Pramod Thomas is a senior correspondent with Asian Media Group since 2020, bringing 19 years of journalism experience across business, politics, sports, communities, and international relations. His career spans both traditional and digital media platforms, with eight years specifically focused on digital journalism. This blend of experience positions him well to navigate the evolving media landscape and deliver content across various formats. He has worked with national and international media organisations, giving him a broad perspective on global news trends and reporting standards.
BOLLYWOOD actor Govinda sustained leg injuries early Tuesday (1) morning after his revolver accidentally went off at his Mumbai residence, police said.
Govinda, 60, later issued a statement, informing his fans that doctors have removed the bullet and he was alright due to his fans’ affection and god’s blessings.
"With the blessings of my fans, my parents and god, I am doing better now. I was hit by a bullet, which has now been removed. I thank the doctor here, Dr Agarwal ji. I thank all of you for your prayers," Govinda said in an audio message.
The actor, who was hospitalised after the accident, is out of danger and recuperating at his home, a Mumbai police official said.
Govinda’s manager Shashi Sinha said that as Govinda was about to leave his home at 4.45 am for the airport to catch a 6 am flight to Kolkata for a show, the trigger of his licensed revolver was accidentally pushed as he was keeping it in the cupboard.
The gun misfired and a bullet hit his leg, police said.
The injured actor was admitted to the nearby Criti Care Hospital for treatment. No one has lodged any complaint in this matter, police said, adding they have begun an investigation into the matter.
Govind Arun Ahuja, better known by his stage name Govinda, is a popular actor, comedian, dancer and singer who has appeared in more than 165 Hindi-language films, including "Coolie No 1", "Hero No 1", "Dulhe Raja", "Saajan Chale Sasural", and "Partner".
The actor, who made his film debut with the 1986 film "Love 86", was last seen in 2019's "Rangeela Raja".
In March, a month before the Lok Sabha elections, Govinda joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
This marked Govinda's re-entry into the political landscape after nearly two decades.
The actor won the 2004 poll battle from the Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency on a Congress ticket before stepping away from politics in 2008.
Dr Malhotra, an advisor to US health secretary Robert F Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Action, also serves as Chief Medical Advisor to Make Europe Healthy Again, where he campaigns for wider access to vaccine information.
Dr Aseem Malhotra, a British Asian cardiologist, and research psychologist Dr Andrea Lamont Nazarenko have called on medical bodies to issue public apologies over Covid vaccine mandates, saying they have contributed to public distrust and conspiracy theories.
In a commentary published in the peer-reviewed journal Science, Public Health Policy and the Law, the two argue that public health authorities must address the shortcomings of Covid-era policies and acknowledge mistakes.
They note that while early pandemic decisions were based on the best available evidence, that justification cannot continue indefinitely.
“Until the most urgent questions are answered, nothing less than a global moratorium on Covid-19 mRNA vaccines — coupled with formal, unequivocal apologies from governments and medical bodies for mandates and for silencing truth seekers — will suffice,” they write.
Dr Malhotra, an advisor to US health secretary Robert F Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Action, also serves as Chief Medical Advisor to Make Europe Healthy Again, where he campaigns for wider access to vaccine information.
In the article titled Mandates and Lack of Transparency on COVID-19 Vaccine Safety has Fuelled Distrust – An Apology to Patients is Long Overdue, the authors write that science must remain central to public health.
“The pandemic demonstrated that when scientific integrity is lacking and dissent is suppressed, unethical decision-making can become legitimised. When this happens, public confidence in health authorities erodes,” they write.
They add: “The role of public health is not to override individual clinical judgment or the ethics that govern medical decision-making. This is essential because what once appeared self-evident can, on further testing, prove false – and what may appear to be ‘safe and effective’ for one individual may be harmful to another.”
The article has been welcomed by international medical experts who say rebuilding trust in public health institutions is essential.
“It might be impossible to go back in time and correct these major public health failings, which included support of futile and damaging vaccine mandates and lockdowns and provision of unsupported false and misleading claims regarding knowledge of vaccine efficacy and safety, but to start rebuilding public confidence in health authorities (is) the starting point,” said Dr Nikolai Petrovsky, Professor of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Australian Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Institute, Adelaide.
“This article is a scholarly and timely review of the public health principles that have been so clearly ignored and traduced. Without a complete apology and explanation we are doomed to pay the price for failure to take up the few vaccines that make a highly significant contribution to public health,” added Angus Dalgleish, Emeritus Professor of Oncology, St George’s University Hospital, UK.
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