Letters to the Editor — May 21, 2021

Treatment guidelines

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has again found itself on the back foot for not being proactive and dropping convalescent plasma therapy from its COVID-19 treatment guidelines in time. When existing evidence had debunked the use of antibiotics, convalescent plasma, other adjuncts like chloroquine and ivermectin a while ago, the ICMR has finally woken out of its slumber to assess evidence and make this specific recommendation quite late in the day after public health professionals appealed to it. The emergency approval of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) without published data, could, most likely, meet the same fate as convalescent plasma. Unnecessary and non-scientific drug regimens can cause difficulties to COVID-19 patients and their relatives. The ICMR has to get its act together to ease the pressure on doctors and improve trust in systems during this raging pandemic.

Dr. Thomas Palocaren,

Vellore, Tamil Nadu

Foreign contributions

 

One fails to understand why the Union government has brought in a rule insisting that all non-governmental organisations receiving contributions from abroad must open a bank account with the main branch of State Bank of India. Now that the branches are connected by the ‘Core Banking System’ it is possible to get the information from any branch in India. The government could have said that all contributions should be through SWIFT of the SBI New Delhi main branch which is more convenient, and over which the government can maintain surveillance.

V. Sasthamani,

Coimbatore

School examinations

It is no doubt a very difficult time for all students in an exam year, especially those who are ready to write their board examinations (Inside pages, “Class 12 exams necessary, says teacher in SC”, May 20). All Class 12 students are sure to be at least 16 or 17 years of age. Let the government arrange for vaccination for them on a priority basis. The first dose can be administered within two weeks and the second six weeks from now. The examination schedule can then start by the last week of July and finish soon. By mid-August, students can be ready for the next phase of their academic life.

S. Chandran,

Visakhapatnam