Ahmedabad medical association seeks clarity on PPN-TPA guidelines

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Ahmedabad Medical Association (AMA), a body of doctors has written a letter seeking clarification on the preferred provider network (PPN) and third party administrator (TPA) guidelines. The AMA shot a letter to the four government insurance companies asking them to give clarity on the issue which would enable a layman to understand the issue.

AMA secretary Dr Mehul Shah has written the letter where he terms the PPN- TPA network as unilateral, autocratic, one sided and violating basic rights of patients as well as doctors". In the letter Shah has asked clarification for the benefit of the patients to the insurance companies.

While talking to DNA, Dr Shah said the idea of writing letter to the four insurance companies is to bring on the issue of communication between these companies and agents. "If they have not passed on the information 
to the agents, the laymen would not be informed about the same. In turn, they will get confused while making a choice of doctors and clinics to get medical treatment," said he.

Dr Shah has asked six questions to the government insurance companies. The questions addressed to the companies include if all the individuals renewing their policies are informed about the newly introduced PPN network and restrictions put on them? 
"Whether any circular has been issued to all the agents working on behalf of insurance companies and selling policies to clients about this PPN network and its provisions," the letter asks adding that why cashless service is available only to corporate clients and not to general public. "Is that you do not care for "Aam Aadmi"? And interested in getting hefty premiums from corporate only?," asks the letter.

Dr Shah informed that there needs to be an implementing period when agents and laymen could be informed about pros and cons of the policies. "They have not given that time neither are they providing us a copy of the circular," 

Morgan in England's Test side, to miss IPL play-offs

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London: Eoin Morgan has earned a place in the England side for the first Test against Sri Lanka beginning Thursday.

Consequently, Morgan will not be available for Kolkata Knight Riders for the Indian Premier League (IPL) play-offs.

Morgan was selected in the 12-man squad after he scored 193 for England Lions against Sri Lanka early this week at Derby. The left-hander had earlier said that he will fly back to play in the IPL if he is not picked in the Test team. All-rounder Ravi Bopara was also in the race for the No. 6 slot vacated by Paul Collingwood but selectors opted for the Irish-born cricketer.

"We believe we have selected a very strong squad for the first Test," national selector Geoff Miller said here Sunday.

"Eoin Morgan impressed us last summer when he was given his opportunity in the Test side and has worked hard on his game throughout the tour of Australia. He has the opportunity to play a role in the Test team."

Morgan has played in six Tests and his last match was against Pakistan at Lord's last year.

The selectors picked Steven Finn in place of the injured Tim Bresnan in the bowling department.

"This season I have felt a lot better than before and there is a marked improvement on where I was in Australia during the Ashes .

Rajinikanth out of ICU

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Actor Rajinikanth has come out of the intensive care unit and has been shifted to the ward, hospital sources said on Sunday evening.

The announcement came hours after the Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre released a bulletin that said he was still in the ICU and that the date for shifting him to a ward would be decided soon. It had said he was in the ICU “for further monitoring till he is well stabilised in all health parameters”.

It had added that he was taking food on his own, spending time with his family and watching television.

Rajinikanth, who was admitted to the hospital on May 13 for treatment of respiratory and acute gastrointestinal infection, was shifted to the ICU on Wednesday.

3G Attracts 9 Million Users In 4 Months

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The third generation (3G) has created a rage since its launch four months ago, garnering at least 9 million active users ever since. This number holds special significance taken into consideration that till date, there are only 11 million wireline broadband customers.

Bharti Airtel leads the 3G race with with 3 million active subscribers closely followed by Tata DoCoMo with 1.5 million subscribers. BSNL, Idea Cellular and Vodafone have about a million 3G subscribers each. Reliance communications was reluctant to disclose the numbers, but reliable sources revealed that it also had close to a million subscribers.

Despite poor quality of service to the customers, the numbers are clearly on a rise. This may be due to the initial interest triggered by several companies, or because of the several facilities promised with a 3G enabled handset. “The initial trend clearly shows that 3G is giving a boost to broadband uptake in the country. Wireless is the way forward,” said Mr Alok Shende, Principal Analyst, Ascentius Consulting. Even though 3G delivers a data speed of 500-600 kbps, customers all over the country are having trouble with the frequent call drops, uneven connectivity and non-uniform speeds. “There is no excuse for operators to offer poor 3G connectivity given that technology is available to them. The initial uptake shows that there is a huge pent-up demand for broadband and operators should use that opportunity. At present, they are not even doing personalized marketing to high-end consumers who already have a 3G handset,” said Mr Kunal Bajaj, Director of technology advisory firm Analysys Mason. Also to note is the high cost of roaming, which in case of some operators, is as high as Rs 15 per MB of data downloaded, even if the subscriber is roaming on the same network.

The operators rubbished these reports stating that these are only initial troubles and they will soon achieve the target of 100 million 3G users, till 2015, if analysts are to be believed. Mr Shireesh Joshi, Chief Marketing Officer -Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel, said, “The initial response from customers has been overwhelming – but we believe the revolution has just begun. The game changing differentiators for 3G in India will be content and services and not price points.”
The 3G revolution is here to stay, and with time, the problems teething now will soon be eradicated, and the customers will have the ultimate digital pleasure, guarantee the operators.

Ratan Tata's comments on Mukesh Ambani taken out of context: Tatas

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MUMBAI: Rubbishing media reports on Tata group chief Ratan Tata's comments on the 27-storey residence of Reliance Industries Limited's chairman Mukesh Ambani, a statement issued by the company on Sunday said the story was "out of context and factually incorrect". 

"This is with reference to stories in the Indian media today. The stories are based on an interaction of Mr Tata with Times UK. The news item is misleading and mischievous. At the onset we would like convey our disappointment at the attempt to sensationalise and replay conversations out of context," the statement by a company spokesperson said. 

"We would also like to clarify on stories in Indian media regarding Mr Ambani's home. The report is out of context and factually incorrect," the statement said. 

The Times on Saturday quoted Tata as saying: "It makes me wonder why someone would do that," in reference to Ambani's multi-storeyed residence Antilla in south Mumbai. 

"The person who lives in there should be concerned about what he sees around him and can he make a difference," the paper quoted Tata as saying. 

The report further cited him as saying: "If he is not, then it is sad because India needs people to allocate some of their enormous wealth to finding ways to mitigate the hardship that people have." 

"We are doing so little about the disparity. We are allowing it to be there and wishing it away," the newspaper report added. 

The Tata spokesperson said that Ratan Tata's comments on wealth were in the larger context of the growing disparity in the society and the "comments seem to have been deliberately sensationalised".

"There have been words, individuals and statements that have not been mentioned by Mr. Tata during the course of the interaction which are being attributed to him. We have already registered our protest with the concerned publication and will continue to pursue measures against the incorrect impressions being sought to be created," the statement added. 

Reliance Industries Limited, however, declined to comment on the issue. Contacted, a company official said that the company will not commenting on the same. 

In the statement, the company also denied Ratan Tata had calling the British employees as "lazy" in the reference to Tata-owned companies like Corus and Jaguar Land Rover there. 

"We wish to make clear The Times claims' that Mr Tata said British managers were 'lazy' is misrepresentation. At no stage in the interview did Mr Tata make this comment." 

"In the interview, Mr Tata speaks about the management ethos of Corus and Jaguar Land Rover at the time of acquisition. He says that managers' work ethic at that time was not to 'go the extra mile' and to leave early on Friday afternoons," the statement said. 

"The comments were not about the company managers today and Mr Tata makes clear in the interview that new management at Corus and Jaguar Land Rover has eliminated those practices," it clarified. 

The Tata group took over steel maker Corus in 2006 and car maker Jaguar Land Rover in 2008 to become the biggest manufacturing employer in Britain. 

Sudan's military takes control of oil-rich region

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Sudan's military has taken control of the disputed oil-rich region of Abyei, the country's foreign ministry said Sunday.

A spokesman for the military wing of the movement that governs Southern Sudan confirmed that Sudan's military controlled the area.

"Abyei has been under attack by the Sudanese Armed forces from air and ground," said Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) spokesman Philip Aguer.

Southern Sudan in January voted to split from the north, and is expected to officially become an independent nation in July.

However, the fate of the oil-rich Abyei region remains a flash point.

Last week Sudanese armed forces and members of the U.N. peacekeeping mission were attacked in the area. At least 22 people were killed, Sudanese army sources said.

The Sudanese Armed Forces said the military in Southern Sudan was behind the attack, but the SPLA denied responsibility.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir issued a decree Saturday dissolving Abyei's administration. The area had been governed by representatives from the north and south.

The United Nations said this month that violence in the Abyei region will jeopardize relations between the two sides as they gear up for a permanent separation July 9.

Its peacekeeping mission in Sudan issued a statement Saturday urging "all parties in Abyei to resume dialogue towards reaching a lasting political settlement."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague condemned the recent spike in violence.

"I call on all sides to cease hostilities immediately. All unauthorized forces should be withdrawn from the entire area of Abyei in accordance with past agreements by the parties," he said in a statement Sunday.

In a statement Saturday, the White House called on the Sudanese Armed Forces to stop its offensive in Abyei and withdraw forces.

"Failure to do so could set back the process of normalizing relations between Sudan and the United States and inhibit the international community's ability to move forward on issues critical to Sudan's future," the statement said.

A U.N. Security Council delegation arrived in Khartoum, Sudan, on Saturday to discuss the ongoing peace process with government officials.

Karnataka Congress delegation reiterates demand for Yedyurappa govt's dismissal

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NEW DELHI: Demanding the immediate resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, a delegation of Karnataka opposition leaders met Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on Sunday. 

In their meeting, the delegation, headed by Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka Assembly , Siddaramaiah, said that Yeddyurappa had morally and legally 'lost the right' to continue in office. 

"We met honorable Minister for Finance in a delegation to submit a memorandum and we also explained the political situation in Karnataka that Yedyurappa's government morally, legally has lost the right to continue in the office," Siddaramaiah said. 

Karnataka's simmering row has been boiling over since the past few weeks, with no end in sight to the political tussle between the state-ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and state opposition over state governor Hansraj Bhardwaj's recent report recommending President's rule in the state. 

Bhardwaj's report had come in the wake of the Supreme Court, reversing the Karnataka High Court's decision of disqualifying 11 BJP rebel legislators and five independents, ahead of a trust vote in the Assembly. 

The Supreme Court's ruling created a storm in Karnataka, leading several political analysts to suggest the government headed by Yeddyurappa could even face a huge loss in its majority in the state assembly. 

However, soon after, 10 rebel legislators extended their unconditional support to the BJP government, following which Bhardwaj recommended the imposition of President's rule in the state, sending shockwaves in the party fold. 

Siddaramaiah also said that Yeddyurappa won the vote of confidence in 2010 by political manipulation, a practice that was morally incorrect. 

"The judgment of the Supreme Court recently delivered on the 13th of this month clearly states that the speaker and the chief minister of Karnataka they colluded in order to keep away 16 MLAs from participating in the vote of confidence motion meeting. By manipulation they could able to win the vote of confidence motion and their government has survived," he said. 

In 2010, the legislators' rebellion had reduced the Yeddyurappa ministry to a minority in the 225-member Assembly, and Bhardwaj had ordered the chief minister to seek trust vote. 

Out of the 16 legislators, 11 belonged to the BJP, and were disqualified on the basis of a complaint filed by Yeddyurappa on October 7, 2010. 

The legislators had written identical letters to Bhardwaj on October 6, 2010, indicating that though they had been elected on BJP tickets, they had become 'disillusioned' with the functioning of the government headed by Yeddyurappa.