The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Sick Govt-hospitals fail visitors too Lack of retiring rooms forces visitors to live on hospital floor; leading to unhygenic conditions. The management is yet to resolve the crisis. Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 8 Visitors at government hospitals are facing rough time due to lack of adequate aminities. In the absence of retiring rooms, visitors are compelled to accommodate themselves outside patients’ ward. The visitors at the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GND)and the local Civil Hospital shared their grievances when contacted by The Tribune. Jagtar Singh, a visitor at GND Hospital said, “There is no sitting arrangements for us. We have no other option but to sit on the floor.” Some have even spread bed-sheets on the floor to make their stay a little comfortable. visitors eating and sleeping on floor outside patients’ room does not only give cramped look but the practice is also very unhygenic. “Threat of catching infection is quite high in such a condition,” added Jagtar Singh. Simranjeet Singh, a patient at Civil Hospital, admitts that people sitting on floor and eating does not leave a good impression. “But we don’t have an option. Where would we sit? Some of the corridors don’t even have a fan,” he added. Though the hospital has provided benches in some of the corridors, Sunil Kumar, another visitor said, “The number of benches is very less. At least there should a room where comfortable seating arrangement is provided.” He said most of the attendants bring their food from home and that place could serve as a dining hall too. Dr Karnail Singh, Medical Superintendent at GND Hospital, gave lukewarm response when contacted. He said, “There is no provision for retiring rooms at government hospitals.” He added that benches have been provided at various places for people to sit. The visitors are demanding better facilities in hospital and urging the managements to wake up to their needs. Facilities, like a retiring room or canteen, are absent in government-run hospitals. .Visitors are forced to live practically on hospital floor. This is causing distress to the already troubled visitors. .The practice is unhygenic and threat of catching infection is quite high in such a condition. .Benches have been provided at various places for people to sit. However, these are not sufficient.
	Satnam Kaur waging a lone battle.. Threatens to return the award if government gives approval for re-opening of ultra-sound centre Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 9 Satnam Kaur, from Jagdev Kalan village, threatens to return the state award if government gives a nod to re-open the ultrasound centre that conducts sex-determination tests. Satnam was given a state award and a meagre amount of Rs 11,000 as cash prize for her standing. Government’s resposibility towards her ended there.The amount she received is hardly enough for brining up her two daughters-Harleen and Darshani; yet her will is strong enough. Satnam went against the wishes of her husband and in-laws and strongly refused to abort her second girl child. A decision she took after a sex-determination test conducted on her at a private diagnostic centre. Her in-laws allegedly beat her up and threw her out of their house. She was left all by herself, before her mother and brother and later the then Health Minister, Laxmi Kanta Chawla, came to her rescue. Today again she is facing a problem. She alleged that a ruling party MLA, from Tarn Taran, has asked the police to pressurise the family to finish off the matter by reaching a compromise. Even though the police team had gone to recover the dowry items from her in-laws house on Thursday evening, but the team failed to recover the same. Later, she alleged, a false case was registered against her brother, who is a traffic head constable at Amritsar. The in-laws scattered the household goods and complained to the police. Satnam pointed out, “I don’t want anything other than to secure legal rights for my two daughters.” She urged the government to provide her a job so that she can bring up her daughters and provide them quality education. She also expressed her determination to continue her fight against social menace of killing female foetus. She said whatever the duty given to her, she would do her utmost to curb the menace. On hearing the rumours of reopening of the diagnostic centre, where sex-determination of her girl child was conducted and was subsequently sealed following her revelations, she urged the government to stop this.
	Traffic on NH-703 comes to a standstill for 8 hours Nakodar September 9 After a heavy downpour on Friday in the wee hours, the busiest National Highway Number 703 in Shahkot virtually turned into a slushy ground as a number of vehicles got stuck on the road for several hours and many of them developed a technical snag while wading through the water-logged road. The highway almost came to a standstill for around eight hours. Manak a truck driver, while talking of road woes said, his loading truck got stuck into the slushy road at around 2 am in the wee hours. — OC
	Property dispute: Youth chops off mother’s forearm Bipin Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 9 A property dispute led to the chopping off the left forearm of a woman by her son following an altercation. The incident occurred in Railway Colony, Rama Mandi, last night when Kamaljit Singh, a resident of Kangniwal village, reached the official residence of his mother Karamjit Kaur allegedly in an inebriated condition and indulged in an argument over property with her. After the death of her husband, Karamjit Kaur got a job in the Railways on compassionate ground and was putting up in a quarter with her mother Nirmal Kaur. Her son Kamaljit Singh (30), however, was residing with his grandparents in Kangniwala village. Eyewitness Nirmal Kaur, who is also a victim, said Kamaljit reached their quarter last night and both the mother and son entered into a tiff. He picked up a knife lying nearby and attacked Karamjit Kaur. While defending herself, she got her left forearm chopped off, she recalled. Kamaljit also attacked his maternal grandmother with the same weapon and caused serious injuries to her left forearm, said SHO, Rama Mandi, Barjinder Singh. The youth then fled from the scene. Hearing the shrieks of the victims, their neighbours reached their house and rushed them to a private hospital. After an eight-hour operation, doctors succeeded in reattach the limb of Karamjit Kaur. Dr BS Johal of the hospital, revealed that the left forearm was completely amputated in the attack. “We reattached the limb after a surgery. We hope, the arm will survive,” Dr Johal hoped. Nirmal Kaur’s condition was stable, he claimed. The SHO said a criminal case would be registered against Kamaljit Singh only after the victims got their statements recorded. “I have visited the hospital twice but they are not is a position to get their statements recorded,” the SHO added. The assailant is absconding. The police has been conducting raids at his residence.
	Girl beaten up for denying in-laws luxury car, Rs 10 lakh Nikhil Bhardwaj Nakodar, September 9 A shocking incident revealed that dowry torture is still rampant. Priya Arora, a victim, has sustained serious injuries on her face, legs, arms and back; she was hospitalised at Shahkot on Thursday evening. She was allegedly beaten-up by greedy in-laws who demanded a luxury car and Rs 10 lakh in cash. She told The Tribune that ever since her marriage in March this year, she is facing a lot of torture every day. She is being harassed regularly by her husband, Puneet; sister-in-laws, Sonia and Saruchi; and father-in-law, Narinder Anand. Her husband Puneet Anand, from Rajguru Nagar in Ludhiana, runs a wholesale dupatta house there. Priya, still in shock and pain, narrated how her husband, particularly on September 7, tortured her mentally and physically. ”I was inhumanly pulled up by my hair and later my husband pushed me from a flight of stairs, which wounded me severely,” she said. “He even verbally abused my parents. Such abuses have become a part of my daily life,” she cried. After the incident she called her brother and requested him to take her home. Pardeep, the victim’s brother said, “I went to a private hospital in Ludhiana to take my sister back to our house, but her husband refused. He mocked at me by saying that we have not given sufficient dowry.” Pradeep revealed that this incident was not the first one, his sister has faced such situation earlier as well. “My sister has slept on an empty stomach many a times,” he added. On September 8, Priya was beaten up by her husband once again, and this time Priya’s brother took her to hospital despite strong opposition by her in-laws. Priya, while showing bruises and wounds on her body, said that this was fourth time her husband treated her inhumanly. Neelam, mother of the victim, said, “Priya’s husband punched her eyes within a few months of their marriage.The injury led to some eye disease and finally we had to get her operated.” The mother now only wants justice for her daughter. “Priya’s husband demanded Rs 10 lakh in cash and one top model luxury Verna car. We cannot meet their demands due to our meagre income,” she said. Investigating Officer Kuldip Kumar, of Sarabha Nagar police station in Ludhiana, said that they will take the statement of the girl and further investigations will be done after recording her statement.