a good marriage”. Victoria readily accepted the idea and adopted Princess Gouramma. But princess of Coorg wasn’t the only one. Queen Victoria had several ‘godchildren’ whom she adopted from royals from the empire.
Duleep Singh and Sarah Bonetta Forbes were among these godchildren of the Queen.
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Dr Priya Atwal@priyaatwalAs a historian of Victorian royalty, I am fascinated by some of the parallels between #MeghanMarkle’s current situation and the little known story of Princess Gouramma of Coorg. A thread
1/12
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But facing racial attacks never stopped for the Queen’s godchildren even after being adopted. Atwal says their lives weren’t easy. Duldeep and Sarah ‘were both feted and treated as racialised others in Victorian Britain’. “And their lives were pored over in a newly-emerging popular press,” Atwal writes. “As I’ve found in my research, for her it was a good way to learn about her new territories and project a benevolent image of her family.”
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Dr Priya Atwal@priyaatwal·The Hindu Rajah offered up Gouramma to be baptised as a Christian & hoped Victoria would bring her up as an adopted daughter with aristocratic guardians and secure her a good marriage. Incredibly, Victoria was keen about the idea & readily agreed. 4/12
Victoria took multiple young royals from around the empire as wards/godchildren – inc. Duleep Singh & Sarah Bonetta Forbes. As I’ve found in my research, for her it was a good way to learn about her new territories & project a benevolent image of her family. 5/12
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Gouramma faced a different struggle. She was pressured to become the model Anglicised princess. Even though the Queen had accepted her into the family, she had banned Gouramma from maintaining any contact with her family. The curtailment of ties again had racial undertones. According to Atwal, this was supposedly to prevent her from slipping into “native” or “heathen ways”. “She was moved from foster family to family as her caretakers struggled with the cost and demands of raising a royal ward.” The struggle of a new life was too much for the young princess who even tried to run away many times. It was the unwanted attention and being under scrutiny all the time that added to her woes. “In this I find her parallels with Meghan most intriguing: Gouramma often spoke of dearly wishing for more privacy & living independently – even to become a household maid – so she could be free of scrutiny. Yet her actions were attributed to her “innate Oriental weakness (sic),” Atwal writes.
Meghan too has spoken about the unwanted attention from media that has deprived her of any privacy in personal life. Meghan, who married Prince Harry in 2018, said she told the royal family she was struggling and needed professional help but was told “that I couldn’t, that it wouldn’t be good for the institution.” She even suggested that the Buckingham Palace was “perpetuating falsehoods” about her and Prince Harry. Asked by Winfrey how she felt about the Palace hearing her speak out, Markle replied: “I don’t know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent if there’s an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us.”
Dr Arun Mandepanda Thimmiah, a GP at the Abbey Road Surgery in Barrow, gives advice on health issues in his weekly column. This week, he addresses concerns people may have over whether their invite to receive a Covid-19 vaccine jab is genuine.
Unfortunately some people are using the Covid-19 vaccination programme in order to commit fraud.
The types of scams vary – some are trying to extract money, others are collecting personal information – so it’s really important to make sure you’re speaking to the right people.
In the UK, coronavirus vaccines are only made available via the National Health Services of England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.
You can be contacted by the NHS, your employer, a GP surgery or a pharmacy local to you to receive your vaccine.
Remember, the vaccine is free of charge.
At no point will you be asked to pay.
n The NHS will never ask you for your bank account or card details.
n The NHS will never ask you for your PIN or banking password.
n The NHS will never arrive unannounced at your home to administer the vaccine.
n The NHS will never ask you to prove your identity by sending copies of personal documents such as your passport, driving licence, bills or pay slips.
n Occasionally your local vaccine centre may ring you from a list provided by your GP surgery if you are in the group being invited to receive the vaccine at the end of the session in order to avoid wastage of vaccines.
If you have any doubts as to the caller’s authenticity, ask which organisation they are calling from, then hang up the phone and dial the official number for that organisation.
You will not miss out on your vaccine by doing so.
Please be aware that fraudsters do ‘spoof’ numbers – the number you see on your screen may not be the number that is calling you – and NHS call handlers will NOT ask you to check the number that appears on your screen; this is a common way for fraudsters to appear as legitimate callers.
source: http://www.nwemail.co.uk / The Mail / Home> News / by Dan Taylor, Senior Reporter / February 20th, 2021
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