Srinagar, December 4
After demanding troop cut and revocation of the Armed Force Special Powers Act (AFSPA) for over nine months, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has decided to woo the jobless educated youth in the state ahead of the Assembly elections.

The Youth Development Policy unveiled by PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in Jammu yesterday has come at a time when the PDP, the Congress, and the Opposition National Conference are busy in virtual “election campaign” in the state.

The youth policy is being seen as an attempt to woo the jobless educated youth, who do not have options other than government jobs, while the troop cut and withdrawal of the AFSPA were aimed at the common man in Kashmir.

The policy is also well timed after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and former UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP) indicated their plans to gear up for participation in the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Both leaders visited the state recently with Yadav announcing to launch a state-wide campaign this month.

Unveiling the Youth Policy, PDP patron Mufti Sayeed said the state’s future political structure should be more inclusive of the youth who could become agents for peace and development.

“The state’s youth must now be brought on the forefront of change and innovation and the PDP has taken an initiative in this direction,” he declared.

He said there had been lack of concern about improving life prospects of the youth. “Issues concerning the youth are not even on the agenda of any political party,”
he said.

The Mufti held that the policy evisioned to provide the youth equal opportunities to realise potential.

“Young people have been affected by the violence which has brought about changes in social norms and opened up opportunities to renegotiate relations and hierarchies based on age and gender,” he said.

The policy, the Mufti said, envisioned youth becoming partners in creating a framework for developing programmes suited for them and society.

The PDP’s mission was to “Educate, Employ and Empower” the youth to meet challenges through focused activities making them politically empowered, socially responsible, ethically aware and economically independent.

Jammu, December 4
Describing former MP and president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) Simranjit Singh Mann as a man of integrity, SAD (A) leaders of Jammu and Kashmir have expressed faith and confidence in his leadership.

Addressing mediapersons here today, SAD (A) national vice-president Jaspal Singh Mangal said, “ Mann never sold the Sikh community for his personal ends. In fact, he is the man who always strove for the cause of a Sikh nation.”

“However, the entire community of Jammu and Kashmir expresses concern over the nefarious moves of certain short-sighted elements, who continue to sabotage the cause of Sikh community,” said Mangal.

Taking a dig at expelled party leader Daljit Singh Bittu, Mangal said, “Sikh leaders of the state take Mann as a symbol of unfulfilled dreams of the Sikh community, but the elements headed by Bittu continue to play in the hands of anti-Sikh forces.”

“As a matter of fact Bittu stands expelled for his anti-party activities and the cowardice shown by him during the Kathunangal episode. However, it seems he hasn’t learnt a lesson as yet,” he added.

The national vice-president also hailed re-installation of portrait of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale at Amritsar.

“The SAD (A) feels the SGPC and the Sikh clergy have rectified their past mistake of removing his portrait,” said Mangal.

On behalf of the Sikh leaders of the state, Mangal also expressed gratitude to the Pakistani government for recognising the Anand Marriage Act for Sikhs in Pakistan and endorsed Mann’s demand of a similar recognition and acceptance by the Indian state of having a separate Anand Marriage Act in the country.

He also reiterated his demand of handing over murder case of Jathedar Harnam Singh to the CBI.

“We urge the CM to use his good offices so that the CBI takes up the case and justice is delivered,” he added.

Jammu, December 4
Every 24 hours, 70 women deliver children at Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh Hospital here which has 22 gynaecologists.

Predominantly a gynae hospital, of 70 deliveries, on an average, in 24 hours include 25 by Caesarean section.

Bursting at the seams, the 550-bed hospital usually has 900 to 1,000 indoor patients on any given day.

This year till now, the hospital has witnessed deaths of 155 infants and neonates in the Paediatrics Department while three women died in the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Department.

Whenever a patient dies, his or her attendants allege negligence by doctors. However, the root cause of such incidents lies in the huge influx of patients, including complicated referred cases from various districts, vis-à-vis shortage of doctors and paramedical staff.

Hospital medical superintendent Dr Yashpal Sharma said, “We have been trying hard to ameliorate the situation. To begin with we have started training nurses and the paramedical staff to maintain good public relations and look into complaints of attendants.”

On charges of negligence on the part of the doctors, Dr Sharma said, “Emotional outburst of attendants in case of death of their patient can be understood but deaths mostly occur in complicated cases.”

“However, wild and baseless allegations lower morale of doctors and paramedical staff,” he added.

The medical superintendent, however, did not rule out the possibility of slipshod attitude of some doctors in the 45-bed labour room.

He said, “Attendants mostly level wild allegations and rarely a written complaint is lodged. This year too some allegations of negligence were levelled against doctors but not a single written complaint came to me.”

“Leave aside 900 to 1,000 hospitalised patients we even face approximately 25 per cent shortage of staff for the sanctioned 550 beds,” added Dr Sharma.

He claimed that the requisite strength of doctors had been projected to the Public Service Commission and the malady would soon end with appointments in near future.

Official sources said, the day shift in the labour room went off smoothly because in case of emergency, the hospital authorities divert gynaecologists from OPD, research and other engagements.

“However, problem quite often crops up at night when only one registrar, four PGs, four to five house surgeons, four to five interns and one consultant, on call, remain available,” said sources.

“The condition of single registrar, who has to attend to 25 to 30 deliveries in a single night, including caesareans, can simply be gauged,” sources added.

Regional biases continue to haunt even the hospital officials at the SMGS Hospital.

They said, “The SMGS hospital has six posts of registrar, but Lal Ded Hospital in Srinagar having the same workload has 22 registrars.”

The Government District Gandhi Nagar Hospital has five gynaecologists, including one ‘A’ grade and four ‘B’ grade gynaecologists, while the Government Hospital, Sarwal, has five gynaecologists, including one ‘B’ grade, one migrant, two MDs and one diploma gynaecologist.