Kangra, June 15
The Kangra Civil Hospital, which once catered to the needs of people in the radius of 30 km including the Changer areas, and also provided medical care in accidental cases, is ailing because of the government’s apathy.

The Kangra Sub-Divisional Hospital now called Civil Hospital was upgraded from 50 to a 100-bedded hospital on December 12, 2000, by the Dhumal government. However, the BJP government failed to implement its decision leaving patients in the lurch.

The then Agriculture Minister, Mr Vidya Sagar, and the local MLA had even inaugurated the 100-bedded hospital but no staff were provided. Beds were kept in corridors of the hospital for want of wards while the hospital witnessed a heavy rush of patients. The present government also announced the upgradation of this hospital to a 100-bedded one.

Despite the upgradation notification issued by the government, its formal inauguration by the local minister and confirmation by the present government the hospital has remained 50-bedded till date. This has resulted in reduction in the number of patients. As they either visited private clinics, or had to go to Dharamsala or the neighbouring Punjab state. The poor were the worst hit.

According to a survey, due to lack of proper staff and facilities the number of outdoor patients reduced from 89,990 in 2003 to 87,839 in 2004 and the number of indoor patients also showed a gradual reduction. In year 2003, 3100 patients were admitted to the hospital, which reduced to 2,600 in 2004. This year 1,100 patients had been admitted so far.

Dr S.B. Sood, SMO, said as there were no medicine specialist or a child specialist or an anaesthetist in the hospital paediatrics and general medicine patients were not admitted. He said even major surgeries were not being done in the hospital for want of an anaesthetist. The hospital also had no radiologist so accidental cases were mostly referred to hospital in Dharamsala. Some patient even succumb to their injuries on way to different hospitals.

As officially it is a 100-bedded hospital, there are 10 posts of doctors, 12 of staff nurse, five pharmacists, two laboratory technicians, one each of dai, OT assistant, matron, ECG technician, and an electrician are lying vacant. The hospital has seven doctors against the requirement of 17. Due to weekly off, court cases, and leaves three doctors usually remain off duty and the remaining four doctors have to operate the OPD.

The hospital is suffering also on account of lack of sanitation and cleanliness. According to hospital sources, against the 29 sanctioned post of Class IV employees. The hospital has only five employees.

There are employees in the hospital who have overstayed their usual period of posting of three years because of their political links.

Mandi, June 15
The Mandi district AIDS Control Cell has come out with a novel way to create awareness among people. It is taking the help of Banthara, a folk theatre, to spread the message across villagers. For schoolchildren, they have chosen the cassettes and CDs devised by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).

Taking a lead in this, the AIDS cell is arranging Banthara performances during its 15-day-long awareness campaign against the HIV/AIDS in the district.

“It is folk drama that gives a loud and clear message through this medium as other mediums have failed to capture their interest”, said Dr Hemant Kapur, the District AIDS Control Officer.

Where the modern method to impart AIDS education like safe sex and use of condoms, has failed to achieve the desired results the Banthara is succeeding. “The villagers listen to what we have to say through Banthara, a powerful satire popular among the villagers that conveys the message most effectively”, revealed the health officials.

The villagers, including children and women listened to Banthara and come to know what the AIDS can do and what it is all about, said the health officials. “Attendance in camps is increasing so is the awareness about the AIDS”, commented Mr Thakur Das, a villager.

While for villagers it is Banthara, for schoolchildren it is NACO- devised CDs and cassettes to convey the message.

“We have selected 50 senior secondary schools in the district. Students will be shown the CDs and cassettes on the computer to spread awareness about AIDS, said Dr Kapur.

Meanwhile, addressing a gathering after the launch of the 15-day-long awareness campaign against the AIDS/HIV at Paddar, about 30 km from here, yesterday the IPH Minister Thakur Kaul Singh said HIV/AIDS was a serious problem about which the school-children should be educated.

Mr Thakur said the youth, Panchayati Raj institutions, mahila mandals and NGOs should join hands to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic. “The government is spending Rs 360 crore on the health sector to strengthen the infrastructure and healthcare delivery system in the state”, he added.

Dharamsala, June 15
Canadian diplomat A.Norfolk, got stuck on the snow-covered Indirahar pass trekking route with his family near here this morning, at a height of 3,350 meters. His wife reportedly received minor injuries when the trekking expedition went haywire.

After receiving a desperate message from the group at 11 am, the police and the district administration got into action mode. They alerted the Mountaineering Institute, through which the diplomat and his family had gone on the expedition, and a rescue team was sent to look for them. The 34 participants of a trekking course being run by the institute in Triund, 4 km away from the pass, were also asked to help in rescue operations.

Superintendent of Police, S.P.Singh said that two choppers, one of the Indian Air Force and one from the Mountaineering Institute, Manali, were called in but the pilots found it difficult to land because of cloud cover over the area. The coppers made several sorties but failed to succeed due to inclement weather and poor visibility.

The group got stuck 1,000 metres below the 4,350metre high Indirahar pass, which is 4 km from Triund and 13 kilometers from Dharamsala, he added.

Norfolk (diplomat), Ruth Norfolk, Alexender Norfolk, Sebastian Norfolk and Danial Norfolk (all three students). Two guides and one cook were also accompanying them.

Deputy Commissioner Bharat Khera said that the only point of contact with the group was through satellite phone available with the pilots of the choppers and the lack of proper communication was another hurdle in locating them, besides poor visibility. Rescue efforts are being made since the information was received in this regard. One of the choppers had landed at Triund and still there was no intimation about the exact state of affairs there,” he said.

There was also no clarity on reports about the nature of injuries received by some members of the group and how the expedition went haywire.

The diplomat and his family had not been located till last reports came in and officials of the district administration were keeping their fingers crossed, trying to figure out how to provide help to the team members.

Parwanoo, June 15
Taking note of a news item appeared in these columns today under the heading “No EPF, ESI benefits for 600 workers”, Mr Parkash Chand, Regional Director of the ESIC Regional Office here has said there has been substantial increase recorded in ESI contribution in the region in the current fiscal.

During the year, the contribution has increased to Rs 82.75 lakh and Rs 129.50 lakh in April and May, respectively, which was Rs 68.64 lakh and Rs 61.03 lakh during the last year corresponding period. The number of challans received from bank in May 2005, was 1,788 that was 1,287 in May 2004. The average receipt of number of challans for the year 2004-05 was 1,055.

The reason behind the good figures was strict enforcement of norms of the ESI Act 1948, maintained Mr Parkash Chand, who joined the office in April 2005. The ESI scheme has been implemented in Baddi from January this year, he said, adding that about 40 factories with about 2,000 employees were covered and during April and May this year 50 more units with 1,755 employees were covered under the Act.

He said more stress was being made on surprise checks to detect erring employers. The corporation was also making efforts to implement the scheme in Jabli, Dharampur and Koti, he added. Besides, the corporation has taken up the matter with the state government for bringing medical institutions under the provision of the ESI Act, he asserted.

Elaborating achievements of the corporation, he said no case of occupational disease was pending till the end of the last month. A meeting of the Peripatetic Medical Board consisting of three doctors from the Directorate of Medical ESIC, New Delhi, was arranged at ESI hospital here recently where 47 cases of permanent disablement benefit were referred. A public grievance system has also been set up in the state.

He said Rs 13.76 lakh were spent on 21 cases of super speciality treatment from revolving funds in 2003-04. In one case of simple specialty treatment, a four-year-old boy, Dhruv, whose hearing capacity was totally impaired due to jaundice was enabled by the corporation to undergo surgery at PGI, Chandigarh, at a cost of Rs 6.50 lakh.

Kangra, June 15
Burglars broke into the UCO Bank branch at Birta on the outskirts of this town last night but failed to break open the chest and strong room of the bank, the police said here today.

Mr Virender Thakur , Deputy Superintendent of Police, told The Tribune that the burglars entered the bank by breaking a wall of the bank and made attempts to open the chest. He said the criminals had opened all the almirahs of the bank and it was yet to be ascertained whether some official documents were missing. He, however, said the money in the chest was safe. He said that the burglars had left iron rods and screw drivers used in the crime before they fled.

Mr Thakur said despite instructions to the bank there was no security guard posted during the night. He said a case was registered under section 454 and 380 of the IPC. He said a dog squad was pressed into service to trace the culprits. No arrests had been made so far, the police said.

Mr R.C. Dadwal, Senior Manager of the bank said when they reported for duty next morning they found all the almirahs have open and the ledgers scattered. He said this was the second attempt of burglary in the branch.