 |
|
|
Strapped for staff, civil hospital needs booster
dose
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Municipal councillor in jail, opponent takes care of the ward
MC, health officials remain on toes to curb spread of
gastro
26 auto-rickshaws, two buses challaned
PPCB blames industry for pollution, latter denies
DC, MC Commissioner told to be present in court
BSNL launches special Navratra scheme
‘Udaan’
GM of BSNL Jalandhar Circle, SK Nigam announces various Navratra plans in Jalandhar on Thursday. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh
Suvidha Centre staff strike enters 4th day
World heart Day
From
college
|
|
Strapped for staff, civil hospital needs booster
dose
Jalandhar, September 29 Shockingly, the hospital has only 72 staff nurses to run the 400-bedded hospital, which is the largest civil hospital in the region. The patient-nurse ratio can be gauged from the fact that on an average only two nurses work round the clock in a ward to deal with the rush of patients.
Requesting anonymity, a staff nurse who was on night duty yesterday said, “We were two staff nurses on duty yesterday and had to face a tough time making case files of all the patients, attending to them and arguing with them on the issue of space in the wards”. Another staff nurse revealed that, as the medical wards were full to its capacity there was no space available to shift the fresh lot of patients inside the wards. “Even last year, merely 72 staff nurses had attended a whopping strength of 7,000 dengue patients in the hospital. However, some additional field staff nurses were later deputed to attend to such a huge rush”, they added. Talking to The Tribune, the president of the Punjab Government Nurses Association, Jalandhar, Jasbir Kaur Thind said, “Just imagine our plight that despite being the backbone of the health delivery system, the authorities never gave us the assurance that staff strength would be increased. We have written to the Director, Health and Family Welfare many times but to no avail. Probably they believe in the dictum of maximum output with minimum resources”. She also added that the 900-bedded Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, has 613 staff nurses to run the system while the Civil Hospital was working with just one-fourth of staff nurses. Further talking about the problems, Jasbir Kaur maintained that while the number of departments in the hospital had been increasing the strength of staff nurses continued to remain the same as when it used to be a 200-bedded hospital. “Sometimes there is no Class IV staff available to help us in the wards but we still manage the show. The authorities concerned should increase the strength of nurses to provide better healthcare facilities to the patients”, she demanded.
|
|
Municipal councillor in jail, opponent takes care of the ward
Jalandhar, September 29 Rajiv Thakur, who had unsuccessfully contested the MC elections in August, 2007, has somehow got an opportunity to act as a de facto councillor from the area. At his residence in Garden Colony, he holds a meeting with residents of the ward and even attests certain documents required by them. Thakur helps residents in procuring ration cards and availing themselves of pension and shagun schemes. He also countersign documents used for preparing UID cards. Thakur, who had been the area councillor from 1997 to 2002 on BJP ticket, claims that he still has good contacts with the officials in the MC and with the leaders of all political party. “I had switched over to the Congress in the last elections, because the ward was put in the kitty of the SAD,” he said. Thakur, however, says, “Had he been with the ruling party, he could have performed much more vigorously. Technically, I cannot also attend any House meetings, but I have helped people with their day-to-day problems putting the message across to the authorities.” Ram Simran Makkar was arrested nearly five months ago in the sensational murder case of hotelier Gurkirat Singh Gikki, whose residence, too, falls in the same ward. Manjit Singh, a resident of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, said, “We had thought that since Makkar is the nephew of a SAD MLA, he would be able to represent our problems in a better way, but things turned the other way round.” Surinder Kumar, a resident of Khurla Kingra, claims that even the councillors of adjoining wards, including Surinder Kaur, Narinder Kaur and Balraj Thakur, were taking interest as they were helping them by attesting documents. He said his colony was the most neglected of all areas in the ward with no concrete roads. In Ward 26, it’s the same story There are three wards in Jalandhar that are functioning without councillors. Congress councillor Sukhmeet Deputy, convicted in a ransom case for alleged kidnapping, has not been able to attend even a single meeting of the MC. In his absence, Jimmy Kalia, his BJP opponent, is the de facto councillor. In Ward 19, husband steps in after wife’s death Anita Dhir, councillor from Ward 19, passed away almost a year back. Her husband Satish Dhir is taking care of her ward. He is a regular visitor to the MC and even attends the house meeting seated at the back. |
|
MC, health officials remain on toes to curb spread of
gastro
The Operations and Maintenance (O&M) wing of the MC flushed out contaminated water from Guru Nanak Pura (West) using hydrants and collected five fresh water samples from the locality. The fresh water samples were collected after one out of the five samples collected from Guru Nanak Pura (East) failed. Later the fresh water samples were sent to Eco Lab, SAS Nagar. Earlier in the day, the MC sent six water tankers for the residents of the affected localities, while the main holes of the sewers were also checked to find any leakage. “We did not disconnect any water connections today. But, those residents who still reported of contaminated water supply were given clean drinking water and samples were collected from their houses,” said SDO Surjeet Singh from the O&M Department of the MC. The health authorities collected 10 stool samples from Guru Nanak Pura (East) and sent them to Government Medical College, Amritsar. The health officials examined 50 patients in the health camp held at Government Elementary School, Chowgitti. “We referred two serious gastroenteritis cases to the Civil Hospital. Eleven patients were detected with problem of dysentery and six with vomiting,” said a health official. Further, the Anti-Larva Wing of the Civil Hospital visited nearly 400 houses in the Guru Nanak Pura (East & West), Chowgitti, Nurpur and Bashirpura localities to avoid any outbreak of gastroenteritis in these localities. “Today we distributed 4,000 chlorine tablets and sprays were also done in cesspools to stop the cause of gastroenteritis in these localities,”, health team members said. Kalia visits affected localities
|
|
26 auto-rickshaws, two buses challaned
Jalandhar, September 29 Acting tough on overloading and use of pressure horns, the city police has launched a special operation against the violators. Under the operation, the police had also challaned 47 government and private buses, besides impounding two buses on September 24. The police today had laid nakas at various strategic points in and around the city in an effort to bridle the violators. |
|
PPCB blames industry for pollution, latter denies
Jalandhar, September 29 The PPCB Chairman, KS Pannu, said the daily production of effluents by the industry was expected to be 6,00,00 to 7,00,00 litres. But the owners of these units, industrialists and the president of the Federation of Jalandhar Industry and Traders’ Association, Gursharan Singh, said these units produce only 2,00,00 to 3,00,00 litres of effluents and the effluents were being transported to the Ludhiana-based CTP, as per PPCB norms. The PPCB officials raided as many as 68 Jalandhar-based electroplating units on September 25. About 60 of those were allegedly violating pollution regulation norms. The units were found to be discharging effluents into the Kala Sanghian drain, which flows into the Sutlej. The PPCB slapped notices threatening to close down all such units. “All the units are complying with the norms. The units are tied up with the Ludhiana-based CTP, run by the JDR Technologies. About 2,00,00 to 3,00,00 litres of effluents are generated by these units and are then transported regularly to the CTP, in special vans,” said Gursharan Singh adding that the industrialists had returned the show-cause notices to the PPCB officials, led by SP Garg, at a meeting here today. He said the Punjab government has already approved grants for two-acre land at Pholriwal where a treatment plant will be set up. “The Industries’ Department Principal Secretary, SS Channy, has formed a high-powered committee and the MC has identified the land for this purpose,” said Gursharan Singh adding that the proposed treatment plant would be funded jointly by the Punjab government, Central government and industrialists. On the other hand, when contacted, Pannu said, “The transportation of effluents from Jalandhar to the Ludhiana-based CTP has doubled only after the raids. “We estimated daily discharge to be around 6,00,00 to 7,00,00 litres. We will make them (electroplating units) comply with the norms and ferry the entire quantum to the CTP.”
|
|
DC, MC Commissioner told to be present in court
Jalandhar, September 29 While MC officials have presented a case saying that the actual width of the road is 55 to 60 feet, but the records from the DC office claim that the width is 44 feet. The petition pertains to the removal of encroachments on the road. As many as 11 separate writ petitions regarding inaction on the part of the officials on encroachments have also been clubbed in the court. In the order dated September 23, the copy of which was received by the MC office today, the Judges, Jasbir Singh and Sabina, have written, “An affidavit of the DC has been produced before us, a perusal of which indicates non-compliance of the order passed by the court on August 12. It appears that the affidavit has been prepared in a hurried manner without looking as to what information was sought by the court. The DC is directed to come present in court in the next hearing along with the requisite information.” The copy of the order further reads, “Vide order dated August 12, Municipal Corporation was directed to file a status report regarding removal of encroachments. The said order is not complied with. The Commissioner, MC, is also directed to come present in court on the next date of hearing along with a status report.” The orders have sent the MC officials in a tizzy. Public announcement has been made regarding the removal of encroachments in the Garha locality, inhabited by labourers for over 40 years. The officials of the town planning section of the MC claim that the colony came up after filling sewer ponds. MC Commissioner B.S. Dhaliwal has confirmed having received the orders. He said a report from the Revenue Department was awaited for knowing the width of Kapurthala Road along Basti Sheikh and Basti Peer Daad colonies. “There have a difference of opinion between us and the department on the matter. We have to get it checked before taking any action.” The Commissioner said notices would soon be served to the residents of Garha as well. “We are proceeding step by step on the issues,” he added. The case
|
|
BSNL launches special Navratra scheme
‘Udaan’
Jalandhar, September 29 In contrast, only 1,000 customers have switching over from private telecom services to BSNL. But as a major respite, the public telecom company has got a jump of over 2 lakh new customers ever since. Addressing a press conference, S.K. Nigam, GM, BSNL, Jalandhar Circle, said there were 3.5 lakh subscribers at that time, the number of which had swelled to 5.5 lakh now. The GM announced the launch of a special Navratra scheme termed as “Udaan” as per which any customer could book his new mobile, landline, WLL or broadband service sitting at his home by making a call on 9400054141 or sending SMS on 54141 (for BSNL mobile phone users). “Our team will reach out to the customers and complete all official formalities,” he said. He said the existing customers could take the Fibre to the Home (FTTH) service by which they would be able to get their copper wiring for broadband, telephone and IPTV services replaced by paying 10 per cent additional charges. “The customers will have to apply afresh and enjoy interruption-free services,” Nigam added.
|
|
Suvidha Centre staff strike enters 4th day
Jalandhar, September 29 Though the number of visitors who poured in was quite less today, there still were quite a few who came in to check as to whether the centre had opened today. From the administration side, there was no notice or direction given to the visitors at the gates of the centre. Many people returned empty handed waiting for the office to open. But there were others with some urgency over getting documents who went on to lodge a protest with the higher officials, including the ADC and DC, in this regard. The officials then asked them to directly pursue their case with the offices or branches concerned. There were several like Manjit Kaur from Rama Mandi who had come to
the From page 1 centre to apply for a marriage certificate so that she could join her husband and has to fly to Italy
next month. Meanwhile, the employees of the Suvidha Centre have no plans to return to the office even tomorrow as their talks with
the authorities in Chandigarh have not yielded any result. Ramesh Kumar, vice-president of local unit of the Punjab State Suvidha Employees Union, said, “Since our demands have not been conceded to, we have plans to continue on with the strike. We have been demanding regularisation of jobs and regular salary grade. But we have not yet got any assurance on this front.” The ADC (D), Sarojini Sharda Gautam, said, “The employees have not conveyed anything to us. We will see the situation tomorrow morning and will definitely take adequate measures going by the difficulties faced by the residents.” |
|
Street plays, rallies, medical check-up camps organised Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, September 29 A rally based on the theme “Save your heart, save your life” was organised to spread awareness on heart diseases. Nearly 300 students and residents participated in the rally, which was flagged off by former minister Chaudhary Jagjit Singh. The rally started from a hospital and covered Nakodar Chowk, Link Road, Milkbar Chowk and Guru Nanak Chowk. Dr SPS Grover, Director of the hospital, participated in the event. Rattan Multispeciality Hospital organised a free medical check-up camp on the hospital premises in association with the Punjab Press Club. The patients were examined and allowed to avail themselves of free ECG and blood-testing services. Prior to the camp, Dr Balraj Gupta, MD of the hospital, explained the members, with the help of audio visual presentation, the causes and symptoms of hypertension, diabetes and heart attack. Street plays were also organised by the BBC Heart Care Centre.
|
|
Debate competition
Jalandhar: The Department of Law of the GNDU Regional Campus, Ladhewali, organised a debate on Jan Lokpal Bill, Uniform Civil Code, Death Penalty and Anand Marriage Act. As many as 20 students from BA LLB (Honours) took part in
the debate.
Results: Himanshu Uppal stood first, Parul Kangniwal came second and Manpreet Kaur bagged the third position. SS Sangha, Assistant Dean, and Head of the Department, Dr RK Marwah, congratulated the winners.
— TNS |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
14,000 subscribers quit BSNL services using number portability scheme
Even today when the hospital was flooded with gastroenteritis patients in the corridors, the nurses were left rushing to attend to the ailing patients. There was so much commotion that the patients were left fuming about the lack of care by the staff nurses, while the latter expressed their helplessness in dealing with the situation. 
Ever since their elected SAD councillor Ram Simran Makkar was put behind bars in a murder case, the residents here have had to approach his defeated opponent from the Congress for the redressal of their civic problems.
Jalandhar, September 29