Page 4 - Saurabh Bharadwaj

Delhi govt orders genome sequencing for all Covid cases to detect JN.1

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday said he has reiterated directions for carrying out genome sequencing of positive cases so that cases of JN.1 variant can be confirmed. Talking to PTI Video, he said the government has ramped up Covid testing, with 636 tests conducted on Wednesday. Bharadwaj had on Wednesday confirmed Delhi's first case of JN. 1 variant. "I have reiterated the directions for genome sequencing of all the positive cases, so that the number of cases of new variants can be confirmed. Yesterday, three variants were confirmed, of which two were of the old Omicron variant and the new one is JN.1 variant. The good thing is that the patient diagnosed with the new variant, who was hospitalised, has been discharged," he told PTI Video. He said the patient was a 52-year-old woman who got admitted to the hospital since she got a little worried. "She did not have any severe issues," he added. The minister said that four patients are currently in hospital. He a

Delhi seeing 3-4 Covid cases every day: State health minister Bharadwaj

Delhi Health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Monday said that the national capital is seeing three to four Covid cases on average every day and asserted that the city is well equipped to fight the virus resurgence. Sixty-three cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 had been reported in the country till Sunday, including 34 in Goa, official sources said on Monday. Nine cases have been detected in Maharashtra, eight in Karnataka, six in Kerala, four in Tamil Nadu, and two in Telangana, they added. "There was a meeting with the Centre over COVID-19 situation and we were informed that the cases are increasing more in southern states like Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu," Bharadwaj told reporters on the sidelines of an event. "We have been conducting tests and we have receiving on an average three to four cases per day which is less than even one per cent. We have conducted mock drills and made all necessary arrangements," he said. States have been asked to monitor and report district-wise

Bharadwaj demands action against health secy over 'fake' medicine row

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday demanded action against the health secretary over the alleged supply of sub-standard quality drugs to city government-run hospitals, an issue into which the Lt Governor has recommended a CBI inquiry. Demanding that Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena take action against the secretary as well as a former director of the Directorate of Health Services-Delhi (DHS), he told a press conference that in "July-August some medicines' samples were sent for testing, and out of 43 samples, five were found not to be meeting standards". "I learnt about it after one and a half months during discussions about the matter," said Bharadwaj, who was allotted the health portfolio in March. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was made the health minister after Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain resigned from the Cabinet and their portfolios were redistributed. "Even consumables such as bandages were found not to be meeting quality standards," Bharadwaj said. T

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We're on high alert, says Delhi health min on pneumonia outbreak in China

In view of recent reports of a surge in respiratory illnesses in children in northern China, health departments in States and Union territories across the country have been put on alert

CM directs Health Minister Bharadwaj to visit govt hospital in east Delhi

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday directed Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj to visit a city government-run hospital in east Delhi and take corrective steps to improve amenities at the facility. The chief minister shared this in a post on X, in response to a post made late Tuesday night by a user, alleging insanitary conditions in the toilets of GTB Hospital. "Delhi's sick hospital -- toilets are overflowing, full of filth, this is how the hospitals of Delhi are, the picture is of the largest GTB hospital across Yamuna, where patients, attendants and staff have to pass by a toilet with a cloth over their mouths. The cleanliness system in the hospital is zero," the user alleged in the post along with a photograph. Kejriwal on Wednesday responded to the post on X. "I have directed the health minister to visit the hospital today along with senior officials and take corrective steps," he wrote.

Trying to divert attention from China: Saurabh on VK Singh's remarks on PoK

General VK Singh claimed that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) would merge with India soon "on its own"

Bharadwaj slams L-G for not punishing those who delayed docs' payments

The Health Minister further said that if the L-G was so empathetic towards the health and welfare of the poor in Delhi, he would have fixed responsibility on the officers responsible

Delhi LG should apologise for installing shivlings as fountains: Bharadwaj

Delhi minister and senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday alleged that a "sin" has been committed by installing 'shivlings' as fountains in a public space, and Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena should apologise to the nation for the act. The LG, however, countered the charge, saying, "I see it as a piece of art. I cannot comment on the opinion of others." Bharadwaj levelled the allegation during an interaction with media after inspection of work being done to beautify roads for the G20 Summit next week. Asked about the shivling fountains row, he said, "A sin has been committed by installing shivlings as fountains in a public place. "In public fountains, treated wastewater is circulated. We offer holy water to a shivling, the symbol of Lord Shiva. It belongs in temples and homes and not in public places... LG should apologise to the nation over this," Bharadwaj said. On Saturday, in an interaction with PTI, Lt Governor Saxena, said, "What they are calling a shivling is an ...

'Vacant posts will be filled if Kejriwal govt gets control over services'

Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Monday said thousands of vacant posts in the Delhi government will be filled if the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation gets control over services matter. The minister said that such recruitments will speed up work at various departments of the government. Inaugurating a bridge in Janakpuri, Bharadwaj hoped that the elected government in Delhi will get back control over services matter through the Supreme Court. The Centre on Saturday notified the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act, 2023, that brings services matter in Delhi government, including transfer and postings of officers, under its domain. The health minister said the Arvind Kejriwal government wants to recruit new doctors and engineers but it has no power to do it. The power to appoint new doctors and engineers is not in the hands of the elected government. The government wants to appoint new doctors but their appointment is in the hands of the lieutenant governor

Atishi to hold charge of services, vigilance; file sent for L-G's approval

Delhi Minister Atishi will be given additional charge of the services and the vigilance departments, a government source said, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal forwarding a proposal to L-G VK Saxena for approval. The move comes a day after the Delhi services bill secured parliamentary approval after the Rajya Sabha passed the measure that will give the Centre control over the bureaucracy in the national capital. The two portfolios were earlier held by Atishi's Cabinet colleague Saurabh Bharadwaj. Atishi was given additional charge of the revenue, planning and the finance departments in June after Saxena approved a proposal to rejig the Cabinet. These three departments were earlier with Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot. Atishi -- the only woman minister in the Delhi Cabinet -- will now hold 14 portfolios, the highest among all ministers in the city government.

Delhi CM calls meeting with minister, mayor over escalating dengue cases

The meeting aims to devise a comprehensive strategy to combat the escalating dengue cases that have gripped the city in recent weeks

East Delhi, northeast Delhi largely impacted by floods: Bharadwaj

All Delhi government departments have been instructed to constantly monitor the situation in the aftermath of flooding in the national capital, city Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Monday. Interacting with reporters during his visit to a Delhi government hospital here, he also said that cases of conjunctivitis and skin allergy are mostly being reported from relief camps set up in the wake of flooding in various parts of Delhi. Bharadwaj said east Delhi and northeast Delhi have largely been impacted due to the floods. "After flooding, there is a fear of cases of vector-borne disease like dengue, chikungunya and malaria rising. But that trend is not being seen at the moment. Cases of conjunctivitis and skin allergy are mostly being reported from relief camps," he told reporters. Asked about the slight rise in water levels of the Yamuna in Delhi, Bharadwaj said, there have been rains in parts of north India in the last two days and now drains are discharging into the river,

Govt spying on AAP through central agencies, alleges Saurabh Bharadwaj

The Delhi Minister said that in one instance he noticed a group of seven people roaming outside AAP headquarters in Delhi. While three among them went in, four stayed outside

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Focus on law and order: Health Min Saurabh Bhardwaj responds to L-G Saxena

Bharadwaj said that the officers had misinformed LG Saxena about the factual condition

Saurabh Bharadwaj targets LG VK Saxena over recent killings in New Delhi

Alleging a lack of strength of police personnel on the streets of Delhi, Bharadwaj said that the Police are busy providing security to VIPs

Delhi's law system has worsened over past year: Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj

After two women were shot in Delhi's RK Puram, the health minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, slammed the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi over the law and order situation in Delhi

Cracks in canal in Haryana hit water supply in Delhi: Saurabh Bhardwaj

Cracks in the Carrier Lined Channel, a canal which carries water from Haryana to Delhi, have affected supply in the national capital which may impact around 30 lakh people, the city government said Wednesday. Delhi Water Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said the cracks developed between Khubru and Kakroi near Sonepat in Haryana. The matter is being pursued with the Haryana government and it will take 48 to 72 hours to repair the canal, he said, adding that though the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is rationing water, a large population in Delhi will be in inconvenience because of the peak summer season. "Presently, there is a deficit of around 20 per cent in raw water supply from Haryana to Delhi. This may cause water scarcity problems to almost 30 lakh population in Delhi," Bhardwaj tweeted. According to the Delhi Economic Survey, the city receives 612 MGD of raw water from Haryana and 253 MGD from Uttar Pradesh through the Upper Ganga Canal. The rest is drawn from ranney wells and tubewells ...

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