Kannada Development Authority (KDA) chairperson T S Nagabharana on Saturday expressed his displeasure over the Health and Family Welfare department’s obsession with English language.
Addressing the two-day Kannada Medical Literary conference organised by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in Bengaluru on Saturday, Nagabharana said, “Even during the pandemic times, the department is sticking to its obsession with English in issuing all Covid-19-related circulars, public notices and guidelines in English first. All such communications should be issued in Kannada first as it would reach a large number of people,” the Kannada film-maker, who has carved a niche for himself in parallel cinema, said.
Nagabharana urged Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar to address this issue immediately. “All communications and public notices pertaining to Covid-19 issued in English will not reach the rural population. I request the minister to look into it immediately,” he added.
Nagabharana even stressed about introducing Kannada in medical education. “It is not easy to teach medicine in Kannada or any other regional languages. But, we can have bilingual text books, a medical dictionary in Kannada to attract more and more youngsters from rural areas to study medicine, “ he said.
Third wave of Covid
Dr Giridhar R Babu, epidemiologist, and member of Technical Advisory Committee for Covid-19, said that the third wave of Covid-19, which is expected to hit the state, apart from the Under 18 age-group, will affect those who’d not exposed to the virus and the ones who have not been vaccinated will be hit hard.
“Those who have not been vaccinated and ones who have not been infected by the virus in the first and second waves will be more vulnerable to infection in the third wave,” he said.
Speaking at a panel discussion, Dr C N Manjunath, director, Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences said, “The high mortality rate due to heart attacks during Covid pandemic is not because of the medication, but because of the delay in seeing the doctors,” explained Dr Manjunath.
Dr M K Sudarshan, chairman, Technical Advisory Committee for Covid-19, speaking at one of the sessions on the inaugural day of the conference, stressed on the importance of the Covid appropriate behaviour in keeping the virus at bay.