Nawanshahr, July 14
With the approval granted by the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), admissions in MBA and different courses in engineering and technology (both B.Tech and diploma) would start from this academic session on the new campus set up by the Doaba Group of Colleges under the public-private participation (PPP) format with the Punjab government at nearby Chhokeran village.

Giving information, Doaba Group of Colleges Executive Director Manjit Singh said recently a team of experts from the AICTE headed by Dr S.P. Singh (North-West Region Office, Chandigarh), visited the Chhokeran campus to take stock of the infrastructure facilities and faculty available at the institute.

Other members of the team were Dr Rao (Hyderabad), Dr R.P. Singh (Kanpur), Dr Tripathi (Allahabad), Dr Mahapatra (Patiala), Dr V.K. Gupta and Dr S.K. Gupta (Chandigarh). On the basis of the report submitted by the committee, the AICTE had given its approval to the institute for starting MBA, B.Tech and diploma courses in computer science, electronics and communication, electrical, mechanical and information technology.

“With it, the long-cherished dream of setting up an institute for providing technical education facility to the youth of this region has been fulfilled,” said Manjit Singh, adding that the setting up of a technical institute at Chhokeran was planned by the government in 1995.

The institute would specially prove a boon for the youth of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, Machhiwara and Samrala areas of Ludhiana and Phillaur area of Jalandhar district.

Jalandhar, July 14
The state unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has warned of a statewide stir if a case against a Doraha-based doctor was not withdrawn.

Dr Gurdip Singh of Sidhu Hospital was booked under sections 304 and 304-A of the IPC following the death of a patient on July 11.

Irate relatives and friends of the deceased ransacked the hospital.

IMA President Dr Yash Sharma said the case was registered in violation of the Supreme Court (SC) guidelines which prohibited the registration of criminal cases except with a nod from a medical board. The Doraha case was not the sole example since two similar cases have been registered at Bathinda and Abohar recently.

IMA Jalandhar unit President Dr Yogeshwar Sood said the violation of the Hospital Protection Act was a non-bailable offence and those accused under it would face imprisonment up to one year and were liable to pay penalty of twice the price of the damaged property.

CJI R.C. Lahoti and others observed: “The investigation office should, before proceeding against the doctors accused of the Rash or Negligent Act or omission, obtain an independent and competent medical opinion preferably from a doctor.

A doctor accused of rashness or negligence, may not be arrested in a routine manner.”

In another SC judgment on February 17, 2009, Justice Markandey Katju and others ordered: “This is necessary to avoid harassment to doctors who may not be ultimately found to be negligent.”

Narrating the incident, they said patient Jagat Bhushan was admitted in Sidhu Hospital on July 9 for barriatic surgery. A correct pre-operative procedure was followed. The patient was explained the surgery and its course, including complications. Consent for the surgery was duly obtained.

Surgery was performed on July 10. The next evening, he developed post -operative complication. He was administered all possible treatment, including resuscitation, but could not be revived, they added.

Since the patient was serious, his condition was being explained to his relatives and friends waiting outside the ICU. This gave ample time for them to inform more people to reach the hospital. As soon as the death was declared, these people started ransacking the hospital.

They attacked Dr Gurdip Singh and started beating him up. His sister-in-law Dr Gursaran Kaur was not spared either. Both were somehow rescued by their staff and taken to the ICU. The mob did not relent and went inside the ICU and dragged Dr Singh out and beat him up. Even nurses were not spared and were chased out of the hospital, he said.

Meanwhile, the mob continued damaging the hospital. The police arrived on the scene but remained a mute spectator and made no effort to control the mob, he alleged. Dr Singh was taken to Payal police station to lodge a report, MLR and treatment. Later in the evening, he was booked under section 304-A, IPC. An FIR was filed against the relatives of the deceased, he added.

Batala, July 14
Mohan Singh, a Dalit victim, today alleged that the police was pressurising him to enter into a compromise in a criminal case got registered by him against the Akali sarpanch of Sandalpur village under Rangar Nangal poilce station in Batala district.

While talking to mediapersons here, Mohan Singh, a resident of Sandalpur village, stated that due to political rivalry, injuries had been inflicted upon him and some other persons by Harpal Singh, sarpanch belonging to the SAD, for a case registered against him (Harpal) under sections 452, 427, 336, 323, 506, 148, 149 and 326 of the IPC and section 25 of the Arms Act.

The complainant had even given applications to the higher-ups and the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC), Chandigarh.

The PSHRC sent a copy of the same to the SSP of Batala for an inquiry and report at which the complainant was called by SSP Naresh Arora on July 13 at his residence and was pressurised to enter into a compromise with Harpal Singh.

On the refusal of Mohan Singh, the SSP threatened him (an affidavit of Mohan Singh in this respect is with this correspondent).

The Dalit families had earlier threatened to commit self-immolation before the Chief Minister when he visited Kahnuwan in connection with the election to assembly seat in protest against the atrocities committed on them at the hands of Akali Dal activists and action of the police as none of the 25 named accused had been arrested so far.

When contacted, the SSP denied pressurising the complainant and stated that the inquiry in this case was conducted by the DSP (Rural). 

Hoshiarpur, July 14
Residents of the town and its surrounding areas havebeen getting contaminated water from the municipal water supply sources these days.

Besides, students of 20 government schools and inmates of the Bal Sudhar Ghar (juvenile home), Ram Colony Camp, have also been consuming contaminated water.

District Health Officer Dr Yash Mitra said 33 samples of water were collected from the municipal water supply sources in the town, of which water of 13 sites was found unfit for human consumption while the results of seven were still awaited.

The department had also collected 89 water samples from the various government schools, of which 20 were found unfit for consumption.

Water samples of the Bal Sudhar Ghar were also found contaminated.

As many as 43 water samples from the various public institutions, including gurdwaras and temples, were collected, of which the results of 12 were still awaited.

The municipal authorities have been asked to make chlorination of water at the supply sources to avoid water-borne diseases.

A special campaign was being launched under the Epidemic Disease Act to destroy over-ripe and rotten fruits and vegetables, said Dr Mitra. 

Nawanshahr, July 14
Deputy Commissioner Nilkanth Avhad conducted a suprise checking of the local Civil Hospital at about 8.30 am and found the SMO and as many as 10 doctors absent from the duty.

Taking serious note of the dereliction of duty, the DC has written a letter to the Health Secretary for taking action against the doctors.

Besides, Avhad has appealed to the public to call at phone 01823-221401 if they had any complaint regarding the late coming or dereliction in duty being shown by the doctors at the Civil Hospital. 

Jalandhar, July 14
Two second-year MBA (international) students of Lovely Professional University (LPU), who had gone to the USA as part of their one-month international educational trip, disappeared from Charlotte airport in the USA on July 11 while returning to India.

The boys, Srajan Kumar Viyogi of Uttar Pradesh and Kuldeep of Haryana, were part of the 62-member contingent which had gone to the University of North Carolina, USA, under the international exposure programme.

Aman Mittal, Assistant Director, LPU, opined, “We had got a complaint registered with the US authorities immediately. A DDR has also been lodged with the Phagwara police. The students seem to have done this in a planned manner with the consent of their parents back home.”

Mittal added that the boys managed to flee from the security area of the airport on the pretext that they had forgotten their bags behind.

Interestingly, Srajan’s father told Mittal that he was aware of his son’s whereabouts but did not divulge any information. “He is an adult and capable of taking care of himself,” Mittal said he was told.