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Aware public keeps doctors on toes
Bhalla misusing DBA, allege Kashyap brothers
Minister announces salary hike for private safai karamcharis
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3 held for murder
‘Save sick industry in Punjab’
Seminar on income tax held at Nakodar
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Aware public keeps doctors on toes
Jalandhar, August 31 The range is vast — from alleged misbehaviour to negligence leading to permanent handicap or death of patients. The degree of awareness among common people has witnessed such a steep spurt that the number has increased by 30 per cent during past two years. Allegations about over-charge of consultation fees and treatment charges have also surfaced. The Punjab Medical Council (PMC), one of the four forums available to public besides the Consumer Forum, Courts and the Police, came into being in Punjab after Independence but it was dormant till it was revived in the state about three years back. The revival saw it been flooded with all types of complaints against doctors — private as well as government — as it looked after registration, licence, and regulation of doctors and the medical profession. All doctors, practicing in the state, have to get themselves registered with the PMC, functioning under the umbrella of the Medical Council of India (MCI). It is the only forum, which has medical experts to examine the complaints pertaining to doctors, and which can debar a doctor from practice if found guilty. Common people, particularly, in the Doaba region, have become enlightened about their rights and the ins and outs of the medical profession that the PMC has received about 100 complaints about doctors during the past eight months. The heightened awareness has forced private hospitals to upgrade their services so that they could satisfy their patients. “Generally, we would get 50 odd complaints in a year till about two years back. Then there was a sudden rise in the number of complaints, primarily, due to the enhanced awareness among people. “Credit goes to the media and increased education level of the people. It is a healthy trend and goes in favour of a healthy society,” said Dr Yash Sharma, a member of the PMC and the President of the North-West Zone of the ENT surgeons. Interestingly, nearly 60 of the 100 complaints received by the PMC held doctors responsible for either deaths of patients or for their permanent handicap allegedly caused by “their gross negligence.” These were followed by complaints pertaining to issuance of ‘false’ beneficiary medical certificates. Such certificates were issued to people, intending to get benefits from government organizations like the Railways or from insurance companies. A number of complainants have also hurled allegations against doctors of fleecing patients in the name of expensive and mostly ‘unnecessary’ medical tests. “Common people, mostly from the middle class, have attained such a degree of awareness that even before getting themselves admitted to private hospitals, they want to know detail of each and every penny that they have to spend on the treatment. “They also make a thorough comparison about charges before taking any final decision about their treatment,” said Dr Yash Sharma. |
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Bhalla misusing DBA, allege Kashyap brothers
Jalandhar, August 31 The two have alleged that Mr Raj Kumar Bhalla and Mr Mandeep Singh Sachdeva, president and the secretary of the association, respectively were not only ‘misusing’ the association. The association had withdrawn chamber number of the two advocates saying that they had ‘indulged in malpractices’ and had tried to form a parallel Bar. In a complaint filed in the court of Mr Randhir Verma, the Kashyap brothers said they “have great respect for the District Bar Assocation,” but, still they were subjected to mental agony as one of them (Parmod Kashyap) had contested the election of the association for the post of the president.” “Mr Mandeep Singh and Mr Raj Kumar intentionally did not adopt the proper procedure and never issued notice to the complainants,” they alleged. The brothers also apprehended threat to their life. |
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Minister announces salary hike
Phagwara, August 31 The minister said the safai karamcharis employed by local mohalla committees would get a pay hike ranging from Rs 600 to Rs 1,200, depending upon the status of the local bodies. Eighty per cent of the salary would be paid by the local body, while the rest of the 20 per cent would be paid by the respective mohalla committees employing these karamcharis. He said the decision was likely to benefit nearly 9,500 private safai karamcharis in the state. The state would be paying Rs 1.50 crore per month out of its coffers to sustain this pay hike. The minister said that those employed by the local mohalla committees in the corporation towns would now get Rs 3,600 per month instead of the earlier Rs 2,400 per month, while those in the council towns would get Rs 3,000 per month. |
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3 held for murder
Kapurthala, August 31 SSP Rajiv Ahir said that Ravel and Chaman had given Faghu Rs 1 lakh for killing Sukhdev. Ravel was contesting Nagar Panchayat elections against Gurcharan Singh, brother of Sukhdev Singh’s maternal uncle Joginder Singh. Sukhdev, a permanent resident of Malupur village in Mukerian, was living with his uncle. Ravel along with his cousin and migrant labourer conspired to kill Sukhdev. Faghu killed Sukhdev Singh in Joginder’s fields in Begowal just two days before the elections. |
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‘Save sick industry in Punjab’
Phagwara, August 31 Most industrialists had no alternative but to migrate to Himachal and Uttaranchal Pradesh to get subsidies announced by the respective governments, he said. Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Chugh said that the industrialists of Punjab had suffered a lot during the days of terrorism in the state. Punjab should be brought in that category where industrialists could get subsidy on the pattern of the neighbouring states. He added that it was a matter of concern that not even a single Special Economic Zone (SEZ) could be set up in Punjab, while nine SEZs had been set up in Andhra Pradesh. He expressed his surprise over the alleged step-motherly treatment being meted out to Punjab by the Union Government, in spite of the fact that Punjab was the home state of the Indian Prime Minister. |
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Seminar on income tax held at Nakodar
Jalandhar, August 31 Mr Jayant Diddi, Additional Commissioner, Income Tax, Phagwara range, presided over the seminar. Mr Diddi emphasised upon the need to for common people to pay taxes honestly. He said the payment of taxes was important as they were used for development of the country in spheres of health, education, roads and railways, besides defence. He said the tax payers problems would be solved on priority basis by officials. Thursday had been fixed as a special day for hearing of public grievances and for their appropriate redressal, he added. |
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